continually saith David Psal 71.14 Though his enemies be lively yet his hope is not dead and while they threaten more he yet hopes more and more All the waters of humane opposition cannot quench this fire but it 's like the fire of the Sanctuary which never goes out True hope grows by discouragement and the wind of worldly affliction serves but to increase this holy flame When as the spies gave a discouraging account of the Land Caleb and Joshua were not dismay'd at their own sight or their report but conclude Their defence is departed and they are bread for us They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength and their hope too and under the lowest providences they have yet a spero meliora in their mouths which keeps them from fainting and sinking And that leads to the third and last qualification of the Saints hope It 's stedfast and permanent A Believer hath hope in his end and he hopes to the end Heb. 6.11 The full assurance of hope to the end And so cap. 3.6 Whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end God perfects this grace wheresoever he begins it An Hypocrites is a dying hope a Saints a living hope there is a vigour and vivacity and also a constancy and perpetuity in it We are not of them who draw back to perdition An Hypocrites hope is an empty and vain and so a vanishing hope it hath no solidity in it but appears a meer husk when Satan comes to thresh it by his temptations it will not stand or endure a trial When he comes to go out of the world his hope perisheth for ever and breaths forth it self into a puff of wind though swoln to never so huge a bulk and great a proportion It hath no stalk and when the Sun of divine indignation or humane persecution ariseth it wholly withereth But a Saint though for a while he may lose the exercise never wholly loseth the habit of his hope his hope is a fixed stable setled hope Col. 1.23 A carnal wretch can hope in good daies while providence looks on him with a favourable and pleasing aspect but let the Lord come to frown on him and lay affliction on his loyns his heart 〈◊〉 like Nabals dies within him he sinks like a stone he carries with him a sad heart and looks with a lowring and dejected countenance but a child of God as no outward comâ—ort does much incourage him so no outward cross doâ—s much dishearten him Mercy does not much 〈◊〉 him up nor misery cast him down his conclusion is I will yet hope in God and never cast away my confidence which hath great recompence of reward Quo malis presentiâ—us durius deprimor eo de futuris gaudiis certius praesumo saith holy Ignatius by how much the more I am oppressed with present miseries so much the more confident I am of eternal joys 2 Cor. 4.17 Thirdly This speaks sharp reproof even to the People of God themselves who are so apt to depend on and run to means and second causes in times of trouble and affliction and not lay their hope and help on this God of Jacob and his truth and faithfulness only Israel was very prone to this corruption to seek to and rely on forein aids and helps neglecting and refusing to rest upon God This is sinners wickedness and Saints weakness and infirmity This was the fault of good Asa zealous Hezekiah holy David who thought nothing better for them than one to go to the Physitians before the Lord another to curry favour with the King of Babylon and a third to flie into the Land of the Philistines 1 Sam. 27.1 Vitium ostendit saith a Commentator on the Text dum ostendit remedium This is natural to the lost but yet proud Sons and Daughters of Adam The first man had a spice of pride in him and all his posterity have gotten a tang of it The stout souldier will never accept quarter as long as he can stand out against the enemy or defend the besieged City against his power and violence Proud stout-hearted man would neither be beholden to God or Christ for his help could he but be his own Protector and Saviour We are all by nature run-aways from God and having a backsliding heart within us are apt to revolt more and more leaning on any broken Reed before him the eternal Rock But this our way is our folly This is our great sin and runs us also into an inextricable labyrinth of calamity and woe It 's no less than crimen laesae Majestatis when we have the covering of the Almighty's protection and the wing of the great and everlasting Jehovah to come under yet to shroud our selves under the alien shadow of any creature and when we may delighfully sollace our selves under the Vines sweetness and Olives fatness yet to shelter our selves under the vain shew of the Bramble It 's too convincing an Argument both of the weakness of grace that our strength is small and also of the power and predominancy of corruption It 's a plain and demonstrative Argument of a carnal heart to satisfie our selves with any outward enjoyment in the day of mercy or support in the hour of misery How sadly does God complain of this in his Israel of old Psal 78.22 They believed not in the Lord nor trusted in his salvation So Deut. 9.23 Ye rebelled against the Commandment of the Lord your God to go up against the Nations and ye believed him not God taxeth it of high disingenuity and disloyalty Jer. 2.5 What iniquity have your Fathers found in me that they are gone far from me and have walked after vanity So Jer. 18.13 14. The Virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing Will a man leave the Snow of Lebanon which cometh from the Rock of the field or shall the cold flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken It 's a tincture of Apostacy from God Indeed a plain contradiction to our conversion In that we turn from the Creature to the Creator in this from the Creator to the Creature It 's a more spiritual and refined Idolatry and therefore it 's observable these two are Couzen-Germans neighbour-sins and but one remove one from the other Yea the â—dolatry charged by the Apostle upon the Gentiles hath this inscription on its forehead They worshipped and served the Creature more than the Creator God blessed for ever Rom. 1.25 And indeed whatsoever a man sets up above or equal with God it 's his God or at least his Idol And as it is a great iniquity so it is commonly rewarded with exemplary punishment This trust is both wicked and vain it makes us neglect God the eternal Refuge and while it deceives us and makes us miss of a better ground of trust it also weakens and debilitates both our hearts and hands our hands in duty and our hearts in confidence
out against them and overcome them Art thou under crosses and losses and sore and vexatious trialls that way hast lost thy Estate and Possessions thy Relations thy former Friends thy present comforts thy hopes thy all yet thou hast not lost thy God who is better than all And as Zeno the Philosopher said once when he had lost all by Shipwrack Licet me tutius philosophari Thou hast now the better leisure to attend thy Soul and study Heaven Though a man loseth his Moneys and is rich in Bills and Bonds it 's no great matter When thou hast not a penny in thy Purse thou hast thousands in the Promise Gods providence or mens violence may take away thy Estate thy Children thy Livelihood and subsistence but never take away thy Christ When thou hast lost all things else yet thou canst never lose thy God and thy inheritance the hope laid up for thee in Heaven that heavenly and never-failing treasure is out of the reach both of Men and Devils Art thou under afflictions personal family Hath the hand of God toucht thee Hath his destroying Angel come with the Arrows of the Plague and shot into thy habitation so that thou art left alone and become wholly comfortless even swallowed up of sorrow Thy Relations are gone thy Friends fled from thee all thine acquaintance stand aloof off thy sore thou sighest and mournest by day weepest by night and hast none to comfort thee thou art become like a Pelican in the Wilderness an Owl in the Desart and sittest like a Sparrow on the house-top Death is entred in at thy windows and men have written Lord have Mercy on thy doors and thou hast neither Minister nor Phyfitian to come at thee yea wantest Bread it self to uphold thee Yet fear not Thy God is still with thee and then nightest when all Creatures run away to the greatest distance Christ comes in yet familiarly at thy doors God stands by thy beds side Though the Plague hath seized thy body he is not afraid to come neer thy soul and while thy Friends forsake thee he will be Friend Physitian and Comforter to thee He is the Lord that healeth thee And thou shalt at last say in faithfulness and mercy to thy Soul did he afflict thee yea that thou wert not sick because the Lord had forgiven thy iniquity Nay here is comfort for thee even in Death it self if thou hast God for thy help and he affords thee his gracious presence thou shalt not need fear to walk through that dark suburbs of Eternity As dying and yet shalt thou live Death is but to thee a Portall into Everlasting Life and what is a grimm Serjeant to arrest others and Pursevant to hale them to the place of Execution shall be a welcom Messenger to carry thee into thy Fathers House and usher thee into the Presence-Chamber of thy endeared Bridegroom And when thou art gathered to thy Fathers though thou goest to thy long yet thou shalt not go to thy last home Thy Exodus of Earth shall be thy Genesis of Heaven and when the great Landlord of Heaven and Earth by a Commission directed from his Royal Court summons thine immortal Soul out of this Clay-tenement of thy Body thou shalt enter upon thine upper House those ever-blessed Mansions prepared for thee and this Bird in thy breast when once let loose this present cage where now it is imprisoned and set upon the Tree of life in the midst of that heavenly Paradise shall warble out the most melodious tunes and sweet and harmonious musick to its Creator even to the daies of Eternity Let me conclude this consolation with that of Solomon Prov. 14.32 The righteous hath hope in his death And add only this challenge on this side the grave for him against the sinner Take a child of God cloathed with all possible disadvantages poverty sickness persecution even at the worst that can befall a man on this side Hell and his condition is infinitely far better than any wicked mans on Earth that hath sumptuous buildings furnisht tables pleasant children great riches and revenues So happy is he above all the world besides that hath God for his help the Lord for his God Fifthly and lastly Let this consideration be a strong perswasive both to the Saints and People of God to walk worthy his help and sinners to labour to make him their God and help against an evil day First To Christians to walk answerably to divine help and influx both in a good and in an evil day Take the summ of this exhortation in five or six branches Let the influence of Gods help be to you a ground of praise and thankfulness of satisfaction and acquiescence of access to him on all occasions of confidence in him in every condition of return to him according to your receivings from him and of engagement and firm adherence to him notwithstanding all temptations to Apostacy from him First Matter of thankfulness Rejoyce in the Lord at all times Let songs of benediction to him be ever in your mouths pay him the constant tribute of acknowledgement What an holy Panegyrick does David sing Psal 18.12 What a famous avouchment makes he Psal 144.1 2. Where he gives God all his titles My strength my goodness my fortress my shield my high Tower and deliverer And so does Jeremiah cap. 16.19 Even proclaim Gods Name to the Gentiles that they might trust in him In Gods Name set up all your banners Say with the Church All our fresh springs are in thee Nilus ab ignoto fonte but our salvation comes from Sion thence the Lord commands the blessing We finde our Psalmist frequent in these confessions The Lord is on my side Psal 118.6 I will sing of thy power yea I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of trouble Psal 59.16 17. And so again Psal 94.17 Vnless the Lord had been my help my soul had almost dwelt in silence when I said my foot slippeth thy mercy O Lord held me up And so the Church solemnly sings under the sense of her miraculous deliverance from variety of enemies If the Lord had not been on our side they had swallowed us up quick And see how sweetly she closeth all Psal 124. ult Our help standeth in the Name of the Lord who made Heaven and Earth So may the soul say I was under such a temptation and had not the Lord helpt me where had my soul been under such an affliction and had not he relieved me I had sunk and perisht in it for ever How oft have I sinned and he pardoned me prayed and he heard me waited and he was gracious to me I was weak but he strengthened me sad but he comforted me troubled but he spake peace to me And so may the Church of God say If the Lord had not been on my side when the Sons of Belial associated and bandied against me
