use the world as though we used it not but Be not conformed unto this world The word in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Accommodate not your selves to the world so Erasmus reads it Fashion not your selves to the world so Beza But in ours and some other Translations Conform not c. As a Player is fashioned to the gesture and words either of drunkenness or adultery when he acteth them on the scaffold that is the true notation of the word Be not conformed to this world i.e. Do not make the manners of the world the rule of your life let not your corrupt mindes which will carry you after a corrupt world prevail with you Now these are the precepts which are laid down by way of Negation I shall give you two that are set down by way of Affirmation Acts 2.43 saith Peter there Save your selves from this untoward generation i.e. from the corrupt society of unbelievers And again 2 Cor. 6.17 Come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord q.d. Do not comply with the corruptions of the world let all these go whatever you lose or suffer for it Thus much for the precepts In the second place I shall commend this duty unto you from the constant practice of the people of God even in all ages See an instance of it 1. in Noah when the whole earth was corrupt before God he walked perfectly uprightly with God in his generation Gen. 7.1 Noah walked alone in a way different from a world of wicked people he was most sincere in the service of God in the darkest midnight of damned impiety 2. Abraham pull'd as a brand out of Ur of the Caldees where-ever he came he set up altars to God in the midst of Idolaters and makes open profession of his worship before the people of the land Gen. 12.6 7 8 So Joshua after him Josh 24.15 Do you what you will though you do generally universally serve other gods I and my house will serve the Lord. See this in Elijah who was zealous for the Lord God of hosts though alone and singular 1 King 19.10 I might tell you of Obadiah who seared the Lord greatly in a common defection 1 King 18. But come we unto the New Testament and let us see what practice of this duty we finde there I shall begin with Christ who is the original copie an infallible unerring example he was eaten up with the zeal of his Fathers house when it was polluted and profaned by all sorts Joh. 2.14 15 16 17. The Apostles after his departure resolved to obey God notwithstanding the menaces of the Councel Acts 4.19 20. Paul openly contesteth with the Gentiles at Athens about their fensless superstition Acts 17.22 Antipas held forth the Word of life even unto the death where Satans throne was Rev. 2.13 Polycarp that blessed Martyr of Jesus Christ who being commanded by the Tyrant to do sacrifice to the Idol returns this answer Eighty and odde years have I served my master Christ and he never deceived me and shall I now desert him God forbid me any such wickedness Octoginta sex annos ills servui c. It were easie to come lower and nearer our own times and to produce a whole cloud of such who held forth the Word of life by a bold and wise profession in the darkness of Popery But I will give you one onely instance more and then conclude it was Athanastus that notable champion of Christ who stood stoutly to the defence of the Truth when all the Christian world beside was turned Arrian Ille vâ—r totius orbis impetum sustinuit the whole world was set against Athanasius and Athanasius against the whole world And thus you have heard how the force-mentioned duty hath been practised by the servants of God I come to the Grounds of the Point If you look either upward or downward either to God or men you will finde Reason sufficient for the practice of this duty all which Reasons are grounded upon the text and shall be thence gathered I shall begin with the first The Reasons taken from God and they shall be these two 1. God doth exactly observe and graciously accept of such his servants as continue constant with him in corrupt and depraved times in a general defection or declension when sin is grown usual and almost epidemical then to adhere to the Truths Ways and Ordinances of God Oh how pleasing and acceptable is this unto God! The Lord hearkned and heard saith my Text God was much taken and affected with those sweet conferences those godly dialogues and discourses which dropt from the mouthes of the godly of those times he hearkned and heard it was melodious and delightful musick to his heavenly ears and he doth as it were apply his ears close he lays them near to their lips as loth to lose any part of their holy language The lord hearkned and heard 1 Pet. 3.12 saith the Apostle there The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his ears are open unto their prayers or as 't is in the Original His ears are unto or rather into their prayers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now what the Apostle there speaks of that individual or particular duty of Prayer is as true of their whole Christian practice not a prayer which the godly put up not a good work they do not a good word which they utter no not a good thought which they conceive but the Lords eyes are upon it and his ears open unto it he sets it all down in his Register or Note-book A book of remembrance was written But then 2. As the Lord doth graciously accept of this practice so will he plentifully reward it this labour of faith and love shall never be forgotten it shall not onely be entred or ingrossed in a book of remembrance but they they shall be mine saith the Lord of hosts 1. They shall be mine i.e. I will not onely own them by a general right as my creatures but by a special peculiar and distinguishing title as my children my Saints and Servants such as have made a covenant with me by sacrifice I will be their God and they shall be my people I will look upon them as the top of my wealth and my most esteemed treasure as my Jewels whom I will keep safe in the golden Cabinet of my special providence and fatherly protection But this is not all I will spare them too as a man spareth his onely son that serveth him i.e. I will not cast them out or reject them for every small fault for every flaw or defect in their services I shall give them their allowance pass by and over-look their weaknesses How effectual me thinks might these Considerations be to provoke us to a holy contention in godliness when the times are never so bad and boisterous Hereby we shall please God hereby we shall procure good unto our selves And thus in brief of the first sort of
Latitude and Profundity the love and wisdom of God have Altitude added which is a fourth All these dimensions serve onely to shew the immensity both of the love and wisdom of God Take this onely in passage and so we might that expression too To know the love of God which passeth knowledge the meaning is to know so much of it as is knowable the love of God is past the knowledge not onely of Nature but of Grace because 't is infinite But this is not the thing that I urge this text for the passage which is to my purpose and which I would insist on a little is that in verse 19. the later part of it That ye might be filled with the fulness of God Divines distinguish of a twofold fulness There is say they an universal fulness and there is a modified or qualified fulness For a creature to be universally so full as God is is impossible as he is infinite so his fulness is infinite and a finite creature is not capable or receptive of any such fulness But now take this in a qualified or modified sense so we may and 't is ordinary to be filled with the fulness of God i. e. with all fulness accomplishable or attainable by us thus we ought to be filled with the fulness of God We are not onely enjoyned to get some grace or some fear of God but 't is our bounden duty to aspire to and endeavour after the perfection of it and after augmentation and growth in it And to this end too is that 2 Pet. 3.18 Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This shall suffice to be spoken of those texts which conduce to the growth in grace or in the fear of God in general I shall likewise briefly touch some texts which require an abounding in the several branches of this holy fear as 1. We are commanded to abound in saving knowledge in true spiritual wisdom Col. 1.10 2. We should grow in faith that which is lacking to our faith must be supplied and made up 1 Thess 3.10 2 Thess 1.15 We should labour to grow both in the assurance of faith and in the exercise of it in the full assurance of it using all diligence that we might get and keep the full assurance of faith and hope unto the end labouring to be established rooted and soundly grounded in our particular assurance of Gods favour in Jesus Christ and of our own eternal salvation Col. 2.6 7. Heb. 10.22 And then for the exercise and improvement of faith we should learn every day to live by faith let faith be upon the wing in all the occasions and occurrences of our life holding fast our confidence and striving to be examples one to another in our faith in God according to that 1 Tim. 4.12 3. We must abound in love Phil. 1.10 bearing with and forbearing one another seeking to enlarge our acquaintance with such as fear God and to do them good 4. We must grow in mercy and the fruits of mercy 2 Cor. 8.7 Therefore as ye abound in every thing in saith in utterance in knowledge and in all diligence and in your love to us see that ye abound in this grace also he means tender heartedness or bowels of compassion 5. We should grow in patience meekness and lowliness of minde Jam. 1.4 I might instance contentation heavenly mindedness contempt of the world and several other parts of this fear of God but by these few links you may guess at the whole chain or series of this grace So then the strength of this second Motive lies thus God requires and expects that we should grow up more and more in the fear of his Name he calls for it at our hands In the third place this is the end of our union with and implantation into Jesus Christ namely that we should in all things grow up into him who is the head To which purpose reade Eph. 4.15 16. But speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ from whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of it self in love The importance of which words is this namely that we are joyned and united unto the Lord Jesus Christ that so of his fulness we might all receive grace for grace that look as an infant groweth not in one but in every member so we should grow every way in every member and in every particular grace appertaining unto the new creature We must not walk by halfs or obey God with reservation but grow up unto full holiness As from the natural head sense and motion floweth into the body so there is internal influence of grace from Christ the Head into the whole mystical body every true believer receives a vital and quickning power or virtue from Christ even as a graff set into a stock partaketh with it in the sap and life of it Unless we walk in Christ we can never assure our selves that we have received Christ If we shall sit down and rest in a mediocrity and scanty measure of grace and of the fear of God except we are still on the growing hand labouring to arrive to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ we cannot say that we are yet put into Christ A soul as one notes very well that hath union with Christ will not be like Hezekiahs sun which went backward or like Joshua's sun that stood still but like David's sun that great and glorious gyant of the heavens that like a bridegroom comes out of his chamber and as a champion that rejoyceth to run a race If he be joyned to Christ he will joyn grace to grace according to that of the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7. And thus briefly of the third Motive In the fourth place as God hath given us his Son to the end we should grow up in his fear so hath be to the same end given us the Spirit of his Son he hath sent forth his Spirit into our hearts not onely for the conveying of grace to us but for the strengthening and increasing of grace in us Observe how the Apostle prays for the Ephesians Chap. 3.16 That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner man This is the very office of the Spirit he is sent of God to this purpose not onely to give us a being in grace but to strengthen us in grace he doth not onely make us new men but living men in Jesus Christ As the soul is to the body so is the spirit to the soul the Spirit furnisheth and enableth every faculty it enlightens the Understanding it rectifies the Will it sanctifieth the Affections it filleth a man
of the righteous is onely good So again Pro. 12.5 The thoughts of the righteous are right What is that why the meaning is that he feeds his thoughts upon the best objects and if worse break in as sometimes they will he justles them out again rids the room of them and will not suffer vain thoughts to take up their residence or lodging within him An instance hereof you have in David Psal 119.113 David was a man as you may finde thorowout the Book of the Psalms whose heart was much set upon God Psal 16 8. he was a man very much busied in holy and heavenly meditation the ways and words and works of God were the chief objects of his meditation as you may finde almost every where Another example of this you have in the Church Isa 26 8. 'T is said of these godly ones in my text that they feared the Lord and thought upon his Name and saith the Church here The desire of our soul is to thy Name and to the remembrunce of thee i.e. to all the signs gages and testimonialls which thou bast given us of thy grace by thy words works or the like the desire of our soul is to the remembrance of these or we desire to remember these in our whole souls To the same purpose is that of the Church Psal 44.17 18 19 20. So that now from all these Scriptures and many more it appears clearly that it is and should be the practice of all them that truly fear God to meditate diligently upon God and upon the things of God Take one text more which shews that this should be the practice of all that fear God as it is so it ought to be their practice they are enjoyned to it by command as namely Phil. 4.8 whence you may perceive what the objects of our thoughts ought to be the things that we think upon must be true honest just pure lovely and of good report they must be heavenly and spiritual things And so again Col. 3.2 Set your affections on things above not on things on the earth The word for set your affections in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we may render it minde or think upon supernatural things upon things that are above things that are of a heavenly and celestial concernment And thus you have heard the Point made good from Scripture I shall in the next place give you the grounds and reasons of it and proceed therein further as far as time will permit Well then in the first place they that fear God will be thinking upon his Name their thoughts will be taken up with and exercised about the things of God because they know that God knows the secrets of their hearts as he that makes a Watch knows every winding and turning in the Watch so he that made our spirits and is the father of our spirits knows all the motions and contrivances of our spirits Nay 't is the sole priviledge of God to know the thoughts the heart is his peculiar which none can unlock or look into but the most High Jer. 17.10 I the Lord search the heart I try the reins Now what is the heart that God searcheth or what doth God search for in the heart The heart is nothing else but the treasury of our thoughts and God searcheth for nothing else there but our thoughts either simple as they are in our meditations or compound as they are in our affections David you shall finde ascribes this glory to the Lord Psal 139.2 O Lord thou hast searched me and known me thou knowest my down sitting and mine up rising thou understandest my thought a far off i. e. thou knowest all my outward motions but is that all no saith he thou knowest my thoughts afar off Our thoughts are evident to God even before they are Our thoughts are said to be afar off when they are not thought yet then they are as nigh to God as they are to us when we are thinking them even actually present to him Nay our thoughts are as audible to God as our words are to men he hears the language of our spirits and what our hearts say when our tongues are silent One man knows not the meaning of another mans thoughts while he is speaking unless he speak his thoughts as some do not but now let the tongues of men be never so cross to their hearts and what they speak not a light to discover but a shadow to darken their thoughts yet God knoweth them 'T is said of Christ in the Gospel Matth. 9.4 that he knew their thoughts and this was an unanswerable argument of his Divinity or that he was God Onely God or as Christ was God man can reach the thoughts of man and he knows as well what is in them as what is without And this the godly well know and hence 't is in the first place that they are so thoughtfull of his Name But then secondly Psal 44.17 18 19 20. the godly will be thinking upon God out of love and strength of affection to his Name 'T is the nature and property of love to set the thoughts awork upon the thing or object beloved according to that in the Proverb Animus est ubi amat non animat the minde of a man is not where it lives but where it loves Pray observe that passage Cant. 1.3 the later part of the verse Thy Name is as oyntment powred forth therefore do the virgins love thee Christ hath his name both in Hebrew and Greek from ointments and these three words Messiah Christ and Anointed are all one in signification Now when the holy Ghost in the mouth and ministery of his faithful servants shall take of Christs excellencies as it is his office you know to do and hold them out to the world when he shall hold up the Tapestry as it were and shew men the Lord Jesus Christ with an ecce virum behold the man that one Mediator betwixt God and man the man Christ Jesus when they shall see him in his Natures in his Offices Works and in the blessed effects of all when his Name as oyntment is poured forth this cannot but stir up wonderful love in all good souls therefore do the virgins love him By virgins we are to understand the faithful so called for their spiritual chastity They love him for the odours of his good oyntments and out of their dear love and respect which they bear to him they will be continually thinking upon him they have tasted and seen how good the Lord is they have heard it not onely by the hearing of the ear but their hearts are experimented in it God hath shed abroad his love that part of his Name in their hearts by the holy Ghost and therefore they cannot chuse but love him back again and loving him be much in contemplation or meditation about him 3. The Saints are set upon thoughts of Gods Name because they are instructed and enabled thereunto
