his mouth and walk in the way that is pointed out by his Word and Spirit you shall have enough to direct you in all your ways 2. It doth warn us of all our dangers It doth not only in the general call upon us to watch Mat. 13. 37. and walk circumspectly Eph. 5. 15. but it discovers all those deceits particularly whereby we may be surprized diverted and turned out of the way There are snares in Prosperity snares in Adversity Temptations you meet with in praying trading eating drinking in your publick undertakings and in your private converse it shews your danger in all your ways before you feel the smart of them therefore give up your selves to God's direction reading hearing meditating believing and practising read hear it often then the deceits of Satan will be laid open and the snares of your own hearts Christians an exact Rule is of little use if you do not consult it Gal. 6. 16. Peace and mercy be upon all them that walk according to this Rule That order their conversations exactly the word signifies that try their work as a Carpenter doth by his square they examine their actions by the Word of God what they are now a doing therefore consult with it often then meditate of it ponder it seriously 2 Tim. 2. 7. Consider what I say and the Lord give thee understanding in all things If we would have understanding by the Word there must be consideration Man hath a discursive faculty to debate things with himself Why this is my duty what would become of me if I slep out of God's way here 's danger and a snare What if I should run into it now it is laid before me And then believe it surely Heb. 4. 2. The Word profited not not being mixed with faith in them that heard it Believe God upon his Word without making tryal You hear much of living by sense and by saith living by faith is when we bear up upon the bare Word of God and encourage our selves in the Lord but living by sense is a trying whether it be so or no as they that will not believe Hell shall feel Hell and they that will not believe the Word of God shall smart for it Heb 11. 7. Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark. It may be there were no preparations to the accomplishment of the Curse and Judgment the Word threatned it 's a thing not seen yet he prepared an Ark. When a man is walking in an unjust course all things prosper for awhile the misery the Word threatens is unseen Ay but if you would grow wiser by the Word than men can by Experience you must look to the end of things Psal. 73. 17. I went into the sanctuary of God then understood I their end And then practise it diligently A young Practiser hath more understanding than an ancient Notionallist Psal. 111. 10. A good understanding have all they that do his commandments It is not they that are able to speak of things and savor what the Word requires but they that do what they hear and discourse of Gregory saith We know no more than we practise and we practise as we know these two always go together The Word doth us no good unless there be a ready obedience therefore this is wisdom when we give up our selves to God's direction whatever it cost us in the world Doct. 2. That young ones may have many times more of this wisdom than those that are ancient Divers instances there are Ioseph was very young sold into Egypt about 17 years of age and when he was in Egypt Psal. 105. 22. He taught his Senators wisdom speaking of the Senators of Egypt With how much modesty did he carry himself when his Mistriss laid that snare Isaac was young and permitted himself to be offered to God as a Sacrifice Samuel was wise betimes 1 Sam. 2. 26. It is said The child Samuel grew on and was in favor both with the Lord and also with men From his Infancy he was dedicated to God and God gives him wisdom to walk so that he was in favor with God and men yea God reveals himself to Samuel when he did not to Eli. David when he was but 15 years of age fought with the Lion and Bear and somewhile after that with Goliah when he was a ruddy youth Iosiah when he was but eight years old administred the Kingdom before he was twelve sets upon serious Reformation Ieremiah was sanctified from the womb Ier. 1. 5. And Iohn the Baptist leapt in his Mother's womb Luke 1. 35. In the 32d of Iâ—…b the Ancients Iob's Friends are spoken of pleading their Cause wise young Elihu brings wiser words and better arguments than those that came to comfort Iob. Solomon asked wisdom of God when he was young Daniel and his Companions those four children as they are called Dan. 1. 17 18. it is said The Lord filled them with wisdom above all the ancient Chaldeans And Timothy the Apostle speaks of his youth and bids him flee youthful lusts he was young yet very knowing and set over the Church of God Our Lord Iesus at 12 years old puzled the Doctors In Ecclesiastical Stories we read of one at 15 years of age dyed with great constancy for Religion in the midst of sundry tortures Ignatius pleads the cause of the Bishop when he was but a very youth but a man powerful in doctrine and of great wisdom and therefore he saith He would have them not look to his appearing youth but to the age of his mind to his wisdom before God And he saith There are many that have nothing to shew for their age but wrinckles and gray hairs So there are many young ones in whom there is an excellent spirit and in all Ages there are instances given of youth of whom it may be said That they are wise beyond their years For the Reasons why many times young ones may have more wisdom than those that are aged God doth so 1. That he might shew the freedom and sovereignty of his grace He is not bound to years nor to the ordinary course of nature but can work according to his own pleasure and give a greater measure of knowledge and understanding to those that are young and otherwise green than he will to those that are of great age and more experience in the world You have this reason rendred Iob 32. 7 8 9. I said days should speak and multitude of years should teach wisdom There 's the ordinary course But there is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding Great men are not always wise neither do the aged understand judgment Though all men have reason and a spirit yet the Spirit of God is a wind that blows where he lists Those that exceed others in time may come behind them in grace He gives a greater measure many times of grace and knowledge to shew his
in the enjoyment of thee therefore teach me thy statutes If God be our chiefest good and our utmost end it concerns us nearly to learn out the way how we may enjoy him John 17. 3. This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent It concerns believers to study that wherein their eternal happiness consisteth and what is the way to get it Thou art blessed and therefore teach me thy statutes Secondly Subjectively and so again God is blessed either in an Active or in a Passive sense 1. In an Active sense And here we must distinguish again for so God is blessed either with respect to Himself or with respect to us 1. Blessed in himself as he hath the fulness of perfection and contentment Blessedness is often ascribed to God 1 Tim. 1. 11. The glorious Gospel of the blessed God I 'le open that place by and by 1 Tim. 6. 15. Who is the blessed and only Potentate the King of kings and Lord of lords Now how is God blessed in himself Gods blessedness is that Attribute by which the Lord from himself and in his own being is free from all misery and enjoyeth all good and is sufficient to himself and contented with himself and doth neither need nor desire the creature for any good that can accrue to him by us Or more shortly God's blessedness is the fruition of himself and his delighting in himself Mark it lieth not in the enjoyment of the Creature but in the enjoyment of himself God useth us but doth not enjoy us As we enjoy a thing for it self but we use it for another so uti and frui differ we use the means but enjoy the end God useth the creature in subserviency to his own glory So it is said Prov. 16. 4. God made all things for himself His happiness lieth in knowing himself in loving himself in delighting in himself But how is this used as an argument Blessed art thou O Lord therefore teach me thy statutes Either thus God that is blessed hath enough for himself surely there is enough in him for us too Gen. 17. 1. I am God alsufficient walk before me and be thou perfect I say if God finds satisfaction enough in himself our souls surely will find satisfaction in him That which will fill a Pottle or greater Measure will fill a Pint or a lesser Measure That which will satisfie a Prince and be enough for him in that estate will satisfie a Beggar and supply his wants God hath an infinite fulness of knowledg comfort and holiness therefore surely enough to satisfie us as empty as we are Therefore we should desire to receive of this fulness in Gods way Or again thus If God be blessed we had need to enquire after his statutes for these teach us the way how we may be blessed in Gods blessedness how we may be conformed to the nature of God and live the life of God and then surely we shall be happy enough 1. How we may be conformed to the nature of God 2 Pet. 1. 4. That we may be partakers of the Divine nature according to our measure that ours may be such as his is The promises or the word have an influence that way If we see a man hath a rich Trade and secret ways of gain every one would be acquainted with the mysteries and art of his getting and desirous to know it God is eternally blessed therefore we should study to be like him 2. That we may live the life of God Surely if we could learn to live such a life as God doth we should be happy However our prejudices darken it yet the life of God cannot be a gloomy life Now ignorance of Gods statutes is a great hinderance to the life of God Eph. 4. 18. Being alienated or estranged from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart Well then the consideration of this that God is blessed will certainly make us prize his statutes prize his word for by that we are conformed to the nature of God and to the life of God we are engaged in the same design wherein God himself is engaged God loves himself and acts for himself and pursueth his own glory Now when the word of God breaks in upon the heart we pursue the same design with God Men are prejudiced against a course of holiness it seems to look upon them with a sowr and austere face Surely God loves a pleasant life whoever is miserable he hath a full contentment Doth he that made all things want true joy and contentment Who should have happiness if God hath not Now when we learn Gods Statutes we come to be conformed to the nature of God we love what he loves and hate what he hates and then we begin to live the life of God The happiness of God lieth in loving himself enjoying himself and acting for his own glory and this is the fruit of grace to teach us to live as God lives to do as God doth to love him and enjoy him as our chiefest good and to glorifie him as out utmost end This is the first sense wherein God may be said to be actively blessed as he hath infinite complacency in himself 2. God is actively blessed with respect to us as he is the fountain of all blessedness He is not only blessedness it self but willing to communicate and give it out to the creature especially his Saints He fills all created things with his blessedness Psal. 145. 16. Thou openesâ—… thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing There is not a Creature in the world but hath tasted of Gods bounty but especially the Saints Eph. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ. These are Vessels into which God is still pouring more until they be compleatly fill'd up Now this communicativeness that is in God without any irking of mind is a certain argument or encouragement to move us to seek of God grace to keep his statutes This is often urged in this case his communicativeness to all his creatures V. 64. The earth O Lord is full of thy mercy teach me thy statutes Thou art bountiful to all creatures and oh Lord shew thy bounty to me The same again v. 68. Thou art good and dost good teach me thy statutes Every good the more good it is the more it is diffusive of it self And it is a part of Gods blessedness that he is still of the giving-hand Acts 20. 35. Remember the words of the Lord Iesus how he said It is more blessed to give than to receive It was a maxim which Christ commended to his disciples Remember the words of the Lord Iesus that which he often inculcated That it is more blessed to give than to receive The words formally indeed are not found in any Evangelist only there we may
upon earthly things they must have Heaven The more their affections are estranged from the one the more they are taken up about the other Col. 3. 2. Heaven and Earth are like two scales in a Ballance that which is taken from the one is put into the other 3. There is no sufficient direction how to attain this durable estate but in the word of God Without this we are but like poor pilgrims and wayfaring men in a strange Countrey not able to discern the way home A blessed state is only sufficiently revealed in the word 2 Tim. 1. 10. Life and immortality is brought to light in the Gospel The Heathens did but guess at it and had some obscure sense of an estate after this life but it is brought to light with most clearness in the Word so the way thither is only pointed out by the Word It is the Word of God makes us wise to salvation and our Line and Rule to lead us to the heavenly Canaan and therefore it concerns those that look after this durable state to consult with the Word 4. There is no understanding Gods word but by the light of the Spirit Job 32. 8. There is a spirit in man but the inspiration of the Almighty that giveth understanding Though the Word have light in it yet the spirit of man cannot move till he enlightens us with that lively light that makes way for the dominion of the truth in our hearts and conveyeth influence into our hearts This is that light David begs when he saith Hide not thy commandments from me David was not ignorant of the ten Commandments of their sound but he begs their spiritual sense and use 5. If we would have the Spirit we must ask it of God in prayer For God gives the Spirit to those that ask him Luke 11. 13. and therefore we must say as David Psal. 43. 3. O send out thy light and thy truth let them lead me let them bring me to thy holy hill to thy tabernacle 6. When we beg it of God we must do it with submission to his Soveraignty and with subscription to his Iustice Therefore doth David use this manner of speech Hide not thy Commandment from me God doth hide when he doth not open our eyes to see now the Lord may chuse whether he will do this or no for he is Soveraign and may in Justice forbear to do so because we have abused the light we have it will be hid from us unless he reveal it The mystery of Grace is wholly at Gods dispose and whosoever begs it he must refer himself to the holy and soveraign good pleasure of God who may give out and withhold his efficacious grace according to his pleasure Matth. 11. 25 26. I thank thee Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight Here 's the Lords Soveraignty he doth in these things as he pleaseth therefore David submits to it And then it implies It may be just with God to leave us unto our natural blindness and suffer Satan to blind us more It is fully consistent with the honour of his Justice therefore it is said Johâ—… 12. 40. He hath blinded their eyes and hardned their hearts c. that is judicially suffering them to encrease their own blindness by their sin blindness that 's their sin and the Lord may leave it as a Judgment upon them USE Here 's Direction to you that know you are but pilgrims the great thing you should seek after is the straightest way to heaven If you have a sense of Eternity and a sense of your present frailty you should look how to get home to your Countrey To this end 1. Study the word why This is your Antidote against Infection and a Cordial to cheer us in the way It is an Antidote against Infection 2 Pet. 1. 4. By the promises we escape the corruption that is in the world through lust The World is an Infectious place therefore you had need take the promises next your heart to keep your hopes alive And here 's your Cordial to keep you from fainting that which makes you to rejoyce in the midst of present afflictions Psal. 119. 54. 'T is a cordial to cheer us up to revive us in the way till we come to our journeys end This will make up losses sweeten difficulties allay your sorrows Then 't is your direction the way to lead you home Psal. 119. 105. Thy word is a light to my feet and a lanthorn to my paths We shall soon pass over this life all our care should be to pass it over well there are so many by-paths in the world and in a strange place we may soon miscarry 2. Intreat the Lord of his abundant grace to pity poor strangers who are ignorant and desire him he would not hide his word from you that you may walk in the nearest closest way wherein he would have you walk He may hide it from you as an Absolute Supreme Lord for he is bound to give his grace to none and he may do it as a just Iudg he may leave you to your own infatuations and prejudices Say Lord pity a poor stranger and pilgrim The word may be hidden two ways and take care of both 1. In point of External administration when the powerful means are wanting O it is a great mark of Gods displeasure when men are given up by their own choice to blind Guides to those that have no skill or no will to edifie or no abilities rightly to divide the Word of truth only fill the ear with clamour and noise but do not inform Conscience or move the heart by solid and powerful instruction from the Word of God 2. In point of Internal influence when the comforts and quicknings of the Spirit are withholden Lord withhold not thy Spirit from me SERMON XXI PSAL. CXIX 20. My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times DAVID had begged Divine illumination v. 18. The reason of his request was Because he was a stranger upon earth and a stranger may easily be bewildred Now here is a second reason why he would have God to open his eyes Because his heart was carried out with so strong an affection to the word He that asketh a thing coldly doth but bespeak his own denial But David was in good earnest when he prayeth for light it was not a dead-hearted perfunctory petition but such as came from an ardent and strong affection My soul breaketh c. In the words we have 1. The Object of David 's affection Thy judgments 2. The quality or kind of his affection 1. It was vehement My soul breaketh with longing 2. It was constant at all times By Misphalim Iudgments is meant the Word which is the infallible Rule of Gods proceeding with sinners For the Affection I shall
the godly should smother their grief and not go to God with it their sorrow were able to choak them It is no small ease that we have a God to go to to whom we may freely open our minds Prayer hath a pacative virtue as Hannah 1 Sam. 1. 18. prayed unto the Lord and wept sore and mark the event the woman went her way and did eat and her countenance was no more sad c. An Oven stopped up is the hotter within but vent and utterance giveth ease to the heart if it be meerly by way of complaint to a friend without expectation of relief much more to go to God and lay open our case before him 2. To seek our comfort elsewhere from earthly things it is a vain and evil course 1. It is vain for God is the party with whom we have to do In many troubles the creatures may be instruments of our wo but the principal party is God Strike in with him and you stop the mischief at the head Pro. 16. 7. When a mans ways please the Lord he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him In other troubles God hath a more immediate hand as sicknesses and terrors of conscience our business then lyeth not with the creatures in sickness not with Physicians first but with God In troubles of spirit we are not to quench our thirst at the next ditch but to run to the Fountain of living water not to take up with ordinary comforts that 's an attempt to break prison and to get out of the troubles before God letteth us out He is our party then whoever be the Instrument 2. It is evil that we refuse to come to God when he whippeth us into his presence and beateth us to the Throne of Grace Dan. 9. 13. All this evil is come upon us yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God that we might turn from our iniquities and understand thy truth When men are ready to dye and will not so much as confer with the Physician they are either stupid or desperate Afflictions summon us into his presence God sendeth a tempest after us as after Ionah Now that trouble which chaseth us to God is so far a sanctified trouble 2. The hope of relief from God who alone can and will help us He put his mouth in the dust peradventure there is hope Lam. 3. 29. Now this hope is from God's Power and Will 1. His Power God can quicken us when we are as good as dead because he is the well-spring of life and comfort Other things give us life but as water scaldeth when it is the instrument of heat but God alone can help us God is the great quickner That I might trust in him that raised the dead and I am the resurrection and the life 2. His will When we are humble and tractable in our afflictions 1. It is some hope if we have nothing to bring before God but our grief and misery for be is pitiful A beggar will uncover his sore to move your bowels so many times all the reason that a poor pitiful afflicted person can bring for himself is lamenting his case to God how discouraged he is and apt to faint as David represents his case My soul cleaveth to the dust and elsewhere Psal. 69. 29. But I am poor and sorrowful let thy salvation O God set me up on high Justice seeketh a fit object but Mercy a fit occasion 2. It is a greater ground of hope when we are humbled under Gods hand and have a due sense of our condition that is are convinced of our emptiness weakness nothingness or emptied of self-conceit and carnal confidence Deut. 32. 36. For the Lord shall judg his people and repent himself for his servants when he seeth that their power is gone and there is none shut up or left Gods judgments are to break our carnal dependencies 3. Still the hope encreaseth when we acknowledg his Justice and Wisdom in all our troubles Levit. 26. 41. If then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity kiss the rod wherewith they are corrected be glad it is no worse and see that all this cometh from a Just and Wise God 4. There is farther hope when we can cast our selves upon his Faithfulness and Omnipotency in the face of all discouragements Christ's question to the man long possessed was Mark 9. 23. If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth God's Power is exercised when glorified by faith and dependence 5. When we submit to whatmay be most for his glory Carnal prayers though never so earnest fail when we are too earnest upon our private end and the means which we fancy Psal. 115. 1. Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give glory for thy mercy and for thy truths sake USE In deep calamities run to God lay forth your case feelingly and with submission to the Justice of his Providence trusting to his Power and submitting to his wisdom without obtruding your model upon God but leaving him to his own course and this is the way to speed Take heed 1. Of a stupid carelesness under the Rod it is a time of seeking after God a summons to the creature to come before him Now if we think to sport away our trouble without looking after Gods comforts it is a desperate security Jer. 5. 12. They have belyed the Lord and said It is not he neither shall evil come upon us neither shall we see sword nor famine 2. Take heed of despondency The Throne of Grace is set up on purpose for such a time Heb. 4. 16. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need Psal. 50. 15. Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Open your case before the Lord. 3. Take heed of pitching too much upon outward things either as to the time or way of deliverance Lust is vehement but the more you seek the more comfortable will be the issue Psal. 51. 18. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion build thou the walls of thy Ierusalem 2. We come now to David's supplication or petition thereupon where observe 1. The Request it self Quicken thou me 2. The Argument According to thy word 1. The Request it self Quicken thou me which noteth either the renewing of comfort or the actuation of graces the restoring or putting life into his affairs 1. The renewing of comfort Quicken me revive me or restore life to me again and this either by outward deliverance so quickning is used Psal. 71. 20. Thou which hast shewed me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me again and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth where deep trouble is compared to the grave and deliverance a kind of resurrection or recovery from the dead or by