it 2 And the Worlds apprehensions concerning it ib. The Saints sense of it and its true measure and Standard consisting in the enjoyment of God in a good much more in an evil day 3 The scope and contents of the Psalm shewing the Creatures vanity and mutability 4 Gods alsufficiency and eternity 6 The parts of the Text. An indefinite Proposition and a more particular confirmation 7 In the first imply'd A significant description of God ibid. As to the reality of his Being and existence ib. His special relation to his people 8 An assertion of his peculiar Providence ibid. I. In its sufficiency and way of efficiency 11 God His peoples help proved 12 Opened First in what respects 13 1. In respect of supply and provision ib. In regard of Spirituals 14 And Temporals 15 16 17. 2. In respect of defence and protection 18 And so He is the help of Jacob his Church in general 19 Whom he helps sometimes immediately ibid. Sometimes mediately 21 Either by Angelical ministration ibid. Humane assistance 22 Sometimes by direct and proper means ibid. By improper wicked contrary destructive ib. Or his people in particular 25 1. Against their home-bred Enemies their lusts and corruptions ibid. 2. Satans assaults and onsets 26 3. The Worlds enmity and opposition 28 And that By preparing them private recesses 31 By abating the natural force and fury of Creatures 32 By disappointing wicked designs and frustrating them 34 By diverting violent executions 37 By reconciling enemies to his People 38 By turning intended mischiefs to good and advantage 41 By ruining and destroying their adversaries 44 4. The stroke of common Judgements and Calamities 47 Either By removing them out of their reach 48 On Earth ibid. To Heaven 49 By distinguishing them in the evil day 50 By bringing them up out of the affliction 54 3. In respect of succour and redress under burdens 56 Of Sin and guilt 57 Duty and Service 59 Trialls and Sufferings 60 And that more visibly and openly ibid. Either by Alienation of them ibid. Redemption from them 61 Or more secretly and indiscernably 62 By supplying them with necessary influences of grace ibid. Assisting them with seasonable supports of spiritual strength 63 Filling them with inward manifestations of joy and comfort 64 4. In respect of relief under Failures and Disappointments 65 By giving them satisfaction under the distresses 66 In the failing of Mercies 67 68 c. Feeling of Evils 72 Compassing their deliverance by unhopâ—d wayes and means 73 Secondly After what manner he helps them 74 Suddenly and unexpectedly 75 Gradually 76 Opportunely and seasonably 77 Under their Enemies rage and infolency 79 Their own dejection and despondency ibid. Powerfully and irresistibly 81 Proportionably 84 To their Wants and Necessities ibid. Desires and Prayers 85 Hopes and Expectances 86 Right improvements 88 Thirdly Reasons why God helps his People 90 1. The relation he hath to them and propriety in them 90 2. His manifold Promises and engagements made to them 94 3. The conditions of obtaining help found in them 95 Of humility and spiritual poverty ibid. Prayer and Invocation 96 Faith and dependance 98 Waiting and attendance 100 4. The encouragement in his Service and against their enemies he would give them 102 5. The worthy return he shall receive from them 103 II. In it's efficiency or way of conveyance and communication to his People 105 Expressed The Happiness in having God our help ibid. Laid down in Theft positively and absolutely by way of Antithesis and comparison 107 Positively wherein two things considerable ibid. A Benedictory Conclusion ibid. A peculiar appropriation ibid. From the Benediction affirmed Two Observations ibid. First The Saints Happiness lies only in the enjoyment of God ibid. Three things requisite to make up Happiness all found in God and only in him 108 Sufficiency and perfection Proportion and suitableness Perpetuity and duration ibid. Secondly The supreme and sole ground of comfort and confidence in an evil day is title to and influence from God 109 Evidenced from the consideration of Gods Nature ibid. Wherein considered The infiniteness of his Being The absoluteness and independency of his operations ibid. The immutability of his purpose promises 111 The tenderness of his Bowels ibid. The eternity of his existence 112 From the properties of his Help ibid. He helps ably ibid. willingly 113. readily ibid. faithfully 114. constantly 115 From the Appropriation or limitation 116 Observe First A Saint is priviledg'd with special propriety in God ibid. Secondly Fiducial repose in God in an evil time is only to be founded on our interest in him ib. Thirdly Propriety in God is the only ground of true felicity and comfort 117 Fourthly They alone are just Expectants of divine help in straits and afflictions which are firm recumbents and constant dependants on God 119 Comparatively Whence observe First Gods excellency and the Creatures vanity illustrate each other 121 Secondly There is an excellency in the fruitiou of God farr beyond that in the enjoyment of all Creatures 122 God the most Reall Good 123 God the most Pure and refined Good 124 God the most Satisfying Good 125 God the most Durable Good 126 Thirdly Gods help exceeds all humane help and succour whatsoever proved by way of comparison 126 In the second The Illustration of the Proposition 128 Wherein the connexion and order are observable the matter wherein ibid. First The Saints disposition and affection of hope in the Lord their God 129 Secondly Their reward and remuneration Happy are they ibid. In the first The Persons qualification 130 Their hopes foundation ibid. From first Observat Gods people are an hoping and expecting people ibid. Wherein The Proposition proved and the nature of hope in the Philosophical and Theological notion opened 131 In second The appellation The Lord God Whence Observat first Hope in God's mercy stands with reverence of his Majesty ibid. Second Gods power and greatness as well as his mercy and goodness is a great encouragement of his peoples hope ibid. Third God and God alone is the object of his servants hope in the day of affliction 133 Five things in God the ground of the Saints hope The glory of his Attributes ibid. The merits of his Son 134 The relations of his Covenant 137 The truth of his Promises 138 The experiments of his Providence 140 The Application The Lord our God Hope the Saints peculiar 142 In the second The reward or Compensation of their hoping Whence observation Dependants on God and Expectants from him are happy and blessed proved 144 Opened in three things 1. As this hope is a Preserver of the Soul from sin 145 Particularly against Despair and succumbency Discontent and impatience under affliction 146 Unlawfull and indirect means to get out of it ibid. 2. A reliever of the Soul under trouble 148 In order whereunto it hath a fourfold Energy Quieting 148. Sustaining 149. Comforting 150 Establishing ibid. 3. An assurer of mercy and
sets down this infallible maxim draws up this most comfortable conclusion for faith to â—ive and feed upon here in the words Happy is â—he that hath the God of Jacob for his help c. In which words are observable two general parts First A general and indefinite Proposition of comfort Happy is he that hath Jacob's God for his help whoever he be he is really blessed Secondly A more particular Exposition and Illustration or if you will a tacite imposition of duty whose hope is in the Lord his God In the former the comfortable Proposition we have something implyed and something expressed Two things are supposed and being coucht in the bowels of the words deducible thence by way of Illation or Inference First A famous and significant description of God the God of Jacob. Secondly A tacite assertion of the sufficiency of his power and providence over or his mercy and goodness towards his people Their Help First A description of God and that first in respect of his nature or the verity and reality of his being and existence He is styled here by way of elegancy or emphasis the God of Jacob. Saith Mollerus to discern and distinguish the true God of Israel from all Heathenish Deities and to explode all fictitious gods and worships thereunto As the true God is the God of Jacob so the God of Jacob is the only true God He is God alone and there is no other besides him The gods of the Heathen are all vanity they have eyes and see not ears and hear not c. Psal 115.5 6. But our God is in the Heavens and doth whatsoever he pleaseth He alone is he whom all mercy and good must be expected from and so all prayer and supplication directed to To whom should a people seek but unto their God his prerogative it is to hear prayers and to him shall all flesh come Secondly This Title or Appellation serves also to describe him in his special relation to his people We finde him called by our Psalmist Psal 132.5 The Mighty God of Jacob. He is indeed the God of the whole Earth but in a peculiar manner the God of Israel Matth. 15.31 In Judah is he known his Law goes forth from Zion and his Word proceeds from Jerusalem The Heathen have not known his Law and although by those vestigia creatoris those darker impressions made in creation and providence they can feel after him and so trace his Divine Essence yet they understand little of his Law or love And as in a special way he hath made himself known to his people so he bears a singular respect to them and takes a particular care of them It 's observable in Scripture that he stiles not himself so frequently in his revelations of himself to them the God of Heaven and Earth though that also be title full of incouragement but the God of Abraâ—â—m Isaac and Jacob as if he had born such â—oice good will and had such a peculiar care â—r those three men as to over-look all the world â—esides them So near and intimate relation have â—ods people to him as their interests are mutualâ—â— involved and twisted in a reciprocal and coâ—enant-bond They are his he is their portion â—heir Beloved is theirs and they be his They â—re called by his Name the Saints are stiled his Holy Ones and the Church is termed expresly Christ Yea he condescends to be called by their â—ame he assumes the name of Jacob Psal 24.6 This is the generation of them that seek him that â—eek thy face O Jacob. And of Israel too Ezra 10.2 set now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing The very name Jacob acquired upon his conquest Gen. 32.28 And that the whole Church is denominated by Psal 31.3 Let Israel hope in the Lord Although he be the God of all by Creation all creatures being the works of his hands Psa 100.3 Act. 17.26 27. yet he is the God and Father of his people in Christ his Father and their Father Joh. 20.17 And by way of choice and covenant Deut. 7.6 For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people to himself above all people upon the face of the earth They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a people raised and elevated above the ordinary make and common stamp of the residue of mankind There is a mutual stipulation between God and them Deut. 26.17 18. Psa 50.5 Thou hast avoucht the Lord this day to be thy God and the Lord hath avoucht thee this day to be his peculiar people The mutual Indentures of the Covenant of Grace run thus Ye shall be my people and I will be youâ— God Ezek. 36.18 Sancti quasi sanciti As God hath obliged himself to them in bonds of mercy and loving-kindness so have they reingaged themselves to him in bonds of duty and allegiance Who is this that ingaged his heart to approach unto me may be understood of Christ or of true Christians Jer. 30.21 One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribâ— with his hand unto the Lord and surname himself by the name of Israel a metaphor from volunteers who enter their names into the common muster-rolls and engage into a Sacramentum militare a military Oath to cleave to their Captain and faithfully to follow their colours So indeared an union and communion is between Goâ— and his people as himself describes it under thâ— most near and affectionate relation of Father and child as appears in that gracious promise he make to David concerning his Son Solomon 1 Chron 17.13 I will be his Father and he shall be my Son by which interpellation he also treatetâ— David himself Christ and all the faithfull Psal 89.26 27. He shall cry to me Thou aâ— my Father Also I will make him my first-bornâ— Yea because a man must forsake Father and Mother to cleave to the wife of his bosom he court his people though in their widowhood and 〈◊〉 under some seeming disadvantages for respect anâ— affection with conjugal imbraces and that noâ— by way of complement as to what he intends to â—e but good assurance of what he actually was â—nd is and will be for ever Isa 54.8 For thy Maker is thine husband And as he said of that â—aternal Nemo tam Pater quam Coelestis None â—ach a Father as our Heavenly Father Nemo tam â—ater nemo tam pius So saith our Law of those â—uptial Obligations Vxor splendet radiis Mariti Gods Church and People shine with the beams â—f him their endeared and ever-loving Husband And so much for the first the description of God both in this his absolute and relative consiâ—eration Secondly follows the implicit affirmation of â—he sufficiency or rather agency and efficiency of his Providence together with the manner of its â—onveyance to his people He is their
save them by bow nor by sword nor by battel by horses nor by horse-men Gods people many times see the salvation of men more of man than of God is visible in it but often they behold the salvation of God Stand still saith Moses to Israel and see the salvation of the Lord which he shall shew you to day The Lord shall fight for you Exod. 14.13 14. God now was in the van and head of their Army The Lord thy God shall go before thee Sometimes went in the heart or body of it The holy One of Israel in the midst of thee And sometimes in the rear The glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward Isa 58.8 How elegantly doth the Prophet express Gods immediate conduct of them through the red Sea and Wilderness Isa 63.12 Where is he that brought them up out of the Sea with the Shepherd of his flock that led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious Arm dividing the water before them to make himself an everlasting Name God can rend the Heavens and come down and make the Hills tremble and Mountains flow at his presence The Sea saw it and fled Jordan was driven back the Mountains skipped like Rams and the little Hills like Lambs the Earth trembled at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the God of Jacob whose voice breaks the Oak of Bashan and shakes the Cedars of Lebanon God can blow on his enemies and with one ireful frown of his providence can look them into destruction as with one smile of his countenance look his people into salvation This is the Argument of Asa's prayer to God when that invincible Host of a thousand thousand came out against him 2 Chron. 14.11 Lord it is nothing with thee to help whether with many or with them that have no power He can save by many by few nay without any at all with means without means yea against means can he bring about his peoples help and salvation Secondly Mediately and so he helps either by Angelical ministration or by humane assistances â—irst By the Mâ—nistry of Angels They are all ministring spirits unto those who are heirs of salvation Not one single but all the Angels are the Churches and every particular members I feguard both their servitors and saviours They shall bear them up in all their waies Their miâ—stration though secret and invisible is most certain and powerful to the Church They serve for her enemies offence and her own defence When the four Angels were destroying we finde another protecting Rev. 7.2 An Angel helps Hezekiah by destroying Senacheriks Army â—sa 37.36 When Herod smote the Christians an Angel of the Lord takes their part and smites him to the earth Act. 13. The Angel of the Lord inâ—ampeth round about them that fear him and dâ—â—ivereth them Psal 34.7 So that there is no room â—â—ft for destruction to enter An Angel preserved Daniel in the Lions den Dan. 6.22 The Angel of the Lord stood in the bottom amongst the myrtle-trees Zach. 1.8 They grow by the rivers side Sea shore or in the valley and are plants of a low stature When Gods people are at the â—owest then are they under the most High his special safeguard and protection Gods Angels gave Jacob a comfortable meeting when he was expectant of so sad a greeting from his Brother Esau Gen. 32. When Flijah was in his solitude an Angel of the Lord comes to him with an incouraging repast and refreshment 1 King 19.5 Satan and his evil Angels may combine the Saints destruction but God and his good Angels take care of their welfare and preservation We are oft on a sudden delivered out of great dangers not knowing how we came out of them nor which way deliverance came which is from no other but their ministry over us Secondly By the assistance of men And so God helps first by direct and proper means appointed by him to that end Thus God raised up Israel Saviours Nehem. 