ΘεόÏοβοι ΘεόÏιλοι GODS FEARERS ARE GODS FAVOURITES OR AN Encouragement To fear GOD IN The worst TIMES Delivered in several Sermons by that eminent Servant of Christ Nath. Tucker late Preacher of the Gospel in Portsmouth Eccles 8.12 Surely I know it shall be well with them that fear God that fear before him Timor praesens securitatem generat sempiternam August in Psal Timenti Dominum bene erit in extremis Bern. de Tim. Dei London Printed by J.C. for Dorman Newman at the Kings Armes in the Poultry next to Grocers-Ally 1662. To the Christian READER IT was the saying of Abraham to Abimelech Gen. 20.11 Because I thought surely the fear of God is not in this place they will slay me for my wifes sake Where the Fear of GOD is wanting what Evil will not Men commit Where this Bank is broken down the Floods of all manner of Wickedness will flow over Hence it is That in our Age many turn Atheists run to all manner of Excess of Riot play the Apostates grow faint-hearted in the Cause of God are afraid of Men and as the Burgundians once were afraid all the Reeds they saw had been Launces so these fear every thing they see yea their own shadows and all this is for want of the Fear of God Meritò omnia timet qui illum non timet It is therefore very proper Work for us to press after this Fear It is called Janitor Animae The Porter to keep out the Soul's Foes and to let in the Soul's Friends It is Principium Praecipuum Sapientiae The Beginning and Perfection of Wisdom therefore fit to be pursued after Remember that speech of the Lord concerning Israel Deut. 5.29 O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me Shall God wish it and shall not men press after it yet such is our averseness to that which is good that Precept upon Precept and Line upon Line will scarce perswade us The Reverend Author of this ensuing Tract hath taken great paines to promote that which the Lord doth so pathetically wish for Read diligently therefore what is here written and thou mayst gain much by it Here thou wilt finde some Discoveries of this Fear some Motives to press after it and some Helps to obtain it all handled in a most affectionate and melting manner and that a Blessing may go along with this Discourse in order to thy eternal Benefit is the desire of Thy souls well-wisher Richard Kentish April 13. 1658. AN EPISTLE To the READER Christian Reader ALthough my Approbation can add little weight to the worth of this ensuing Treatise yet being desired to shew kindness to the Dead in giving a true Testimony to this Posthumous Piece I could not refuse to perform such an Office of Love as by the Rule of Love we are all obliged unto This therefore I may truely say That having over-viewed it I finde nothing in it but that which is sound holy and wholesome fit to inform the Judgement and to raise holy Resolutions and Affections in the Hearts of the Readers fweetly breathing forth Piety in every Passage of it so that whosoever will give it the reading over which will quickly be done shall have cause not to think his Time mis-spent But if his Heart be in a right Disposition he shall finde it hereby more stirred with desire to get to be amongst the number of those true Fearers of God for whom a loving Record and a Book of Merciful Remembrance shall be written for their shelter in evil Times that they may finde Mercy in the evil day for which times our good God fit and prepare us all Farewel Tho. Whitfeld MAL. 3.16 17 18. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkned and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name And they shall be mine saith the Lord of hosts in that day when I make up my jewels and I will spare him as a man spareth his own son that serveth him Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not I Must first give you some light into the context and then come unto the words of the text Then they that feared the Lord. The particle az Then in the front of the text carries us back to the consideration of the coherence The godly here having this character given them They that feared the Lord were as it seems reserved to those last and loosest times of the Jewish Church after the return from Babylon where the seventy years captivity had not much reformed or amended the major part of the Jews Gods correcting hand had lain a long time sore heavie upon them but God had not his end upon this untoward generation these unsanctified persons grew worse and worse with afflictions witness their blasphemous words before my text where they stand stouting it out with the Lord of hosts vers 13. Your words have been stout against me saith the Lord yet ye say What have we spoken so much against thee They stick not to charge God with deep oscitancy and neglect of his best servants vers 14. as if they should reap no fruit from the service of God as if all their labour were in vain yea indeed they tax God of flat iniquity and most unequal administrations vers 15. And now we call the proud happie yea they that work wickedness are set up yea they that tempt God are even delivered As if they had said Surely there is no reward for the righteous verily there is not a God that doth judge in the earth the proud who tempt God and trample upon his people they are not onely not punished but even prefer'd and advanced for their labour either things are not ordered by a divine providence but left at random let run at sixes and sevens or else there is not an even or equal hand held over the sons of men but partiality and unrighteousness found in God Thus these miscreants in their madness set their mouthes against heaven and spared not despitefully to spit their venom in the face of God himself At the hearing of which horrid and abhorred blasphemies the godly of these times are much affected they met often about it and not without a great deal of good conference Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another Then when Why whiles the wicked did blaspheme and belch out their impieties against God even at that instant and juncture of time they that feared the Lord spake often one to another Thus briefly of the Coherence The whole text may be divided into these two main or general branches 1. A duty performed 2. A mercy returned upon the performance of it The duty performed lies in the beginning of the text even in these words Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to
another Which duty is illustrated or set forth two ways 1. In the circumstances of it 2. In the matter and substance of it In the circumstances and they are two 1. Of Time 2. Of Persons Of time Then Then they c. Of persons They were such as feared the Lord and thought upon his Name as you see in the beginning and conclusion of vers 16. And then the duty is illustrated in the matter and substance of it and that was frequent mutual conference they spake often one to another Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another So much of the first general branch the second is a mercy returned and that is twofold First Gods gracious acceptation 1. In that for the present he regarded and respected what they did The Lord hearkned and heard it 2. In that for the future he registred or recorded it And a book of remembrance was written before him Secondly His righteous remuneration or retribution 1. Of mercy to his people which reflects 1. Upon their persons 2. Upon their performances Upon their persons which he will 1. Own They shall be mine saith the Lord. 2. Honour In that day when I make up my jewels Secondly This mercy respects their performances in passing by the weaknesses defects and failings of them I will spare them as a man c. And then lastly you have Gods just and righteous retribution of judgement unto his enemies vers 18. Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not And thus you have likewise briefly heard both the Division and Subdivision of the Text. There is yet one thing more which I must wade thorow before I proceed on to the Doctrine and that is Explication Now that I may make way unto the Doctrine the sooner I shall open the 16 verse onely and the two other verses when I come to the handling of them Well then first of the 16 verse Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkned and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name In the Hebrew we read it thus Az nidhbaru jirra Jehovah ish El raganaha Then they fearing God spake often man or every man to his neighbour or companion For though the Hebrew word for spake in the conjugation Kal notes a bare speaking yet in the conjugation Niphal sermonis continuationem seu frequentationem significat it signifies the continuation or frequencie of their speaking one to another they did not do it onely once or twice but they did it often Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another Those few names that had not defiled their garments in so foul a season but had kept themselves unspoâ—ted of the world they spake often c. Some render the text Tunc vastati sunt timentes Domini sc ab impiis atheis impunè eos invadentibus i. e. Then were those that feared the Lord wasted and destroyed viz. by those atheists who fell from fierce words to bloudy blows And the reason of this version or reading is because the word dibhi in the text in the conjugation Pihel is rendered to kill or to destroy But I conceive that this is far fet and nothing so agreeable unto the minde of the holy Ghost as our Translation is For 1. 'T is not dibberu in Pihel but nidhberu in Niphal Besides this reading is not so answerable to the following words I but you will ask me What did these men fearing the Lord speak when they spake so often one to another Stock in his Exposition upon Malachi and some others think the words following to be theirs and not God's words who they say speaking not until the 17 verse in comforting one another they said The Lord hearkned and heard c. But for my part I rather incline to those who tell us that the Prophet hath not in express words declared what these men fearing the Lord spake one to another onely in telling us that they spake one to another and by opposing them to the ungodly of that time it must be supposed that they spake good and gracious things they stood up to stickle for God to stop the mouth of Blasphemy and to establish one another in the perswasion of Gods holy Truth and constant care of his own children Those wicked ones did not speak so much against God against his providence and government as they did for God in defence of his providence and government And this they did for mutual strengthening and confirmation that that which was haply halting might not be turned out of the way but healed rather that they might confirm each other against those great and grievous temptations which lay in their way It followeth And the Lord hearkned and heard it Did they whisper so in one anothers ear that no ear else heard them No the Lord hearkned and heard it the Lord listened as it were at the key-hole he was under the window The word jachebil in the Original he hearkned comes from a root which signifies to attend and lift up the ear Gestus est diligenter auscultantis 't is the gesture of one that hearkneth diligently and so the word is taken Isai 52.3 the later part of the verse i. e. They shall diligently hearken Nay the word imports not onely attention of body but attention of minde as when a man listeneth as for life and makes hard shift to hear all thus the Lord hearkned and heard the Lord did diligently observe what they said and what they did nothing drops from them but the Lord attentively regards it Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkned and heard it And a book of remembrance was written before him In the Hebrew we read it thus And there was written a book of memory before his face We read in Scripture of a threefold book of God The first is a book of his resolved Decree of this we read Exod. 32.32 Saith Moses there Yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin and if not blot me I pray thee out of thy book which thou hast written So Psal 69.28 So in many other texts where by book we are to understand the book of Gods Decree or Pre-ordination Secondly there is a book of Gods acted Providence Psal 139.16 Thine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect and in thy book all my members were written c. i. e. in thy book of providence Now this later is but a transcript or copie of the former Those huge original volumes of love and blessings which he hath laid up in his heart for his own people those also of wrath and judgment which he hath laid up there against his enemies from all eternity those volumes I say of love or wrath are writing out every day by the hand and