acts of Duty but by every act of Mercy what 's the argument he urgeth for Sion Zech. 3. 2. Is not this a brand pluckt out of the fire The Lord rebuke thee Satan Have not I delivered Sion and shall I suffer that to be destroyed which I have delivered the Lord urgeth his own mercy and his former kindness USE To quicken us not to grow weary of dealing with God Let us go often to God Men think it an uncivil importunity to require to do more when they have done already Solomon gives us that advice Prov. 25. 17. Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbours house lest he be weary of thee and so hate thee men waste by giving but God doth not when you have been with him and he hath done liberally for you yet he upbraids you not God that hath vouchsafed Grace you may desire the continuance of his Grace and to crown his own Grace II. Secondly Observe the mercy which he asks is Gods help in a course of holiness namely to walk worthy of the mercy Doct. 2. They that upon declaring their ways have found mercy with God their care should be to walk worthy of the mercy The Lord hath heard me what then teach me thy statutes So Psal 85. 8. The Lord will speak peace to his people but let them no more return unto folly Mark when God hath spoken peace when they have an answer of peace after you have prayed to God take heed of turning to folly do not lose the favour you have got walk more holily and more worthy of such a mercy Mat. 6. 12. forgive us our sins what then lead us not into temptation Upon supposition the Lord hath forgiven us our sins O let us not sin again Many would invite God to favour their ways when they have no respect to his ways which is in effect to make God a servant to our Lust but if you would have mercy from the Lord beg that you might walk worthy of the mercy The Children of God should do so upon a double ground in point of Prudence and Thankfulness In point of Prudence as they have smarted under their former folly and in point of Thankfulness as they have tasted the Lords Grace in his answer 1. When you have declared your way with brokenness and bitterness of heart you have experience of the evil of sin and when you know how bitter it is by sound remorse it is folly to return to it again Ioshua 22. 17. mark the reason Is the iniquitie of Peor too little for us from which we are not cleansed unto this day Our former sense of the evil of sin when declaring it should be a restraint to us else your cure is in vain A man that is recovered out of a deep disease is willing to escape the like again or as Christ said to the man that had an infirmity 38 years Go thy way sin no more lest a worse thing happen unto thee When a man hath had the bitter sense of the fruit of sin this will make him more cautious for the future they are foolish children that remember beating no longer than it smarts when they are scarce yet whole of the old wound Though God hath taken out the sting of the sin and granted us comfort yet remember your former smart that you may not fall into it again 2. Out of Thankfulness for Gods gracious answer Every answer of Grace leaves an obligation upon the sinner that he may not offend God again See what a holy argument is used Ezra 8. 13. Should we after such a deliverance as this break thy Commandment will you again relapse So Luke 7. 47. for her sins are forgiven her therefore she loved much Grace melts the heart When a man hath received much mercy from God his heart his wrought out into thankfulness and the more they have been in sin the more will they be in godliness when once they have tasted the sweetness of pardon and had an answer of Grace from God Thirdly Note They that would steer their course according to Gods holy Will had need of the conduct and assistance of his holy Spirit for he goes to God Lord teach me thy statutes Psal. 25. 4. Shew me thy ways O Lord teach me thy paths And Psal. 27. 11. Teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a plain path because of mine enemies And Psal. 86. 11. Teach me thy way O Lord I will walk in thy truth unite my heart to fear thy name These places shew that he addrest himself to God that he might not follow any sinful course in the time of trouble and temptations that he might not dishonour God SERMON XXVIII PSALM CXIX 27. Make me to understand the way of thy precepts so shall I talk of thy wondrous works IN the former Verses the man of God layeth forth his calamitous condition and beggeth comfort and audience not meerly to prosper his affairs but to better his heart Many will invite God to favour their ways when they have no respect to his ways which in effect is to make him a servant to their lusts But David's chiefest care was about Duty rather than Success therefore he desireth God to direct him how to walk in the way of his precepts his heart was much upon that In the close of the former Verse he had said Teach me thy statutes And here again Make me to understand the way of thy precepts c. In the words there is 1. A Request 2. An Argument Wherein is intimated 1. The fruit of Divine Illumination He should thereby see his wondrous works 2. His duty thereupon Then will I talk of them The word signifieth also to meditate Sept I will exercise my self It should be his delight to think and speak of the admirable goodness of God and the divine excellencies of his word and the pleasures that result from the practice of it 3. He intimateth the sincerity of his desire propounding this as his end That I may talk that I may be useful and edifying in my converse with others 1. The first thing that I shall observe is That David doth so often beg again and again for understanding Doct. That a sound and saving knowledg of the Truths of the Gospel is such a blessing as the children and people of God think they can never enough ask of him We have abundant proof of it in so much of this Psalm as we have already gone over 1. What is a sound saving knowledg 1. Such as doth establish the heart against all delusions and keepeth us on Truth 's side Many have some scraps of knowledg loose and uncertain motions but they are not setled and grounded in the Truth and therefore the unlearned and unstable are joyned together 2 Pet. 3. 16. Which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures to their own destruction Unskilful and unsetled Christians lye open to every fancy they have not such a stock
a poor little hearsay Knowledg availeth not They abhor themselves when they have more intimate acquaintance none so confident as a young Professor that knoweth a few Truths but in a weak and imperfect manner the more we know indeed the more sensible we are of our ignorance how liable to this mistake and that that we dare not trust our selves for an hour 4. Because of the profit that cometh by knowledg All grace from first to last cometh in by the understanding God in the work of grace followeth the order which he hath established in Nature Reason and Judgment is to go before the will and therefore when the work of Grace is first begun in us it beginneth in the Understanding Renewed in knowledg Col. 3. 10. So the encrease of grace 2 Pet. 1. 12. Grace be multiplied unto you through the knowledg of God and of Iesus Christ our Lord. As the beginning is by light so is all the gradual progress of the spiritual life strength to bear afflictions strength in conflicts is by powerful reasons yea the perfect change that is made in us in glory is by the vision of God We shall see him as he is and shall be like him If we had more knowledg of God and his ways we should trust him more fear him more love him more Trust him Psal. 9. 10. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee If God were more known he would be better trusted 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know whom I have believed I dare trust him with my soul. More feared 3 Joh. 11. Beloved follow not that which is evil but that which is good He that doth good is of God he that doth evil hath not seen God Right thoughts of God would not let us sin so freely one Truth or other would fall upon us and give check to the temptation as feared so loved more The more explicite thoughts we have of his excellency the more are our hearts drawn out to him Joh. 4. 10. If thou knewest the gift c. Christ would not lye by as a neglected thing if he were more known in all his worth and excellency USE The first Use is to press you to get Knowledg and look upon it as a singular Grace if the Lord will give you to understand and apply the comfort and direction of his Holy Word Joh. 15. 15. Henceforth I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you To be taught the mind of God is a greater act of friendship than if God should give a man all the treasures of the world To make himself known so as you may love him fear him trust him When we can apply this for our comfort O then cry for knowledg lift up thy voice for understanding seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures Prov. 2. 3 4. Go to God and be earnest with him Lord make me to understand the way of thy precepts We can walk in the ways of sin without a Teacher but we cannot walk in the ways of God And cry lift up thy voice We are earnest for quickning and enlargement but be earnest also for understanding Now a large prayer without endeavours is nothing worth Dig in the Mines of knowledg search into the Scripture do not gather up a few scattered notions but look into the bowels Silver doth not lye in the surface of the earth but deep in the bottom of it and will cost much labour and digging to come at it If we would have any good stock of knowledg which will prevent vain thoughts carnal discourse abundance of heart-perplexing scruples and doubts and much darkness and uncomfortableness of spirit it will cost us some labour and pains The more knowledg we have the more are we established against error 2 Pet. 3. 17. Ye therefore beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness The more you have of this divine saving knowledg the greater check upon sin Psal. 119. 11. I have hid thy word in my heart that I might not sin against thee One Truth or another will rise up in defiance of the Temptation The greater impulsion to duty the more of the Law of God the more it urgeth the conscience Prov. 6. 22. It maketh us more useful in all our Relations 1 Pet. 3. 7. Husbands Dwell with them according to knowledg c. Parents Eph. 6. 4. Fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Friends Rom. 15. 14. And I my self also am perswaded of you my brethren that ye also are full of goodness filled with all knowledg able also to admonish one another Magistrates that they may discern Christs Interest Psal. 2. 10. Be wise now therefore O Kings be instructed ye Iudges of the earth When Solomon asked Wisdom the thing pleased the Lord. And lastly More comfortable in our selves that they may comfort and build up one another whenever they meet together USE 2. To press you to grow in knowledg None have such confidence and rejoycing in God as those that have a clear sight and understanding of his will revealed in his word Let your knowledg 1. Be more comprehensive At first our thoughts run in a narrow channel There are certain general Truths absolutely necessary to salvation as concerning our misery by sin and the sufficiency of Christ to help us but if we might rest in these why hath God given us so copious a Rule The general sort of Christians content themselves to see with others eyes get the knowledg of a few truths and look no farther why then hath God given so large a Rule Fundamentals are few believe them live well and you shall be saved This is the Religion of most This is as if a man in building should only be careful to lay a good foundation no matter for roof windows walls If a man should untile your house and tell you the foundation standeth the main butteresses are safe you would not like of it A man is bound according to his capacity and opportunity to know all Scripture the consequences of every Truth God may and doth accept of our imperfect knowledg but not when men are negligent and do not use the means To be willingly ignorant of the lesser ways of God is a sin VVe should labour to know all that God hath revealed 2. More distinct why Truths are best known in their frame and dependance as Gods works of Creation when viewed singly and apart every days work was good but when viewed alltogether in their correspondence and mutual proportion to each other were very good Gen. 1. 31. So all Truths of God take them singly are good but
he hath begun Phil. 1. 16. The Apostle most notably sets it forth 1 Pet. 5. 10. The God of all grace make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you All these words concern the habit or the seed of grace in the soul and to shew Gods concurrence towards our preservation in the spiritual state he useth these words Make you perfect that notes the addition of degrees that are yet wanting stablish you that notes defending that grace which is already planted in the heart from temptation and dangers and strengthen you that is give you power for action or ability for working and settle you that is to fasten the root more and more All may be represented in a Tree look as a Tree grown downward in the root is defended from the nipping of the weather and stablisht and strengthned against injuries from beasts and being fill'd with sap springs forth and becomes fruitful so the Lord settle you c. 3. There 's a concurrence of God to the act Grace in habit is not enough but it must be actuated and directed About the act there are two things The Holy Spirit actuates the grace that is implanted draws it forth into exercise so it is said Phil. 2. 13. It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do that is he does apply that grace in our heart set it awork and then there 's a directing or regulation of the soul to action 2 Thes. 3. 5. The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God c. Thus God plants grace in the heart by preventing us with his mercy and loving-kindness taking us into favour then he doth stablish us and perfect it root it in the soul more and more Then as to the act he doth excite and strengthen us Secondly The uses for which we have this strength from God It serves for three Uses for doing for suffering and for conflicting to bear us out in conflict as our necessities are many so must our strength be 1. Strength to perform duties Weariness and uncomfortableness will soon fall upon our hearts and we shall hang off from God if the Lord doth not put forth a new force and a new quickning upon our hearts therefore the Spouse saith Cant. 1. 4. Draw me and we will run after thee And here in this Psalm When the Lord shall enlarge my heart I will run the ways of his commandments If we would be carried on with any fervour and motion towards God we must go forth in the strength of God The soul is a tender thing and soon discomposed When we think to go forth and shake our selves as at other times as Sampson we shall find fetters and restraints upon our soul. Therefore God's work must ever be done in God's strength 2. Strength for bearing of burdens with patience that we may not faint under them Col. 1. 11. Strengthned with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness That we may not faint under our affliction Prov. 24. 10. If thou faint in the day of adversity thy strength is small God's children before they go to Heaven will have their tryals they will have many burdens upon them Heb. 6. 12. Be ye followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises There needs not only faith but patience There will be trouble Now a heavy burden need have good shoulders We pray for strength that we may break through difficulties and afflictions that we meet in our passage to heaven 3. Strength for conflicts that we may break through temptations A Christian is not only to use the Trowel but the Sword We cannot think to discharge duties or bear afflictions without a battel and conflict therefore we need the strength of the Lord's grace to carry us through Satan is the great enemy with whom we conflict he is the manager of the temptation This is the course of it the World is the bait the Flesh is the Traitor that works within men which gives advantage to Satan the Devil lyeth hidden and by worldly things seeks to draw off our hearts from God Now we are assaulted on every side sometimes by the pleasures of the world sometimes by the frowns and crosses of it so that a Christian needs to be fit for all conditions Phil. 4. 13. I can do all things through Christ that strengthneth me for every way will the Devil be inticing us to sin Now these Conflicts are either solicitations to sin or tend to weaken our comfort and in both respects we must have strength from God Satan's first temptation is to draw us to sin if he cannot weaken grace then to disturb our comfort if not to deny God yet that we may suspect our own estate and therefore he follows us with blasphemies and other temptations until he hath made our lives wearisome till we call our condition into question and therefore as grace is strengthned so is comfort Neh. 8. 11. The joy of the Lord is your strength Thus I have shew'd what is this spiritual strength and what we beg of God when we say Strengthen me And how this is given out in what manner God conveyeth this strength to the soul how sutable to our nature to our temper to our employment Thirdly How God is concerned in it David goes to God for this benefit Lord strengthen me From first to last he doth all We do not stand by the stability of our own resolutions nor stand by the stability of gracious habits in our selves unless the Lord supply new strength Not by the stability of our own resolutions for these will soon fail for David was under a resolution to keep close to God yet he saith My feet had well nigh slipt what upheld him Thy right hand upheld me I was mightily shaken all purposes of holding on of godliness were even gone but I am continually with thee Neither is it the stability of gracious habits in themselves for of themselves they are poor vanishing things faith love and fear of God of themselves will soon vanish Rev. 3. 2. Be watchful strengthen the things which remain that are ready to dye These are ready to dye therefore are only maintained by a renewed strength from God It is the power of God that is engaged in our preservation I might shew in what order we have this from God we are not only kept in general by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1. 5. but all the persons work The Father his act is Judicial Eph. 3. 14. I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that he would grant you to be strengthned with might in the inner man He issueth the grant that such souls coming in Christ's name and petitioning relief should obtain it And God the Son hath bought this strength for us and he intercedes for constant supply and therefore it is said Phil. 4. 13. I can do all things through Christ. Christ puts in
love for that enlargeth the heart but sorrow straitens it and puts it in bonds The word that we translate grief Judg. 10. 16. His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel in the Hebrew it is shortned or lessened A man's mind is lessened when he is under that passion Griefs contract and lessen the soul but joy enlargeth it as Isa. 60. 5. and in this sense it is said Psal. 4. 1. Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress In sorrow the spirits return to comfort and support the heart but in joy they are dilated and scattered abroad and so this is that affection which sends abroad strength and life unto all our actions As this is true of joy and sorrow in common so especially of spiritual joy and spiritual sorrow which are the greatest of the kind no sorrow like that sorrow no joy like that joy therefore nothing more enlargeth the heart When God hides his face when pressing troubles do revive a sense of wrath alas my soul is troubled saith the Psalmist I cannot speak we cannot pour out our hearts to God with that largeness that measure of strength spirit and life as before But now when we can joy in God as those that have received the atonement when we have the comfort of a good conscience the joy in the Holy Ghost this causeth a forward and free obedience and those that could hardly creep before but languisht under the burden of sorrows when cheered and revived with the light of God's countenance they can run and act with vigor and alacrity in Gods service Neh. 8. 10. The joy of the Lord is their strength It is as oil to the wheels as wings by which we mount to meet with God Psal. 30. 11. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness It is an allusion to those Eastern Countreys when their garments were girded and tucked up they were more expedite and ready to run so here when thou shalt enlarge my heart then I will run the way of thy commandments when our soul is fill'd with gladness and comfortable apprehensions of the Lord's grace we are carried out to God with greater strength and liveliness 4. We may look upon it as a fruit of love For thus the Apostle doth express his love to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 6. 11. O ye Corinthians our mouth is open unto you our heart is enlarged It is love which is the great poise and weight upon the soul that sets all the wheels a going When love is strong the heart is carried out with fervour and earnestness Neh. 4. 6. We built the wall why for the people had a mind to the work then it went on speedily Where we have no affection to a thing the least service is burdensome but when our hearts are for it then the most difficult thing will seem easie Iacob's seven years hard service were sweetned by his love to Rachel Yea duties against the hair as Sechem for Dinah's sake submitted to be circumcised Love sets us a-work strongly Thus the general enlargement is when we are freed from the slavery of sin and bondage of conscience that we may serve God cheerfully and the particular enlargement you may look upon it as a fruit of wisdom and knowledg or of faith or of joy or of love When we have a fruitful understanding a large faith a sweet delight in God and a strong love to him Secondly For the necessity of this that the heart should be enlarged before we can run the way of God's commandments 1. There needs a large heart because the command is exceeding broad Psal. 119. 96. I have seen an end of all perfection but thy commandment is exceeding broad A broad law and a narrow heart will never suit we need love faith knowledg and all to carry us through this work which is of such a vast extent and latitude 2. We need an enlarged heart because of the letts and hindrances within our selves There is lust drawing off from God to sensual objects James 1. 14. Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and inticed Therefore there needs something to poise us to incline us to draw us on to carry us out with strength and life another way to urge us in the service of God Lust sits as a clog upon us it 's a weight of corruption Heb. 12. 1. retarding us in all our flights and motions thwarting opposing breaking the force of spiritual impulsions if not hindering them altogether Gal. 5. 17. Well then lust drawing so strongly one way God needs to draw us more strongly the other way When there is a weight to poise us to worldly and sensual objects we need a strength to carry us on with vigorous and lively motions of soul towards God an earnest bent upon our souls which is this enlargement of heart USE 1. Let us therefore look after this benefit and acknowledg God in it First Ask it often of God God keeps assisting grace in his own hands and disposeth it at pleasure that he may the oftener hear from us The prodigal that had his portion in his own hands went away from his Father and therefore we have but from hand to mouth that we may be daily kept in a dependence and constant course of communion with God It is pleasing to God when we desire him to renew his work to bring forth the actings of grace out of his own seed to blow with his wind with the breath of his spirit upon our gardens that the spices may flow out Cant. 4. 15. But now when we depend upon our selves and neglect God and think to find always a like largeness of heart and a like savouriness of spirit we shall be but like Sampson Judg. 16. 20. When his locks were gone he thought to go forth and shake himself as at other times and wist not that the Lord was departed from him So when our strength is gone and God withdrawn we shall not find a like pregnancy and consistency of thoughts a like readiness and vigor of affections in holy duties but all will be out of order the understanding is lean dry and sapless the heart averse and dead and therefore God will be acknowledged in our enlargements both as to prayer and praise In a way of prayer we should often seek to him and he will be acknowledged in a way of praise likewise Ps. 63. 8. My soul followeth hard after thee thy right hand upholdeth me If you find any strong actings of faith and love stirr'd up to follow hard after God to pursue him close in holy duties when you feel any of these vigorous and lively motions ascribe it not to your selves but to God's right hand he is to be owned in the work Not I saith the Apostle but the grace of God wrought in me Secondly Avoid the causes of straitning if you would have this enlarged heart What are they 1.