9.27 He gave them Moses for a deliverer Act. 7.35 So Jepthah Sampson Joshuah David and others God raiseth up instruments to execute his temporal will and providence When Tolias and Sanballat with others disaffected conspired against it God raised up Ezra and Nehemiah who carried on the work of the Temple against all opposition Rather than fail of instruments Cyrus is Gods Shepherd who shall perform all his pleasure Isa 44.28 Secondly By improbable means and very improper God puts such a spirit of valour into Davids breast as he destroies monstrous Goliah and routs the Army of the Philistines He curtails and new-models Gideons Army to three hundred men and by them overthrows a puissant Host He marshals the stars and makes them in their courses to fight against Sisera The walls of Jericho fall down at the sound of Ramms horns The Philistines run at the noise on the top of Mulberry-trees 2 Sam. 5.24 Earthen pitchers are the trumpets which alarum the Midianites The stretching out of Moses's Rod becomes effectual to divide the waters Exod. 14.16 A very unlikely means to humane apprehension The Hornet drives out the Nations and the Plague which one would have thought should have ruined the Israelites is made Gods weapon to expel the Canaanites Hab. 3.5 One poor fire-ship breaks and scatters in pieces an invincible Armado As the Fly and the Bee may be Israels correctors so the Gnat Adrians destroyer Thirdly By wicked means or rather wicked men God makes use of bad men to do his people good Judas's Treason is a poison out of which he makes a soveraign Treacle for the salvation of the world Ehud a left-handed man becomes a Saviour to Israel Judg. 3. Gibeonites become serviceable unto his Sanctuary Troublous times forward the building of his Temple Dan. 9. When no other helper could be found for Israel God saves them by the hand of Jeroboam the Son of Joash 1 King 14.27 A traiterous Letter proves the Treasons discoverer and bewrayer That wicked men intend evilly God brings about for good to his Church What the envious Brethren of Joseph meant for his ruin God ordered for his rise and advancement Gen. 50.20 He makes the wrath of men praise him and the remainder of their violence doth he restrain Psal 76.10 The wise horse-man makes use of so much of the horses metal as serves to keep him in his pace and carry him on his journey and the remainder he bridleth The wise God useth mans violence to his own praise Fourthly By contrary and destructive means Clay and Spittle which if any thing does one would think should daub up a mans eyes and make him that sees blind our Saviour makes use of to cause the blind man to see by The red Sea which any one would have imagined should have been the Israelits grave became their way and thorow-fare and by passing thorow which a man would have thought had been the ready way to be drowned was accomplisht the way of their escape
without a defence and feel the smart of it the godly are priviledg'd and protected when the avenger of blood comes they have their Sanctuary They are Gods marked Ezek. 9. His sealed ones Rev. 7. They are hid in the day of his anger Zeph. 2.3 Who dare meddle with what God hath marked or break what he hath sealed or who can touch what he hath hid when the destroyer smote all the first-born of Egypt he passed by the doors that were sprinkled Exod. 12. When God comes to sweep the Kitchin of the world with the besome of desolation he hath a Parlour of special providence or other rooms of retirement to turn his people into so as the overflowing scourge shall not come nigh them Though not all or perhaps many yet have not some of Gods Servants providentially been removed out of the reach of the present Plague and perhaps the late Fire also Josephus reports that a little before the final destruction of Jerusalem the godly Jews in the City in time of the siege heard a voice in the Air crying Ite Pellam Ite Pellam a little Village thereby whither many of them fled and so were preserved When the Town be taken God receives his into Castle which leads to the second way of divine help in common evils Secondly By distinguishing them in the day of calamity Sparing their persons and families in the day of his wrath If God hides them not from the Judgement yet he does in it We have a promise of a specialty to be granted Mal. 3.16 17 18. A Book of remembrance was written before him for them which feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name While others were sentenced to death their names were registred in albo beatorum in the book of the living And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels Whatsoever becomes of the lumber and common houshold-stuff though that be consumed by the fire of his wrath God will look to his choicer Treasure and keep that safe and secure And I will spare them as a man spares his own Son that serves him Though their sins deserve they should be turned out of doors as well as others and exposed to the wind and weather of common afflictions yet God hath a covering both for their sins and souls This is a full Copy of the act of Gods discriminating grace in a sad hour For then saith he shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Distinguishing â—â—uty is crowned with distinguishing mercy In â—aies of prosperity the difference between Gods people and the men of the world is not so dissernable as to their carriage towards him they â—re wanton secure formal careless and carnal but affliction edges them in duty with a greater â—eal and earnestness and is a foil to set of their graces with the more orient brightness Neither â—s Gods singular respect then so observable to â—hem He seems to turn them loose to the wide world to shift for themselves but when danger â—omes then Noah and his family goes into the Ark then come my people enter your chambers is Gods usage with them his language to them That ye may know saith that Text how the Lord puts a difference between the Egyptians and Israel Exod. 11.7 God made a famous and notorious difference between them under all the Plagues inflicted especially under that of smiting the first-born and so in that of darkness thick darkness invelopt them spread the face of their horrizon but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings Exod. 10.23 To the upright did arise 〈◊〉 light in darkness So God promiseth his people when the hail came down on the field and the forrest in thickest showers it should yet be faiâ— in the City and while sinners were battered down with its force and shattered with its terrour his people should yet dwell in peaceable habitations sure dwellings and quiet resting places Isa 32.18 19. God exerciseth a special providence over his people As the Prophet excellently illustrates it by the similitude of the five anâ— the fann Amos 9.8 9 10. And also fitly applies it Behold saith he the eyes of the Loâ—â— God are upon the sinful Kingdom and I will destrâ— it from off the face of the Earth saving that 〈◊〉 will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob saith thâ— the Lord. He will destroy the rebellious multitude but yet reserve a select remnant For 〈◊〉 I will command and I will sift the house of Israâ— among all Nations like as Corn is sifted in a suâ— yet shall not the least grain fall on the Earth Affliction is called Gods sive and fann in Scripture of which there is a different use The sive leâ— out the flower and retains nothing but thâ— brann contrariwise the fann throws out 〈◊〉 the chaff and keeps nothing but the wheat Though God lets the chaff be blown away and scattered when by the whirlwind of his wrath he comes to winnow a people yet he will gather the wheat into his granary that shall be put â—nto his garner while the chaff is burnt up with unquenchable fire Nay should the godly and wicked be put into the same sive of affliction and the metaphor conceived only singly providence will so co-operate with it as even to invert the nature and change the end of afflictions so as what is to one a curse shall prove to the other a blessing by what one is much a looser the other shall become a very great gainer while the sinner becomes as chaff and as dry stubble even as a leaf which the wind scatters to and fro the sound and solid Christian shall be as wheat not one grain of substantial and sincere grace no upright sound-hearted Christian shall perish in the day of Gods wrath Take a Saint and a Sinner and cast them into the fiery furnace of tribulation and there will appear though no such difference in their going in yet a marvelous wide disparity in their coming out even as much as between the three children cast by the King into the fiery furnace and their accusers and executioners the one it toucht not the other it slew Dan. 3.22 Either they come not out at all or else as a stone out of the fire sparkling with unâ—elief impatience and discontents against providence whereas a Saint comes out melted into â—n holy humble spiritual pliable frame even as â—ure gold Job 23.10 There is a singular exercise of grace discoverable by the Saints under afflictions and also a singular action of providence about them and when God makes the greatest sweep yet there are some reserves as the Prophet Amos lively expresseth it in the third chapter of his Prophecy vers 12. As the Shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the Lion two leggs or a piece of an ear so shall the children of Israel be taken out
that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed and in Damascus in a Couch When the ravenous Wolf or Lion of Judgements hath worried a people and almost torn them asunder yet their hunger shall be so satiated and rage stopt as still there shall be some remnant undevoured Thirdly By bringing them up out of the affliction that though they suffer by it they shall not be utterly cast down when they are judged nor wholly destroyed God brings back the captivity of his people Psal 14. and Psal 126.1 He may frown but causeth his face to shine again The Sun of mercy may go down in the evening in a cloud but riseth in the morning in a very glonous shine It will turn again and have compassion on us Micah 7.19 God may for a while turn his back but will turn his face in due time toward his people and though for a moment he forsakes with everlasting kindness he will remember He will not contend for ever or be alwaies wroth Heaviness may indure for a night but joy comes in the morning ad momentum irascitu◠ut in aeternum delectetur While he punisheth th◠community he reserves a remnant whom h◠resolves to pardon Jer. 50.20 He promises to return the captivity of Judah Jer. 31.42 and cap. 33.26 And like as he brought great evil upon them so to bring all the good he had promised Though brought low he will raise them up again call back his plagues if they return from their sins As the Prophet emphatically expresseth it Hos 6.1 2. For he hath torn and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will bind us up After two daies will he revive us in the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight An allusion to our redemption by Christ which is a sure pledge of all temporal deliverances as of that they were a type According to that of the Evangelical Prophet Isa 26.19 Where having expressed by significant metaphors the Churches travel with its pangs and dolour and her misconception as it were and miscarry as to any hopeful productions he yet closes with a comfortable promise Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise awake and sing ye that dwell in dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast out the dead Though the Church may suffer from and in the world yet her sickness shall not be to death though God breaks his people with breach on breach yet this wise Physitian will in due time give an healing plaister he will set them into joynt again and then the bone that was broken shall be stronger than ever Nay though they be brought to deaths-door to the graves mouth he will command a resurrection and breathe on those dry bones that they shall live Ezek. 37.11 12. His providence shall be a midwife to usher in to them a full and glorious deliverance They shall have rest from the daies of adversity Psal 94.13 They may go into the Fire with others but when they perish there these shall come out and be refined Gold while the major part is consumed as dross Zech. 13.8 9. Two parts shall be cut off and die but the third shall be left therein They may be proved and tried as Silver in a very hot Furnace brought into the Net affliction laid on their Loyns ridden on pass through Fire and Water but God will make a way of escape he will bring them out into a wealthy place They may he among the Pots Scullion-like in a sooted smeared forlorn condition yet shall they be as the wings of a Dove covered with Silver and her Feathers with yellow Gold Psal 66.10 11 12. Psal 68.13 And so much for the second particular imply'd in this notion of help assistance and aid against all Enemies and Evils Thirdly It imports succour and redresse under burdens or deliverance out of dangers feared straits and miseries injuries oppressions and afflictions felt Psal 20.1 2. The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble the Name of the God of Jacob defend thee Send thee help from the Sanctuary and strengthen thee out of Sion So Psal 9.9 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed a refuge in time of trouble God is an help a refuge a defence and Sanctuary to his people Thus the Porter helps his partner by lending him a shoulder to heave under his Load one man helps another up when he be fallen down Eccles 4.10 We are commanded to help out our Neighbours Oxe or Ass out of the Ditch Deut. 22.4 Thus one is said to help another in battel Josh 10.4 2 Sam. 10.11 And God is on this accompt said to help Vzziah against the Philistines 2 Chron. 26.7 Thus a Friend helps another in distress by commiserating his Case visiting him and administring in Food Physick or other necessaries to his afflicted condition And thus is God a Helper to his people and that upon a threefold accompt First Under the otherwise unsupportable burden of sin and guilt This is an heavy burden to a gracious Soul his Iniquities go over his head and are a burden too heavy for him to bear One sin weighs more than Hell set home upon the Conscience by the Impressions of Gods Spirit it oppresseth it very sore The sense hereof made David pray with that vigour and earnestness Psal 40.12 13. Be pleased O Lord to deliver me O Lord make haste to help me What is the matter Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up they are more than the hairs of my head therefore my heart faileth me Like one arrested upon many actions at once here one Serjeant and there another claps hold on him so that the man is put into such a distraction and confounding amaze that he knows not what to do nor which way to turn him This made Paul breathe out with so much dolour his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 7.24 O wretched Man who shall deliver me from this body of death Just like the Malefactor condemned to drowning in Tiber that had a dead body tied to his own living and so was dragged along the streets and haled into the River Than which there is no worse punishment And indeed the weight of sin is Onus Angelorum bumeris formidandum such as Christ himself though but imputed could never have undergone had not his Humanity been supported by the power of his Deity but must have sunk under the Oppression of it It was not only Agnus Dei but Deus qui tollit the Lamb of God but the Lamb who also was God that could bear the sins of the World And verily for a poor disconsolate sinner to look upward and see God frowning downward and see Hell gaping inward and see Conscience accusing outward and see all Creatures withdrawing it would sink his Soul presently into an Hell of despair if not elevated by the infinite arm