pen of Providence But then thirdly there is a book of love and of remembrance Psal 56.8 Thou tellest my wanderings put thou my tears into thy bottle are they not in thy book i. e. in thy book of remembrance And this latter Beloved is the book spoken of here in my text Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him Liber monumenti A Book of Acts and Monuments so some render it in allusion unto the custom of Kings Esth 2.23 latter part And it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king Tamerlain that warlike Scythian of whom you read in the Turkish History had always by him a catalogue of the names and good deserts of his servants which he daily perused and whom he duely rewarded not needing by them or by any others in their behalf to be put in remembrance Thus Beloved God if I may so speak files up the prayers of his servants puts all their speeches as well as practices upon record that he may make all honourable mention of them at the last day in the General Assembly of heaven Liber Commentarii a book of Commentaries so Junius renders it where God doth as it were descant and comment upon all the holy and gracious speeches and practices of his people You must not understand it so as if God had any such Memorial-book as if he stood in need of it or were subject to forgetfulness no but 't is spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner of men who have books to help their memories God will no more forget the savoury religious discourses of his people then a man doth that which he hath recorded in his book lying before him A book of remembrance was written before him before his face If we speak but a word for God we shall hear of it again God takes it and pens it down he sets it down presently all was kept upon record As when they who do not fear the Lord speak one to another when wicked men plot against the righteous or conspire against the holy ways of God God hearkneth and heareth and there is a book of remembrance kept of it let them whisper as softly as they can God can hear and will record all their malicious speeches all their evil devices and contrivements whether against himself or against his servants so on the other side when they that feared the Lord spake often one to another in the justification of his ways in the vindication of his providence the Lord hearkned and heard and a book of remembrance was written before him Of the two 't is better exprest by a book then by words for that which is written is more durable and permanent whereas things spoken many times vanish and are blown away in the air and come to nothing Well then in the last place we will consider in whose behalf this book of remembrance was written it was you see for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his Name For them that feared the Lord of that character of the godly spake something but even now and that though upon his Name a word or two onely of this epithet or character The word in the Origina◠here used is derived from a word which signifies not simply or barely to think but to set the head and heart on work about that which we think upon It carries the intention of the mind with it And that thought upon his Name i. e. that had God before their eyes that minded his glory that thought upon his Commandments to do them those are the persons for whom a book of remembrance was written before the Lord. And thus have I at length finished the Coherence the Division and Explication of the text Before I proceed to open the subsequent verses I shall enquire what Observations may be made upon and Deductions gathered from this 16 verse which I have already opened And here first of all I shall take into consideration the connexive or copulative particle Then in the beginning of the verse THEN they that foared the Lord c. Then When Why in those looser and more degenerated times when men were arrived to that height of impudency and profaness as to say it was to no purpose to serve God then when their black mouthes were swoln big with their blasphemies THEN they that feared the Lord spake often one to another they spake of God and for God they then stood up in the vindication of his ways and administrations So that Beloved from hence I shall note this Point namely That the servants of God must labour to shew themselves best in the worst times When others were most against God and contrary unto him then must they be most stirring and active for God most diligent and careful in his business Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another In the prosecution of which Point I shall order my Method in this fashion 1. I shall confirm the Point by precept 2. Commend this duty from the constant practice of the people of God in all Ages 3. Clear it up upon some grounds and rational considerations And then lastly make some improvement of it unto our selves I shall proceed upon these several Heads so far as the ordinary time will permit beginning with those express precepts which are scattered up and down in the Scriptures to this very purpose We will content our selves with three or four The one is Exod. 23.2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil Some whereof are set down by way of negation some by way of affirmation The way to hell is broad and much beaten Per viam publicam non ingredere was one of Pythagoras his precepts Do not do as the most do lest thou be undone for ever Argumentum turpissimum turba saith Seneca An Argument from the multitude is not argumentative Nay you see there is here in this text a special restraint put upon it Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil And the Reason is because man is so apt to be led by many the heart is ready to flatter it self into an opinion that God will not be very angry when a practice is grown common this is the course of the world this is the way of most men surely there is no great danger in it Well now saith God Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil A second text to this purpose you have Prov. 1.10 11 and following verses My son if sinners entice thee consent thou not c. q.d. Do not close in or comply with them And again Rom. 12.2 Be not conformed to this world He doth not say Live not in the world we must live here until God call us hence neither doth he say Use not the world for 't is impossible but that whiles we live here we must use the world though we are cautioned to
Reasons taken from God The second sort respect Men And that 1. Our selves and then 2. Others 1. Our selves And this I shall branch forth into two particulars 1. By cleaving or sticking close unto God in corrupt times we shall approve our selves 1. to be holy Christians 2. to be zealous Christians First we shall make it appear that we are holy Christians that we are men and women fearing God Jam. 1.27 saith the Apostle there Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this To keep himself unspotted from the world When we keep our selves unspotted of the world and escape untainted of it 't is an argument that our Religion is a pure Religion a pure life especially in impure times argues a holy faith it signifieth that the mystery of faith is held in a pure conscience We never answer Religion better then when we keep our way undefiled 1 Cor. 11.19 There must saith the Apostle be errours also among you there must be errours in doctrine and errours in practice corruption in judgement and corruption in life but why 't is because they which are approved may be made manifest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek is metaphorical a Metaphor borrowed from allowance of Coyn Silver which by the Goldsmiths trial is found good is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. allowed good and currant Evil and corrupt times are discriminating and distinguishing times then men and women shew themselves what they are whether counterfeit or currant professors 'T is then easie for men to judge of themselves and for others to judge of them Read Phil. 2.15 That ye may be blameless and harmless the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom ye shine as lights in the world There must be a perverse and graceless generation a viperous brood in the midst of whom Gods Saints must shine as lamps in the world that so they may approve themselves blameless and harmless the sons of God without rebuke holding forth the Word of life when 't is most opposed and opprest by the sons of Belial This now I say is the property of a man that truly fears God he cannot blow hot and cold as we use to say he dares not swear by God and Malchom he will not hide the Truth in indifferency he knows that God must be worshipped truly without halting and totally without halving That is the first thing But then 2. As by cleaving unto God his Truth and Service in the worst times we shall approve our selves to be holy Christians so likewise shall we make it appear that we are zealous Christians sollicitously minding that high holy Name of God whereby we are called Thus the holy Apostles standing before the Council manifested themselves to be men enflamed with fervent zeal toward the honour of God Acts 4.