considerations do shew us our need of understanding and that a Christian should be prudent not headstrong and precipitant like horse and mule that have no understanding Psal. 32. 9. But wise and knowing in all principles actions and circumstances that belong to his duty if he would honour his profession and not follow the bruitish motions of his own heart but Gods direction Now if we would have understanding we must 1. Attend upon the word that will make us wise to salvation wiser than our enemies than our teachers than the ancients Than enemies A man that consulteth not with flesh and blood but the word and rule of his duty will find plain honesty at length to be the best policy Than Teachers Because he contented not himself with the naked rules delivered by them but laboured with his conscience to make them profitable to himself Than Ancients or men of long study and experience That 's a costly wisdom when men have smarted often they learn by their own harms to be circumspect If there were no other way to be wise than by experience miserable were man for a long time and would be exposed to hazards and foul dangers before he could get it But now Scripture which is not the result of mens experience but God's wisdom is not such a long and expensive way 2. Use much meditation in debating matters between God and your souls Psal. 119. 99. I have more understanding than all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation And 2 Tim. 2. 7. Consider what I say and the Lord give thee understanding in all things 3. Prayer as David doth here ask it of God Desire him to remove that darkness of spirit which sin hath brought upon you that you may not govern your life by sense and passion but by his direction Job 32. 8. There is a spirit in man but the inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding Man hath reason but to guide it to a spiritual use that is above his power The Psalmist complaineth of all natural men There is none that understandeth none that doth good to no one Psal. 14. 2. and Rom. 3. 11. There is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God Therefore 't is God must give understanding at first coversion Act. 16. 14. God opened the heart of Lydia and Acts 26. 18. To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sins c. by a fuller illumination Eph. 1. 17 18. That the God of our Lord Iesus Christ that father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledg of him the eyes of your understanding being enlightned c otherwise we have not an heart to perceive nor eyes to see nor ears to hear Deut. 29. 4. Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive nor eyes to see nor ears to hear unto this day 2. The next thing that I shall observe is this That upon the supposition of this benefit he promiseth obedience I shall keep thy law Doct. They that have understanding given by God will keep his law 1. That 't is their duty and they ought so to do there is no question for all knowledg is given us in order to practice not to satisfie curiosity or feed pride or to get a fame and reputation with men of knowledg and understanding persons but to order our walk Col. 1. 9 10. For this cause we also since the day we heard it cease not to pray for you and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledg of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledg of God 2. That they will do so is also clear upon a twofold account 1. Because answerable to the discovery of good or evil in the understanding There is a prosecution and an aversation in the will for the will doth necessarily follow practicum dictamen the ultimate resolution of the judgment for 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a bruitish inclination but a rational appetite God hath appointed this course to nature therefore when the judgment cometh to such a conclusion as is set down in the 73 Psal. verse the last But it is good for me to draw near to God not only 't is good but 't is good for me the will yieldeth For conviction of the judgment is the ground of practice I know conviction and conversion differ and the one may be where the other is not But then 't is taken for a partial conviction the mind is not savingly enlightned and thorowly possessed with the truth and worth of heavenly things the most and greatest sort of men have but notions a weak and literal knowledg about spiritual things and that produceth nothing they do not live up to the truth which they know Others have besides the notion a naked approbation of things that are good Video meliora proboque Deteriora sequor They see better things and approve them in the abstract but this doth not come to a practicum dictamen 't is good and good for me all circumstances considered thus to do This is the fruit of spiritual evidence and demonstration which always is accompanied with power 1 Cor. 2. 4. Carnal men think it is better for them to keep as they are being blinded with their passions and lusts though they could wish things were otherwise with them But a godly man's judgment being savingly enlightned determineth 't is good 't is better 't is best for me 't is better to please God than men to look after heaven than the world c. There is a simple approbation of good things and a comparative approbation of them Simple approbation is when in the abstract notion we apprehend Christ and pardon of sins and heaven good but when compared with other things and considered in the frame of Christian doctrine or according to the terms upon which they may be had they are rejected Many approve things simply and in the first act of judgment but disallow them in the second when they consider them as invested with some difficult and unpleasing terms or compare them with pleasure and profit which they must forsake if they would obtain them as the young man in the Gospel esteemeth salvation as a thing worthy to be enquired into but is loth to let go his earthly possessions Mat. 19. 21 22. He would have these good things at an easie rate without mortifying the flesh or renouncing the world But a godly man that sets down and counteth the charges all circumstances considered resolves 't is good for me as Boaz liking the woman as well as her inheritance took them both which his kinsman refused Ruth 4. 9 10. He would have the inheritance without the woman They like Christ and his laws as well
as the benefits that he bringeth with him He doth approve things upon good knowledg and cometh to a well setled resolution Another defect in wicked men is because the judgment is superficial and so come to nothing 'T is not full clear and ponderous 't is not a dictamen a resolute decree not ultimum dictamen the last decree all things considered and well weighed 2. God's Grace God doth never fully and spiritually convince the judgment but he doth also work upon the will to accept embrace and prosecute those good things of which it is convinced He teacheth and draweth they are distinct works but they go together therefore the one is inferred out of the other Drawn and taught of God both are necessary for as there is blindness and inadvertency in the mind so obstinacy in the will which is not to be cured by meer perswasion but by a gracious quality infused inclining the heart which by the way freeth this doctrine from exception as if all Gods works were meer moral suasion The will is renewed and changed but so as God doth it by working according to the order of Nature USE By all means look after this Divine illumination whereby your judgment may be convinced of the truth and worth of spiritual things 'T is not enough to have some general and floating notions about them or slightly to hear of them or talk of them but they must be spiritually discern'd and judg'd of for if our judgments were throughly convinced our pursuit of true happiness would be more earnest you would see sin to be the greatest mischief and grace the chiefest treasure and accordingly act God inlightning the soul doth 1. Take away carnal principles Many men can talk well but they are leavened with carnal principles as 1. That he may do as most do and yet be safe Mat. 7. 23. Many will say in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name c. and then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity Prov. 11. 31. Behold the righteous shall be recompenced upon the earth much more the wicked and the sinner Exod. 32. c. 2. That he may go on in ungodliness injustice intemperance because grace hath abounded in the Gospel Tit. 2. 11 12. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godlily in this present world And Luke 1. 75. That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life 3. That he may spend his youth in pleasure and safely put off repentance till age But Eccles. 12. 1. we are bid to Remember our creator in the days of youth while the evil days come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them And Luke 12. 20. when the rich man said to his soul Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry God said unto him Thou fool this night shall thy soul be required of thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided Heb. 3. 7. Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts c. Men think it is a folly to be singular and precise that 't was better when there was less preaching and less knowledg that small sins are not to be stood upon But God inlightning the soul maketh us to see the vanity and sinfulness of such thoughts 2. There is a bringing the understanding to attend and consider there is much lieth upon it Acts 16. 14. The Lord opened the heart of Lydia so that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul That is weighed them in her heart SERMON XXXVIII PSAL. CXIX 34. Yea I shall observe it with my whole heart I Come now to the last clause I shall observe it with my whole heart The Point is Doct. That it is not enough to keep Gods law but we must keep it with the whole heart Here I shall shew you 1. That God requireth the heart 2. The whole heart 1. God requireth the heart in his service the heart is the Christians sacrifice the fountain of good and evil and therefore should be mainly looked after without this 1. External profession is nothing most Christians have nothing for Christ but a good opinion or some outward profâ—…on Iudas was a disciple but Satan entred into his heart Luke 22. 3. Ananias joyned himself to the people of God but Satan filled his heart Acts 5. 3. Simon Magus was baptized but his heart was not right with God Acts 8. 22. Here is the great defect 2. External conformity is nothing worth It is not enough that the life seem good and many good actions be performed unless the heart be purified otherwise we do with the Pharisees wash the outside of the platter Mat. 23. 25 26. when the inside is full of extortion and excess 'T is the heart God looketh after 1 Sam. 16. 7. For the Lord seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart Prov. 4. 23. Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life Cast salt into the spring As Iehu said to Ionadab so doth God say to us 2 Kings 10. 15. Is thy heart right as my heart is with thy heart We should answer it is Men are not for obsequious compliances if not with the heart so neither is God Though thou pray with the Pharisee pay thy vows with the Harlot kiss Christ with Iudas offer sacrifice with Cain fast with Iezebel sell thine inheritance to give to the poor with Ananias and Saphira all is in vain without the heart for 't is the heart enliveneth all our duties 3. It is the heart wherein God dwelleth not in the tongue the brain unless by common gifts till he take possession of the heart all is as nothing Ephes. 3. 17. He dwelleth in our hearts by faith The bodies of believers are Temples of the Holy Ghost yet the heart will and affections of man are the chief place of his habitation wherein he resideth as in his strong Citadel and from whence he commandeth other faculties and members and without his presence there he cannot have any habitation in us the tongue cannot receive him by speaking nor the understanding by knowing nor the hands by external working Prov. 4. 23. Out of it are the issues of life 't is the forge of spirits He dwelleth not in temples made with hands Acts 7. 48. and Jer. 23. 24. Do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord He will dwell in thine heart and remain there if thou wilt give thy heart to him 4. If Christ have it not Satan will have it The heart of man is
commandments Where there is true grace and the fear of God there we will delight greatly So Rom. 7. 22. I delight in the Law of God after the inward man Where there is an inner man a frame of grace in the heart that will bring delight See the character of a blessed man Psal. 1. 2. His delight is in the Law of the Lord. Quite contrary to the hypocrite he may act from compulsions and urgings of conscience from Legal bondage it may be a sin-offering but it is not a thank-offering he cannot do it with that delight and complacency that God hath required Iob 27. 10. it is said Will he always call upon God will he delight himself in the Almighty In his pang in his distress when his Conscience pincheth him sore he will be calling upon God I but hath he any delight in God he wants sincere grace Some time he may come with his flocks and herds to seek the Lord Hos. 5. 6. And cry arise Lord save us Jer. 2. 27. Some unwilling services he may perform upon foreign reasons from constraint from his affliction and anguish of soul but these things are never done with delight there needs then a principle of grace 2. Peace of conscience or a sense of our reconciliation with God is very necessary to this delight in the ways of God Rom. 5. 11. We joy in God as those that have received the attonement Christ hath made the Atonement now when we receive the Atonement that is are possest of it and look upon our selves as involved in the reconciliation Christ hath made for us then we joy in God The joy of a good Conscience is necessary to this delight in the ways of God 3. A good frame of heart must be kept up for the joy of a Christian may be impaired by his own folly and prevalency of carnal distempers There is dulness and a damp that is apt to creep upon us either by carnal pleasure or worldly lusts and cares we may abate of our chearfulness Christ tells us Luk. 21. 34. that both of them overcharge the heart Or some presumptuous sin lately committed when the weight of it lyeth upon the Conscience we lose this free spirit Psal. 51. 12. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit Our delight is quenched and we lose that free spirit which otherwise we should have And therefore we must watch against carnal distempers and also presumptuous sins that we may not lose our liberty and our comfortableness in Gods service For when a Christian hath a good frame of heart he is filled as with gladness and the joy of the Lord is as oyl to the wheels and it strengthens his affections and he is carried on with a great deal of chearfulness 4. There is needful too some experience for besides the joy of God there is the inward pleasure of a good conversation The ways of God are all ways of pleasantness to them that walk in them Prov. 3. 17. They which will make trial will find Christs yoke easie yea they will find a sweetness in Gods ways beyond whatever they could think or expect Some experience of the pleasantness in the paths of wisdom breeds great delight Secondly What are the effects of this delight 1. A chearfulness of spirit a ready obedience Psal. 40. 8. I delight to do thy will O my God They find more solid joy in living holily than in all the pleasure of sin and vanity of the world therefore they chearfully practise that which God requireth of them 2. They are full of joy and gladness in all their approaches to God Psal. 122. 1. I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the Lord. O then they can go to God and draw off from the distractions of this world that they may unbosom themselves that they may be in Gods company either in publick or private 3. They are weaned from earthly pleasures when they have tasted of this hidden manna the Garlick and Onions of Egypt lose their relish and they find more sweetness more rejoicing in the testimony of their Consciences than ever they could find in the world It is their meat and drink to do the will of God to be just holy temperate strict to walk closely with God here 's their pleasure and delight of their souls Ioh. 4. 34. My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work Now the Reasons of this They which have their hearts set upon holiness must have delight A man whose heart is set upon earthly things will come and howl for corn wine and oyl outward enjoyments Hos. 7. And a man that makes a loose profession of Religion would fain be feasted with comforts and eased of the smart of his Conscience he loves to hear of the priviledg part of Christianity but they come not to God with a true heart whatever profession they make Heb. 10. 27. They embrace Christ as Iudas kist him to betray him or as Ioab embraced Amasa that he might smite him under the fifth rib so these are so earnest for pardon of sin and the priviledg part of Christianity but mind not the higher part which is Sanctification But now a man that is fallen in love with holiness and whose heart is sincerely bent to God desires grace to incline his heart to God and the ways of God and keep exactly with him Secondly As this is the reason of asking so likewise of granting make me to go in the path of thy Commandments for therein do I delight Take four Considerations for this 1. God will add grace to grace When God hath given the will he will give the deed further grace to add new influences to his own seed We tell God of the dispositions that are in our hearts that he may perfect them and ripen his own seed Ioh. 1. 16. Of his fulness have all we received and grace for grace Grace upon grace or grace after grace Gods giving one grace is an argument why he will give more grace 2. God looks after affection rather than action Sometimes he takes the will for the deed but never the deed for the will Where there is a will and delight in his ways that 's it which is most acceptable to him Look as to love sin is more than to commit it a man may commit it out of frailty but he that loves and cherisheth it it 's exceeding bad So where there is delight in the ways of God and the soul is gained to them this is that God looks after the affection 3. Of all our affections delight and complacency is most acceptable The Promise is made to such Psal. 37. 4. Delight thy self in the Lord and he will give thee the desire of thine heart It is a slander that the hypocrite brings upon God Iob 34. 9. He hath said It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God There
not stick so long as it doth but I speak now of such a want as remains in the Saints after they have begun with God and been put in a way of Obedience It is not enough that the Soul is once come to Christ but it is the business of our Lives we must be always coming 1 Pet. 2. 4. If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious to whom Coming as unto a living Stone I you have Tasted then come to him for more they must be frequently renewing the Acts of their Faith and stirring up their Desires else there will be no growth of Grace no opposing Corruption for all our Strength is in him there is still something lacking to our Faith and all the Graces of the Spirit that are in us 2. Consider what a fulness there is in Christ. This incouraged the Prodigal that in his Fathers house there is bread enough So should this encourage us and awaken our desires there is enough in Christ if I will but go and take it and receive from this ever-flowing Fountain of Grace that God hath set up in our nature Iohn 1. 16. Of his fullness have we all received Christ hath not only plenitudinem vasis the fulness of a vessel but fontis the fulness of a Fountain The fulness of a Vessel that may be lessened the more we take fromit the less Liquor is in it but the more we take from a Fountain still there is the same overflowing fulness Such a fulness is in Christ therefore it is an encouragement to us to repair to him and enlarge our desires Look as it is with Beggars in the streets if they see a poor man meanly clad they let him alone but when they see a man of Quality and Fashion they rouze up themselves and besiege him with importunate entreaties and clamours and will not let him go until he hath left something with them Thus should we do Christ hath enough and to spare he hath the Spirit without measure therefore give him not over until he bestow something upon you he containeth more than we can receive whatever we get he is not lessened but as the Sea though we take never so much water out of it it remains in the same fulness so all the Saints may have supply for their wants without any deficiency in Christ. The Sun hath not less light though it communicate it freely to the inferiour World Christ is not spent for giving he hath enough to comfort and quicken us he needs not our fulness but emptiness The Prophet provided oyl enough to help the Widow She only provided empty Vessels We may be too full for Christ but cannot be too empty We may be too full of Self-righteousness and self-sufficiency Christ brings All-sufficiency to the Covenant and we bring all necessity Therefore since there is such an overflowing fulness in him we must still repair to him that we may receive more 3. Consider his readiness to give it you therefore come with hungring and thirsting after him Iohn 6. 37. Labour for the meat that endures for ever Mind the Graces of the the Spirit come to Christ for these things He was sent into the World and Commissionated for this end and purpose All the fullness in Christ is for our use As the Sun hath light not for it self but for the comfort of the World and a fountain hath water not for it self but for the use of man so Christ the head is the seat of Sence and Motion not for himself but for his whole body he is our store-house for the supply of our wants and he is cloathed impowered and invested with Offices to do us good O therefore enlarge your desires In other things you desire to be full why not of Grace Hypocrites are satisfied with a tast they may tast the good Word Temporaries are contented with a tast a little Religion they must have I but it is for the honour of Christ that we should be complete in him and filled with all the fulness of God and this is his grief when his Grace runs wast Look as when Breasts are full there 's a great pleasure in having them drawn or Children to have them sucking and the Lord hath as great a desire to impart his holiness as we to receive it Therefore come to him that we may have Grace for Grace that is for Graces sake Thus much for the First Point David appeals to God Lord I have longed after thy Precepts Doct. 2. Those that indeed long for Holiness will see a need of new quickning So David Quicken me in thy Righteousness A man would have thought he had been in a lively frame then yet quicken me in thy Righteousness excite and enliven me to all Acts of Obedience Here I shall Enquire 1. What is this quickning 2. Why they that long for Gods Precepts and a more perfect and ready Subjection to God are thus earnest for quickning First What is this quickning I shall not speak at large for it often occurrs in this Psalm It is used in Scripture for two things 1. For Regeneration or the first infusion of the life of Grace Ephes. 2. 1 5. Then we have Divine Qualities put into us that do encline and enable us to live unto God 2. It is put for the vitality and the vigour of grace when the Spiritual life is in good plight deadness of heart is apt to creep upon us therefore we need renewed excitations and quicknings that we may serve our God with chearfulness liveliness and zeal Christians should not only be living but lively 1 Pet. 2. 5. Ye also as lively stones are built up a Spiritual House And we read of living Grace and lively Grace 1 Pet. 1. 3. And Christ came into the World that we might not only have life but have it more abundantly Iohn 10. 10. that is that we might not only be living but lively So that quickning is the actuation of the Spiritual life either in a way of Comfort or Grace There may be life where there is not this vigor and this vitality This quickning is mainly seen in the most operative and the two necessary Graces of the Soul to which the Gospel is sometimes reduced and they are Faith and Love These are the Graces wherein Life consists and as these are acted and excited to God so we are lively and when these decay we are dead When Faith is dead all Spiritual activity is lost Iames 2. 26. For as the Body without the Spirit is dead so Faith without works is dead also If men want Faith they cannot do any thing with any life So when Love is dead or Love grows cold Mat. 24. â—…2 Or when men have any abatement in their Love all languisheth and grows dead in the Soul Rev. 2. 4 5. But on the contrary it is said we live by Faith Gal. 2. 20. Grace is kept in good plight when Faith is strong and kept up in any vigor And Gal.
Comforts are God's Comforts and so more powerful and authoritative 2. It is a strong Comfort Heb. 6. 18. That the heirs of promise might have strong consolation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Other Comforts are weak and of little force they are not Affliction-proof nor Death-proof nor Judgment-proof they cannot stand before a few serious and sober thoughts of the World to come but this is strong Comfort that can support the Soul not onely in the imagination and supposition of a Trouble when we see it at a distance but when it is actually come upon us how great soever it be If we feel the cold hands of Death ready to pluck out our hearts and are summoned to appear before the Bar of our Judge yet this Comfort is not the more impeached that which supported us in Prosperity can support us in Adversity what supports in Life can support us in death For the Comforts of the Word endure for ever and the Covenant of God will not fail us living or dying 3. It is a full Comfort both for Measure and Matter 1. Sometimes for the Measure the Apostle speaketh of Comforts abounding by Christ 2 Cor. 1. 5. and Acts 13. 52. The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost And the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 7. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am filled with comfort and am exceeding joyful in all your tribulations Paul and Silas could sing Praises in the Prison and in the Stocks after they had been scourged and whipped Acts 16. 30. And our Lord Iesus Christ when he took care for our Comfort he took care that it might be a full Comfort Ioh. 15. 4. These things have I spoken that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full The Joy of Believers is a full Joy needing no other Joy to be added to it 'T is full enough to bear us out under all discouragements If Christians would improve their advantages they might by their full Joy and Chearfulness entice carnal Men who are ensnared by the Baits of the World and the Delights of the Flesh once to come and try what Comforts they might have in the Bosom of Christ and the lively expectation of the promised Glory 2. For the Matter it is full because of the Comprehensiveness of those Comforts which are provided for us There is no sort of Trouble for which the Word of God doth not afford sufficient Consolation no Strait can be so great no Pressure so grievous but we have full Consolation offered us in the Promises against them all We have Promises of the Pardon of all our Sins and Promises of Heaven it self and what can we desire more We have Promises suited to every State Prosperity and Adversity what do we need which we have not a Promise of Prosperity that it shall not be our ruine if we take it thankfully from God and use it for God for to the pure all things are pure Tit. 1. 15. But especially for Adversity when we most need there are Promises either of singular Assistance or gracious Deliverance In short the Word of God assureth us of the gracious Presence of God here in the midst of our Afflictions and the eternal Enjoyment of God hereafter that he will be with us in our Houses of Clay or we shall shortly be with him in his Palace of Glory and so here is matter of full Comfort 1. His Presence with us in our Afflictions Psal. 91. 15. I will be with him in trouble and Isa. 4. 3. When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee and many other places Now if God be with us why should we be afraid Psal. 23. 4. When I walk thorow the valley of the shadow of death I will not be afraid for thou art with me and in many other places We see in the Body if any Member be hurt thither presently runneth the Blood to comfort the wounded part the Man himself Eye Tongue and Hand is altogether employed about that part and wounded Member as if he were forgetful of all the rest So we see in the Family if one of the Children be sick all the care and Kindness of the Mother is about that sick Child she sits by him blandisheth him and tendeth him so that all the rest do as it were envy his Disease and Sickness If Nature doth thus will not God who is the Author of Nature do much more For if an earthly Mother do thus to a sickly and suffering Child will not our heavenly Father who hath an infinite incredible and tender Love to his People Surely he runneth to the Afflicted as the Blood to the hurt Member he looketh after the Afflicted as the Mother to the sick Child This is the difference between God and the World the World runneth after those that flourish and rejoyce and live in Prosperity as the Rivers run to the Sea where there is Water enough already but God comforteth us in all our tribulations 2 Cor. 1. 4. His Name and Style is He comforteth those that are cast down 2 Cor. 7. 6. The World forsaketh those that are in poverty disgrace and want but God doth not withdraw from them but visiteth them most hath communion with them most and vouchsafeth most of his Presence to them even to those that holily meekly and patiently bear the Afflictions which he layeth upon them and one drop of this Honey is enough to sweeten the bitterest Cup that ever they drank of If God be with us if the Power of Christ will rest upon us then we may even glory in Infirmities as Paul did 2. Of our presence with God when our Afflictions are over that is our happiness hereafter we shall be there where he is Iohn 12. 26. There where I am shall my servant be And Iohn 17. 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me When we have had our Trial and Exercise we shall live with him for ever Therefore is our Comfort called everlasting Consolation 2 Thess. 2. 16. Who hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace Nothing more can be added or desired if we have but the patience to tarry for it that we may come to the sight of God and Christ at last Surely this will lighten the heart of that sorrow and fear wherewith it is surcharged here is an everlasting ground of Comfort and if it doth not allay our Fears and Sorrows the fault is not in the Comfort for that is a solid and eternal Good but on the Believers part if he doth not keep his Faith strong and his Evidences clear 4. It is a reviving Comfort which quickneth the Soul Many times we seem to be dead to all Spiritual Operations our Affections are damped and discouraged but the Word of God puts Life into the dead and relieveth us in