makes use of whatsoever is in God for the supply of a poor Creature and Quanto vas fidei capacius afferimus saith the Father tanto majus gratiae inundantis exhaurimus The larger the Bucket the fuller the Vessel the larger the Net the greater the Draught But now Infidelity cuts short and withers the armâ— of Mercy as Faith unbares it They that believe in the Lord shall prosper 2 Chron. 20.20 But if ye will not believe ye shall not be established Isa 7.9 Unbelief prevailing no help against lusts at home O faithless generation saith Christ to his Disciples when they could not cast out the evil Spirit there lay the reason of their impotency unbelief hinders Christs own miracles he could not do many things there because of their unbelief O Augustine In te stas non stas was language to Austin when he could not overcome his beloved corruption Nor yet against Enemies abroad Alas Infidelity opens a backdoâ—re for Syria's escape 2 Chron. 16.7 Because thou hast relyed on the King of Syria and not relied on the Lord thy God therefore is the Host of the King of Syria escaped out of thine hand Want of due and noble exercises of Faith on God in the day of Prosperity provokes God often to leave his own People in the day of Adversity God loves to be trusted by his People their Faith honours him He that comes to him for mercy must believe his being and his plentifull remuncrations and an Unbeliever must expect to receive nothing at the hand of the Lord. Fourthly To their right use and improvement or worthy carriage and deportment They who do best shall have best with God and that most endeavour to help forward his glory he will most influence them with comfort Vtenti dabitur Dii munera laboribus Truly God is good to Israel Walk before me saith God to Abraham and be perfect and I will be thy Shield and Buckler and thy exceeding great reward Let God have much of the fruit of our obedience and we may expect much of the light of his Countenance Ordinarily the more Ships we send out laden with duty the larger returns we finde of Mercy The more Service we do to our great and Soveraign Lord the more we have of Priviledge The end of all deliverance is service in holiness and righteousness and the end of righteousness is peace and assurance for ever the fruit thereof is sown in peace and such as the seed-time is such is the harvest Sin clips the wings of Mercy God will never bestow his Corn and Wine on them who bestow it on themselves and their lusts nor trust his mercies in their hands who make them weapons to fight against him His salvation is nigh them that fear him and his blessing upon his people but he will not take the ungodly by the hand or help the evil doers Job 8 20. Sin separates God and a Soul divorceth him and a People an unthankfull or unfruitfull return of his Influences wholly shuts them up No long shinings of his favour where no reflections of our gratitude no allegiance no protection but a casting out of the lines of the communication of his grace While we do well and be obedient we shall eat the good of the Land but if rebellious we shall be devoured with the Sword If faithfull Servants he will become our gracious and affectionate Saviour but if undutifull Sons he will be our Judge and Corrector Isa 63.9 10. In all their affliction he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them In his love and in his pity he redemed them and he bare them and carried them all the daies of old But they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit therefore he was turned to be their enemy and he fought against them His promises of assistance to presence with his People are conditional and so are his performances Dum se bene gesserint As the Seer told King Asa 2 Chron. 15.2 The Lord is with you while ye be with him and if ye seek him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you And so much for the second particular how God helps his People Thirdly What are the Causes of Divine Help or the reasons why God will help his People First In respect of that relation he bears towards them or that right and propriety he hath in them Relations though of small entity are of great efficacy Now there is a near and intimate yea an united and manifold Relation between God and his People They are related to him in Christ that mighty one on whom he hath laid help though by nature afar off yet by grace made nigh and have a new and living way opened through his blood whereby they draw nigh to God and beg help and succour from him Heb. 4. ult He is the saving strength of his Anointed Psal 28.7 Or by his Anointed as some read the strength of their salvation by Christ They are related to him in covenant He is their God and they are his people And being their God therefore he must needs become their salvation As Moses sings Exod. 15.2 Salvation is of the Lord and his blessing is upon his People Psal 3. ult He is their Shepherd and they are his Sheep their Maker and they his Image the work of his hands and what is a man more tender of than his picture or a King more nice than of his coin The Father protects and proâ—ides for his Children though Prodigals he takes some care of them The Husband helps and defends the Wife Our Law saies Vxori lis non intenditur no suit can be commenced against a Wife because she is under Covert-barn The friend is helpful and beneficial to the friend whom should a man expect relief from in his strait but from his friends A Friend is born for Adversity and is better than a Brother God is a Father and friend to his People As a Father pities his children so does the Lord pity them that fear him Doubtless thou art our Father But now O Lord thou art our Father Isa 64.8 And 〈◊〉 we being evil know how to give good gifts to our children and should be worse than Infidels if we did not provide for them how much more shall our heavenly Father take care of his children Yea he is the Husband of his People Isa 54.5 For thy Maker is thine Husband from him they may expect and to him they may seek for protection Abraham was called the friend of God Jam. 2.23 He is their Master and they are his Servants their King and they his Subjects Now no Master but will maintain his Servant in the work he does for him and by his order and appointment he will alwaies maintain the cause of his Servants Princes will defend their Subjects in the way of their duty and allegiance This is the Churches Argument in her prayer for mercy Psal 44.4 Thou art my King O God command
Israel he hath no other string to the bow of his trust but God alone he expects help no where but from Heaven Thou art my hope saith Jeremiah in the day of evil Jer. 17.17 God is by right the confidence of the ends of the earth but by act the sole dependance of his People They trust in him at all times and pour forth their hearts before him Even under the most dismaying providences which strike amazement into others hearts and dejection into their countenances yea set the world into an uproar and combustion under his skirt do their souls trust Fourthly Waiting and attendance upon him Gods People are attendants at the Court of Heaven alwaies waiting at the elbow of the Almighty As they are a praying so a waiting people when they have sent out the Dove of prayer they wait for her return with an Olive-branch in her mouth when they have sent forth the ship of supplication they stand like Merchants on the shore expecting her return full fraught with heavenly treasure They wait upon the God of Jacob and look toward him They hearken and hear what God speaks having spoken attend the Eccho and dispatcht their letters look for an answer Now eye hath not seen no ear heard nor can the heart of man conceive what God hath prepared for them that wait for him Isa 64. God waits to be gracious to them that wait for hun Isa 30.18 Such as wait on him with submission and resignation to his will and pleasure due respect to his glory and patient resolution till he shews mercy shall never lose their labour When Davids eyes attend his God as the eyes of a Servant look to the hand of his Master and a Maiden to the hand of her Mistress he is sure of receiving some gift of mercy from hun Psal 123.2 When his soul waits for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning the San of divine goodness will certainly rise break forth and shine upon him Psal 130.6 God inclines to the soul that waits patiently for him none ever waited on him in vain Saints alwaies get something by praying but by waiting they gain double The still child shall have two breads When the Church resolves once to wait God soon resolves she shall wait no longer but of an expectant makes her an enjoyer Micah 7.7 9. The Prince soon gives ear to the Favourite who continues to give him attendance and the Advocate delaies not to plead the Clients Cause who will not away from his Chamber door but determines to ply him with his over-eager sollicitations yea the longer it be before the ship of faith and prayer returns when it once comes home it is the more richly laden and brings him a double venture The Church found it so when she came home top and top-gallant with her sails of triumph Isa 25.9 Lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us This is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation The needy shall not alwaies be forgotten nor the expectation of the poor perish for ever Fourthly In respect of that incouragement in his service which he would have his receive from him even against the wicked who do not serve him The Lord takes part with his People and helps them against the world that hate both him and them Psal 118.11 When most the object of mens envy and malignity they have most of Gods love and affection when out-casts to their Brethren they are received into their Fathers arms God would have the wicked discouraged in their way of rebellion and his People incouraged in the way of duty And by this they know he favours them because their enemies do not triumph over them Psal 41.11 Did not God take in with his People and stand by them the uncircumcised would triumph and the Saints be dis-spirited and despondent he assigns this therefore as the reason why he would not contend for ever with them lest their adversaries should carry it strangely Deut. 32.27 and their spirits fall into a desperate succumbency Isa 57.16 Now when he pours contempt on their haughtiness and advances the poor on high from affliction the righteous rejoyce and all iniquity stops her mouth Psal 107.42 On which very account David solicits help Psal 109.26 27 29. that his adversaries might be cloathed with shame and cover themselves with their own confusion as with a Mantle while the righteous are glad in the Lord and trust in him and all the upright in heart do glory The Master sometimes siniles on the diligâ—nt and faithfull Servant as to encourage him in his duty so to discourage the negligent in his laziness and the Prince shines on his Subject as to countenance him in his loyalty and allegiance so to dishearten the Traitor in his Treason and Rebellion Fifthly In regard of that just return and due improvement of his help which he receives from them They are those alone who will praise and magnifie extoll and lift up the Name of the God of Jacob. Being their strength he becomes their Song and their Praise Hear holy Jeremiah proclaiming him upon this Experience Jer. 17.14 O Lord my strength and my fortress and my refuge in the day of affliction And so our David before him Psal 18.1 O Lord my rock my strength my fortress and my deliverer my God my Buckler the horn of my salvation and my high Tower And Moses before them both Exod. 15.2 When the Egyptians were drowned and Israel preserved he cants forth a most heavenly Doxology The Lord is my strength and song and he is become my salvation he is my God and I will prepare him an babitation my Fathers God and I will exalt him What the Saints win by prayer they alwayes wear by Thankfulness what they receive in Mercy they return in Duty Where there is gratiarum decursus there is also gratiarum recursus Let favour be shewed to the wicked and he will deal injustly The shines of Mercy which draw out the fragrancy of the Saints graces raise but a greater stench from the dunghill of his corruptions They sacrifice to their own Nets and say their own arm hath saved them But the Church gives other language Psal 44.3 Thy right hand and thine arm and the light of thy countenance because thou hadst a favour to them Let God grant the Jews deliverance from the yoke of cruel and bloody Masters and give them free entertainment in his Service they will wear the Livery of Joy and Gladness and with their best Ornament of a gratefull Affection celebrate to future Posterity the Anniversary Solemnity of this good day of their deliverance As Gods People go to him alone and offer a sin-offering in the day of their misery and calamity so they return to him only with a Peace-offering in the day of their mercy and comfort They give unto the Lord the glory due to his Name and what they