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard we cannot do otherwise we are necessitated unto it being like vessels that when they are fill'd and stopt up must either vent or break without remedy We may see this likewise in Paul that precious man when once he become a chosen vessel to the Lord Christ to bear his Name never was he so mad before in havocking those that called upon that Name in all places as he was now fierce and fiery against all that did any thing contrary to the Name of Jesus Paul declares himself to be a zealous Christian and so shall we if we hold fast and close to God in loose and licentious times Thus much likewise of the second sort of Reasons taken from our selves The last sort of Reasons respect others and they shall be likewise two the first concern the Godly the second the Wicked 1. Hereby good men shall be much confirmed and comforted I mean by our holding out in bad times this is very effectual for the setling strengthning and establishing of the hands that hang down and the feeble knees which it may be otherwise would warp and turn out of the way Whiles we cease not to speak with these in my text often one to another we build up one another in our most holy faith Phil. 1.14 saith the Apostle there And many of the brethren in the Lord waxing confident by my bonds are much more bold to speak the word without fear Pray mark it they waxed confident by my bonds By the Apostles constancie to and perseverance in the Truth in evil and persecuting times the Gospel took deeper rooting and impression in the hearts of many of the Pastors of the Church they were so far from being discouraged by the Apostles bonds as that they grew bolder then they were before and durst more freely to preach and to profess the Gospel If you look into the Acts and Monuments you shall finde what abundance of confirmation the godly of those times received by their fellow-brethrens constancie in the Truth Well might Tertullian say Constantiae Martyrum irrigatur augetur Ecclesia i.e. The Church was enlarged through the constancie of the Martyrs Many instances of it might be given were it necessary so to do But in the last place Gods servants must be best in worst times because hereby as good men shall be confirmed so wicked men shall be convinced and even confounded that not only in the last great and general Judgement but in this present world also A full proof whereof you have in those two mighty yet wicked Monarchs in Daniel Nebuchadnezzar and Darius How was Nebuchadnezzar appaled and even confounded when he saw the high resolution and courage of those three Worthies Shadrach Meshach Abednego in changing the Kings word and yielding their bodies to be burnt rather then worship a strange god Dan. 3 28. there you may finde it How was Darius amuzed and amazed when Daniel by the strength of his faith had stopt the mouthes of the lions after he had stood it out stoutly to the face of his adversaries How did the innocencie and piety of these godly men triumph in the consciences of those two Tyrants making them afraid and compelling them to vote the same way that they had before persecuted yea and to proclaim that God for the onely true God whom yet they had no minde to set up for their own God Dan. 3.29 saith N. buchadnezzar there I make a decree that every people nation and language which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego shall be cut in pieces and their houses shall be made a dunghill because there is no other god that can deliver after this sort And Dan. 6.25 26. saith Darius I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel for he is the living God and stedfast for ever and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed and his dominion shall be even unto the
end 'T is said of Dioclesian that bloudy persecutor Imperium deposuit quodam mentis stupore consternatione post quam singularem Christianorum in morte constantiam perspexisset i. e. That he laid down his Empire with terrour and consternation of minde after he had observed that height of spirit resolution and constancie which was in the Christians How did Steven being full of faith and courage astonish his adversaries The text saith Acts 6.15 All that sate in the council looking stedfastly on him saw his face as it had been the face of an angel So true is that of Solomon Prov. 28.4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked but such as keep the law contend with them A godly man I say that is unmoveable not like a troubled fountain or a corrupt spring though he may for a time receive evil words from the wicked yet their hearts are afraid of him and their consciences do admire him And thus Beloved you have heard the several Grounds and Reasons of the Point as far forth as time will permit I shall make some Improvement of it unto our selves This Point I shall apply two ways 1. for Increpation and then 2. for Exhortation 1. For Increpation or Reproof This Doctrine casts a severe aspect upon two sorts 1. Upon all formal and luke-warm Laodiceans upon all temporizing and corrupt time-serving Gospellers 2. Upon all timerous fearful and faint-hearted Christians For the first of these Is it so That the servants of God must labour to shew themselves best in the worst times that they should shine most in the greatest darkness and then with those fearers of God here in my text shew themselves most zealous for the Lord when others are most audacious in sinning against the Lord Tuis then doth most sharply reprehend all formal and temporizing professors who contrary to the rules of Gods most holy Word contrary to the practice of so many of his renowned servants in former ages and contrary to the irrefragable truth of the point in hand hold it best and safest to swim with the common current to keep themselves on the warm side of the hedge as we use to say to do as the most do though in and by so doing they be utterly undone for ever nay and that they may not seem sine ratione insanire to be mad without reason they plead Scripture or rather wrest and pervert Scripture for the defence of their wicked purpose as that of the Preacher Eccles 4.10 Wo to him that is alone when he falleth for he hath not another to help him up That Eccles 7.16 Be not righteous over-much neither make thy self over-wise why shouldst thou destroy thy self I and that of the Apostle Paul too 1 Cor. 9.22 where he saith To the weak I became as weak that I might gain the weak I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some Hence it is that they think themselves secuted and shrowded from the dint of any such reproof as this is pleasing themselves in a cold and careless mediocrity in spiritual matters How many have taken up that cursed Maxime which was all the Latine that Lewis 11. King of France would have his son to learn Qui nescit aissimulare nescit vivere he that cannot sycophantize and dissemble is not in case to live in a Commonwealth They can Camelconlike turn themselves into any colonr accommodate themselves to any mans humour they can as the Planet Mercury be good when in conjunction with good and bad when in the company of bad Weathercock like comply with the times let them be what they will and shift sail to the setting of every winde like the Ebionites of whom Eusebius tells us that they would keep the Sabbath with the Jews and the Lords day with the Christians like men that would seem to be of all Religions when in truth they were of none like those Israelites Neh. 13. that spake both Hebrew and Ashdod or to Balaam that could both bless and curse those double-minded men of whom the Apostle James speaks who are instable in all their ways imprisoning the truth in unrighteousness These are the men who come under this first Reprehension Beloved all that I shall say concerning these profligate professors that can tune their Fiddles to the Base of the times resolving to play nothing but what the company calls for The Lord will spue such Parasites out of his mouth as too loathsome a morsel for his stomack to brook or bear Rev. 3.16 saith Jesus Christ there called the Amen the faithful and true Witness the beginning of the creation of God Because thou aâ—t luke-warm and neither cold nor hot I will spue thee out of my mouth When a man rids his stomack he gets him into a corner so will Almighty God rid his stomack of such in the dark corner of hell To the same purpose I may apply that Isai 1.24 Ah I will ease me of mine adversaries and avenge me of mine enemies q. d. I will cast up this loathsom stuff that lies so hard upon and is so offensive to my stomack Which done the devil as a dog stands ready waiting to lick up Gods vomit Everlasting wo will be the portion of all those who are neither hot nor cold in nothing so constant as in their Unconstancie And thus briefly of the first sort that come under the lash of this Reproof The second sort to be here reproved are timorous and faint-hearted Christians who with the Snail pull in their horns for every pile of grass who are ashamed of Jesus Christ their Masters Cognizance for every light counterblast either of disgrace or danger I am to tell you that the Lord holds all such white-liver'd souldiers in such special detestation that he will not employ them so far as to break a pitcher or to bear a torch in his service Judg. 7.3 There are three texts amongst others which I thought good to commend unto the consideration of such The one is Mark 8.38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels Christ our Lord foresaw that as many would take up the profession of the Gospel for their credit advantage and other sinister and collateral respects so many would withdraw from it for fear of shame I but saith he Those who are now so shie of me so shie to own me my Truths my Service before men I will one day be every whit as shie of them and ashamed to own or acknowledge them before my Father and the blessed angels at that day when I shall make most ample relation before God angels and men yea all honourable mention of such as were not ashamed of me in this world then will I be ashamed of them who are loth to be seen forward in my service The