in a dark place 2 Pet. 1. 19. The love of the World will misleade us our own Reason will often leave us comfortless the Examples of the best are defective but the Word of God will give comfortable Direction to all that follow the direction of it under all their Crosses Confusions and Difficulties Psal. 119. 105. Thy word is a Light unto my feet and a Lanthorn to my paths Light is comfortable it is no small satisfaction that I am in God's way and have his Word for my Warrant 3. It propoundeth the Examples of their Country-men and sets forth their Heroical Acts and encourageth us to imitate their Fortitude and Self-denyal Heb. 6. 12. Be followers of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises many things are to be done and suffered before we attain the end Now it is a great Comfort to trace the footsteps of the Saints all along in the Way in which we go Heb. 12. 1. Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of Witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us If God did call us to walk in an untrodden Path it might be cumbersome and solitary now it is very obliging and encouraging to consider in what way they have been brought to Heaven before us 4. It hath many seasonable Cordials against fainting by the way Alas when we are in deep pressures our hearts are apt to sink but the Word assureth us that we shall have all things necessary for us that our Heavenly Father seeth what is best for us and that if we faithfully wait upon him our Afflictions and Rubs in the way shall be a means to bring us to our Journeys end 2 Cor. 4. 17. Our light Affliction that is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory and that for the present our Tryals are not inconsistent with his Love 2. On the Believers part there are Reasons of this Comfort and Rejoycing 1. There needeth a spiritual Frame of heart for a carnal Man's Rejoycings and Relishes are suitable to the Constitution of his Mind Rom. 8. 5. They that are after the Flesh do mind the things of the Flesh and they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit It is an infallible Rule to the worlds End every one cannot say thy Statutes are my Songs no they must have other Solaces and a Man's temper is more discerned by his Solaces than by any thing else they that have not purged their Tast from the dreggs of Sense the trash of the Flesh-pots of Egypt will ever be pleasing to them in the heavenly Pilgrimage and being inveigled with the baits of the Flesh the Promises are like withered Flowers to them or as dry Chips it is the spiritual Heart that is refreshed with spiritual Songs 2. This Word must be received by Faith for it is Faith that enliveneth our Notions of things and maketh them work with us Heb. 11. 13. These all dyed in Faith not having received the Promises but having seen them afar off and were perswaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were Strangers and Pilgrims upon the Earth our Affections follow Perswasion 1 Pet. 1. 8. Whom having not seen we love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with Ioy unspeakable and full of Glory Rom. 15. 13. Now the God of Hope fill ye with all Ioy and Peace in believing 3. This Word must be improved by Reading Hearing but especially by Meditation and Singing 1. Meditation when it is sweet and lively stirreth this Joy Delight begets Meditation and Meditation begets Delight There is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in moral as well as natural Things Psal. 1. 2. His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night And Psal. 119. 97. Oh how love I thy Law it is my Meditation day and night And vers 15 16. I will meditate in thy Precepts and have respect unto thy ways I will delight my self in thy Statutes I will not forget thy words These follow one another Affections are not excited but by deep and pondering thoughts 2. By singing Psalms we draw forth this Delight Col. 3. 16. Let the word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdome teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Eph. 5. 18 19. Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess but be filled with the Spirit speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Drunkards when filled with the spirit of Wine sing wanton Songs and those who are filled with the wine of the Spirit will praise God with spiritual Songs This is a Duty of importance a delightfully way of being instructed by our Refreshment God would give us strength but this is neglected or cursorily performed by Christians We will complain of the want of a Spirit in Prayer we should do so in singing coldness in this holy Exercise argueth a deadness of Faith and a coldness in true Religion We should express our Joy this way 4. Above all this Comfort is found in ready Practice and Obedience There is a Comfort I confess in Speculation but not so deep and intimate as in Practice The one is but a Tast inviting to the other which giveth us a fuller draught The bare Contemplation and view of any concerning and weighty Truth is very ravishing to those that bend their minds to Knowledge Prov. 24. 13 14. My Son eate thou honey because it is good and the honey-comb which is sweet to thy tast So shall the knowledge of Wisdome be to thy Soul Every Truth is Objectum Intellectus much more divine Truth but now in Practice the Impression is doubled We get Comfort and joy raised in our Consciences our Lives and Light do not jarre we are at full quiet in our Minds apprehending our selves to be in God's way Psal. 119. 14. I have rejoyced in the way of thy Testimonies as much as in all Riches Use 1. To shew you that the People of God need not envy the Wicked for their Delights and Pleasures they have chaster and sweeter Delights God's Statutes are their Songs Where the Heart is spiritual they can find Delight enough in the Word both as their Charter and their Rule and need not turn aside â—…o vain Mirth a portion in the Promises will yield Pleasure enough vers 111. Thy Testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart 2. To reprove those that reckon these things a Burthen the holy talking of Heaven and Godliness maketh worldly Men ever heavy and out of humour it is not their Delight but it should not be so with the Children of God A Child of
God should onely be heavy when he displeases God but delight in all the Means that enable him to live to God 3. When we are sadned by the Evil of the present World let us make use of this remedy let us meditate on God's Statutes We shall find ease and refreshing by exercising our selves to know God in Christ. 4. To refute the vain conceit which possesseth the minds of Men that the way of Godliness is a gloomy way Assoon as a Man beginneth to think of Salvation or the change of his Life or the leaving of his Sins embracing the Service of God presently his Mind is haunted with this thought Seest thou not how those that serve God are melancholy afflicted sorrowfull never rejoyce more and wilt thou be one of them This is the Opinion of the World that they can never rejoyce nor be merry that serve God But certainly it is a vain conceit no men do more and more truly rejoyce than they which serve God Consult the Scriptures who have more leave shall I say or command to rejoyce Psal. 37. 4. Delight thy self also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart Phil. 4. 4. Rejoyce in the Lord always and again I say rejoyce Ask Reason who have more cause or matter to rejoyce than they that have provided against the fears or doubts of Conscience by reason of Sin what is more satisfactory to a Soul in doubts and fears than the knowledge of Pardon and Reconciliation with God For the satisfaction of the desires of Nature which carry us after Happiness who have a more powerfull Exciter of Joy than the Holy Ghost Acts 13. 52. The Disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost Who more qualified with Joy than those who have a clear right to the pardon of Sin and so can see all Miseries unstinged Rom. 5. 1 2 3. Therefore being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom also we have access by Faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God And not onely so but we glory in Tribulation also How joyfull are those that see themselves prepared for everlasting Life 2 Cor. 5. 1. For we know that if our earthly Tabernacle be dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens Yea when a Christian knoweth his Duty his Way is plain before him it is a mighty satisfaction Psal. 19. 8. The Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart Look into the Lives and Examples of the Saints who have more true Joy than they The Disciples esteem the Grace of the Gospel such a great Treasure that though they suffer Persecution for it they are filled with Joy Acts 8. 8. And there was great joy in that City 1 Thess. 1. 6. Having received the Word with much affliction and joy in the Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 7. 4. I am exceeding joyfull in all our Tribulation Preachers though with great hazard they perform their Office should be joyfull Acts 20. 24. Neither count I my Life dear unto my self so that I might finish my course with joy Phil. 2. 17 18. Tea and if I be offered for the sacrifice and service of your faith I joy and rejoice with you all for the same cause also do ye joy and rejoice with me The World will reply I know not what this spiritual Consolation meaneth it seemeth hard to relinquish that which I see that which I feel that which I taste for that which I see not and it may be shall never see Answ. 1. By Concession the joy of the Saints is the joy of Faith God is unseen Christ is within the Heavens great Hopes are to come 1 Pet. 1. 8. In whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory 2 Cor. 5. 7. For we walk by Faith not by sight 2. Thus you see that the World cannot always rejoice in those things which they take to be the proper Objects of Joy they have alternative vicissitudes now rejoice now mourn nor can it be otherwise for they rejoice in things which cannot always last if they rejoice when their Worldly comforts increase they are sad when they wither if they rejoice when their Children are born they weep when they die but a Christian hath always his Songs for he must always rejoice in the Lord who is an eternal God Phil. 4. 4. Rejoice in the Lord always in Christ who hath obtained eternal Redemption for us Heb. 9. 12. in the Promises which give an eternal Influence Psal. 119. 111. Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoicing of my heart The Flesh cannot afford you any thing so delightfull as a Christian hath the Word will hold good for ever 3. We cannot altogether say that a Christian doth rejoice in that which he cannot see for all that they see is their everlasting Father's Wealth 1 Cor. 3. ult All are yours for you are Christ's and Christ is God's If they look to Heaven they can rejoice and say Glory be to thee O Lord who hast prepared this for our everlasting Dwelling-place if they look to the Earth Glory be to thee O Lord who dost not leave us destitute in the House of our Pilgrimage if they consider their Afflictions they rejoice that God is not unmindfull of poor Creatures who are beneath his Anger as well as unworthy of his Love Iob 7. 17 18. What is man that thou shouldst magnifie him and that thou shouldst set thine heart upon him and that thou shouldst visit him every morning and try him every moment That God should trouble himself about us that we may not perish with the ungodly World The same Love that sendeth them Prosperity sendeth Adversity also which they find by the seasonableness of it SERMON LXI PSAL. CXIX 55. I have remembred thy Name O Lord in the Night and have kept thy Law WE often reade and sing David's Psalms but we have little of David's Spirit A Man's Imployment is as the Constitution of his Mind is for all things work according to their Nature A man addicted to God that is to say one who hath taken God for his Happiness his Word for his Rule his Spirit for his Guide and his Promises for his Encouragement his heart will always be working towards God Day and Night in the Day he will be studying God's Word in the Night if his sleep be interrupted he will be meditating on God's Name still entertaining his Soul with God The predominant Affection will certainly set the thoughts awork The Man of God had told us in the former Verse what was his chief Imployment in the Day-time and now he telleth us how his heart wrought in the Night Night and Day he was remembring God and his Duty to him In the Day the Statutes of God were his Solace and as
2. Providences these do more awaken us God's daily Benefits should bring him to our Remembrance Acts 14. 17. Nevertheless he left not himself without Witness in that he did good and gave us rain from Heaven and fruitfull Seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness Deut. 8. 18. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for he it is that giveth thee power to get Wealth especially the sanctified Remembrance of God's dealing with his People is the way to keep the heart in the Faith Love and Fear of God and the forgetting his Works is the cause of all Defection and falling off to carnal Courses and Confidences Psal. 78. 11. They forgat his Works and Wonders that he shewed them Psal. 106. 21. They forgat God their Saviour which had done great things in Egypt Judges 8. 34. And the Children of Israel remembred not the Lord their God who had delivered them out of the hands of their Enemies on every side It is a base Ingratitude not to remember prize and esteem God for all this 3. Ordinances Ministry was instituted to put you in Remembrance and give you still new and fresh Occasions to think of God 2 Pet. 1. 12. I will not be negligent to put you always in Remembrance our business is not always to inform you of what you know not but to inculcate and revive known Truths there being much Forgetfulness Stupidness and Senselesness upon our Spirits 2 Pet. 3. 1. That I may stir up your minds by way of Remembrance The Impressions of God on our Minds are soon defaced we need to quicken and awaken your Affections and Resolutions to choose and cleave to God 1 Tim. 4. 6. If thou put the Brethren in remembrance of these things thou shalt be a good Minister of Iesus Christ. So Sacraments are instituted to bring God to Remembrance 1 Cor. 11. 24. This doe in Remembrance of me that we may remember his Love and our covenanted Duty The Sabbath was instituted for a Remembrance and Memorial of his creating redeeming Goodness 4. The great office and work of the Spirit is to bring to Remembrance Iohn 14. 26. He shall bring all things to your Remembrance We are apt to forget God and Instructions and Rebukes in their Season the Holy Ghost is our Monitor 3. God will not forget them that remember him he will remember them at every turn Mal. 3. 16. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord harkned and heard it and a book of Remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his Name if he do not openly reward you with temporal Deliverances yet he taketh notice of every thought and every word you speak for him and taketh pleasure in you It is upon Record if you have not the comfort of it now you shall have it in a little time because they thought of him they spake of him and owned him in an evil time and therefore God is represented as hearing and booking and the books shall one day be opened and then you shall have your publick reward 2. Doctr. God is best Remembred when his Name is studied 1. When is his Name studied In the general when we look upon him as he hath manifed himself in his Word and Works More particularly God is discovered sometimes by the Name of his Essence sometimes by his Attributes 1. By the Name of his Essence When Moses was very inquisitive to know his Name and God can best tell his own Name let us see what answer was made him Exod. 3. 12 13. When they shall say unto me What is his Name and God said I Am that I Am. God was sending Moses upon a strange Message he was giving him Commission to go and speak to a King to dismiss and let go six hundred thousand of his Subjects to lead them to a place which God should shew now Moses thought for such a Message he had need have good Authority therefore desireth a significant Name I Am that I Am the form of the words sheweth it was a wonderfull incomprehensible Name Ask not my Name for it is Wonderfull Judg. 13. 18. This is enough to satisfie sober Inquiry though not wanton Curiosity enough for Faith to work upon the great I Am hath sent me It sheweth his unsearchableness It is our manner of speech when we would cover any thing and not answer distinctly we say It is what it is I have said what I have said Finite understandings cannot comprehend him that is Infinite no more than you can empty the Sea with a Cockle-shell 2. He is the great and onely Being in comparison of which all else is nothing Isa. 40. 19. All Nations before him are nothing they are counted less than nothing and vanity You have not a true and full Notion of God if you conceive him onely as the most eminent of all Beings no Being must appear as Being in his sight and in comparison of him As long as you onely conceive God to be the best you still attribute something to the Creature for all Comparatives include the Positive The Creature is nothing in comparison with God all the Glory Perfection and Excellency of the whole World do not amount to the value of an unite in regard of God's Attributes join never so many of them together they cannot make up one number they are nothing in his regard and less than nothing All created Beings must utterly vanish out of sight when we think of God As the Sun doth not annihilate the Stars and make them nothing yet it annihilates their Appearance to our sight some are of the first magnitude some of the second some of the third but in the Day-time all are alike all are darkned by the Sun's glory so it is here there are degrees of Perfection and Excellency if we compare one Creature with another but let once the glorious brightness of God shine upon the Soul and in that light all their differences are unobserved Angels Men Worms they are all nothing less than nothing to be set up against God this magnificent Title I Am darkneth all as if nothing else were God did not tell Moses that he was the best the highest and the most glorious but I Am and there is none else besides me nothing that hath its Being of it self nothing that can be properly called their own thus the incomprehensible Self-existence of God puts Man into his Original nothing none but God can say I Am because all things else are but borrowed drops of this Self-sufficient Fountain other things are near to nothing God most properly is who never was nothing never shall be nothing who may always in all difference of Time say I Am and nothing else but God can say so The Heaven and Earth for six thousand years ago could not say We are Adam could once have said I am as to his existence in the compounded nature of Man but now he cannot say
that 's no fault of our Portion but the defect of our Capacity Though we have not that fulness that we shall have hereafter yet we have it initially Here we have the First-fruits have it virtually hope and look for it there is something begun in the Soul that will increase towards this Satisfaction certainly this is a Portion that can alone be possest with Content God is satisfied with himself and sufficient to his own Happiness therefore surely there is enough in him to fill the Creature That which fills an Ocean will fill a Bucket that which will fill a Gallon will fill a Pint those Revenues that will defray an Emperours Expences are enough for a Beggar or Poor man So when the Lord himself is satisfied with himself and it is his happiness to enjoy himself there needs no more there is enough in God to satisfy If our desires run out after other things they are desires not to be satisfied but to be mortified If we hunger after other Contentments they are like feverish desires not to be satisfied but to be abated in the Soul for he that fills all things hath enough to fill up our Hearts Sixthly Complacency and Delight That which a Man would take pleasure in there where he may have abundant matter of rejoycing and Delight this a Man would choose for his Portion Now in God he hath the truest and sincerest Delight This is matter of rejoycing as David saith Psal. 16. 7. The Lord is my Portion what then I have a goodly Heritage here 's that which will revive and refresh my Heart enough There is no rejoycing that is sincere but this As the Discomforts of the New Creature are more real than all other Discomforts and pierce deeper a wounded Spirit who can bear so the Joyes of the New Creature none goe so deep Psal. 4. 6. Thou hast put more gladness into my heart c. Others do but tickle the Senses a little refresh the outward Man please the more bruitish part but this the Heart And this is such a joy as can be better felt than uttered 2 Pet. 1. 8. It is unspeakable and none can know the strength and sweetness of it till it be felt a Stranger cannot conceive it doth not intermeddle with his joy Prov. 14. 10. One drop of this is more than an Ocean of carnal Pleasure When we have other things without God we can never be serious Take the merriest Blades in the World and dig them to the bottom still there is something of sadness and remorse that doth sowre all their Content Conscience is secretly repining and ready to imbitter their Joy Though men strive to bear it down yet it 's ever returning upon them therefore they cannot be truly chearfull The most jolly Sinners have their Pangs that take off the edge of their Bravery Carnal Rejoycing makes a great noise like Thorns under a Pot but it 's but a blaze and gone But this is a solid Joy and Comfort wherewith a Man may look death in the face with chearfulness and think of the World to come and not be sad Alas a little thing puts the merriest Sinner into the Stocks of Conscience He that makes it his business to adde one Pleasure to another and spend his days in vanity how soon is his Mirth removed Therefore if a Man would choose a Portion to have Joy at the higest Rate he should choose God for his Portion II. How comes a godly Man to look upon God under this Notion that no less will content him but God himself why he hath another apprehension and another manner of heart to close with him than carnal Men his Understanding is inlightned and his Heart inclined by Grace 1. He sees more into the worth of Spiritual and Heavenly Things He hath Faith which is the Evidence of things not seen of things that do not lie under the judgment of Sense and present Reason he can spy things under a Vail and his eyes are opened to see what is the Riches of the glory of his Inheritance in the Saints Eph. 1. 17 18. and therefore he is convinced of the fullness and sufficiency that is in God and the emptiness and straitness that is in the Creature God hath given him Counsel his Reins instruct him Psal. 16. 7. All by Nature are blind ignorant apt to dote upon the Creature but by Grace their eyes are opened that they have another manner of discerning that they do not see things onely by discourse but their Hearts are affected Others may discourse but they have not this divine Light and spiritual Understanding by which spiritual Things may be discerned as matters of Opinion they may but not as matters of Choice A carnal Man may argue out with Reason the Worth and Excellency of God but he hath not a refined Apprehension and perswasive Counsel which is in God's People 2. Their Hearts are inclined to choose him for their Portion They do not onely see an alluring worth in the Object but there 's an attracting Vertue by which the Heart is drawn in to God Iohn 6. 44. No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him The great Article of the Covenant of Grace is to take God for our God Now all the Articles of the New Covenant are not onely Precepts â—…ut Promises The conditions of the Covenant are conditions in the Covenant God gives what he requires And therefore as the great Article of the Covenant is to take God for our God so the great Blessing of the Covenant is to have a new Heart or a new placing of our Desires and Affections Sin lieth in a Conversion from God to the Creature Grace in turning us to God again The Change is mainly seen in fixing our chiefest Good and our last End God gives his People a Heart to close with him and accept of him as their Portion to fix upon him as their chiefest Good and their last End Use 1. To reprove them that do not take God for their Portion Godly Men must have God himself they prefer him above all and saving Grace above other Benefits Psal. 4. 6 7. There 's the dispositions of the Godly and the Carnal The many say who will shew us any good but Lord lift up the Light of thy Countenance upon us A carnal Man is for Good in common any Good but not for the Light of God's Countenance nothing will satisfy the Saints but the Light of God's Countenance they prefer him above his Gifts and among his Gifts they prefer saving Graces and renewing Mercies such as begin and confirm them in their Union with God in Christ. But carnal Men go no further than the World they choose not God but his Gifts and among these not the best but the common sort such as suite with the Appetite of the fleshly Nature and the more brutish part of these Riches Pleasures and Honours and these too not as coming from God but as
the Argument be not absolutely and infallibly conclusive yet here is such a concurrence of Probabilities that we should go and try what he will doe for our Souls 2. They in their rank have their supplies and we in our rank have our supplies therefore his kindness to all Creatures should incourage new Creatures to expect their help from him for God doth good to all his Creatures according to their necessity and capacity his giving them supplies convenient for them is a pawn of God's pleasure to bestow upon his Servants greater gifts than these All things that look to God have necessaries provided for them according to the condition of their Nature and therefore if you have another Nature and besides the good things of this Life do need the good things which belong to the Life to come he will give us gifts and graces as he giveth them their food for these are as necessary for this kind of life as food for that As they in their rank find Mercy so we in ours his general Goodness confirmeth us in expecting these more special Favours For as there is a general Benignity to all Creatures so there is a special to his Children Psam 36. 6 7. Thou preservest Man and Beast How excellent is thy loving kindness O Lord therefore the Children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings His common kindness and his special love are often compared together they agree in this that both come from a good God Therefore the Argument holdeth strong if good to all Creatures then good to new Creatures Why should we think that he would not shew his Goodness to us also Again they agree in this that in doing good God doth not consider the worthiness of the Creature but his own Goodness and Self-inclination to preserve what he hath made as he did not disdain to give Life to the meanest Creatures so he doth not disdain to preserve them as they had their Life from him at first so they have their Life still in him the poorest Worm not excepted Not a Worm not a Gnat not a Fly but tastes of God's Bounty God disdaineth not to look after the most abject things So the plea of unworthiness lyeth not in bar against the new Creature for necessary supplies God giveth out of his own goodness Now they differ in the kinds of the Mercy one common the other saving and the special subjects of them one is to all Creatures the other is to God's peculiar People and in the manner of conveyance the one floweth in the Channel of common Providence the other is conveyed to us by the golden Pipe of the Mediator Well then the Creatures have their Mercies and Wicked men their Mercies have that they prize and value and the People of God have also what they prize and esteem 3. God doth good to every one according to their necessity and capacity He doth not give meat to the Trees nor stones to the Beasts but provideth food and nourishment convenient for them so to his People according to their condition of Nature and special capacity The general capacity is the condition of their Natures the special capacity is want or earnest desire if we extremely need or earnestly desire these Blessings then we may reason from God's general Goodness to all the Creatures to that special act of Goodness which we expect from him Pray mark how God's general Goodness is expressed Psalm 145. 15 16. The eyes of all things wait upon thee and thou givest them their meat in due season Thou openest thy hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing He keepeth a constant eye of Providence and if the desire be great he doth not frustrate the natural expectation of hungry Creatures but giveth them that sort of Food which is fit for them Now God expecteth the same from New Creatures if necessity and vehement desire meet he promises supply open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psalm 81. 10. and Psalm 145. 19. The Lord will fulfil the desire of them that fear him he also will hear their cry and will save them The Beasts mourn and cry in their kind we pray and cry in our kind Needy desires will be heard he is in a capacity to receive spiritual Blessings who is sensible of their Necessity for the Happiness of his immortal Soul and doth prize and value them and earnestly desire them The Man of God was under a Necessity for he apprehended himself miserable and at a loss without it for he desired no other Mercy A gracious Heart cannot be satisfied with low things be thus affected and then this Argument will be of use to you Use 1. Is for Reproof Since God is so mercifull how much are they to blame 1. Who render themselves uncapable of the benefit of Mercy by Impenitence persisted in against the means of Grace They slight his common Mercy and cut off themselves from his saving Mercy Abused Goodness will be destructive Rom. 2. 4 5. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous Iudgment of God 2. The Stupid and Senseless which do not take notice oâ—… the Mercy of God which shineth forth in all the Creatures A Man can turn his Eye no where but in every place and quarter of the World he shall see plain Testimonies of God's Mercy but alas how much of this is lost and past over for want of observation Isa. 1. 3. The Ox knoweth his Owner and the Ass his Masters Crib but Israel doth not know my People doth not consider All this Goodness was left in the Earth to invite our minds and hearts to God therefore as the Bee sucketh honey out of every Flower so should we still dwell on the thoughts of God's goodness represented to us in every thing we see and feel 3. Those that think of God's Mercy with extenuating and diminishing thoughts do not raise their Hopes and Confidence by a serious reflection upon that ample discovery which he hath made of it in all his Works if God be good to all his Creatures why should we be left out of the number surely God will not be backward to those that earnestly desire his Grace therefore those that deject themselves that say God will not hear me or regard my Prayers are to be condemned Use 2. Information the lively light of the Spirit is a special Mercy Our Misery lieth in the ignorance of God and the transgression of his Law our Happiness in being inlightened and sanctified by the spirit of Wisdome and understanding It is God's great gift Ier. 24. 7. I will give them an heart to know me that I am the Lord and they shall be my People and I will be their God for they shall return unto me with