proportion and perpetuity or duration and these are only found to centre in God himself who is God self and all-sufficient the portion of his peoples Souls and God from everlasting to everlasting the Alpha and Omega who hath neither beginning of dayes nor end of life but is the same yesterday to day to mornow and for ever But this is only imply'd Secondly and more particularly with reference to the chief scope and intendment of the Text as the notion of help speaks a relation to the circumstances of an evil time a time of disappointment and affliction observe That the supreme yea sole ground of comfort and confidence in an evil day a day wherein a soul needs â—elp is interest in God O thrice happy is that Soul that in any day especially in a day of trouble and affliction hath God for his Help This was all the Musick of Davids Joy when on the top of the waters of distress and outward disconsolation This was his sole encouragement that spake well to his Soul when all things seemed to look asquint on him and be against him 1 Sam. 30.6 This was the only surviving hope of the Prophet Jeremiah in the day of evil This was the alone remaining prop of the Churches Consolation in times of greatest persecution Mic. 7. and depopulation Hub. 3. This was the ground of her acclamations under all worldly disturbances and commotions The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our resuge Psal 46.7 Now the verity of this point will appear and be made good from a double consideration Both from the Nature of God and also the manner or the peculiar properties of that Help he affords his people First From the Nature of God who is his Peoples Helper Now amongst many other there are four or five things especially considerable in God which bespeak the Saints happiness interested in him in an evil day First The Infiniteness of his Being Isa 40.12 13 14 28 29. All his Attributes are equal because they are all infinite Who hath limited the holy one of Israel or can confine him that is Eternity Canst thou by searching finde out God Job 11.7 Though we may know him to salvation who can know him to perfection Creatures are all finite though never so excelsent but his understanding is infinite His Power Wisdom Justice Holiness Truth and Mercy all carry an infinity with them He is not measurable by the line of humane reason or fathomable by the plummet of any created understanding but still we must cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements and his waies past finding out Rom. 11.33 He can do every thing and no thought can be with-holden from him Job 42.2 Men can do something but God can do all things he is omniscient omnipotent and omnidisponent Now all the wants and straits of the creature are but finite and inter finitum infinitum nulla est proportio there is no proportion between finite afflictions and infinite compassions Secondly The Absoluteness and Independency of his actings He doth whatsoever he pleaseth in Heaven or Earth or all deep places Psal 135.6 He sits on the circle of the Heavens and all the Inhabitants of the earth are but as so many Grashoppers before him All the Inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing and he doth according to his will in the Army of Heaven and among the Inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him what dost thou There is none 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 absolute and independent but God only so miraculous is his providence as he does great things past finding out yea and wonders without number Job 9.10 All second causes depend on him for their being motion and operations and in every strait and exigency that befalls must say as the King to the woman Except the Lord helps we cannot help But though Heaven acts on haec inferiora the first cause on the second it never goes to the second while that ever goes to the first The spring depends not on the stream though that depends on the fountain All created beings depend upon God though he depends on no created perfections but for through and to him are all things His own arm when that of the creaturesis quite withered can work salvation to him and his righteousness sustain him Thirdly The Immutability of his purpose and promises He works all things according to the counsel of 〈◊〉 â—wn will And his decrees issue forth as between mountains of brass Zach. 6.1 His counsel shall stand and he will do all his pleasure Isa 46.10 If he decrees who can disannul he cannot lie or repent but will perform all he hath spoken his whole word to his Servants Fourthly The Tenderness of his bowels He hath not only a fulness and riches of grace but exerciseth a freeness in his operations and while creatures act according to desert he doth all from free grace and hath abundance of compassionsâ— which are never failing to his People He i◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father of pities and compassions and they are all the genuine off-spring oâ— uncreated goodness He hath the wisdom of a Father and the bowels of a Mother Isa 41.15 Mercy is his darling which pleaseth him Micaâ— 7.18 The Benjamin of his delight he will not alwaies chide nor be angry for ever As a tendeâ— Shepherd carries his Lambs so does he his People in his bosome his bounty may be seen in his bowels as in an Anatomy Hos 11.8 How shall I give thee up O Ephraim mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together Fifthly The Eternity of his existence He is the eternity of Israel the rock of ages and God of all Generations Creatures are but of yesterday and must shortly say to corruption Thou art our Father and to the worms ye are our Brethren and Sisters but his years have no end and endure throughout all generations He that builds on him shall never be ashamed but have an everlasting foundation In the Lord Jehovah Isa 26.4 is everlasting strength So that put all these together and they must needs speak his People happy in the worst of times whose help is laid on such an infinite immutable independent compassionate and eternal God as their only refuge Secondly It 's demonstrable from the manner of his supply and help And so their happiness in this their interest appears First A facultate from his ability to help he is the Mighty God yea the Almighty Gen. 17 1. An able and self-sufficient yea an Alsufficient God to his people he hath pleonasms of grace and can do abundantly yea superabundantly for his above all they can ask or think Ephes 3.20 He hath not plenitudinem vasis but fontis a fulness of redundancy as well as of abundance Does the soul want pardon he can abundantly pardon grace he
the people thus bespeaks them there hath not failed one word of all his good promise 1 King 8.56 All his Promises are Yea and Amen made in Christ and confirmed and made good by him Now the Promises of mercy are sure footing for our faith and serve highly to fix and establish our hope I had perished saith David in mine affliction but that thy word was my hope Psal 119. This gave him comfort So as he professeth at the 114 verse Thou art my hiding-place and my shield I hope in thy word And so emphatically again Psal 130.5 I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait And in his word do I hope The Promises are as so many Magazines for relief Mines for supply Springs for consolation Breasts for refreshment They are as the clefts of the Rock and secret places of the stairs for the souls security and protection They are as an anchor of hope sure and stedfast as the Apostle elegantly calls them Heb. 6.19 which if well fastened the ship is sure so that neither wind or wave can move it There cannot be more venom in a judgement than there is balm in a Promise This was that bare up Davids soul and Christ too whom he typifies even Gods Promise of not leaving his soul in Hell nor suffering his holy one to see corruption Act. 13.35 This upheld Jonas's spirit from sinking under all his temptations and distractions and his faith and hope from drowning even when his body was swallowed up he did not throw all over-board but yet lookt towards his holy Temple Jonah 2.4 To which the Promises were peculiarly made Though the gate of mercy seemed shut all hopes of pardon cut off mountains of opposition stood in the way of his faith yet he looks up and by faith over-looks all faith in the Promise made him row against winde and tide and bear against all the difficulties and disasters of providence and hope not only against reason but sense too and believe over not bare difficulties but seeming impossibilities also When David was driven out of all hopes of the Kingdom so as peremptorily to conclude he was cast out of Gods sight should fall by the hand of Saul and all God had said was but a story and his Prophet Samuel a tale a lie he recovers himself from under all these wrestlings and animates his soul by the remembrance of the Promise I had fainted but that I believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living Though God does not alwaies fulfill his threatnings but revokes them on repentance wherefore the Jews counted not him a false Prophet that foretold Judgements though they came not to pass yet he alwaies fulfils his Promises to them that fear him and hope in his mercy This staid Abrahams faith therefore under all apparent contradictions Rom. 4.21 He that promised would perform Fifthly Exemplaria Providentiae The experiments of his Providence are another sure ground and bottom of hope Experience is the breeder of Hope Rom. 5.4 They which have tried God cannot but trust â—iâ—n For the Lord will not forsake his People This was the ground of Davids confidence 1 Sam. 13.37 when he went out against huge Goliah The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the Lion and out of the paw of the Bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine one deliverance assures another And it is no less the Argument of his Prayer in several Psalms Psal 27.9 Thou hast been my help leave me not neither forsake me O God of my salvation Thou hast O Lord taken the care of me hitherto expose me not now as a destitute Oâ—phan to the wide world Psal 31 2 3. Be thou my strong rock for thou art my rock and my fortresâ— Psal 42.8 9. All thy waves and billows are gone over me yet the Lord will command his loving-kindness in the day-time I will say unto God my rock when he was almost sunk even about drowning he catcheth hold on the bough of former experience seasonably and opportunely and so saves himself So Psal 71.5 9. Thou art my hope from my youth cast me not off in the time of my old age So vers 17 19. Thou hast taught me O God from my youth now also when I am old and gray-headed O God forsake me not There 's his Prayer and see how his Faith gets up and rises still higher and higher from hope to assurance verse 20. Thou which bast shewed me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me again and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the Earth And as he ends the Psalm so he begins it Verse 1 2 3. In thee O Lord I put my trust let me never be put to confusion be thou my strong rock and habitation for thou art my rock and my fortresse When the Out-works are taken then he retreats to the principal Fort when a Christians present evidences are darkened or hopes discouraged he may and ought to fly to the experience of Gods former gracious dealings and comfortable manifestations to look back to the days of old and years of ancient times and call to remembrance his former Songs under his present sufferings These will bear him up as in the dayes of old upon Eagles wings I was under such a temptation but the Lord strengthened me under such an affliction but God delivered me Thus David Psal 28.7 The Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in him and I am helped He goes to God by a Periphrasis Psal 17.7 Shew thy marvelous loving-kindness O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee And thus the Church Psal 22. and 44. Our Fathers trusted in thee We have heard what thou didst for our Fathers in the dayes of old And shall not the Fathers unto the Children praise thy truth So Psal 115.12 The Lord hath been mindfull of us he will bless us S. Psal 74.12 God is my King of old Thou didst divide the Sea by thy strength thou brakest the heads of the Dragons in the waters Thou brakest the heads of Leviathan in pieces Awake awake put on strength O arm of the Lord Art not thou it that hath cut Rahab and wounded the Dragon It 's all along observable how the Church and People of God have stood upon this Giants shoulder of former experience in their pleadings and wrestlings with him for future mercies And in an especial manner those two solemn and signal deliverances out of Egypt and from the red Sea as God makes them a constant argument for obedience to him so do they of confidence upon him And thus the Church in the Lamentations in the saddest dumps of her affliction recurrs to her experience Lam. 3.26 It 's good a man should both quietly hope and wait for the salvation of the Lord. Thus the Apostle argues against wants and necessities Hebr. 13.5 from the Promise And against dangers from the experiments of