thinks that thoughts are free and therefore suffers them to rove and wander any way He deviseth mischief upon his bed he formeth frameth and contriveth it inwardly in his heart 2. I prove it from his words saith David They are stout against God as the words of those wicked ones before my text were Your words have been stout against me saith the Lord. And then 3. From his deeds in the later part of the fourth verse He setteth himself in a way that is not good he abhorreth not evil Leave some sin perhaps he may out of some politick ends and respects but loath and abhor it that he doth not This now is the disposition of all wicked men in reference to that which is evil their very thoughts words and actions are grosly and abominably wicked and this sufficiently sheweth that they have no fear of God before their eyes And as this is true in reference to Evil so likewise in respect of that which is Good I shall shew you this in a word and so conclude this first Use A wicked person saith the Prophet hath no fear of God before his eyes because he hath left off to do good vers 3. later part of it With these miscreants before my text he accounts it a course of no benefit or profit to be religious he sees it not needful to seek to the Lord he restraineth prayer saith Eliphaz Job 15.4 What Eliphaz here speaks is true of a wicked man in thesi a wicked man restrains or lessens prayer but not true in hypothesi as referr'd to Job this was true in the Doctrine but not in the Application Now Beloved to cast off Prayer is to cast off God he that lives without prayer in the world lives without the fear of God in the world and hence you finde the heathen that know not God and the families that call not upon his Name joyned together or indeed rather the same Jer. 10.25 Much more might be said in this partilar but what is already spoken is enough to make this manifest namely That all men do not fear God in a holy and spiritual manner and so by direct consequence are no true servants of God but graceless and irreligious persons And this shall serve for the first Use the Use of Information I now proceed unto the second And that shall be an Use of Examination Is it so as you have heard in the Doctrine That every true and faithful servant of God is a fearer of God Let us then call our selves to an account and so learn to settle the soundness of our gracious estate by securing this unto our own souls That we are men and women truly fearing God Without this we can never ascertain our own hearts that we are the true and faithful servants of God unless we be fearers of God we cannot say that we are the servants of God But then you will say How may I come to know whether or no with those sweet and gracious souls in the text I am a man or a woman truly fearing God Now to the end that I may give you satisfaction in this Querie I shall lay down some Notes of Trial whereby I desire all that hear me this evening to prove their present estate and condition whether they have this holy fear of God implanted in their hearts yea or not The way that I shall prescribe for Trial shall be taken from the concomitants or if you will from the effects or that lovely train of heavenly graces that guard and attend the true fear of God In the first place then where there is the holy fear of God there is purity and holiness Psal 19.9 saith David there The fear of the Lord is clean clean nor onely formally and in it self but effectively i.e. it makes the man clean and keeps him clean it stands as a Porter at the door of the soul If you should come to a Princes Court and see a great croud about the door you would say The Porter is there he stops and examines them if at another time you see all going in as fast as they please you will say The Porter is out of the way Thus where the true fear of the Lord is all is kept within compass we examine what goes into our hearts and what comes out 't is as it were an armed man or Centinel at the gate which questions all and stops every one from entring that is unfit it stands as a watch-man on the tower and looks every way to see what is coming unto the soul But more particularly this holy and reverential fear of God cleanseth 1. The Head 2. The Heart 3. The Life or Conversation A word or two of each of these I shall not hold you longer then the ordinary time 1. It cleanseth the Head the Judgment the Understanding and intellectual part of man and therefore saith the Psalmist Psal 111.10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdâ—m of true spiritual and saving wisdom it will according to the measure of it dispel the mists and fogs of Errour that cloud the Understanding And what is the reason of it the Reason is because it is the property of this fear to make men humble the true fear of God is an humbling grace Now an humble man can never be an Heretick 'T is true he may erre in his judgement but 't is but shewing him his Errour and he will quickly yeeld and subscribe to Truth This heart-humbling Fear wo'nt suffer him to be contumacious or obstinate Rev. 14.7 saith the Angel there that had the everlasting Gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth Fear God and give glory to him Give glory to him i.e. as some expound the place Give glory to him by abdicating and abjuring your heretical conceipts and erroneous opinions A man that hath his heart possess'd with the lively fear of God will not cannot stubbornly persist in any Errour such a man will be convinced and taken off when other men are wedded unto their own opinions The fear of God hath an excellent influence this way 2. It cleanseth the heart too it preserves the soul in general and keeps it holy O Beloved this true and holy fear of God is a golden bridle to the soul when it would run out unto any evil it is like the banks to the sea which keeps in the raging waves of corruption when they would overflow all Prov. 14.27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death i.e. either from sin which is spiritual death or from damnation which is perpetual and eternal death the fear of the Lord is a fountain of life to depart from both these snares of death Where this fear is not there the heart is ready to joyn with every evil and so to fall into the jaws of every death Satan that mighty hunter hath laid snares for our poor souls in all places The way of this world is like the
vale of Siddim slimy and slippery full of Lime-pits and pitfals snares stumbling-blocks laid on purpose to maim and to mischief our souls But now he that truly fears God comes off without great hurt he keepeth his heart with all diligence he watcheth the very thoughts and motions of his heart he will not suffer vain thoughts to lodge there but labours to wash it from all filthiness that so he may perfect holiness in the fear of God This fear of God weeds hypocrisie out of the heart pride arrogancie and every secret way of iniquity Job was a man fearing God and therefore he durst not once to think lustfully upon a maid this was that which made him to refrain contemplative wickedness Job 31.1 And then 3. As this holy fear of God cleanseth the Head and the Heart so it cleanseth the Hands too it keeps the Life and Conversation pure Prov. 3.7 saith Solomon there Fear the Lord and depart from evil The fear of the Lord is to depart from evil that Beloved is the definition of the fear of God Eschewing of evil is not onely put as an effect of the fear of God as when 't is said of Job Chap. 1.1 that man was perfect and upright and one that feared God and eschewed evil but it is put I say in the very definition it self of the fear of God 't is the nature of this fear of God to depart from evil not onely from habitual and inward but likewise from outward and practical evil from publike as well as from private and secret evil See what Jehoshaphat saith in his charge unto his Judges when they were going their Circuit 2 Chron. 19.7 Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you take heed and do it for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God nor respect of persons nor taking of gifts q. d. This fear of God if it be upon you if it be radicated and rooted in your hearts will teach you to forbear Bribery and iniquity with your hands It was the fear of God Beloved that reined in Joseph from condescending to the wicked motion of his wanton Mistress though he might have committed that folly and the world have been never the wiser I can proceed no further at present in the tryal of this holy fear of God Examine your selves by what hath been said If with those godly ones here in my Text you are men and women truly fearing the Lord then this fear of God hath had this cleansing influence upon you and hath cleansed your Heads Hearts and Hands Secondly As this holy fear of God cleanseth the Head Heart and Hand from sin so doth it no less frame the heart to the doing of duty and that 1. towards God 2. towards men For as you heard before the fear of God is a very extensive and comprehensive grace it includes the whole duty of man not onely his Negative duty what he ought not to do but his Positive duty too what he ought to do In the first place then this holy fear of God frames the heart to the performance of its duty towards God And here I shall instance onely in two duties 1. It perswades the heart to believe God and his Word The Scripture noteth this expresly of the Patriarch Noah Heb. 11.7 By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an ark c. Moved with fear what is that i. e. with a reverent fear of that God that spake unto him Noah's heart being touched with the true fear of God believed God even in those things which were not as yet seen he believed those forewarnings of God concerning the judgment he purposed to bring upon the world and accordingly prepared an Ark whereby he saved his houshold and condemned the wicked world Thus the Israclites possest with this filial fear believed God and his servant Moses You may see this clearly Ezod 14.31 And the people feared the Lord