upon me that I may once more see good and comfortable days in the World for a life spent in sorrow is as no life Or 2. He putteth life for some comfortable sense of Gods Mercy or assurance of his love to him Most Interpreters both Antient and Modern goe this way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Theodoret he counted himself but as a dead man without the sense of Gods favour and good will to him but it would be as a new life or resurrection from the dead if God would shew him Mercy and cast a favourable aspect upon him This sense suiteth well with the context for David was for the present deprived of the tokens and effects of Gods tender Mercy why else should he so earnestly beg for that to come to him which he had already and it suiteth well with a gracious spirit such as David had The points 1. That Gods tender Mercy is the fountain of his Peoples comfort and happiness 2. That 't is not enough to hear somewhat of the Mercy of God but we should by all means seek that it may come unto us 3. That 't is life to a believer to have a sense of God's Mercy and Love in Christ and death to be without it 4. Such as would tast or have a sense of Gods ' mercy must delight in his law This was Davids plea. The two last propositions I shall insist upon the other being handled elsewhere and so much consideration of them as is necessary for the opening and improving of this Verse will occur in one or both of these Points That 't is life to a believer to have a sense of Gods mercy and love in Christ and death to be without it David was a dead man because he felt not Gods mercy as formerly he did eat and drink and sleep and transact his business as others did but he counted this as no life because he felt not the wonted sense of Gods love Gracious Spirits cannot live without Divine comforts they take no joy in the world unless God favourably look upon them Let me Illustrate this note with these observations 1. Observe he seeketh all his comfort from mercy and tender mercy so in the former so in the present Verse I shall shew you the necessity and utility of so doing First the necessity of it the best of Gods Children have no other claim For a Publican to come and say God be mercifull to me a sinner Luke 18. 13. is no such wonder but for a David to use the same plea that should be noted From first to last the Children of God have no other claim 't is meer mercy that took us into a state of Grace at first and meer mercy that keepeth us in it and furnisheth us with all the supplies that are necessary to keep it up in vigour and comfort and mercy that giveth us the final consummation and accomplishment of it at last Our first entrance into the state of Grace is always ascribed to meer mercy Nothing moved the Lord to bestow life upon dead and graceless sinners but his meer pity and tender compassion 1 Pet. 1. 3. Of his abundant mercy he hath begotten us to a lively hope Eph. 2. 4. God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he hath loved us while we were yet dead in trespasses and sins yet quickened us Titus 3. 5. Of his mercy he hath saved us by washing us in the laver of regeneration Mercy was then exercised not onely without our Desert but against our Desert God was not moved to bestow his Grace by any goodness which he did foresee or find in us but meerly by his own pity Misery offered the occasion but mercy was the cause of all the good done unto us After Conversion all our supports and supplies are given us of his tender mercy Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this rule peace and mercy be upon them New Creatures and the most accurate walkers are not so free from sin but they still stand in need of mercy All their receipts come to them not in the way of Merit but undeserved mercy Our peace and comfort when we walk most according to rule is the fruit of mercy The Elect are called Vessels of mercy Rom. 9. 23. because from first to last they are filled up with mercy and supplied by the free favour and love of God in Iesus Christ. Our final consummation is from mercy the same mercy that laies the first stone in this building doth also finish the work Iude 21. verse looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ to Eternal Life We take Glory out of the hands of mercy and 't is mercy that sets the Crown upon our heads after we have done and suffered the will of God here upon Earth We can merit no more after grace than before 2. The utility of it this giveth boldness and more hopefull expectation that will appear if we consider what mercy is 't is Gods Propension and Inclination to doe good to the sinfull and miserable so far as his wisdome seeth convenient As mercy is a perfection in the Divine nature so God is necessarily mercifull as well as just but the exercise of it is I confess free and arbitrary 't is not necessarily exercised but according to his will and good pleasure to some more to some less as his Wisedom thinketh fit yet this advantage we have by it that mercy rather seeketh a fit occasion to discover it self than a well qualified object as Justice doth For it doth not consider what is due or deserved but what is needed Therefore First the needy and miserable have some hope for misery as misery is the object of mercy and therefore when our afflictions are pressing and sore our miseries and streights are some kind of argument which we may plead to God Psalm 79. 8. Let thy tender Mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low they plead their miserable condition Mercy relents towards a sinfull people when they are a wasted People he heareth the moans of the Beasts and therefore certainly he will not shut up his Bowels against the cries of his People their very misery pleadeth for them Secondly the broken hearted that have a sense of their misery have a greater advantage than others and are more capable of God's mercy because they are not onely miserable but miserable in their own feeling especially if this feeling be deep and spiritual they are sensible of the true misery and they are more troubled about sin than temporal inconvenience Matth. 9. 13. Go learn what that meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice 3. When we flee to his mercy and seek it in the appointed way of repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Iesus Christ the Lord will not utterly destroy a sinner fleeing to his Mercy he hath ingaged his word and oath Heb. 6. 18. and this comfort we may make use of Partly When the sense of guilt sits
is the best Judge of opportunities therefore all must be left to his will and pleasure Faith will not count it long for to the eye of Faith things future and afar off are as present Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen 'T is said Isa. 28. 16. He that believeth shall not make haste Sense and carnal confidence must have present satisfaction but Faith contents its self with Promises Love will not count it long For seven years to Iacob seemed as a few days Gen. 29. 20. Sufferings for Christ would not be so tedious where love prevaileth Patience would not count it long Cannot we tarry for him a little while Heb. 10. 37. Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We love our own ease and therefore the â—…ross groweth irksom and tedious 3. God is a God of Judgment Isa. 30. 18. And therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you for the Lord is a God of judgment Blessed are all they that wait for him Mercy will not come one jot too soon nor one jot too late In the fittest time for God to give and for us to receive Heb. 4. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the time of need We think we stay for God but he stayeth for us If we were ripe for mercy God is always ready for he is a present help Psal. 46. 1. God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble I come now to the second Clause His longing desire after it Saying When wilt thou comfort me That is David was ever and anon repeating and saying Lord When The Hebrews express their wishes by way of question Oh that thou wouldest comfort me III. DOCT. When our Hope and Help is delayed we may complain to God for want of comfort 1. What is the comfort which David intendeth In the general Consolation is opposed to Grief and Mourning Sin hath woven Calamities into our Lives and filled us with Griefs Troubles and Sorrows so that we need comfort Comfort is either Eternal Spiritual or Temporal First Eternal 2 Thess. 2. 16. Everlasting consolation and good hope through grace Luk. 16. 25. Remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things and Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Secondly Spiritual which is of two sorts 1. Comfort against the Trouble of Sin In which respect the Holy Ghost is called the Comforter In this respect the Holy Ghost biddeth them comfort the penitent incestuous person 2 Cor. 2. 7. 2. Against Affliction So God is said to comfort those that are cast down 2 Cor. 7. 6. and Psal. 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. 2 Cor. 1. 3 4. Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort Who comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God Thirdly Temporal So God is said to comfort those whom he freeth from Afflictions Psal. 71. 21. After deep and sore Troubles Thou shalt increase my greatness and comfort me on every side So the Lord comforteth his People not by word only but also by deed not only by speaking comfort to them but also by relieving them and refreshing them and freeing them from their Troubles So Isa. 52. 9. Sing ye waste places for the Lord hath comforted his people he hath redeemed Ierusalem Though God's People lay low for a time yet his blessing can exalt them beyond all expectation and bring about such happiness as may make them forget their sorrows and miseries This is intended here Lord when wilt thou give that deliverance which I pray for and wait for at thy hands Let it not seem strange that temporal deliverance should be owned as a comfort to God's People Partly because they are Acts of God's Providence and Dispensations of his Grace sought not in a way of Faith and Prayer Zech. 1. 17. The Lord shall yet comfort Zion and shall yet chuse Ierusalem Partly because by these he seemeth to own them and confirm them in the priviledge of his peculiar care and that they have an interest in his favor which by sad afflictions seemed to be annulled and made void But hereby God giveth proof of his favor to them Psal. 86. 17. Shew me a token for good that they which hate me may see it and be ashamed because thou Lord hast holpen me and comforted me That in their affliction Godliness may not suffer nor wicked men be hardned in their insolency Partly as hereby Promises are made good and so Faith confirmed Isa. 57. 18. I will heal him and restore comforts to him and to his mourners Partly as they are helps and encouragements to love and praise God and to live in a thankful course of holiness when not stopped or diverted by fear of enemies Isa. 12. 1. In that day thou shalt say O Lord I will praise thee though thou wast angry with me thine anger is turned away and thou comfortedst me We may serve God more cheerfully then Partly because as they have seen his Wisdom and Justice in their Troubles so now his Power and Grace and Truth in their Deliverance They are more comfortable because there is much of God discovered in them Psal. 115. 1. Lastly because they are comfortable to the natural life They are not so divested of all humane respects Yet therein the Saints moderate themselves they do not count these things their highest consolation so 't is said of the wicked Luke 6. 24. Wo unto you that are rich for ye have received your consolation And Luke 16. 25. Thou receivedst thy good things Yet a sense they have otherwise how can we be humbled under Crosses or give thanks for Blessings 2dly We may complain of the delay of comfort God's Children have done so Psal. 6. 3. But thou O Lord how long Psal. 13. 1. How long wilt thou forget me Lord for ever how long wilt thou hide thy face from me So ver 2. How long shall mine enemies triumph over me Psal. 94. 3. Lord how long shall the wicked how long shall the wicked triumph How long shall they utter and speak hard things and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves Reasons 1. Partly because Prayer giveth ease 't is a vent to strong affections 2. It reviveth the work of Faith Hope and Patience 3. Though God knoweth when to bestow Blessings yet he will not blame the desires of his Children after them USE Well then let us seek comfort and complain not of God but to God Complaints of God give a vent to murmurings but complaints to God to Faith Hope and Patience 1. Refer the kind
to hearken to his voice And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people When did you give up the key of your hearts to God and lie at God's feet and say Lord here I am what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9. 6. They that are Gods come in this way by resignation or spiritual contract by entring into Covenant with him 2. What have you that is peculiar Have you the favor of his People Have you the conversation of his People God's peculiar People have peculiar mercies at least their hearts and spirits are carried out after them Psal. 106. 4. Lord remember me with the favor of thy people Common mercies will not serve their turn but they must have renewing and sanctifying mercies and special pledges of his love not increase of Estate Honour or Esteem in the world these are not things their hearts run upon but Lord the favor of thy People Or Psal. 119. 132. Do good unto me as thou usest to do unto those that love thy Name There 's a goodness which God vouchsafeth to all his creatures to the men of the world he gives a plentiful Portion their bellies are fill'd with thy hid treasure but Lord let me have the comforts of thy Spirit the manifestations of thy love and good will to my soul in Christ Jesus As Luther said and protested God should not put him off with Gold nor with Honours I must have his Grace his Christ his Spirit Valde protestatus sum me nolle his satiari If you have such peculiar spirits your hearts would be carried out after these distinguishing mercies A man may have common mercies and go to Hell and be cast away but God's peculiar People have peculiar mercies then they will not be contented with a common conversation Mat. 5. 46. If you love them that love you what do you more than others There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 something over and above that should be seen in a Christian's life 'T is a fault 1 Cor. 3. 3. Ye walk as men In the new creature there should be something more excellent God's peculiar People as there 's a difference between them and others in point of Priviledges so also in point of conversation they should live at a higher rate more heavenly meek mortified more charitable than others Christians should walk so as to convince the world and make them wonder at the beauty majesty and strictness of their Lives You harden carnal men when you profess your selves to be God's peculiar People and there 's no difference between you and others 3. Doth your Resignation appear in your living and acting for God Is Holiness to be written in visible characters upon all you do Zech. 14. 19 20. The impress of God is upon his People it is upon the Horse Bells upon all the Pots of Ierusalem it is upon all they have all they enjoy Holiness to the Lord they spend their time as being dedicated to God they spend their estates as being dedicated to God Do you use your selves as those that are Christs improving your Time Relations Talents Interests for his glory This may be discovered partly by checking Temptations upon this account 1 Cor. 6. 15. Shall I take the members of Christ and make them to be the members of an harlot This Body is Christs and therefore must be kept in sanctification and in honour this time I mispend this estate is Christs and so you dare not give way to the solly and sin with which others are transported for you look upon all that you have as Christs and so also are your contrivances and projects for God's glory you will be casting about how you may honour Christ by your Estate and Relations and every thing you have Nehem. 1. 11. Grant me mercy in the sight of this man For I was the King's Cup-bearer That is he was considering what use he might make of this authority and esteem which he had with the King of Babylon and what use he might make of it for God God hath advanced me to such honour and place what honour hath God had Look as David 2 Sam. 17. 2 I dwell in a house of cedar and the ark of God dwells within curtains Here the Lord hath abundantly provided for me but what have I done for God When you are in all things seeking the things of God and laying out your selves for the glory of God and if God needs any thing that is yours you freely and willingly part with it USE II. To persuade us to resign up our selves to God and to live as those that are Gods 1 First To resign up our selves to God Isa. 44. 5. One shall come and say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the name of Iacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and surname himself by the name of Israel Come and subscribe to the God of Iacob give it under hand and seal enter your names in his Master-Roll that you are one of his Subjects and Servants Motives are these 1. You owe your selves to God and therefore should give up your selves to him Philem. v. 19. Thou owest unto me even thine own self 'T is true with respect to God thou owest all that thou hast to him thou hast nothing but what he gave thee first God calls it a Gift My son give me thy heart but it 's indeed a Debt for God gave it not to dispossess himself and divest himself but gave it for his use and service He gave you your selves to your selves as a Man gives an Estate to a Factor to trade with or as an Husbandman scatters his seed upon the ground not to bury it there but expecting a Crop from thence So God scatters his Gifts abroad in the world gives life and all things not to establish a dominion in thy person but only a stewardship and a course of service Hast thou life Man is not Dominus vitae but Custos not Lord of his life but only the Guardian and Keeper for God Now what is said of life is true of Estates and all things else there 's no proper dominion we have 2. God offers himself to thee and therefore 't is but reasonable thou give up thy self to God In the Covenant there 's a mutual engaging between God and the creature to be each others according to their several capacities I will be their God and they shall be my people The great God Quantus quantus est totus noster est as great as he is he becomes ours all in him ours his Wisdom Power Strength Father Son and Holy Ghost is our everlasting Portion God the Father will be our Portion for ever he will give his Son to be our Redeemer and his Spirit to be our Guide all the Persons with all their power and strength are engaged for our use Look as when Iehoshaphat made a League with the King of Israel this was the manner of it 1 Kings 22.
them It is not arbitrary whether you will take the testimony of the Lord for your heritage or no. God cannot endure to be despised When Nabal despised Davids kindness I will cut off every one that pisseth against the wall so when the Lord hath made such an offer of himself and his Christ in Covenant and love hath gone to the uttermost to save and we turn back then snares and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their Cup Psal. 11. 6 8. It would make a mans heart tremble to think of the Heirs apparent of the Land of Darkness that is wicked men God will give them their portion with hypocrites in everlasting Burnings therefore take heed of refusing this portion you can look for nothing but terrible things from God for his love is despised Well then go in Gods name and take hold of the Covenant Again this may be of use to press Believers to live answerable to such an heritage Am I an Heir of Heaven and so uncomfortable and dejected Can I have an interest in the Promises and be no more affected This returning upon our Hearts Rom. 8. 31. When the Apostle had spoken that we should be Co-heirs with Christ and laid forth the priviledges of the Covenant he concludes What shall we say to these things So Christians go home return upon your heart and say Have I an interest in him and live at such a low rate both for comfort and grace Do I walk in such a low and unsuitable manner Do I look upon this as the only sure heritage for my Soul Urge your heart with such Questions as these Doct. 2. The taking of Gods Testimonies for our heritage breeds joy and rejoycing in the heart Now this joy ariseth partly from the portion it self partly from the disposition of the Saints and partly from the dispensation of God 1. From the portion it self It is a portion that deserves to be rejoyced in it is so full and God cannot be possess'd without great joy A man cannot think of a little Pelf and worldly Riches that 's his own without some comfort and can a man think of these great things without comfort Consider both what we have in hand and hope and still 't is matter of joy In hand there 's reconciliation with God O to have God in amity with us Rom. 5. 1. If one have but a Great Man to his friend it comforts him that he hath such a prop and stay O but now to have God reconciled And then to have the care of Providence to have God engaged as a Father God caring for us to be under a Promise that he will never fail us till he hath brought us to Heaven And then to have Heaven kept for us those glorious things we rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God joy is pitched upon our hopes in many places something in possession and something in reversion this must needs breed a joy in our Soul Heb. 3. 6. The rejoycing of hope and Rom. 12. 12. Rejoyce in hope A Christian hath cause to rejoyce for what he hath in hand God's at peace with him he can go to him as a friend as a God in Covenant with him he is bound to provide for him as a Father and then at the end of all a glorious happiness that is to be enjoyed 2. It ariseth from the disposition of the hearts of Gods people partly from their esteem their faith their assurance they take it for their heritage they esteem it as their portion they believe it and reflect upon their own interest and all this causeth joy It comes from their esteem that which I esteem I will delight in Mat. 6. 21. Where the treasure is there will the heart be Affection follows esteem and above all the affection of delight A man may desire a thing that is nothing worth when he comes to enjoy it then he sleights it We are not acquainted with the imperfection of all worldly things until we come to enjoy them but delight that 's an argument of esteem the choicest affection And then it comes from Faith Many hear of such great promises but they hear like men in a Dream but now a Believer that hath a piercing sight that seeth the reality and truth of them his heart leaps within him Heb. 11. 13. It is said These all dyed in faith not having received the promises but having seen them afar off and were perswaded of them and embraced them When a man is perswaded of the truth the reality and goodness of the promise O his heart leaps they hugged the promises here 's a promise that will yield Glory Heaven and Happiness and all that I stand in need of Spiritual sight makes way for spiritual perswasion and spiritual perswasion for holy rejoycing that 's the order In whom believing we were filled with joy Faith is the immediate ground and that is the reason why carnal men do not feel such lively joy they do not believe it Then it comes too from assurance and reflection upon their own interest when they can challenge it as theirs when it is made over to them The rejoycing of Faith is not only good in common but propriety is a ground of rejoycing and delight is nothing but a complacency in our portion 1 Sam. 30. 6. David encouraged himself in the Lord his God 3. It comes from the dispensation of God for when we esteem the promises and delight in them then the Lord fills the heart with sweetness Rom. 15. 13. The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing The Lord rewards delight with delight Thou shalt call the Sabbath thy delight in one place then presently thou shalt delight thy self there 's the promise There is a delight and rejoycing that is our duty and a delight and rejoycing that is Gods dispensation God loves to reward Grace with Grace Look as in a way of Judgment he punisheth sin with sin as when security is punished with sottish obstinacy and hardness of heart so it is a sweet mercy when Grace is rewarded with Grace when our delight in the promises is rewarded with a sweetness and tast of the promises Use 1. The portion of Gods Children and Religion is no dark gloomy thing The people of God have hidden joys As the Sun shines many times when it rains so though they be under affliction yet they have the shine of Gods face the comfort of Gods promises Let me shew the excellency of the spiritual heritage above the carnal A carnal heritage alas that 's a poor thing there is no strong consolation in it The comforts of wicked men are poor weak comforts they cannot comfort us in any affliction poor things soon overcome but to Gods people their heritage affords strong consolation in overcoming worldly Lusts in spoiling the relish of other pleasures overcoming worldly care and worldly sorrow in bearing us out in all afflictions nay the strength of
48. 10. Behold I have refined thee but not with silver I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction that is not so throughly silver is not refined till all the dross be consumed and wrought out of it and when should we see good day if God should so refine us 4. They are not reckoned to dross but metal that walk answerable to their profession and obligations to God as becometh his peculiar people to do they are not satisfied with common mercies A man may have the world at will and yet be a cast-away they must have something peculiar and distinguishing Psal. 119. 132. Look upon me and be merciful unto me as thou usest to do to them that love thy name things that can never be given in anger They do not rest in common Grace Heb. 6. 9. But we hope better things of you and things that do accompany salvation Those good moods in Hypocrites and Temporaries Nor content themselves with a common conversation 1 Cor. 3. 3. Are ye not carnal and walk as men 1 Pet. 4. 4. Wherein they think it strange that you run not with them into the same excess of riot Matth. 5. 46. If you love them that love you what reward have ye do not even the Publicans the same You should do something rare and singular not in an ordinary loose rate III. That it is God's business in heaven to put away the wicked as dross to sever them from the purer metal 1. God hath many ways and means to do it partly by his Judgments he doth it more and more Matth. 3. 12. His Fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his Floor and gather his Wheat into the Garner but he will burn up the Chaff with unquenchable fire As the Chaff from Corn so Dross from Metal Isai. 4. 4. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the Daughter of Zion and shall have purged the bloud of Ierusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning that is by the Judgment executed upon the evil among them Ezek. 20. 38. And I will purge out from among them the Rebels and them that transgress against me This God doth by destroying wasting Judgments 2. Partly by the censures of the Church 1 Cor. 5. 9. Put away from among your selves that wicked person And partly by the stroke of the Civil Magistrate and their punishments Prov. 25. 4 5. Take away the dross from the silver and there shall come forth a vessel for the Finer Take away the wicked from before the King and his Throne shall be established in righteousness Thus doth God do it now but he will fully and finally do it at the last Judgment when there shall be a perfect separation of them and all the wicked shall be cast away as refuse Matth. 25. 32 33. Before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth his Sheep from the Goats and he shall set the Sheep on his right hand and the Goats on his left hand there is a congregation and then a segregation never to meet more nor be mingled more Now God doth it in part but then more fully 2. The Reasons First God doth so lest the silver it self should be turned into dross We are apt to corrupt one another natural corruption within meeting with examples without Isai. 6. 5. Wo is me I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell among a people of unclean lips As a man that hath the matter of a Disease prepared coming into infectious Company is soon infected Gods choicest people have much dross in them therefore the Lord needeth to purge out their dross the purest Church is apt to contract pollution and to degenerate and the choice Plants of the Covenant-Stocks to run wild were it not for these dispensations Secondly That impunity may not harden the wicked and encourage others God suffereth it as long as he judgeth it expedient Eccl. 8. 11. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the sons of men are fully set in them to do evil Psal. 9. 16. The Lord is known by the Iudgments he executeth the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Men sin the more freely and securely when a Judgment doth not presently overtake them when sinners go on without any mark of Gods vengeance but God will in every Age clear his Providence by bringing of Judgments upon wicked men Thirdly The nearer they are to God the more hateful their provocations are and more severely punished Amos 3. 2. You have I known of all the families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities For their sins the valley of vision is brought to barrenness They sin against the clearest light the dearest love the highest engagements to the contrary and therefore when they are mingled among his people as dross with the silver God putteth them away Use. Is to inform us that God in his judicial proceedings will distinguish he will divide the dross from the other metal that he may destroy the one and preserve the other David prayeth Psal. 26. 9. Gather not my soul with sinners nor my life with bloody men that God would not lay him common with the wicked God hath his Harvest for cutting down for cutting and binding together those that sinned Now David prayeth That he that had severed himself in his course of life might not be gathered with them in their punishment God will distinguish his Judgments are for the destruction of the worser sort and the amendment of the better When he severeth the dross he hath a care of the silver Though never so terrible to the wicked still he will be comfortable to his own 2 Pet. 2. 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust to the Day of Iudgment to be punished His own Jewel that lyeth hidden among them when all is shaken round about them God can hide them in the secret of his Presence and preserve them as he did Lot and Noah His own are wonderfully preserved in common Judgments several Scriptures speak to this Eccl. 8. 12 13. Surely it shall be well with them that fear God but it shall not be well with the wicked And Iosh. 3. 10. Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you and he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites Isai. 3. 10 11. Say unto the righteous It shall be well with him for they shall eat the fruit of their doings Wo to the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him God will make a difference between good and bad Use 2. That a few wicked men may bring a great deal of hurt and mischief as Achan upon Israel two dry sticks may set a green one