on the Promise the fuller and sweeter shall it be when it comes once to fall into his lap and drop into his mouth The prosperous gales of faith and hope shall send home the ship of his soul richly laden at last to the shore of Heaven where he shall have a full satiety of that happiness of which he had here but a slender repast and be inebriated with those rivers of pleasure that bubble up from the well head of eternity whereof here he had a more imperfect taste and of whose sweetness and sulness he was a longing and languishing expectant To conclude with David with whom we began he shall then behold Gods face in righteousness and be abundantly and eternally satisfied with his likeness And so much for the opening the leases of the Text in its several doctrinal conclusions Now what remains but to come and see and taste the fruit of this happiness in its proper and particular branches of Application And the Text is not a barren and dry Tree but like the Tree of life bearing all manner of fruit yea its leaves good for the healing of souls Though we must but top the outmost branches ipsa anal cia sunt pretiosa the filings of this gold are precious And in the first place by way of Inference we may deduce from the consideration of the promised Truths these three Corolaries First It presents us with the different character and transcendent priviledge of the godly above all the world besides Here 's a discovery First Of their different frame temper and disposition of spirit They have not received the spirit of the world but are men of another spirit they hope in the Lord their God As for the ungodly it is not so they are men without hope either as 't is a mercy or a duty they have no God to hope in neither do they hope in the God they pretend to have They trust in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their uncertain riches instead of trusting in the alsufficient and ever-living God When they increase and he grows full-handed he sets his heart on them As in a day of fulness he blesseth himself in them instead of the God of Truth rejoycing in the flesh of his own arm and concluding he hath gotten his wealth by his own hand and power so in a day of want and emptiness he placeth all his strength and confidence in them He goes not to God but creatures for his help not to the Lord but to the Physitians if he be sick not to the store-house of divine Promises but to the bag and granary if he be in want not to the great and soveraign Creator but to his fellow-creatures friends relations acquâ—intance when once he comes to be forsaken He leans on his house as the prop of his security As in time of prosperity he offers sacrifice to creature-enjoyments saying These are the gods that have gone before us so in time of affliction he bows down to them and does them homage crying out Arise and save us Is he under trouble of conscience it may be with Cain he goes to his musick his sports and recreations hopâ—ng to dill the obstreperous noise of his own conscience in the croud of outward enjoyments or to smother its clamorous voice in the tumult of his own disordered affections In time of outward perplexity he flies to means instruments and second causes it may be to unlawful and indirect courses as Saul to a Witch and Judas to a rope because there is not a God in Israel he goes to Baalzebub the God of Ekron Ashur he saies shall save us and we will go down to Egypt and ride on horses Like those desperate and distracted wretches Isa 8.19 21. They went to their Arts of Necromancy instead of the Living God to Wizzards Peepers Mutterers and such as had familiar spirits And being hardly bested and hungry fretted themselves and cursed their King and their God and lookt upward When reduced to a state of necessity or distress they grew so impatient that like men in a phrensie or in shipwrack or people starved in a siege or a woman in the sore pangs of her travel they make hideous out-cries and in this forlorn distressed and distracted condition are like people desperate and at their wits ends knowing not whither to run or what to do or what course in the world to take and instead of an holy silence and gracious possession of their souls in patience under the load of their afflictions like a boiling-pot they send forth nothing but scum and filth or a burning mountain evaporate continually the flames of their passion and flashes of their indignation in cursed and direful blasphemies both against God and instruments Heaven and Earth together So desperate a case is every wicked man in in a distressed condition And when death once comes and looks him in the face then either he pleases himself with a false hope and blind presumption which ends in death founded on Gods mercy Christs sufferings common grace outward calling and profession immunity from some gross sins performance of some external duties of the first or second Table or some such like grounds all too rotten and sandy a foundation to build the stress of an immortal soul on for eternity or else he becomes desperate and hopeless This is the genuine temper of every ungodly person But now on the contrary what is the genius of a true Christian He trusts and hopes in God and in God alone God is his song and his salvation Isa 12.2 He trusts in Gods mercy and his heart rejoyceth in his salvation Psal 13.5 In a good day when he receives most from God he attributes and ascribes most nay all to him The hand of our God is upon us for good Thou hast given me power to get wealth Yea when he enjoyes most of God he still depends most on God when he is surrounded with creature-comforts and compassed with outward mercies even on every side Gods Candle shines on his Tabernacle his Mountain made most strong the lines fallen to him in pleasant places he washeth his garments in Wine and his cloaths in the blood of Grapes yet he looks over and above all creatures as insignificant cyphers empty cysterns insufficient supports and comforts to the Rock of Jacob and hope of Israel trusting and confiding in him alone in his utmost weal as well as in his greatest want and woe which is the most high generous and refined act of faith Thus we finde holy David when he had taken a survey of the graspings gripings and hoardings of the factors of this world and of all their heaps and banks he turns from them with an holy scorn or rather zealous indignation in the due ascent of his heart to God and anhelations after him Psal 39.7 And now Lord what wait I for my hope is in thee And so in an evil day a day of adversity when though a child of light
least ground or colour of hope but continually occasion of fear and perpetual cause of terror He hath no just hope in the day of Mercy and that 's sad enough much less in the day of misery and that 's worse His defence is departed from him the Lord being not with him and he is bread for the teeth of every Judgement as Joshua told them of the Nations they were to invade Numb 14.9 In the day of abounding of all Creature-comforts a carnal man can have no content or satisfaction One thought of his distance from God will sufficiently imbitter all his Cups of pleasure so as they shall be no other than waters of Marah to him Under the tydes of external Joy his heart is sorrowfull and his brightest Sun of outward felicity hath sad reflections especially if the Clock of Conscience answers the Diall of the Word and amidst his â—ight riseth to him thick darkness or gathers upon him His heart is black as an Oven within while the Corn Wine and Oyle makes his face shine without As a Childe of God often carries the â—ight of a rejoycing Soul in the dark Lanthorn of a soiled and withered face so do's the sinner oft disguise a sad heart with a cheerfull and smiâ—ing countenance Neither can he expect any succour or relief either from within or from without in the day of affliction As fear of losing eats up all his comfort and content in enjoying so forfeiture of title makes his lost Soul eternally despair of a recovery and repossession I wonder on what acquaintance the sinner can challenge any interest or pretend to any hope in God or what possible should be the ground-work and foundation of his professed but mistaken confidence He may build Castles in the Air and make to himself a refuge of lies please himself with conceits and fancies of supposed and imaginary happiness but they will prove meer delusions in the end As his confidence is a lie in the foundation so it will be in the event Isa 28. Gods wrath is all this time smoaking against him and will break forth in fiery flames of indignation while he promiseth himself peace in the walks of the imagination of his own heart Deut. 29.19 If God once forsakes him all the world cannot help or relieve him Neither any of the Persons nor all the things of the World can give him comfort If the Lord helps not who can help The world usually deceives her Confidents The Rock of Worldlings is not as the Rock of Believers Carnal confidences in the issue render ashamed God hath blown upon them with his curse Thou shalt be ashamed of Egypt as thou wast of Assyria saith God to his people Jer. 2.36 Our Fathers inherited lies vanity and things wherein there is no profit Jer. 16.19 The very houses of Achzibâ— shall be a lie to the King of Assyria Mic. 1.14 Aâ— wicked man hath no hope and all the help hâ— hath will prove but a vain and deceitfull help There is a weakness and infirmity an uncertainty and instability an unfaithfulness and inconstancy a vanity and vexation attends all Creatures They are crackt Cistorns Jer. 2.13 Lying vanities Jonah 2. empty duggs and dry breasts failing Brooks Egyptian reeds which do not only fail but pierce God hath put a perishing nature into all created supports and sufficiencies and over and above cursed such as make flesh their arm Men of low degree are vanity and of high degree a lie may promise much but perform little or nothing like the Indian Tree the Leaves of their professions are as big as a Target but the Fruit of their actions as small as a Bean. They are broken staves deceitfull bowes the portion of Jacob is not like them Jerem. 10.15 16. Take the choicest of created helps and a man cannot promise himself any safety in them or help from them Friends and Relations may fail Estates and Possessions may fail health and strength comforts and accommodations favour and friendship supplyes and assistances may and will fail yea Kings and Princes may and have failed their deâ—endants It 's better to trust in the Lord than in â—rinces Psal 118.8 9. Multa cadunt inter caliâ—em Methinks I see every wicked man bringâ—â—g as once a Noble and Learned person was 〈◊〉 his finall execution with those as his last dyâ—â—g words in his mouth spoken in the bitterness 〈◊〉 â—is Soul Put not your trust in Princes nor the â—on of Man in whom there is no help What a â—d disappointment did that Noble and worthy â—arl meet with who thought he had assurance 〈◊〉 his Princesses favour only by the intervening miscarriage of a treacherous person What said that great Cardinal when under Attainder and given up into his Enemies hand as a sacrifice If I had but taken that care to have pleased my God which I have done to serve my Prince he would not have left me now in mine old age The World deals with her familiars and favourites as great men with their servants keeping them while young healthy and able but turning them off when they grow old infirm and unserviceable All meer Creatures will fail external priviledges high profession it 's not Jacobs profession but his God that is his help choice parts common graces and usefull gâ—fts great confidences yea a mans flesh and heart will fail Wit and wealth will not help in the day of present trouble or eternal wrath Gold and Silver will not deliver then Lo this is the man proclaimed he stands to all the world that made not God his trust Psal 52.7 Aids and allies cannot help Who can stand before much less against Omnipotâ—ncy What Jerusalem complains of under her Captivity will bâ— sooner or later the sense and expression too of aâ— that trust in any thing on this side God the greâ— Jehovah and stay short of Heaven Lam. 4.17 Aâ— for us our eyes as yet failed for our vain help Iâ— our watching we have watched for a Nation thâ— could not save us What Senacherib told Hezekiâ— upon this accompt will prove most true 2 King 18.21 Now behold thou trustest upon the staffeâ— this bruised reed even upon Egypt on which if 〈◊〉 man lean it will goe into his hand and pierce it so is Pharaoh King of Egypt to all that trust iâ— him We may cry to these Idols but they cannâ—â— answer nor save us out of our trouble Isa 46.7 Thâ—y were all ashamed saith the Prophet of a people that could not profit them nor be an help Isa 30.5 Let a private distress a publick calamity come a Sword a Plagâ—e a Famine a Fire Creatures cannot help how much less when death and damnation comes to seize on the poor undone sinner What will they do in the day of that their Visitation in the desolation which comes from farr to whom will ye flâ—e for help and where will ye leave your glory as the Prophet speaks Isa 10.3 O the dreadfull and desperate case of every
we joyned to him by the same spirit does he dwell in our hearts by faith is he in us and we in him and abides in us as the hope of our glory our interest in him is a sure and infallible evidence of our interest in the Father He is the only Jacobs ladder whereby we can climb up to communion with the God of Jacob. His foot is on Earth but his top in Heaven The second is our covenant obligation to him I entred into a covenant with thee saith God and thou becamest mine Ezek. 16.8 Isa 55.3 There is a mutual covenant between God and his People as he hath engaged for their salvation so have they for his service O Lord I am thy Servant quoth David and so the Church Micah 4.5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his God and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever She gives up her self to God not only in a way of single considence but resolute obedience The relations are mutual between God and his People he becomes theirs and they his They are betrothed in the marriage-covenant to him in judgement righteousness tender mercies and faithfulness and they know the Lord. Art thou then O soul brought into covenant with God hast thou broken off that accursed league with sin and Satan by righteousness and engaged thy soul solemnly to become a faithful servant to him as thy only Liege-Lord and no other Art thou resolved to fear love and serve him in holiness and righteousness all the daies of thy life and to glorifie him in thy soul body and spirit which are his Thy engagement for his glory is an hopeful sign of his engagement for thy good Thirdly Intimate acquaintance and indeared communion with him Abraham had great interest in God and as great acquaintance with him We may see in Sodoms case how boldly he goes to him Friendship with God breeds an holy familiarity So Moses had a large share in Gods favour and God spake to him face to face and he talked with him again as a man with his familiar friend There are sweet communications of counsel between God and a gracious soul Our fellowship is with the Father 1 Joh. 1.3 David was a man after Gods own heart and had intimate acquaintance with God went to him by faith and prayer on all occasions It 's good for me saith he to draw near to God and one daies communion with him is worth a thousand It was said of Charls the great he conversed more with God than men As all communion is founded in union so true union discovers it self by flowing forth in acts of communion Now Christian what communion maintains thy soul with God in prayer private secret in meditation in publick Ordinances Is it thy meat and drink thy joy and rejoycing to work righteousness and meet him in his waies Thou canst have no interest in God if thou livest without him in the world nor canst call him Father truly if thou hast not or dost not know him Fourthly Sympathy and fellowship with him Gods interest and the souls are not two but one they are like two Turtles if one dies the other never lives comfortably after but sorrowing for the loss of her Mate God is sensible of and well-pleased with all the good done to his People his language is Inasmuch as ye have done it to these ye have done it to me And his people are affected with and rejoyce in all the glory is brought to him and had