and believed the Lord and his servant Moses Pray observe it well the people feared the Lord c. As Faith may be and is the ground of holy Fear so holy Fear may sometimes draw forth acts of Faith it will make a man tremble as much at the Threats of his Word as at the Strokes of his Hand And then 2. As it frames the heart to a believing of God and his Word so likewise to an obeying of God and his Word the holy obedience of his revealed will Psal 103.17 18. saith David there But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him and his righteousness unto childrens children to such as keep his covenant and to those that remember his commandments to do them He describes you see them that fear God to be such as keep his Covenant and remember his Commandments to do them A soul truly fearing God is afraid to disobey God his heart with David's will stand in awe of Gods Word And hence 't is that in Scripture sometimes you finde the fearing of God and keeping of his Commandments sometimes fearing God and working righteousness joyned together The former you may see Psal 119.63 I am a companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep thy precepts Of them that fear thee and keep thy precepts a man cannot fear God but he must observe his precepts So again Eccles 12.13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man The connexion of these two shews us that the fear of God is a principle of obedience they that fear him will keep his commandments yea they do so in an Evangelical way though they cannot attain unto yet they wish well to exact and accurate obedience The later you shall finde Acts 10.35 But in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him A man fearing God will be active and doing he will be working righteousness and that which is good And thus have you briefly heard to what particular duties this Fear frames the heart towards God I am to shew you in the next place how and in what duties it draws the heart in reference to Man The Fear of God hath a double bond in it a bond of Obedience to God and a bond of Love to Men. Well then in the first place the true fear of God is ever joyned with love unto our brethren The Apostle puts so much of Religion or of the fear of God for they are both one in the love to our brethren as that in one place he makes it all Religion yea the very definition of the fear of God Jam. 1.27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this To visit the fatherless in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world This is Religion and pure Religion i.e. This is a great branch and part of Religion 't is a
desire now that when you come home you would commune with your own hearts and compare your selves with and apply your selves to these sundry probational Notes And this shall suffice to be spoken of the second Use the Use of Examination I shall enter upon the third and proceed as far in it as the ordinary time will permit And that shall be a Use of Exhortation Is it so That every true and faithful servant of God is a fearer of God Learn we then hence these two duties First to get the true fear of God and then secondly to grow up in this grace more and more I begin with the first of these Let every one of us labour to have our hearts seasoned and possessed with this grace in the words of Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 19.7 Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you take heed and do it for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God nor respect of persons nor taking of gifts Give we all diligence for the attainment of this grace Now for the better performance of this duty I shall first lay down some Motives for your encouragement secondly prescribe some Means for your assistance The Motives shall be five or six all which I shall run over with as much convenient brevity as may be 1. 'T is but just equal and reasonable that we should fear the Lord our God seeing he hath so frequently commanded it and so often in his Word called upon us for it Besides what texts have formerly in this discourse been alleadged to this purpose let me at present for your encouragement commend unto you two or three more Psal 22.23 Psal 33.8 Psal 34.59 Luke 12.5 Observe well what Christ saith there But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear Fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell yea I say unto you Fear him He commands this fear twice you see in one verse Nay as this fear is enjoyned so doth it of right appertain to God 't is his due as he is the proper the sole and onely object of it Job 25.2 Dominion and fear are with him i.e. they are with the Lord or they are the Lord. Psal 76.11 Jer. 10.7 So that you see 't is an act of justice to fear God When we have done the utmost that we can this way we have done but our duty 2. As this duty is just and reasonable in respect of God so 't is a grace needful and necessary for us This is that grace which enableth us unto all Christian duties it frames the heart as you heard before both to the shunning of vice as also to the embracing of vertue 'T is the beginning of wisdom and the instruction of wisdom 't is a fountain of life without it we can neither begin or end any spiritual work 't is the beginning of all and the end of all 't is totus homo all of man without it there can be no compleatness in Christianity and therefore saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 7.1 that we must perfect holiness in the fear of God The heathen Sages as Seneca Socrates and others they were wise men in their generation they had many excellent and lovely gifts but failing of this coming short of the true fear of God all the other did them no good they found out indeed many excellent things but they missed of this Pearl of great price That wish of the Lord is very observable Deut. 5.29 Oh that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep my commandments always that it might be well with them and with their children for ever Intimating thus much that if their hearts were once seasoned with this holy fear then they would be able to do his will and to observe his commandments Without this fear of God we shall never be able to keep one of the commands of God So that you see 't is needful to the Inchoation Continuation and Consummation of of grace 't is the beginning middle and end of true spiritual wisdom 3. As this holy fear of God is needful for us so 't is gainful to us and profitable for us too 'T is true the profane miscreants above my text blasphemed to the contrary vers 14. Ye have said It is vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts I but the godly in my text were of another minde What the Apostle speaks of godliness is as true of this holy fear of God for why they are the same indistinct thing now saith he 1 Tim. 4.8 Godliness is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come This we may verifie and truly say of the fear of God It hath the promise of this life c. 1. Of this life Prov. 19.23 The fear of the Lord tendeth to life and he that hath it shall abide satisfied he shall not be visited with evil Security from evil in general is promised to them that fear God they shall be delivered from the hurt of it though not always I confess from the smart of it They shall be delivered from the evil of sin for why as Solomon speaks Prov. 8.13 the former part of the verse The fear of the Lord is to hate evil They shall be delivered from the evil of pain and sorrow too to which purpose tends such texts as this Psal 91.5 6 7. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terrour by night nor for the arrow that flieth by day nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness nor for the destruction that wasteth at noon-day A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come night thee So again vers 10 11 12 13. Nay they that fear the Lord shall not onely be delivered out of all evil but they I and theirs too shall be made partakers of all good Eccles 8.12 saith the Preacher there Though a sinner do evil an hundred times and his days be prolonged yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God which fear before him God will be good to his Israel even to them that are of a pure heart Prov. 22.4 By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honour and life The fear of the Lord you see doth not want its present reward of riches honour and life One would think this were enough to provoke any man to turn spiritual purchaser I but the Scripture expresseth this reward yet further Psal 34.9 10. Oh fear the Lord ye his saints for there is no want to them that fear him The young lions do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing I but what shall our poor children do when we are gone may some say well enough Psal 37.25 saith David there I have been young