on fire as the whole metal is melted that the dross may be severed Use. 3. All Judgments on the visible Church are to sever the dross from the Gold God suffereth them a while to be mingled and then come trying Judgments to separate the one from the other which is a comfort to us the Church is the purer for these Judgments Isai. 1. 25. And I will turn my hand upon thee and I will surely purge away thy dross and take away thy tin So Mal. 3. 3. And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness He will send such Judgments as will destroy the incorrigible wicked ones and purifie the rest 'T is a comfort against persecutions we murmure under them know not how they shall be turned away God who is the purger of his Church will find out some way And 't is a comfort under his Judgments they are not to destroy but to purge God intendeth only our purging how hot soever the Furnace be therefore let God alone with his work Use 4. Is to teach us to wait upon God in the way of his Judgments He is putting away the wicked of the Earth like dross it is not only a work that he hath done or will hereafter do but he is always doing of it We should observe how God hath already done it and so by faith we should look upon him as still about it First He beginneth with his people he is purging away of their wickedness Isai. 27. 9. By this shall the iniquity of Iacob be purged But many shall cleave to them by flatteries and some of them of understanding shall fall to try them and to purge and make them white Dan. 11. 35. Now when God hath employed wicked men to fann and purge his people then their turn cometh next Ier. 25. 29. For lo I begin to bring evil on the City which is called by my name and should ye be utterly unpunished Ye shall not be unpunished for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the Earth 1 Pet. 4. 17. If punishment begin at the house of God where shall the wicked and ungodly appear Prov. 11. 31. Behold the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth much more the wicked and the sinner When the Lord hath performed his work upon Mount Zion and Ierusalem then he will reckon with his Enemies he beginneth with his Church and maketh an end with their Enemies his Enemies drink the dregs of the Cup and their end must needs be unspeakably terrible Use 5. Let us see we be not put away like dross when Gods Judgments are abroad in the Earth 1 Cor. 11. 32. We are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world We shall put that out of question if we do two things First If we be faithful to God and cleave to Gods people truth and interest how great soever our tryals be Psal. 44. 17. All this is come upon us yet we have not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsely in the Covenant To consume in the melting is the property of dross but the pure metal is the more united and cleaveth together the more closely Secondly If you are refined by all these tryals Isai. 27. 9. By this shall the iniquity of Iacob be purged A Christian loseth nothing by his afflictions but sin which is better parted with than kept We come now to the second Branch of the Text and that is the effect it had upon David's heart Therefore I love thy testimonies This use he made of all Gods Judgements Doctr. A gracious heart that observeth the Providence of God and the course of his judicial dispensations will find more cause to love the word of God than ever before 1. Because thereby he hath sensible experience of the truth of it Gods Providence is a Comment upon his Word the effect is answerable to the prediction and the word that God hath said is fulfilled to a tittle Now the more confirmation the word receiveth the more is affection encreased The Apostle telleth us That the word spoken by Angels was stedsast Heb. 2. 2. because every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward the punishment of the transgressours of the Law was a proof of Gods authorizing their Doctrine the same Law made formerly is valid We see the word doth not threaten in vain and they that slight it smart for it Now I see the word of God is to be valued for God will make it good even to a tittle 2. Because if we love not the word we may see great danger likely to ensue even those terrible punishments by which he purgeth out the dross should make us fall in love with Gods Law If we would not perish with the wicked of the earth we should not sin with the wicked of the earth if we partake of their sins we must partake of their plagues Psal. 2. 11. Kiss the son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way if his wrath be kindled but a little blessed are they that trust in him When we see the danger of being enemies to God or unsound with him we have need to learn this wisdome of shewing all affection and reverence and respect to Christ and his ways and submit to him heartily there is no safety in any other course If a spark of his wrath light upon us how soon will it consume us The stupid world regardeth not this to love his ways the more God giveth out proofs of his anger against those that despise them Many are cut off in the mid way sooner than they did or could expect and yet they do not grow one jot the wiser 'T is dangerous to stand out against God his cause work or people 3. It doth indear the mercy of God to us because he hath dealt otherwise with us who in strict Justice have deserved the same Gods Judgments on the wicked commend his Mercies to his Children Rom. 9. 23. The Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction serve to shew the greater love of God to the Vessels of mercy the torments of Hell inflicted on the wicked do the more set forth his love to the Saints to whom he hath appointed the joys of Heaven So the severity of God in his present Judgments doth imply the love of God to his chosen people who can take comfort in the promises when the threatnings are accomplished upon others this might have been our condition too but that Grace hath made the difference Well then as it doth indear the mercy of God to us so it calleth upon us more highly to love and prize him and his word because of this distinction 4. 'T is not only a means to set off the love of God to us but even his Judgments upon others may be a necessary act of love
are express I. It is implied That God doth for a while hold his hand and not seem to mind his work though the least sin deserveth the greatest plagues even when it is first committed yet such is Gods patience and long-suffering that he will not at first punish even the sins of his enemies but will let them ripen and come to an height before he smite This he doth 1. To shew his bounty and goodness to all his Creatures He will not easily destroy the workmanship of his hands even the provoking wicked but giveth them time to repent and change their Course Rev. 2. 21. I gave her space to repent of her fornications and she repented not The worst have leave to repent means to repent time to repent and if they have not the Grace to repent they may blame themselves Rom. 9. 22. He endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Reprobate taste of Gods common goodness as they are Members of the World are forborn for a long time till they be fear and rotten through fit for the burning Nay let me observe this God that is very quick with his people is very patient towards them that perish God is quick with his own people he will visit their iniquities with scourges and will not suffer sin to lye upon them and therefore they are chastened every morning Yet this God is very patient to them that know no better profess no better have had no experience of his ways and though they finally perish 't is long first till their sins do even extort vengeance out of his hands 2. To chastise exercise and prove his own people he beareth with the wickedness of their enemies First To chastise them for their sins that they may be brought low and their souls be humbled to the dust Certainly this God expects before he will appear for us 1 Pet. 5. 6. Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God And because his people are backward to this work he permitteth such instruments as will not spare but lay on to the purpose Isai. 10. 5 6. O Assyrian the rod of mine anger and the staff in their hand is mine indignation I will send him against an hypocritical Nation and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge to take the spoil and to take the prey and to tread them down like the mire of the streets When God is angry with his people he can easily find a rod for them yea not only a rod but a staff which is a more heavy instrument of correction He can find instruments sufficiently exasperated and full of malice severe Executioners and he lets them alone till they have done his work though they manage his Controversie with cruel minds and evil and destructive intentions Sometimes God punisheth his people with Divisions among themselves and though they are very troublesom one to another yet a sheep cannot worry a sheep as a wolf will they do it to the purpose in a most cruel and despightful manner Now though he will reckon with wicked men for their violence for transgressing their bounds and going beyond his revealed will and approbation Zech. 1. 15. yet not till his work be done upon Mount Zion and Ierusalem Isai. 10. 12. When the Lord hath done his work upon Mount Zion and Ierusalem I will punish the stout heart of the King of Assyria He will not cast the Rod into the fire till we have felt the smart of it and be throughly humbled under his mighty hand Secondly To exercise his people that they may not contract Rust and languish and grow idle in Heavens way Alas when we live at ease and have no body to trouble us God is little owned loved and acknowledged the Throne of Grace lyeth neglected and unfrequented and therefore he permitteth enemies to keep us in breath Psal. 59. 11. Slay them not lest my people forget Things in conceit do not leave such an impression upon us as things in feeling Scipio would have Carthage stand to whet and exercise the Roman Valour We need vigilant enemies as a Guard upon us that we may be kept awful serious mindful of God constantly in the exercise of faith and dependance Wicked men have their ministry and service to be as Goads in our Sides and Scourges on our Backs to whip us to our duty and make us mend our pace heavenward Psal. 94. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest and teachest him out of thy Law chastened by the molestations of the wicked for all along he complaineth of the delay of vengeance on the Persecutors and in the next Verse he saith Until the pit be digged for the wicked As condemned men are suffered to live till their Gallows and Grave be made ready if they trouble us in the mean while 't is to reduce us to a sense and practice of our duty and that we may not securely go on in a course of vanity and sin Till that be done the Pit is not ready for the wicked and ungodly Oppressours they dig their own Pit by their sin and oppression Thirdly To prove his people as well as to exercise them To prove their faith and their patience their faith to see whether they can live by faith and not by sense and present appearance whether we are perswaded that there is a just and righteous God that is the supream Governour of the World notwithstanding all the oppositions and confusions they groan under Hab. 2. 3 4. Because it will surely come and will not tarry Behold his soul that is lifted up is not upright in him but the just shall live by his faith that is the Lords purpose in delaying to perform the vision is to try and discover who are the losty and unsound and whocan subsist and hold out by faith on Gods Being and Providence and Promises and World to come and so wait upon God in hard times without fainting If God should smite as soon as his enemies provoke him faith would be of no use and the whole world would be governed by sense To believe the justice and mercy of God though for the time we do not see any manifestation of it that 's the tryal of faith We know there is one that sits above and seeth all Though the World be in an uproar and they that work wickedness are set up and God's servants persecuted yet we know that God will reckon with them in due time And secondly To prove their patience in bearing the present difficulties and tarrying the Lords leisure Rev. 13. 10. Here is the patience and faith of the Saints that is a sensible proof of it when a powerful enemy carrieth all before him there would be little use of such a Grace but for such times This is submission to God when we are resolved to tarry for his season though we know it not and will wait as long as God will have us wait
evil humour or to encrease our hatred and exasperation against a party whom it may be we hate too much already with a carnal hatred but to a good purpose partly that we may not be too consident of carnal ease too soon God will it may be have the enemies Cup yet fuller and that they shall appear more in their own colours And so our tryals may be greater We know not the bounds of the Lords patience We that are apt to extenuate our own sins are apt to aggravate the sins of others look upon them in the Glass of passion and cry too soon it is time But of this by and by And partly that we may see the greatness of our transgressions by which we have provoked the Lord to give us up into the hands of such men as blaspheme his Name every day Isai. 52. 5. Our sins were full in our kind in the abuse of Gods truth and worship and though not such moral wickedness yet a great deal of spiritual wickedness And God is more quick and severe upon us and will not bear that in a professing people that he beareth in others Iudgment begins at the house of God 1 Pet. 4. 17. The Cup of trembling goes round and his own people drink first and our staggering is not yet over in time they shall pledge us God beareth with Balaam though he tempted him again and again when he would not bear with the young Prophet whom the Lyon slew He bore with the Philistines a long time e're they were plagned We feel the smart of the Rod sooner Zech. 12. Yet 't is apparent our kind of sins were grown to a ripeness our selfseeking factions turbulency unquietness under Government abuse of Christian liberty uncharitable Divisions among our selves vexing one another vain opinions sleighting Gods Ministers and Ordinances And partly that we may be humbled for their sins It should be a grief to us to see men break Gods Laws to see men outdare Heaven David fasted for his enemies Psal. 35. 14 15 16. and Psal. 119. 136. Rivers of tears run down mine eyes because men keep not thy Law because God is so much dishonoured humane Nature so much corrupted If more of this spirit were stirring it were the better for us And partly that we may fear our selves We are bound up in the same Community and when God judgeth them how shall we escape The Jews have a Proverb That two dry Sticks may set a green one on fire The meaning is The godly man may fall in the common calamity Wheat is plucked up with the Tares God saith in Deut. 7. 22. That they should not destroy all the Canâ—…anites lest the beasts of the field should encrease upon them The safety of his people are involved in the safety of their sinning and persecuting enemies A Hedg of Thorns may serve for a fence to a Garden of Roses and all the relief we have is the Lord can make a distinction 2 Pet. 2. 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust unto the day of Iudgment to be punished 3. Why doth God take this time First For his own Glory His Justice is more discovered when men have filled up their measure Psal. 51. 4. That thou mayest be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest It justifieth Gods proceedings and maketh us the more inexcusable So also his power 't is Gods time to send help and remedy when all things are gone to utter confusion when things are at the most desperate pass Psal. 124. 3 4 5. in our low estate then is God seen Secondly Hereby Gods work upon Mount Zion is promoted His people are humbled when their Adversaries are chief and rage against them Psal. 123. 4. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease and with contempt of the proud When things come to extremity their prayers are quickened Psal. 130. 1. Out of the depths I cryed unto thee O Lord. They are fitted to prize mercy Psal. 102. 13 14. They that thought it no great matter to have a standing Temple delight in the dust of a ruinous heap Then Shepherds Tents look lovely we set a higher rate on despised Ordinances In short they are waiting and praying and humbling their souls before God IV. Fourth Consideration When a flood of wickedness is thus broken out we may mind God of the deliverance of his people But what needs that Doth not God know his seasons and will not he exactly observe them In the Answer I shall shew you Why and How 1. Why Because First God loveth to be awakened by the prayers of his people and when he hath a mind to work he sets the spirit of prayer awork Ier. 29. 11 12. I know the thoughts that I think towards you saith the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end Then shall ye call upon me and ye shall go and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you So thus and thus will I do Ezek. 36. 37. Yet for this will I be enquired of by the house of Israel We are to give a lift by our prayers 't is a time of finding Psal. 32. 6. Secondly He hath put an office upon us God acts the part of a Judg we as Sollicitors and Remembrancers Isai. 62. 6 7. I have set Watchmen upon thy Walls O Ierusalem which shall never hold their peace night nor day Ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence and give him no rest till he make Ierusalem a praise in the Earth We are to put God in mind so that we but do our duty 2. How The principle and manner must be right First The principle be sure it be not the impatiency of the Flesh or love to our own ease or a mere tediousness and irksomeness of the Cross be sure it be not passion and a principle of revenge but a desire of promoting his honour and vindicating his glory David doth not say how troublesome they were to himself but they make void thy Law as if he had said Lord if my own interest were only concerned I would not open my mouth nor ever call upon thee to revenge my private quarrels but it is my zeal for thy Honour and Ordinances not that I have received injury but thy worship is corrupted work else what will become of thy Name and poor people Offences done against God should grieve us more than our own injuries and we should rather regard the general interest of Religion than any personal offence done to us There is often a carnal spirit breathing in our prayers and our zeal is fleshly the people of God beat it back Psal. 115. 1. Not unto us not unto us but unto thy Name give glory And Psal. 74. 10. O Lord how long shall the adversary reproach and the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever The godly can endure their own troubles better than
Saints and the blessed means to pluck up their Spirits Whilst there is a God in Heaven we are not at an utter loss So Verse 9. I will say unto God my Rock Why hast thou forgotten me Why go I mourning because of the Oppressor David first reasoned with himself yet the Distemper continued but when he comes to reason the Case with God in prayer then he gets ease Thirdly The violent passions of anger envy and revenge against Oppressours these are all naught and do a world of mischief Anger discomposeth us and transports the soul into uncomely motions against God and men makes us fret and male-content it tempts us to Atheism Psal. 73. maketh us weary of well-doing Psal. 37. tempts us to imitation of their wicked Course The Devil worketh much upon spleen and stomach and discontent and we are apt to run into these Disorders Now how shall we do to get rid of these Distempers By prayer in which we get a sight and prospect of the other world and then these things will seem nothing to us acquaint our selves with God and the process of his Providence and so we shall see an end of things Psal. 73. 17. then all is quiet And as for revenge too that is an effect of the former when we plead before God we see the justice of what is unjust and hard dealing from men to be justly inflicted by God and so the heart is calmed The Lord bid him curse 2 Sam. 16. 11. There is reason enough for this dispensation in the upper Tribunal whereunto when we appeal we should render no man evil for evil Rom. 12. 17. We ought not we need not 't is Gods work Deut. 32. 35. Vengeance and recompence are mine Nay our very praying is a committing our selves to him that judgeth righteously 1 Pet. 2. 23. In prayer we vent our zeal and that hindreth us from venting our carnal passions 'T is a resignation of our Person and Cause to him under unjust sufferings not out of malice desiring judgment and vengeance on Persecutors that is to make God the Executioner of our lusts to establish that which we would prevent in prayer But Saints in prayer labour only to shew their faith and meekness and to leave things to the righteous Judge to do what is for his own Glory and their good Fourthly For the other evil impatience and despair 't is a very great evil and contrary to faith and hope and dependance which the Christian Religion doth mainly establish and maketh way for the worst evils either total Apostasie from God or Atheism or self-destuction Now this is very incident to us when oppressions lye long upon us 2 King 6. 33. This evil is from the Lord why should I wait on the Lord any longer So Ier. 2. 25. But thou saidst There is no hope Desperately No for I have loved Strangers and after them will I go I will take my own course there is no hope 't is in vain to wait upon the Lord any longer And if things do not grow to that height yet the Children of God grow weary and faint in their minds Heb. 12. 3. Now we keep afoot some hope while we have an heart to call upon God The Suit is still depending in the Court of Heaven when it seems to be over on Earth and we see there is cause to wait for Gods answer He that shall come will come Hab. 2. 3. God may tarry long but will never come too late Thus why 2. But how is this to be asked First This is not to be asked in the first place as our main blessing Matth. 6. 33. First seek the Kingdom of God If we seek our ease and temporal felicity only that prayer is like a brutish Cry Hos. 7. 14. They howled upon their beds for Corn and Wine A Dog will howl when he feels any thing inconvenient You will never be freed from murmuring and quarrelling at Gods dispensations and questioning his love if this be the first thing that you seek and so your prayers will become your Snare Besides the great dishonour to God it argues the great disorder of your affections that you can be content to have any thing apart from God Psal. 105. 4. Seek ye the Lord and his strength seek his face evermore In all Conditions that must be our great request that we may have the favour of God Secondly It must be asked with submission 'T is not absolutely promised nor intrinsecally and indispensably necessary to our happiness but if the Lord see it fit for his own Glory and our good We cannot take it ill if a friend deny us to lend a Summ of Money which he knoweth we will lay out to our loss and detriment God seeth it fit sometimes for his own Glory and our good to continue us under oppression rather than to take us out of it There are two Acts of Providence relieving and comforting the oppressed and punishing the Oppressors Sometimes God doth the one without the other sometimes both together sometimes God will only comfort the oppressed we cry to him in our afflictions and God will not break the yoke but give us a supply of strength to bear it Psal. 138. 3. In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and hast strengthened me with strength in my soul. He giveth you strength to bear the burthen if you continue in your integrity Sometimes God doth punish the Oppressor yet that 's no relief and reparation to you you must bear it for you are to stand to Gods will and to wait his leisure to free you from it Thirdly Your end must be that God may be glorified and that you may serve him more cheerfully So 't is in the Text Deliver me from the oppression of man then shall I keep thy precepts Psal. 9. 13 14. Have mercy upon me O Lord consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me thou that liftest me up from the gates of death that I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Sion and I will rejoyce in thy salvation So David beggeth salvation in order to praise Temporal mercy should not be loved for it self nor sought for it self but as we may glorifie God by it that 's to be our end Lord I seek not my own interest but thine If you have a carnal end you miss Iames 4. 3. Because you ask to consume it upon your lusts that we may please the Flesh as sweetly and quietly as we did before live in the height of pomp and splendor gratifie our lusts without disturbance or see our revenge or if a meer natural end the meer conveniency of the outward man we bespeak our own denial Fourthy We must pray in faith that God can and is ready to deliver from the oppression of man and will do so in due time when 't is good for us First God can deliver us Though our Oppressors be never so mighty and strong God can break