rather lose their comfort than their God should lose his honour They desire he alone should be magnified and are willing to be made stirrups for him to rise by though it be by their utter downfall And as they are satisfied in each others good so sensible of each others evil God sympathizeth with his Peoples sufferings In all their afflictions he is afflicted And they with his affronts and injuries The interest of God lies nearer their hearts than any thing else in the world They count not their own lives dear so they may but save his honour and so he be magnified though they be reproached impoverished imprisoned bamshed pâ—rsecuted they think themselves well apaid What sympathy hast thou with Gods cause and interest dost thou account the glory brought to him as good done to thee and take the injuries he suffers as offered to thy self Canst thou wish thy self a shield to sence off those dishonours which are cast on the face of thy Lord and Master Art thou meek as a Lamb in thy own cause but fierce as a Lion in Gods zealous for the Lord God of Israel how art thou affected when thou hearest his holy Name torn by the black mouths of the wicked and their tongues set on fire from Hell when thou seest his Creatures abused his Ordinances prophaned his People trampled under foot his Truth despised his Attributes blasphemed his Sabbaths unhallowed his Worship polluted If thou beest in the relation of a Son thou wilt not endure to see one spit on thy Fathers face or an ingenuous Servant wilt not bear thy Masters wrong behind his back Fifthly Suitable affections Where there is interest in God all the affections of the soul have their out-goings after him Thou hast First An high esteem and valuation of him Whom have I in Heaven but thee Interest raiseth estimation The Father esteems his Child and the Husband his Wife and so vice versà above all other though they be deformed and others beautiful they weak and others healthful they rich and others poor they ignorant and others learned and knowing because of their propriety in them A Saint values God above all the world above all things visible or invisible counts all loss dross and dung in comparison of him He alone is to him the Pearl of true price Gods People are precious to him above all others and so is he to them likewise They will part with all for him preferring him before all and venture all rather than lose their hold of him or sacrifice their interest in him omnia levia preterquam quod tui carendum How stands their esteem poised Secondly Thou hast an ardent and affectionate love towards him I will love the Lord my strength saith holy David Psal 18.1 Self-interest makes a man love his own Whom believing we love The applications of faith are alwaies seconded with the imbraces of love He that hath God for his God hath had experience of his love in Christ some tastes of his love shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost and he cannot but love him by whom he was first loved This love constrains him Amor meus Pondus meum Does mercy love misery and shall not misery love mercy beauty affect deformity and shall not deformity re-affect beauty glory shine on dust and they not reflect on glory Nimis durus animus qui etsi amorem non vult impendere tamen non vult rependere Bernard
be used if a blessing expected Faith hath a piercing eye and a powerful hand a receptive faculty to take in the comfort of the Promise and a reverberative to return and reflect its benefit received in waies of duty and obedience Hoping to the end and girding up the loyns of our minds are paired 1 Pet. 1.13 In order to a progress in our spiritual Journey The sweetness of the Promise drawn out incourageth and engageth in obedience to the command The Plow-man ploweth and Seeds-man soweth in hope Expectation of reward edgeth to work Disuse and neglect of means doth not trust God but tempt him True confidence spurs up to duty especially to prayer Trusting and calling are coupled in Scripture Zeph. 3.2 Hope of speeding puts a man on seeking Hope of an expected end put holy Jeremiah on praying Jer. 19. And of salvation holy Paul on labouring and suffering reproach on active and passive obedience 1 Tim. 4.10 Thirdly Ad commorandum to take the soul off all carnal dependance and stay it by a firm dependance on God alone The hoping soul goes not to creatures to second causes leans on none of these broken staves and vain confidences but rejects and renounceth them all both upon a spiritual and temporal account It 's the brand and mark of an Hypocrite even carnal confidence It 's the character of a Christian to have no confidence in the flesh Phil. 3.3 He does not only call himself of the holy City but staies himself on the God of Israel in truth Isa 10.20 A Christian will not have two strings to the bow of his trust The Psalmist puts a direct opposition to trust in God and all other trusts Psal 40.4 Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust and respecteth not the proud nor such as turn aside to lyes And the Church solemnly professeth her rejection of all humane helps in time of her straits Psal 44.6 I will not trust to my bow neither shall my sword save me not to the bow but the arm that helps to do it And so she seals a renunciation of all creature-aids and assistances Hos 14.3 Ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon horses Carnal men like weak and ignorant people go first to the Kitchin and then to the Physitian When Ephraim saw his sickness and beheld his wound he goes to the Assyrian and sends to King Jareb to heal him But the Church eccho's to Gods call Jer. 3.22 23. In vain is salvation expected from Hills or Mountains in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel We come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God She goes first to the Lord and then to the Physitian Fourthly Ad componendum to pacifie the soul and make it wait patiently the returns of providence Jacob waited for Gods salvation and Joseph of Arimathea for the Kingdom of God I waited patiently for the Lord saith David Psal 40.1 As they who watch for the morning Psal 130. As the poor traveller beweildred all night longs for the mornings approach to direct him in his passage and the industrious labourer waits the morning light and dawning of the day that he may go about the work of his calling or the vigilant souldier and diligent watchman desires the break of day when they may be relieved so doth a gracious soul wait for his God The Church was resolved thus to wait upon the Lord. Micah 7. Though an Atheist will wait no longer a Saint will both wait for instruction and consolation Hopes conclusions are Gods time is the best time The vision is but for an appointed time it will come and not tarry wait for it If deliverance comes not this it may come another way If mercy comes not to day it may come to morrow It 's better staying a day too long than having salvation come an hour too soon The expecting soul waits for the hope of righteousness by faith yea he hopes to the end for the grace to be brought at the revelation of Christ 1 Pet. 1.13 He waits till the Lord be gracious he is not too quick or hasty hasty births he knows are commonly abortive he will not make more haste than good speed he understands it 's but manners to wait the Lords leisure and attend his pleasure God waited long for his coming in in a way of duty it 's but meet he should wait for his approaches in a way of mercy If God could stay so long for his conversion it 's but reasonable he should stay for his consolations Resolved he is to wait so long as God pleases for incomes of mercy and wholly resolves his will into the will of his Maker even let 's it be buried and swallowed up of it with a Father not my will but thy will be done Carnal men would limit God to their desires and scant him to their time they are for duty to morrow but mercy and salvation to day Now mercy must come or never But a Christian would not have his time Gods but makes Gods time his and whatsoever pleaseth God therefore pleaseth him It 's not saith true hope for us to know the times and seasons better to wait for the Lords salvation Better want of mercy in a way of waiting and dependance than its approach without it Does God delay he does not deny is mercy deferred it is not resolved against does God withdraw hide his face seem to slight and cast out his Peoples prayer yet I will not give over praying waiting believing and expecting I will yet attend the motions of providence in the use of means and though God seems to cast us off yet we will never cast off him Fifthly Ad elevandum to raise the soul above all worldly expectations He that by hope hath gotten his foot up to Heaven looks upon all this inferiour world only as an inconsideral point Our conversation saith the Apostle is in Heaven whence we look for the Saviour Heavenly expectations and heavenly conversation go together Alexander when he once received a report of the American world gave all the Kingdoms he had conquered amongst his Captains and upon this division being asked what he had left to himself answered spem majorum annorum the hope of further years A Christian hearing of the Alsufficiency of God and glory of Heaven of so much in scriniis in hope is willing to part with whatsoever is in hand and like a provident and foreseeing person will part with all in possession for what he hath in reversion so did those worthies Heb. 11.13 A carnal man useth God and enjoys the world a Saint useth the world but enjoyeth God only Sixthly Ad corroborandum to fortifie and confirm the soul against all opposition Abraham rowed against the stream Hope will ride the storm It may be said of hope what the Apostle speaks of charity it endures all things There is the work of faith labour of love and patience of hope 1 Thes 1.3 I will hope
Providences gracious and mercifull Benedictions he hath a right to all spiritual blessings pardon of sin peace of Conscience Joy in the Holy Ghost grace and glory and all temporal mercies too the fatness of the Earth as well as the dews of Heaven the Nether as well as the Upper Springs All is his by right and inheritance and shall be by possession if good for him As a stranger from God is universaily cursed so is one united to him universally blessed He may say God hath dealt graciously with me and I have enough Gen. 33.11 Secondly He is also happy in all Estates and Conditions Nothing amiss can befall and betide a Christian Though never so evil in it self Gods Power and Providence can work it for good Art thou under desertions yet thou art happy His lest hand is under thee and his right hand embraceth thee Thou art graven upon the palms of his hands so as to be no more defaced or obliterated and thy walls are continually before him Hast thou lost thy hold of God he hath still his hold on thee canst thou not cast thy self and roll thy Soul on Christ in the Promise yet when thou comest out of the Wilderness thou mayst lean on the arm of thy beloved Though thy Soul be never so much in the dark thou hast the staffe of Jacob to lean on and needest never fear stumbling especially falling for the Lord also upholds thee by his hand Psal 33.24 Art under Temptations still thou mayst be happy Thy Redeemers Intercession is a shore of thy Faith and pillar of thy Perseverance Luk. 22.32 Though weak in thy self with the Conies thou mayst fly to the Rocks When pursued by that mighty Nimrod and hunter of Souls and furiously chased by the avenging Executioner of Divine wrath haste into the arms and bosom of thy Saviour which stand extended on the Cross and are now wide open to receive thee When these proud waters overwhelm thee swim to that impregnable Rock of his Merits which is higher than thou and then thou mayst like a man gotten on the top of a rock in the midst of the Sea outbraving with an invincible courage and undaunted resolution all the waves and billows about him dare Satan to do his worst against thee Though the Beast makes warre against thee being a follower of the Lamb God is on thy side and stands by thee in the combat this Dragon shall not swallow thee up the Lord will rebuke him yea tread him under thy feet shortly Though thy own heart be a Traitor thy God is thy Keeper Art thou engaged with strong and violent corruptions do these Masters of misrule bid controll to Gods grace in thee and is the battell so sharp as sometimes the flesh seems to overcome the Spirit thy pride passion unbelief earthly-mindedness are too hard for thee be not discouraged Though thou beest foiled thou shalt not be overcome sin shall not have dominion over thee though it may tyrannize against thee but those thine enemies that will not bow before the Scepter of Christs Soveraignty shall be slain before his face and very shortly those Egyptians thou seest to day thou shalt see no more for ever Art thou exposed to wants and exigencies The Lord is thy Shepherd and he will supply thee as to thy spiritual and also thy temporal condition Dost thou want the presence of Divine Ordinances are all these Conduits stopt and windows shut God will himself be a Tabernacle to thee he will prepare a Table for thee in the Wilderness spread with all the delicious sweet-meats of grace and comfort and the Sun of Righteousness shall arise on thee with healing in his wings Dost thou want Creature-comforts The Earth is the Lords Granary and the fullness thereof and the Sea thy Fathers Fish-pond and therefore thou shalt have what either can afford thee Art thou sequestred of all that is dear and precious in thine eyes Thou hast yet a Deus providebit to live on a Promise to bear thee up that God will never forsake thee all things shall be added to thee Qui majora curat non minora negliget The Accessory follows the Principal There is no Promise indeed of adding Spirituals upon our seeking Temporals but there is of adding the things of Earth if we seek the Kingdom of Heaven Thou shalt have food and raiment in the way wherein thou art to goe enough though not too much according to Gods will though it may be not thine own bread for thy body though not for thy lusts to satisfie thee though not surfeit content though not cloy thee God will give thee the World as a blessing though not lade thee with this thick clay as a burden As thou hast the sure Mercies of David whereof none can deprive thee so thou shalt have all external accommodations or at least a proportion between thy Heart and Condition wherein the only comfort of life consisteth Art thou compassed about with fears and dangers of enemies or evils imminent or impendent Let not thine heart be troubled for Mercy compasses thee about on every side As Elisha told his servant 2 King 6.16 There are more with thee than are against thee Thou hast a guard of Angels round about thee yea Christ himself for thy Protector And Fortior est Christus caput Ecclesiae ad protegendum quam Diabolus hostis Ecclesiae ad oppugnandum Cyprian This may be a bottom of confidence and sufficient ground and encouragement to the People of God in the darkest and gloomiest day the most evil and discouraging time and serve to allay and antidote all their fears and misgivings of heart that they have an infinite and everlasting God for their help and have everlasting strength wisdom faithfulness mercy and compassion engaged for them Men count it an happiness to have a Cottage of their own to hide their heads in God is his Peoples shelter Sanctuary and hiding-place under all their scatterings and dispersions oppressions and oppositions they meet with in the World The Lord knows how to deliver the Godly out of all their temptations The Apostle brings it down to an experience He delivered Lot and he knows how to deliver us It 's all one to have no storm or to have an hiding-place Under all private injuries and oppressions we may trust in God who is a present help and go to him with the Prophet Jeremiah's words in our mouths when the men of Anathoth sought his life Jer. 11.20 To thee O Lord do I reveal my cause and be confident as he was cap. 20.11 of deliverance or as Hezekiah when Rabshaketh opened his mouth so wide against Heaven he went and spread the Letter before the Lord. Though a man meets with nothing but incivilities unkindnesses discouragements disappointments reproaches persecutions and violences from men yet there is enough in one God to counter-ballance all God will work all mischiefs about for good and as for Enemies in the Name of the Lord we may go