not be at our beck We have deserved nothing but must wait for him in the diligent use of the means as Benhadad's servants watched for the word Brother or any thing of kindness to drop from the King of Israel 2. Work for it for I press you not to a devout sloth All good things are hard to come by 't is worth all the labour we lay out upon it There is no having peace with God any sense of his love without diligent attendance in the use of all appointed means 2 Pet. 3. 14. Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless And 2 Pet. 1. 10. Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure That comfort is to be suspected that costs nothing but like Ionah's Gourd grows up in a night that comes upon us we know not how IV. Gods Children when they beg comfort also beg Grace to serve him acceptably For teaching Gods Statutes is not meant barely a giving us a speculative knowledge of Gods will for so David here Make thy face to shine and Teach me thy Statutes And why do they so 1. Out of gratitude They are ingenuous and would return all duty and thankfulness to God as well as receive mercy from him therefore they are always mingling resolutions of duty with expectations of mercy and when they carry away comforts from him are thinking of suitable returns And while they take Christ for righteousness they devote and give up themselves to his use and service The nature of man is so disposed that when we ask any thing we promise especially if a Superior Hos. 14. 2. Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the calves of our lips The Children of God resolve upon duty and service when they ask favour So Psal. 9. 13 14. Have mercy upon me O Lord consider my trouble that I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the Daughter of Sion We are thinking of honouring and praising God at that time when we seek his favour 2. The Children of God do know that this is the cause of Gods aversion from them that his Stautes are not observed and therefore when they beg a greater experience of Gods special favour they also beg direction to keep his Statutes They cannot maintain and keep up a sense of the love of God unless they be punctual in their Duty He knows nothing of Religion that knows not that the comfort of a Christian depends upon sanctification as well as justification and the greater sense of obedience the fuller sense of the love of God and the degrees of manifesting his favour are according to the degrees of our profiting in obedience for these go along still Jesus Christ is King of righteousness and King of peace He is Melchizedeck King of Salem he pours out the Oil of grace that he may pour out the Oil of gladness Heb. 7. 2. But especially see one place Iohn 14. 21. He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Christ was then most sweetly comforting his people but 't was not his mind that they should be emboldned thereby to cast off Duty No he says the only way to assure them that they were not delusions and to clear their right to these comforts was this He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him That 's the way to get confirmation and evidence of the love of God 3. This is a notable effect and evidence of Gods favour to guide you in his ways therefore 't is a branch of the former for whom the Lord loveth he teacheth and guides Rom. 8. 14. As many as are the Children of God they are led by the Spirit Others are left to their own hearts counsels And Psal. 25. 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant The communication of Secrets is a note of friendship Now the secret of the Lord the knowledge of his Covenant and what belongs thereto it is to those that fear God There 's the qualification 4. He sheweth that he does not desire a greater proof of Gods love He would chiefly experience the good will of God to him in being taught the mind of God The most sleight that which David prizeth But if our hearts were as they should be we would prefer this before all other good things sanctification to be taught of God For First 'T is a better evidence of Gods favour than worldly comforts Pardon freeth us from punishment sanctification from sin and pollution sin is worse than misery and holiness is to be preferred before impunity Christ in the work of redemption considered the Fathers interest and honour as well as your salvation The taking away of worldly comforts doth not infringe our blessedness yea when it is accompanied with this benefit it maketh way for the encrease of it Psal. 94. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy Law All the comforts of the world are not worth one Dram of Grace The loss of them may be supplied with Grace and man be happy comfortable and blessed for all that but the loss of Grace cannot be supplied with temporal things We cannot say Blessed is the man that hath lost Grace for the worlds sake Again all the riches and honours heaped upon a man cannot make him better they may easily make him worse but Grace can never make us worse but always better more amiable in the eyes of God and fitter for communion with him These may be given to those whom God hateth Psal. 17. 74. But this is the favour of his people Grace is never given but to those whom he entirely loveth These may be given in wrath but sanctifying Grace never in wrath The more we have of these things the more wanton and vain Deut. 32. 15. They are often used as an occasion to the Flesh Gal. 5. 13. prove fewel to our lusts encrease our snares temptations difficulties in Heavens way Luke 18. 25. Our Table becometh a snare Psal. 69. 22. But the saving Graces of the Spirit make all easie and help us towards our own happiness Secondly Profiting in obedience or sanctification is a greater effect of God favour Sanctification is a greater priviledge than Justification Perfect and compleat holiness and conformity to God is the great thing which God designed as the glory of God is holiness Exod. 15. 11. Moral perfections exceed natural and of all moral perfections Holiness is the greatest 'T is better to be wise than strong to be holy than wise Beasts have strength Man hath reason but holy Angels a holy God Sanctification is a real perfection
pronounced against evil men but the Lord doth not put the Sentence in execution The Sentence is past against them both sententia Legis the sentence of the Law and so it is said he is condemned already Iohn 3. 18. Nay there 's Sententia Iudicis the Sentence which the Judg passeth upon a Sinner for he ratifieth the Sentence of the Law what is bound upon Earth is bound in Heaven Well the Warrant for Execution is signed yet the Execution is suspended for just and wise reasons Sin is not less odious to God because wicked men do not presently feel the punishment of it There are many righteous ends why Execution should be delayed Partly With respect to the Mediator into whose hands the Government of the World is put Exod. 33. 2 3. I will send an Angel before thee I will not go up with thee lest I consume thee by the way compared with Exod. 23. 20 21 22 23. Behold I send an Angel before thee to keep thee in the way and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared Beware of him and obey his voice provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions for my name is in him But if indeed thou obey his voice and do all that I speak then I will be an enemy to thy enemies and an adversary to thy adversaries for my Angel shall go before thee that was Christ whom they tempted in the Wilderness 1 Cor. 10. 9. Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted him and were destroyed of Serpents Partly that the Elect might not be cut off in their unregenerate condition that the Wheat may not be plucked up with the Tares which they might be if Sentence should be speedily executed against every evil Doer there would be no room left for conversion Therefore God is â—…t slack as men count slackness but only waits that all tâ—…ose that belong to the purpose of his Grace might come to repentance 2 Pet. 3. 9. He is long suffering to usward to those that were such as the Apostle was that belonged to the purposes of Gods grace And it is delayed too that his wrath may be glorified in the confusion of the Reprobate Rom. 9. 22. He endureth with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction that he may shew the Glory of his power against them they are hardened and strenghthened in their wickedness by their prosperity When all the favours of God have been abused and the riches of his goodness set at naught they have nothing to say for themselves And Sentence is delayed that the little good they do in the World may not be hindred God knows how to use all his Creatures even the wicked have a ministry and service under his Providence The Lord would not destroy their enemies all at once lest the Beasts of the Field should encrease upon them Deut. 7. 22. They serve as a Hedg of Thorns to a Garden of Roses for his people A dead rotten Post may support a living Tree It may be God will bring some that belong to his Grace out of their Loins Hierome saith Many times an evil Shrub may bear sweet Fruit. And God hath righteous ends too that his people may be humbled and that their perverse humours may be broken for so saith the Lord Isai. 10. 12. When the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Sion and on Ierusalem I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria When he hath sufficiently humbled and purged his people then he will do it And whenever this temptation comes when you see Sentence delayed go to the Sanctuary as David did Psal. 7â—… 17. then you will understand their end There you will see Sentence is not speedily executed but it is surely executed As a Chimney long foul will be fired at length Psal. 55. 19. Because they have no changes therefore they fear not God when they are high and prosperous but God will hear and afflict them even he that abideth of old he whose Essence and Providence hath been always the same he will in due time execute his righteous Judgment and the longer he stays the more heavy the longer he is about drawing of his Bow the deeper will his Arrows pierce they are but treasuring up wrath to themselves against the day of wrath Rom. 2. 5. As in Iehojadah's Chest the longer it was e're it was opened the more Treasure there was in the Chest so they are treasuring up wrath c. The Fire that hath been long kindling burns the more grievous at last Secondly There are other punishments besides outward afflictions Invisible Judgments are most fearful blindness of mind hardness of heart terrours of Conscience Tertullian ad Marg. Cogitemus ipsum magis Mundum Carcerem esse exiisse eos de Carcere quà m in Carcerem introisse intelligemus Majores tenebras habet Mundus quae hominum corda excaecant graviores Catenas induit Mundus quae animas hominum obstringunt 2 Cor. 4. 4. Nihil infelicius felicitate peccantium No such misery as to be condemned to this kind of happiness no blindness like a blind understanding no chains like an obstinate will no torments like terrours of Conscience under which a man lives for his further punishment that he may be his own Tormentor Cain had rather dye a thousand deaths than be let loose as a Vagabond here upon Earth and be delivered over to the Hell of his own Conscience Those that are under torments of Conscience will call upon the Mountains and Rocks to cover them The third Consideration is this Providence must not be viewed by halves but in its whole frame and connexion Do but wait a little and you shall see God will shew himself a righteous God When we view the dealings of God by pieces we are apt to break out into those Complaints Psal. 73. 11 12. Doth the Lord see how doth God know Is there knowledge in the Most High Behold these are the ungodly who prosper in the world they increase in riches c. I but stay a while and you will see There is a God that judgeth in the Earth Psal. 58. 11. I remember the Poet Claudian who had a little tincture of Christianity though a Heathen as appears by his Words when he saw Drones and unworthy men greater than the worthy and vex the pious laetose diu florere nocentes vexarique pios doubted num inesset Rector c. whether there were any Governour of the World any Judge that took notice of things here below incerto florent mortalia casu and thought all things were delivered over to blind Chance but saith he at length Abstulit hunc tandem Ruffini poena absolvit Deos tolluntur in altum ut lapsu graviore ruant The gods were absolved for they are lifted up on high that their fall may be the greater Men give another judgment of the work of God when it is brought to
seen in their deliverance and therefore before God doth appear for his Children he bringeth them very low Thus Paul 2 Cor. 1 9. We had the sentence of Death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raised the dead and Psal. 136. 23. He remembred us in our low estate for his mercy endureth for ever His Mercy and Power is the more glorious in our rescue All that I shall say by way of Use on this point is this 1. That when we are a small people and persons of no Interest we have a liberty to use it to God you may make use of your weak and low Condition as an Argument of Pity so doth the Prophet Amos Iacob is small so doth David here and elsewhere Psal. 109. 22. But I am poor and needy deliver me for thy Names sake and Psal. 69. 29. But I am poor and sorrowful let thy salvation O God set me on high It is some ease to acquaint a friend with our griefs that can onely pity us much more when we have liberty to go to God who can and will help us and will allow us to complain to him though not of him 2. When God's ends are accomplished there is hope Isa. 10. 12. When the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Zion when he hath chastised his People and brought them to his purpose then he will reckon with his Enemies When Heaven is minded more and Earth less We naturally mind earthly things and please our selves with the dreaming of an happy estate in the World The Appetite of Temporal dominion and Wealth and Honour and Peace is natural to us and very hardly subdued and therefore we would fain flourish here and do not comfort our selves in our Crosses with the Meditation of the Glory of the World to come but are alwayes feeding our selves with desires and hopes of earthly happiness and of turning the Tide and Current of Affairs that things may again smile upon us and when frustrated and disappointed of this hope our Soul fainteth Your Worldly Happiness will be a snare to you while you are thus affected Matth. 6. 33. Prepare for Heaven and God will give you so much Happiness by the way as will be needful and fit for you Again when we are Mortified and the Cross hath purged out sin Isa. 27. 9. the Cross hath done its work So when we are humble Lev. 26. 41. If then their Uncircumcised hearts be humble and they accept of the punishment of their iniquity to be meek in Spirit and to trust in the Lord is a fore-runner of Mercy Zeph. 3. 12. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor People and they shall trust in the Name of Lord. When you bring honour to God by your Sufferings Iam. 1. 4. but let patience have its perfect work that ye may be perfect and intire wanting nothing When 't is most for Gods Glory to 〈◊〉 Deut. 32. 36. For the Lord shall Iudge his People and repent himself for his Servants when he seeth that their Power is gone and there is none shut up or left 2. Doctrine Gods people when they are brought low are usually a very despised people the most despised people under Heaven Here I shall shew 1. That this is the usual Lot of an Afflicted people 2. But especially of the people of God 3. The Tryal is very grievous to them 1. An Afflicted People are usually a despised People Psal. 123. 4. Our Soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease and with the Contempt of the Proud They that are proud and have all things flow in upon them according to their own will contemn and slight others and take no notice of their burdens unless it be to increase them they pour vinegar on the wound The Heathens had a reverence for places stricken with thunder because the hand of God had touched them but here 't is not so Iob 12. 5. he that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thoughts of him that is at ease While we are burning lamps shining in Riches and greatness we shall have enough to look after us but a poor broken dying lamp a snuff that is ready to go out every body holdeth their nose at it Whilst the enemies are Honourable Great tumble in Wealth and the excess of Carnal delights they despise those that are mean and low and faln under God's hand 2. The People of God much more common sufferers may meet with some pity in their Calamity but the godly are subject to reproaches and mockings in their troubles and this many times proveth the heaviest part of the Cross and maketh it most grievous to be borne 'T is so partly because faln from their great hopes carried on in a way of Religion Where is their God Their fasting prayer As if all were now delusions and phantastical Impressions And partly because the presence of God is sensibly gone from them The presence of God among his people maketh them Wise Couragious Prosperous How should one chase an hundred and a hundred put a thousand to flight But when God leaveth them they grow despicable and ridiculous above all others Hosea 14. 2. Return to the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by this iniquity All that honoured her shall despise her because her nakedness is seen Lam. 1. 8. A dispirited Judgment-blasted people shall be contemned And partly because the cause for which they suffer may be strangely disguised and ill-represented to the World Satan was first a Liar and then a Murtherer Ioh. 8. 44. Elijah was thought the troubler of Israel They may not only persecute but say all manner of evil against us falsely for Christs sake Matth. 11. 19. Christ is called a Glutton a Wine-bibber and Stephen a Blasphemer And partly by Satans instigation by this means he maketh the despisers increase their sin and hasten their Judgment and so he disswades and discourages many weak Christians from owning the despised wayes of Christ yea it taketh off much of the cheerfulness and Courage of the strong in the profession of Godliness 3. 'T is very grievous Contempt maketh our other tryals more sharp Every man thinketh himself worthy of some respect and would be somebody in the World and therefore when we are laid aside as if dead and useless the temptation is the greater Saul could better bear death than contempt 1 Sam. 31. 4. Draw thy sword and thrust me thorough lest the Uncircumcised come and abuse me Zedekiah was afraid of mocking Ier. 38. 19. Lest they deliver me into the hands of the Chaldeans and they Mock me but not only as we are men it is grievous to us but also as Christians because this contempt reflecteth upon our hopes and the Worship of God it hindreth our service while we were esteemed we did more good and had greater advantages It may revive the sense of guilt God saith
first laid in his Everlasting Decrees The Terms of Life and Salvation held forth in the New Covenant are to continue for Ever no change to be expected From the beginning of the World to the end thereof the Covenant of Grace cannot cease The Obligation still continueth men are for ever bound to love God and their Neighbour There shall no time come when the Law of loving God and our Neighbour shall be Reversed and out of Date The Covenant is essentially the same under all the diversity of Administrations And as the Priviledges so the Duties are of an Eternal Obligation Among men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is just at one time that is not just at another Law givers cannot alwayes live to see their Laws executed and men cannot foresee all occasions and inconveniences and therefore often repeal their Laws but God is wise he hath made an unchangeable Law and he forbiddeth things intrinsecally Evil and commandeth things intrinsecally Good 2. As to the Effects of it in case of Obedience or Disobedience In case of Disobedience Eternal Wrath lighteth on them that reject this Covenant that walk contrary to it they shall be Eternally Miserable 2 Thes. 1. 9. Who shall be punished with everlasting Destruction from the presence of the Lord. Not a Temporal but an Everlasting Destruction and Mark 9. 44. The worm shall never die and the fire shall never be quenched An Eternity of Torments because they despised Everlasting Mercy and rejected the Authority of an Everlasting God Having offended an Infinite God their punishment abideth on them for ever If they will stand out their day 't is fit their recovery should be hopeless 2dly The Benefits are Eternal in case of Obedience There is Everlasting Grace Everlasting Comfort and Everlasting Life 1 Ioh. 2. 17. The World passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doth the Will of God abideth for ever The Spirit is given as a Comforter that shall abide for ever Iohn 14. 16. and 2 Thes. 2. 16. God who hath loved us and given us everlasting Consolation and good hope through Grace And 't is fit it should be so because 't is built upon Gods unchangeable Love and Christs Eternal Merit and Intercession Gods Love is an Everlasting Love Ier. 31. 3. The efficacy of Christ's Merit never ceaseth Heb. 13. 8. His continual Intercession ever lasteth Heb. 7. 25. and Rom. 8. 39. Nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ. He liveth for Ever by which we continue for ever in the Favour of God and the Covenant standeth firm between him and us the Fountain of Comfort is never dryed up Use Is to Inform us of the difference between the Laws of God and the Laws of Men There are many differences some of which I shall touch by and by this Expression offereth two 'T is Righteousness and Everlasting Righteousness First 'T is Righteousness Men have and do often decree wickedness by a Law not only in the first Table where man is most blind but also in the second not only in their Barbarous Worship their sacrificing of men but also in their humane Constitutions The Lacedaemonians held it lawful to steal if he were not taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the very Act. In Cyprus they held it lawful for their Virgins if they were poor to Prostitute themselves to get a Dowry or Portion By the Law of the 12 Tables a man might kill his Wife if she smelt of Wine or Counterfeited his Keys And among the Romans if a slave had killed his Master all his fellow-slaves were put to death with him though never so Innocent By the same Laws a Father might thrice sell his Child they might tear their Debtors in pieces if they were not solvent Thus blind were men in their own concerns and what made for humane Commerce Much more in the way of pleasing God and the Interest of the World to come Bless God for this righteous Law Again Secondly 'T is Everlasting Righteousness not only Righteous at the first giving out but Righteous in all Ages and Times and should we slight this rule that will hold for ever In the World new Lords new Laws Men vary and change their designs and purposes Priviledges granted to day may be repealed to morrow but this word will hold true for ever Our Justification by Christ is irrevocable that part of Righteousness is Everlasting Be sure you are Justified now upon terms of the Gospel and you shall be Justified for ever your Forgiveness is an Everlasting Forgiveness and your Peace is an everlasting Peace Ier 33. 34. I will remember your sins no more So the other Righteousness of Sanctification 't is for ever Approve your selves to God now and you will approve your selves at the Day of Judgment 2. Use is Exhortation 1. Let this take us off from seeking things that have no Continuance in them The Everlastingness of the Word is opposed often to the Transitory Vanities of the World 1 Pet. 1. 23 24. All flesh is grass and the glory of man as the flower of grass The grass withereth and the flower falleth away but the Word of the Lord indureth for ever Why should we hunt after that glory that soon fadeth So 1 Ioh. 2. 17. The World passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doth the Will of God abideth for ever All these things Change and move up and down by divers Circumrotations we sit fast and loose in the World but in the Covenant of Grace all is sure 2. Let us choose this Word to live by that we may be partakers of that Everlasting Good which cometh by it Oh let us regard it Eternity is concerned in it If the Righteousness of God be Everlasting let us begin betimes to get interested in it and persevere in it to the end Let us begin betimes for we have but a few dayes to live here in the World and so either to express our thankfulness or lay a foundation for our eternal hopes Therefore let us set about the work the sooner And let us persevere our care to keep this law must be perpetual not like Temporaries many will carry themselves well and godly for a while but afterwards fall off this doth not become an Everlasting Law there is the same goodness in Gods Law that there was at first 3. Let us comfort our selves with the Everlastingness of the Priviledges offered to us in Gods Word The redeemed of the Lord should have an Everlasting joy Isa. 35. 10. And the Ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads Let other things end and change as they will our right by the new Covenant changeth not Sometimes we are in request in the World and sometimes in disgrace but Gods love is everlasting and sure We are not in with him to day and out to morrow he hath dealt with us upon sure and unchangeable terms nay when you die you may comfort
proper to say are Just and Righteous than to say are Truth His Commandments are Just as the Rule of our Duty they are just as the Rule of God's Process but the word Commandment is not taken strictly for the mandatory part of the Word but it is put for the whole Covenant his Precepts invested with Promises and Threatnings the Commandments thus considered with the Promises and Threatnings annexed are true Yea mark the Emphasis of the Phrase Truth it self The Happiness promised to them that make Conscience of their Duty will be made good and so the Punishments on them that offend God will be inflicted Now the joyning of these two Clauses seemeth to speak thus much I know that thou art near me because thy Word is Truth God in his Providence seemeth to be absent sometimes from his People but upon the Assurance of his Word we must believe him near I say God seemeth to be far off from his People for who would think that the God of Peace and all Comfort should dwell with them that are broken in Spirit Isa. 57. 15. For thus saith the high and holy One that inhabiteth Eternity whose name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Or that the Author of all Felicity should be present with them that are harassed and exercised with such sharp Afflictions and hunted up and down in the World but because God hath promised it Isa. 43. 2. When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the Fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee We should be satisfied with it his Word is Truth whatever Sense and Reason saith to the contrary neither distance of place nor afflictedness of condition do hinder his nearness to us Quitting all other points I shall only insist on this one Doctrine That it is the Priviledge and Happiness of God's Children to have God near unto them upon all occasions My great business will be to explain what this nearness is and then you will soon find it to be the great Happiness and Priviledge of the Saints First What is this nearness Secondly How is it brought about First What is this nearness 1. God is not said to be nearer to them than others in regard of his Essence for so he is everywhere present nullibi inclusus nullibi exclusus so an Heathen described God to be a great Circle whose Centre is nowhere and Circumference everywhere and in the Prophet he telleth us Ier. 23. 23 24. Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God afar off do not I fill Heaven and Earth can any hide him in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord He filleth all things with his Essential Presence he is in Earth in Heaven and under the Earth Psal. 139. 7 8. Whither shall I go from thy spirit and whither shall I flee from thy Presence if I ascend up into Heaven thou art there if I make my bed in Hell behold thou art there if I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the Sea even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me God is here and there and everywhere the Heavens do not confine and inclose his Being nor the Tumults of the Earth exclude it in this sense God is alike near to all things they that cannot endure the presence and thought of God where will they go from him They may run away from God as a Friend but they cannot escape him as an Enemy te non amittit nisi qui dimiâ—…t qui te dimittit quo fugit nisi a te placato ad te iratum Men may shut God out of their hearts and yet he is there do what they can and will be found there one day in the dreadful Effects of his Anger 2. Not in regard of his general Providence and common Sustentation for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is not far from every one of us for in him we live and move and have our being Acts 17. 27 28. This general Presence and providential sustentation is vouchsafed to all his Creatures without which they could not subsist nor move nor act so all things are inclosed under the hand of his Power and are still under his disposing 3. It is meant of his friendly and gracious Presence and those eminent and gracious effects of his Power and Goodness which he is pleased to afford his People So God is sometimes said to be nigh unto his People and they are said to be a People near unto him the Lord is said to be near unto them Psal. 34. 18. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart And again Psal. 145. 18. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him and to all that call upon him in truth Deut. 4. 7. What Nation is so great who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for The Lord is said to be nigh because he is always ready to hear their Prayers and to direct them in their doubts comfort them in their sorrows defend and protect them in all their dangers and deliver them in all their Troubles On the other side they are said to be a People near unto God Psal. 148. 14. He also exalteth the horn of his people the praise of all his Saints even of the Children of Israel a people near unto him Because they are the special Objects of his Mercy and Favour and as to the actual intercourse that passeth between God and them God is said to draw nigh to them as they are said to draw nigh to God Iam. 4. 8. Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you and so drawing nigh to us on God's part signifieth his Grace and Blessing and drawing nigh on our part our Duty Love Fear Delight and Reverence of God Well then it is meant of his friendly gracious Presence vouchsafed to his People 4. This nearness may be understood of his visible Presence in his Ordinances or of that spiritual inwardness and saving Union and Communion that is between God and his converted People or those that are brought home to him by Christ and are the members of his Mystical Body In some sense it is the Priviledge of the Visible Church to have God near them because they have the signs of his Presence among them as in the former place Deut. 4. 7. What nation hath God so nigh unto them It was the common priviledge of the Nation in comparison of the Pagans about them who were a People afar off and strangers to the Covenants of Promise So Ier. 14. 9. Thou O Lord God art in the midst of
shall be established unto thee and the light shall shine upon thy ways Decree and it shall be established speak the word and it shall come to pass Is it for us to enact Decrees to appoint what shall be Their Prayer is a duplicate or counterpart of Gods Decrees God guideth their hearts to ask such things as are pleasing to him God is ready to help us to give supplies in all our Necessities he is remembring us for good upon all occasions especially in our low Estate when we have none to help he will help Isa. 59. 16. And he saw that there was no man and wondred that there was no Intercessor therefore his arm brought salvation unto him and his righteousness it sustained him It was when he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey he cannot be safe unless he be wicked and none will bestir himself in the behalf of Truth and Right or own the good Cause by speaking a word for it therefore God himself would take the business in hand Psal. 105. 14. He suffered no man to do them wrong They that are Gods Confederates he hath a watchful Eye over them they are under his Defence and Protection an afflicted People are more sensible of God's Presence Help and Assistance than others are for streights and troubles are means to open mens eyes and waken their senses now you will ever find God with you when he seemeth most to forget you But especially in Duties of Worship the Visits of Love there and the entertainment at Gods Table Psal. 65. 4. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach to thee that he may dwell in thy Courts we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house even of thy holy Temple They have many sweet experiences of God which they find not elsewhere there he doth Comfort Quicken and Revive them Psal. 36. 8. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house thou shalt make them drink of the rivers of thy pleasures God biddeth them welcom to this Table and will not send them away empty indeed there they come to feel joyes unspeakable and glorious Not that we should build always on sensible experiences or tye God to our time or make an Essay of Curiosity but if they humbly resolutely wait upon God according to the incouragements of his Promise first or last they shall have a full meal and God will own them and fill their hearts with goodness Thus in answering their Prayers helping them in streights visiting in Duties 2 On our part it is delightful to Converse with God 1. In Holy Duties Isa. 26. 16. Lord in trouble have they visited thee they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them Iob. 22. 21. Acquaint now thy self with him and be at peace thereby good shall come unto thee We have no Reason to be strange to God for if we were acquainted with our selves we should find daily and hourly some errand to the Throne of Grace To forget him dayes without number sheweth we have little knowledge of God or of our selves Be sure to look after a desire to enjoy God in the Duty My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the courts of my God my flesh and my heart cryeth out for the living God Psal 84. 2 3. To rest in an empty Ordinance sheweth we do what we do rather to pacifie Conscience than satisfie spiritual desires God is to be our End and Object whom we are to seek and serve abs te sine te non recedam 2. In a course of Holiness how can two walk together except they be agreed Amos 3. 3. Loveth what he Loveth Hateth what he Hateth Suitableness of disposition is the ground of intimacy 1 Ioh. 1. 7. If we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another God saith I will dwell in them and walk in them walk as ever before God Gen. 17. 1. I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect Secondly How we come to be brought into this nearness The Reason of doubting is because every man is born a stranger to God Psal. 58. 3. The wicked are estranged from the womb they go astray as soon as they be born speaking lies Sin causes a distance between God and us Isa. 59. 2. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear Man is averse from God without God Christ Covenant or Hope or any good from him Christ represents our Apostate Nature by the Prodigals going into a far Countrey the breach groweth wider every day and the distance is increased by actual sin The wicked are far from God Hos. 7. 13. Wo unto them for they have fled from me destruction unto them for they have transgressed against me While matters stand thus between us and God there is no Hope the rigour of Divine Justice and the Terror of a guilty Conscience will not give us leave to look for any Communion with God Ans. In this hopeless and helpless estate the Lord Jesus had pity on us the great End of the Mediator is to bring us to God 1 Pet. 3. 18. For Christ hath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God And therefore he is said to be the way to the Father Ioh. 17. 6. I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the Father but by me He hath taken our case into his own hands and doth partly by his Merit and partly by his Spirit bring about this nearness and fellowship between God and us 1. By his Merit he bringeth us into a state of Favour he opened the door by his death Eph. 2. 13. But now in Christ Iesus we who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. To go to God offended and appeased by no satisfaction is terrible to the guilty Creature but Christ hath made our peace so that we have access into this Grace wherein we stand Rom. 5. 1 2. Therefore being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. By whom also we have access by faith into the grace wherein we stand This door which he hath opened by his death he keepeth open by his constant Intercession Heb. 7. 25. Wherefore he is able to save unto the uttermost all those that come unto God through him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for us which our repeated provocations would otherwise daily and hourly shut and close again 1 Ioh. 2. 1. These things I write unto you that you sin not and if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and so all distance is removed and poor Creatures may comfortably come to God 2. There is a great averseness in our hearts and we need not only leave to come to God but an heart to come to God we
should his Mercy and Truth fulfilled Secondly To Frequency and Constancy therein Frequency in this Duty doth not beget a Satiety and Loathing but rather a greater delight to continue in it But here arise two Questions Quest. I. What Time must be necessarily spent in Acts of Worship and Adoration Prayer Praise and immediate Converse with God Answ. 1. 'T is a Truth that our whole time must be given to God for a Christian is a dedicated thing a living Sacrifice Rom. 12. 1. Now the Beast offered in Sacrifice with all the Appurtinances was Gods a Christian by the consent of his own Vows is not master of any thing After a Vow of all we must not keep back part as did Ananias and Saphira A Christian hath given his whole Self Time and Strength to God 2. Though our whole Time be given to God yet for several Uses and Purposes Gods Service is not of one sort and he is served in our Callings as well as in our Worship Man in Paradise was to dress the Garden Gen. 2. 15. as well as to Contemplate God Common actions may become Sacred by their End and Use. Isaiah 23. 18. And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord. 3. These several Duties must not interfere and clash one with another for Gods Commands are not contrary but subordinate We must not so attend upon Religion as to neglect the service of our Generation as Instruments of Gods Providence nor suffer the Lean Kine to devour the Fat the World to incroach upon Religion 4. The particular Seasons for each Duty are not determined and set down in Scripture 1. Partly Because God trusteth Love and will see whether we have a mind to Cavil and Wrangle and Dispute away Duties rather than Practise them 2. And Partly Because he would leave something to the Conduct of his Spirit and the Choice of Spiritual Wisdom Psal. 112. 5. A good man will guide his affairs with discretion 3. And Partly Because mens Occasions and conditions are different and he would not have his Law to be a snare 4. And Partly Because there are so many occasions to praise God that if we do not want an Heart we will be much and frequent in this Duty 5. Though there be not express Rules there is enough to prevent Carelesness and Loosness God calleth to us in very large and Comprehensive terms always continually and in every thing The Example of the Saints who Night and Day were praising God Paul and Silas at midnight sang praises to God Acts 16. 29. So Psal. 119. 62. At midnight will I rise to give thanks to thee because of thy righteous Iudgments And in the Text seven times a day Besides there are daily solemn services Personal and Domestick to be performed Matth. 6. 11. Watching dayly at my gates Prov. 8. 34. Morning and Evening they were to offer a Lamb Numb 28. 4. 6. There are general hints and limits enough to become love Psalm 71. 14. But I will hope continually and will praise thee yet more and more Enough to keep the Heart in good plight and maintain Faith and Hope in God and keep up a spiritual entercourse of Communion with God by dayly offering up prayers and praises to him Quest. II. Whether it be Convenient to state and fix a time David had his set times so had Daniel and surely all Occasions Opportunities and Abilities considered it may be an help to us and make the spiritual Life more orderly to have set stated fixed times for the performance of this Duty Thirdly To suit Gods Word and Works together Laws and Judgments Rom. 1. 18. God hath revealed his wrath against all ungodliness and unrighteousness Heb. 2. 2. Every transgression and every disobedience received a just recompense of reward Deliverances and Promises fetch all out of the Covenant Psal. 128. 5. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion that relateth to the Covenant made to the Church This cheeketh Atheisme sweetneth our Duties allayeth our Fears and resolveth our doubts and helpeth us in the delightful exercise of praising God SERMON CLXXIX PSALM CXIX VER 165. Great Peace have they that love thy Law and nothing shall offend them ALL that live in this World find this life a Warfar Iob 7. 1. Much more must the godly expect difficulties and conflicts Psal. 34. 19. Many are the troubles of the Righteous to the eye of Flesh no Condition seemeth worse and more obnoxious to misery then the Condition of those that serve God yet in reality none are in a better Estate what ever happeneth they are at Peace built on the corner-stone which God hath layed in Zion and therefore in all the Commotions and Troubles of the World they are safe This is that which David here observeth In the former verse he had told us that it was his custom to praise God seven times a day for his righteous judgments and now he sheweth the reason namely from the ordinary course and tenour of these Judgments or dispensation of his Providence which was to give peace to them that keep his Law Great peace c. In these Words you have I. A priviledge great peace have they II. The Qualification that love thy Law III. The Effect nothing shall offend them Let me open these Branches the Priviledge is peace and that is threefold First External Secondly Internal Thirdly And Eternal First External in the House the City or Countrey and Societies where we Live in this sence 't is taken Psalm 122. 6 7. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love thee peace be within thy walls Now this is not all that is meant here for this is a common benefit though often vouchsafed for the sake of them that love God as Musick cannot be heard alone though intended but to one person yet others share with him in the benefit of it Or if you understand it of his own personal peace or being at amity with men they do not always enjoy that Gods best Children are often forced to be men of Contention that is passively they are contended with and troubled in the world Ier. 15. 10. And therefore the Apostle saith Rom. 12. 18. If it be possible as much as lyeth in you live peaceably with all men 'T is not always to be had but we should indeavour to live in peace with all men Secondly There is Internal peace arising either from Justification Rom. 5. 1 or Sanctification Isa. 32. 17. The Fruit of Righteousness is peace or from Contentment with our condition Phil. 4. 7. By Justification we have peace when God is reconciled and made a Friend By Sanctification we have peace when we walk evenly with God And by Contentment we have peace when our Affections are calmed and rightly ordered or set upon more worthy and noble objects So that we are not troubled at the loss of outward things these are the ingredients necessary to internal peace which is I suppose principally
Flames for a little contentment here in the World for a little ease and delight here given to your carnal Nature Is an Earthly Life that you cannot long hold more valuable then an Eternal Heaven you shall enjoy for ever no let us go to heaven though we get thither with many pains and sufferings If you forsake all not only in Vow and Purpose but Actually and in Deed yet still you have something better you shall be no looser in the end you shall so choose the blessed God and live with him for evermore and be fill'd with his Love as full as you can hold and be employed in his service and all this in an Eternal Perfection and glorified Estate 4. Motive Choose for you will never have cause to repent of your choice The Lord stands upon his Justification is very tender of giving his People any Cause to repent of his service Micah 6. 3. O my people what have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearied thee testifie against me Pray what hurt hath Holiness done you Who was ever the better for sinning or who was the worse for Holiness There was none that ever made a carnal choice but first or last they had cause to repent of it either they repent of it in a kindly manner while they may mend the matter or else they shall repent for ever in Misery but who ever repented of his Repentance or cursed the day of his new Birth To whom ever was it any grief of heart that they were acquainted with God and Christ or the way that leadeth unto life who dieth the sweeter death or who repents of their choice then the serious or the carnal Oh they that have chosen the World they cry out how the World hath deceived them but never any repented of choosing God and the wayes of God Let these things perswade you to choose his Precepts Secondly For Directions 1. In Choosing the Object is to be regarded Gods Precepts indefinitely all of them not one excepted the smallest as well as the greatest the troublesome as well as the easie the most neglected as well as the most observed we must choose all Gods Precepts not abate any thing but especially the main or the essential Precepts of Christianity or the Fundamental points of the Covenant Now the Question is What 's the Fundamental Point of the Covenant Truly that 's known by the form of Baptisme Baptisme is the solemn Seal of entring into Covenant with God it 's the Seal of our initiation or first entrance into Covenant with God Mat. 28. 19. Now what is it to be Baptised in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost when you first choose the ways of God here you must begin you must close with Father Son and Holy Ghost heartily take them to be your God that is you must close with God the Father as your All-sufficient Portion or chiefest happiness to be loved above all and also as your highest Lord that he may be served pleased and obeyed above all Well and in the name of the Son that is Jesus Christ he must be taken as your Saviour and Redeemer to bring you to God and to reconcile you to him And to be Baptised in the name of the Holy Ghost is this to take him as your Sanctifier Guide and Comforter to make you a holy people to God to cleanse your hearts from sin to write all Gods Laws upon your Hearts and put them into your Minds and to guide you by the Word and Ordinances to everlasting Life This is the main thing that is first to be minded because it contains all and doth necessarily infer the rest for otherwise to be resolute in some by-point of Religion though it be right this is but the Obstinacy of a Faction not the constancy of a Christian Zeal 2. As you must look to the Object of this choice so to the Causes of it and what are they An Enlightned Mind a renewed Heart a Love to God and then the Spirit of God enlightning and inclining our Hearts 1. An Enlightned Mind is a cause of choosing the ways of God when the Lord hath taught us his Precepts an enlightned mind discovers a beauty and amiableness in the ways of God Psal. 119. 128. I esteem all thy Precepts to be right and they are the rejoycing of my soul. 2. A Renewed Heart wherein all the precepts of God are written over again They were written upon our Hearts in Innocency but that 's a blurred Manuscript therefore in Regeneration they are written over again God writes his Law in our hearts and puts them in our inward parts Heb. 8. 10. and then the Law within suits with the Law without for the new Creature is created after God in Righteousness and true Holiness In true Holiness which relates to the first Table of the Law and Righteousness which relates to the second Table of the Law the renewed heart that hath this inclination and propension is carried out to them 3. Love to God for that 's implied in the choice Iohn 14. 21. He that hath my Commandements and keeps them he it is that loves me and he that loves me hath my Commandements and keeps them It follows the other way where there is love to God there will be choosing of his ways 4. Gods Spirit the Lord Enlightning and Inclining our Hearts to this choice God Enlightens for he teacheth us the way that we shall choose and when we see these things in the light of the Spirit then we see the Beauty of them Psal. 25. 12. It holds good as to the path of Life and in particular cases but chiefly in the main case God teacheth him the way that he shall choose And the Spirit of God enclines the Heart too as well as enlightens the Mind 1 Pet. 1. 22. Ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit 3. There are the Effects of this Choice What are they Delight Diligence and Patience 1. Delight Psal. 40. 8. I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy law is within my heart When the Law is not only written in the Book but written in the heart then there 's a Delight a ready and willing Obedience It is spoken first of Christ of David it was said in Type it 's true also of all Believers for they have the Spirit of Christ and the same also is exprest of the People of God Psal. 112. 1. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his Commandments When a man hath chosen the precepts of God and bound himself in this way then his heart is taken with a delight 2. Diligence Gods Precepts are the great business and employment of our lives and then there 's a constant study to please him Col. 1. 9 10. Filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding that you may walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing We must do Gods Will and
Pressures 1. The Suitableness they are suited to this happiness wrought for this very thing 2 Cor. 5. 5. Every thing hath a propension to the place for which God framed it 't is the Wisdom of God to put all things in their proper places as every Creature is placed in that element which is suitable and answerable to its Composition and Frame as Fishes in Water Fowles in the Air. Gods Children are framed for this very thing therefore have an inclination and a tendency thither As Heaven is prepared for them so in some measure they for it Rom. 9. 24. aforehand prepared unto Glory And Col. 1. 12. Made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light They grow more dead every day to the Interests and Concernments of the Animal Life and have a greater agreeableness to this happiness 2. Experience Rom. 8. 23. We that have the first fruits of the Spirit groan wit hin our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the redemption of our body A Christian here is unsatisfied and longeth for a better and purer state of Bliss and Immortality Light Life Peace Joy one dram of Grace is more precious than all the World but yet it setteth them a longing for more the first fruits sheweth us what the Harvest will be and a tast what the Feast will prove here we get a little knowledge of God a sight of him in the Ordinances a Twi-light discovery of Christ a Look through the Lattice Cant. 2. 9. a little Glance of his Face when neither doth he let the Believers in to him nor doth he come out to them this Glance maketh them long for more So that in effect they send up the same Message to Christ which his Mother and Brethren did because of the press thy mother and thy brethren stand without desiring to see thee Tell him thou standest here without but desirest to see him So for the Communion we have with Christ 't is but a tast 1 Pet. 2. 3. If so be ye have tasted the Lord is gracious but that tast is very ravishing and delightful Here we get a little from him in an Ordinance but that little is as much as we can hold but there he is all in all here our holiness is not perfect the seed of God remaineth in us but there it groweth up to perfection as every spark of Fire tendeth to the Element of Fire 3. Our Pressures and the Miseries of the present Life 2 Cor. 5. 4. Being burdened we groan We are pressed under an heavy weight burdened both with Sin and Misery and both set us a groaning and a longing as men in a Tempest would fain be set ashoar as soon as they can 1. Sin to a waking Conscience and a tender Gracious Heart is one of the greatest burdens that can be felt Rom. 7. 24. Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death If any had cause to complain of Afflictions Paul much more he was Whipped Imprisoned Stoned in perils by Land and Sea but Afflictions did not sit so close to him as sins the body of Death was his greatest burden and therefore did he long for Deliverance If others go away silently under their load the Children of God cannot as light and love increaseth so sin groweth a greater burden to us They cannot get rid of this cursed inmate and therefore are longing for their final Estate when sin shall gaspe its last they long for the parting day when by putting off the Flesh they shall put off sin and dwell with God 2. Miseries the Children of God have not divested themselves of the feelings of Nature are not grown sensless as stocks and stones The Apostle telleth us Rom. 8. 20 21 22. that the whole Creation groaneth because 't is under Misery and Vanity 'T is a groaning World and Gods Children bear a part of the Consort they groan and desire earnestly their full Deliverance Few and evil are the days of the years of my Pilgrimage said holy Iacob Gen. 47. 9. Our dayes are Evil therefore 't is well they are but few that in this Shipwrack of mans Felicity we can see Banks and Shores and a landing place where we may be safe here is our Travail but there is our repose we would sleep too much here and take up our rest if sometimes we did not meet with Thorns in our bed III. Reason The End and Use of this Longing and Desiring 1. 'T is an earnest Desire it maketh us industrious and stirreth up and keepeth up our endeavours after another World Phil. 3. 20 21. But our Conversation is in heaven from whence we look for a Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself Where there is a lively expectation there men drive on a Trade for another Country Desire is the Vigorous bent of the Soul and so beareth us out under all the difficulties of Obedience If we do not desire we will not labour nor seek it in the first place and if our desires be weak and feeble they are controled by every Lust abated upon every difficulty whatever gets your heart that will command your endeavours for as a mans desire is so is he 2. To make us Constant notwithstanding Troubles Reproaches Persecutions Matth 11. 12. The violent take it by force They will have no nay they must have it whatever it cost them though sore Troubles and Persecutions yet if we may get Heaven and Glory at last 't is enough but where a thing is coldly and carelesly desired every thing puts us out of the humour IV. The State and Condition of the present World 't is called Gal. 1. 4. The present World The Pleasures of it are meer dreams and shadows and the Evils of it are many and real Gods Children are Pilgrimes here and hardly get leave to pass thorough as Israel could not get leave to pass through Edom Sometimes they meet with such bitter and grievous Persecutions which make them weary of their lives as Elijah requested for himself that he might die 1 King 9. 4. or as the Spirits of the Israelites were filled with Anguish because of their hard task Masters God will give his People Rest hereafter but before the Rest cometh they are sorely Troubled 1 Thes. 1. 6 7. And ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word in much Affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost so that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia Nay the Company that we go with to Heaven are apt to fall out by the way and to deal perversly one with another Unministering Unchurching Unchristianing one another Impaling inclosing the Common Salvation and justleing one another out of the way to Heaven so that the Church which should be Terrible like an Army with Banners Marching to
in our hearts when he is present warming comforting quickning guiding directing the Soul in the way to Life Now God by withdrawing will shew us the folly of our Wisdom and the weakness of our Strength and the Pride of our Humility and the passionateness of our meekness Divines distinguish of dissertion they say that there is disertio correctiva disertio erudativa a dissertion by way of correction and a dissertion by way of Instruction Sometimes by way of Correction because of former sins or some unkindness or ungracious dealing with God God withdraws and there 's a dissertion by way of Instruction to teach us to know the Soveraignty of Grace and to know our own Weakness usually both go together in the same dispensation It 's very hard almost to imagine that the same dispensation should not be both Instructive and Corrective but the Reason why they distinguish thus is this because some dispensations are more clearly for correction and others more clearly for instruction but usually they go together We provoke the Lord by some slight or unworthy dealing with him and then the Lord corrects us and corrects us that he may instruct us to see our all depends upon him and how he should be prized in these things 4. Reason is some special Disease it may be not yet cured in our going astray like a lost Sheep even though our Hearts be right in the main with God It may be some Corruption too that they cherished some carnal interest which is too near and dear to us either Worldly ambitious or sensual Lusts. Though these Reign in the unconverted yet they dwell too much in a Heart that is Gracious and so may prevail sometimes to turn us away from God something there is which we may call our Iniquity Ps. 18. 23. Though in the General we keep our selves from it as an upright Heart will yet it may sometimes foyl us Use. 1. Let us stand upon our Guard O let us not leave the Boat to the stream for there is an erring straying disposition in a great measure left in the People of God Consider Satan is subtle and assiduous in tempting 1 Pet. 5. 8. He goes about like a roaring Lion he is searching up and down after the Prey and an unwary and unmortified Soul soon falls into his snare The Flesh is ready to close with the Temptation as soon as it is presented and therefore the best of Gods Children had need be circumspect and diligent Watch and Pray that you enter not into Temptation Mat. 26. 41. lest you be surprized unawares by some sin or other There is enough Corruption in every one of you to betray you to it if you be not aware and your resisting Graces are very weak and imperfect in degree and which is one consideration more the danger of a fall is very great for thereby God is dishonoured 2 Sam. 12. 14. and your own peace is mightily riffled Psal. 32. 3 4. My moisture was turned into the drought of Summer and I was filled with roaring all the day long Yea and a stumbling block is laid before others and you may destroy those for whom Christ died and woe be to men by whom offences come Math. 18. 7. Under the Law the Lord ordered that if two men strove and hurt a Woman with Child that her fruit departed from her he should surely be punished To hinder Birth was counted Murder so to hinder those that are coming on by any sins of yours in a way to Life If the offence be foul you may feel it long afterward as an old bruise is felt upon every change of Weather and this sin may cost you dear though your Salvation be secured This should make us stand upon our Guard it shews that a Christian should live in constant Vigilancy and daily conflict with sin and deny the desires of the Flesh that he may love God and live to him Use. 2. It shews us the need of the New Covenant wherein the pardon of sins is Established All the Saints that ever lived have had their failings and what would become of them even of Gods own Children if there were not a forgiving God and a gracious Covenant a way found out to remit their offences Ps. 130. 3. If the righteous God should call us to a strict account how could the best of his Children stand before him so Ps. 143. 2. It would go ill with all the world if strict Justice of Law were still in force All are Guilty and all must Perish the Holy Humblest Soul cannot abide the Trial of that Court not only Gods Enemies but his Servants cannot the good they do it cannot be laid in ballance against the Evil it would yield no relief as to remission and pardon plainly if the Guilt of sins remain upon us our Duties will not compensate with our sins But such was the Lords Mercy that when we all like Sheep had gone astray the Lord found a Ransom for us and laid upon Christ the Iniquity of us all Isa. 53. 6. that there might be pardon for poor Creatures 3. It teacheth us again the necessity of dependance upon Gods Care and Power for our spiritual preservation Of all Creatures sheep need a shepherd so do we a spiritual shepherd to keep us from straying to reduce us from our wandrings to weaken our Distemper to drive away the Wolfe In short these two considerations will enforce the necessity of dependance the indefatigable malice of Satan and the unknown weakness and imperfection of the Saints 1. The indefatigable malice of Satan and his unwearied diligence in tempting us to sin his hatred and envy against God and Mankind is such that he leaves no man untempted he would not leave the Lord Christ untempted Especially in some regards above others he labours to draw the Children of God into sin because he knows their sins by reason of their Profession will give great occasion of scandal to the weak and blasphemy to the prophane and wicked Now as his power is very great so is his subtilty and diligence That which Hannibal said of Marcellus perfectly agrees with him whether he gives or takes the foyl he ever renewes and reinforceth the fight When Iob had carried it very innocently in his prosperity in a dangerous time yet try him in adversity Iob 1. 12. nay when he had carried it off in a very grievous Trial as the loss of his Goods and Children Iob 2. c. 2. The weakness and imperfection of the Saints how easily if we take not more diligent heed and care may we fall into Sins both with respect to the weakness of our understandings and perverseness of our affections 1. Our Understanding is so weak that we are ignorant of many things necessary to be known for we know but in part 1 Cor. 13. 12. And if we know something in general we do not know it as we ought to know it 1 Cor. 8. 2. How is that Either we