that so he may have wherewithall to set all his Attributes on work at once his power wisdom goodness and mercy When Israel had committed a great sin yet Ezra comforts them with this There is yet hope in Israel Art thou troubled with the guilt of sin defilement and power of corruption art thou disturbed with fears doubts temptations dost thou want the evidence of Gods favour and blessed assurances of his love art thou pressed down with the weight of thy afflictions do thy feet stick in the mire and thy soul is born down and sinks through the load that is upon thy shoulders yet look up by faith to Heaven God can open a door of hope in this valley of Achor Lo he is behind the curtain though thou seest him not and will step in and help thee if he sees the swoon or faint He is praesto ready at hand to save thee though he seems to sleep he and his arm can awake Isa 51.9 as a mighty man out of sleep for his enemies confusion and eke his Peoples consolation He will arise Psal 44. ult He can turn thy captivity as the streams of the South and a word of his mouth shall do it as well as an act of his hand Be not discouraged or despondent but wait his approach Though thy heart fail be of good courage and he will strengthen thine heart Thou hast an omnipotent arm to lean upon therefore give not in nor give over Still be found in the way of thy duty pray still believe wait still and for ever hope in the Lord and his mercy God oft suggests his Creatorship in Scripture to encourage his People in great extremities As to Jacob Isa 40.27 28. So Psal 124. ult Our help is in the Name of the Lord who made Heaven and Earth And thus in this present Psalm in the words following the Text Which made Heaven and Earth to teach us that God can do any thing who made all things What is it God cannot do as well as he did create the world out of nothing What should we doubt in his way of providence whose power we have such demonstrative proof of in the work of creation And the Apostle Peter seems to make that relation speak mercy too as well as power and goodness as greatness 1 Pet. 4.19 Where he exhorts Saints in a suffering condition to commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing as into the hand of a faithful Creator This title alone speaks comfort and assurance to Gods People and abundant incouragement to wait and hope in him not crying out in their passions I shall one day fall by the hand of this evil but staying themselves on him in the worst of humane miseries and calamities Let me leave it with this Memento That thy condition is not such neither can ever any such state befall thee that either God hath not holpen in or cannot help in No temptations betide thee but what are common to the Saints and should there God can do that he never did as well as thou need that none ever had and being thy God and Creator thou mayest be sure his help shall alway be sufficient to thy needs for he will not forsake the work of his hands He can work and none shall let him He that said Let there be light and there was so in the world can say Let there be grace peace comfort and there shall be so in the heart Let there be truth and peace and there shall be so in the Church If God be your help then make him your hope in all conditions and cases publick or private Hath God broken your estates your families or man ruined them God can repair them Hath he broken his Church and People broken down her hedge so that the Boar of the Wood doth waste her and all the wild beasts of the Forrest devour her he can yet look down upon her and raise her up when lowest and throw down her enemies when highest Let the house of Aaron and Levi yea and all that fear the Lord trust in the Lord and ye that have no helper make him your hope and help Say This God is our God and shall be our guide to death I shall dismiss this branch of Application with an answer to these two Questions First What are the conditions upon which we may challenge help from God in an evil day Secondly What are the times and seasons when we may most confidently expect it All evils are reduceable to two general heads They are either Gods immediate visitations or humane afflictions and pâ—rsecutions The former of these I shall answer with special reference to the first the latter to the second First On what terms may Gods People expect help when he is going out in the way of his Judgements as Sword Pestilence c I shall but name these five conditions the discourse being swoln far beyond what it was intended First A religious severity which consists in an accurate walking before God in a day of prosperity and mercy a setting strait steps to his Kingdom a cleaving to him a dwelling in him as our habitation a maintaining strict and close communion with him Isa 32.17 The effect of righteousness shall be peace quietness and assurance for ever Communion with God in a good day layes a sure foundation for confidence in him in an evil He that remembers God in his high estate God will remember him in his low that makes God his song in Sun-shine daies shall finde him his strength in tempestuous times who give God a room in their hearts and houses in times of felicity shall have room in his Ark in the day of adversity Gen. 6.8 9. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord he was a just man and perfect in his generations and walked with God Whereas they who forsake God in the time of mercy he will forsake them in the time of extremity those who now turn the back on him he will then turn the face from Jer. 18.17 As they gave a deaf ear to the voice of his mercy shutting the door of their hearts to him he will give a deaf ear to the voice of their cry and shut the door of his grace on them Prov. 1.24 This also consists in an immunity from the sins of the times not only a sympathy of their sufferings but a freedom from their sins and defilements When a Christian saves himself from a perverse generation is unspotted with the times keeps his garments fair though he lives in a contagious Air yet preserves himself free from its infection and like the fish keeps the freshness of his grace though swimming in the salt-waters of sin and wickedness When out of an holy and reverential fear he dares not comply with but withstands opposes protests witnesses against and mourns for the abominations of the times This was Noabs carriage being warned of God and moved with an holy fear of his threatned Judgements he makes
an Ark Heb. 11.7 which the prophane and secure world flouted and derided This was Lots security in the overthrow of Sodom his soul was vexed with their filthy conversation 2 Pet. 2.7 8. And the Apostle makes him a president his deliverance a ruling case so as to argue and draw up a firm conclusion from it for all the godly under like circumstances verse 9. This tenderness of conscience was that which removed Josiah out of the dint of suffering 2 King 22.19 Jealousie of sinning is the best security against suffering Such as fear Gods Name shall have the bright side of the cloud when others have the dark he will be to them a Sun when to the rest a fire This holy carriage protected Jeremiah and kept him out of captivity and exempted Baruch and gave him his life for a prey Gods mourners who gave him their testimony by wearing his livery shall also have his mark of distinguishing favour Ezek. 9. They are pluckt as brands out of the fire We may invert that of the Prophet Ezekiel and make the subject the predicate cap. 7.16 They who are as Doves of the Valleys mourning for their iniquity shall escape They who feared the Lord and thought on his Name minded Religion and made it their business had a book of remembrance written Mal. 3.16 Phinehas's zeal procures him the covenant of Gods peace Numb 25.8 Secondly A fiducial recumbency God saves them that trust in him and because they trust in him Psal 37. ult He that believes shall never be confounded God is a buckler to them that trust in him Prov. 2.8 The scope of the whole 91 Psalm is to assure preservation to them that exercise faith in God and keep in viis in waies of strict and close walking with him Not an absolute faith that God certainly will protect and deliver for that cannot be without a special revelation but a stedfast faith and firm dependance on God and his power and providence both as able and willing to do it Jobs confidence in God gave him assurance of his being his salvation This obtained a special priviledge for Obedmelech Jer. 39. ult Thy life shall be for a prey to thee because thou hast put thy trust in me saith the Lord. And this gave Daniel a marvelous yea miraculous protection Dan. 6.22 23. Innocency was found in him and he believed in his God Thirdly A praying importunity When Gods Spirit is poured out from on high and his stir up themselves to take hold on God plead and wrastle call and cry being his remembrancers day and night Psal 32.6 And so Zeph. 2.3 Seek the Lord all ye meek of the earth which have wrought his Judgement seek righteousness seek meekness it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger in the most desolating Judgements God reserves a remnant and they are the seeking praying ones Joel 2. ult Whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be delivered So Psal 91.14 15. Fourthly A perfect and exact integrity He saves the upright in heart Psal 7.10 He compasseth them about with favour as a shield The way of the just is uprightness thou most upright doest weigh the path of the Just Isa 26.7 Integrity is the ground of hope This gave Job a certainty of his coming out of affliction and of a glorious restauration Job 13.18 I have ordered my cause I know I shall be justified This was that Hezekiah pleaded under Gods correction Isa 38.3 And Nehemiah under his enemies rage and opposition Think upon me my God for good Christs Righteousness is only pleadable at the bar of Gods Justice but our own in the Court of his mercy A man may as well rear a building on a quagmire or quick-sand as build a just hope on Hypocrisie but righteousness is a sure soundation The morning star being once up and visible it 's never very dark Such as walk alwaies in the view of their uprightness have alwaies some glimmerings of comfort and are never hopeless and desolate This was Gods own assignation of the reason of Noahs deliverance Gen. 7.1 Thee only have I found righteous in this generation He that walks uprightly walks securely When men are upright to God to men exercise a conscience void of offence in duties of the first and the second Table keep themselves from their iniquities and have respect to all Gods Commandments and whatsoever comes on them do not forget God and his Covenant they are upon the fairest ground of security The Prophet Amos puts them into not a bare capacity but at least a probability of mercy Amos 5.15 Hate the evil seek good and establish Judgement in the gate it may be the Lord God of Hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph Nay the Prophet Isaiah goes further and puts them under a certainty Isa 33.16 When Hypocrites were bundled as thorns or packt as brands into the devouring fire of Gods wrath who should abide now He that walketh righteously He shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munition of Rocks bread shall be given him his waters shall be sure Fifthly A resolved singularity and couragious zeal and magnanimity for God in the worst of times both as to doing and suffering When Christians shine with an eminent lustre of piety like stars in a dark night with greater brightness and burn with an holy zeal as fire in frosty weather alwaies hottest are none such of the times and do not only keep themselves untainted from the sins they embrace but se on the duties they oppose resolving with Joshua that they and their house will serve the Lord and with Daniel that they will as formerly notwithstanding all prohibitions to the contrary make their supplication to the God of Heaven They will keep up private family duties publick attendances though all give them up maintain those duties of Religion most zealously strenuously and industriously that are most momentous though most opposed and despised dancing before the Lords Ark though laughed to scorn by the Michaels of the world Though Princes speak against them they will meditate and speak of Gods statutes They will appear for God when all appear against him as did Elijah whom God wonderfully secured and Paul whom he stood by miraculously and Luther whose language was fiat justitia ruat Coelum whom God signally protected at Worms and elsewhere though he were the only butt his pretended holiness then had to shoot at When a man is resolved to consult duty and not safety to suffer before he sins to burn in a fiery furnace before bow to a graven Image and with an holy fortitude to stand up for God against the sins of the time and place though he hath none to back him though all the neighbourhood Town City be otherwise affected as it was with him as to Baals Altars and Paul to the Athenian worships and is determined to venture all for God and in his Cause with a Caesarem