by his holy Spirit who is their domestick Monitor and sweet inhabitant 'T is true what the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God The meaning of it is that all our strength and help lies in him we daily finde a want in our selves and God as it pleaseth him le ts out from his sufficiency unto us now a little and then a little we are ever receiving from him and enabled by his Grace and Spirit to do what is done I say the Spirit disposeth the heart to this holy meditation and that two ways 1. By enlightning the heart 2. By enlarging the heart But the time being past I shall refer what remains to some further opportunity 1. I say the Spirit enlightens their hearts The first and primary work of the Spirit is to beat out as it were new windows in the dark souls of men and to put in a principle of new light thereby giving the soul some signs of God some sense of his sweetness some glimpse of his glory And hence 't is that the holy Ghost in Scripture is sometimes called a spirit of wisdom and understanding a spirit of counsel and of knowledge Isa 11.2 sometimes a spirit of wisdom and revelation Eph. 1.17 sometimes a spirit of illumination Heb. 6.4 Now the Spirit is so called from this effect which it hath upon the heart because the Spirit causeth a spiritual and heavenly light to shine about our mindes by which spiritual things are made manifest to the eye of our understanding as by the light of the Sun bodily things are made manifest to the eye of our body The Spirit saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.10 searcheth the deep things of God and reveals them to us and shews us the back parts of God though somewhat obscurely as through a grate onely or darkly as through a glass In this life we know but in part And then 2. The spirit having possessed the heart he enlargeth or wideneth the heart towards God and the things of God it enables us to captivate our thoughts to the obedience of Christ to conform them to the severaignty of his grace to the rules of his Word and the remembrance of his Name Nay 3. The Spirit sanctifieth the heart and so puts it upon a continual fresh succession of holy thoughts The whole spirit soul and body of a Christian is sanctified thorowout God writes his Law in their hearts stamps his image upon the spirit of their mindes makes them partakers of the divine nature erecteth a new nature a blessed frame of grace And hence have they an ability given them of holy thoughts and meditations for as the man is so will his thoughts dispositions meditations and affections be Hence is that of the Prophet Isa 32.8 But the liberal deviseth liberal things and by liberal things shall he stand A man of a noble liberal and generous spirit will carry his heart out after worthy and noble things Nay hence is that of our Saviour Matth. 12.35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things As from the old and unregenerated heart proceed evil thoughts so from the new and sanctified heart proceed holy and sanctified thoughts gracious considerations of and holy reverend respects to God and to his Name That is the third Reason of the Point It is and should be the practice of all them that truly fear God to meditate diligently upon God and upon the things of God because the Spirit doth to this purpose enlighten their understandings and possesseth and sanctifieth their hearts 4. But then last of all it is and should be the practice of all them that truly fear God to meditate diligently upon God and the things of God because all that truly fear God stand in a marvellous neer and dear relation unto God Neer relations you know will minde one another God and his servants are neerly related he is their friend and father their God and guide their Prince and portion their shield and their exceeding great reward Nay Beloved he is their all in all the stay and the strength of their hearts for ever and therefore it cannot be but their hearts must run much upon God and upon the things of his kingdom Nay a little further every faithful servant of God every true believer hath resigned and given up his name to God he hath devoted himself to his fear Mark what holy David saith Psal 119.38 Stablish thy word unto thy servant who is devoted to thy fear Believers have as it were sworn themselves to the service of God I am thy servant I am thy servant saith the same holy David oftentimes in the Psalms they love the Lord with all their soul with all their heart and with all their strength and as for the Name of God they flie unto it in any difficulty and distress as unto a Garison and strong Fort or Tower Prov. 18.10 The righteous know that the Name of God is so deep that no Pyoner can undetmine it so thick that no Cannon can pierce it so high that no Ladder can scale it and hither they run for refuge Nay they walk in this Name as in a Garden or Gallery Mic. 4 5. We will walk in the Name of the Lord our God for ever and ever they resolve to walk in the Name i. e. By the Laws and under the view of the Lord their God who is God of gods and Lord of lords they rejoyce and delight in it as in all treasure Psal 119.14 Now brethren sum up all together in a word and then you shall finde the force of this Argument Can the fearers of God rejoyce in his Name run unto it upon all occasions walk in it and yet not minde it and yet not have their hearts set upon it This is impossible Can they I say vouch him for their God set him up for their Soveraign converse with him as a friend and yet not think upon his Name this cannot be well conceived And thus you hear what the grounds of the Point are Let us now make some Use of it I shall improve it four ways 1. For Insormation 2. For Increpation 3. For Examination 4. For Exhortation In which Uses I shall proceed so far this day as time will permit I begin with the first the Use of Information 1. Is it so That it is and should be the practice of all them that truly fear God to meditate diligently upon God and upon the things of God Take we then hence notice That those who do not habitually daily and diligently think upon God that make not his Attributes Ways Ordinances Worship and Honour the matter of their meditation these I say are excluded out of the number and society of the true fearers of God Yea the want of this holy and heavenly meditation is laid down in holy Writ as the Badge Cognizance or Character of
wicked man saith to God Depart from me This I could evidence to you in sundry passages and practices of wicked men but for brevity sake I will exemplifie onely in that one set down in that text Job 21.12 Wicked men make it appear that God is not in all their thoughts because they desire not the knowledge of his ways As the ways of a wicked man are always grievous to God so are the ways of God always grievous to wicked men therefore they desire no acquaintance with no knowledge of them they are a very loaching to their souls they are rough sharp sad and unsuitable to their spirits and genius Wicked men as they think are provided of better ways of ways more easie smooth plain pleasant and therefore they have no manner of desire to Gods ways we desire not the knowledge of thy ways The word in the Hebrew signifying desire is rendred also to take pleasure or delight in because those things which we delight in are most desired by us and when they say We desire not the knowledge of thy ways more is intended then the bare negative of their desire we may resolve this Negative into an Affirmative thus We dislike yea we hate the knowledge of thy ways But what are those ways of God which finde so little acceptance entertainment with wicked men In general by the ways of God he intendeth not those ways in which God walketh but those which God hath made for man to walk in as namely the ways of his providence and outward administrations the ways of his commandments or those rules of life in and by which we ought to walk and regulate our whole course the ways of his Works the ways of his Word the ways of his Worship wicked men desire not the practical or experimental knowledge of these And thus much of the first Use I come to a second Use and that shall be a Use of Increpation 2. Is it so that it is and should be the practice of all them that truly fear God to meditate diligently upon God and upon the things of God This Point looks sadly and sowrely upon such as think basely unworthily and dishonourably of God upon such who in stead of holy and heavenly entertain atheistical blasphemous unbelieving and rebellious thoughts I shall give a touch upon each of these and so come to a third Use Some have gross earthly and terrene conceits of God they become vain in their imaginations about him as those spoken of by the Apostle Rom. 1.23 Thus ignorant persons who fancy God to be some old man sitting in heaven with a Crown on his head and a Scepter in his hand administring his kingdom as an earthly Prince Others though they conceive God to be a spirit and not a bodily substance yet they in their thoughts rob him of his essential and inseparable Attributes 1. Some deprive him of his Omnipresence thinking that God is not present in all places David could say Psal 139.7 8 9 c. Whither shall I go from thy spirit or 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 c. but now wicked men on the other side are brought in speaking of God as if he were shut up in heaven and had nothing to do in the world Job 22.12 13. Is not God in the height of heaven and behold the height of the stars how high they are And thou sayest How doth God know can he judge thorow the dark cloud So again Psal 44 7. Some deny in their hearts his Omniscience as if God did not know all the transactions of men Psal 10.11 David speaking of the wicked mans thoughts tells He hath said in his heart God hath forgotten he hideth his face he will never see it So much the Prophet Isaiah insinuateth in that wo which he denounceth against wicked men Isa 29.15 Wo unto them that seek deep to hide counsel from the Lord and their works are in the dark and they say Who seeth us and who knoweth us Some deprive God of his justice thinking that although they proceed in the practice and often repetition of sin yet God will not punish them according to the cominations and threatnings of his Word If you doubt whether or no there be any such imagination in mans heart reade Deut. 29.19 where Moses saith And it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse that he bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart to adde drunkenness to thirst Nay saith David Psal 10.3 The wicked boasteth of his hearts desire and blesseth the covetous whom the Lord abhorreth or we may reade it The covetous blesseth himself So much is implied in that of the Lord unto the Jews Jer. 7.9 10. Will ye steal murther and commit adultery and burn incense unto Baal and walk after other gods whom ye know not and come and stand before me in this house which is called by my Name and say We are delivered to do all these abominations Some again think unworthily of God by denying his providence whereby he ordereth and disposeth of all things in the world as if God regarded not his people as if he cared not which way things go So did these wicked ones above my text so did they of whom the Prophet Zephaniab speaks Zeph. 1.12 that say in their heart The Lord will not do good neither will he do evil Others again rob God of his purity and holiness they conceive God to be wicked as themselves are because he keeps silence at their sins Psal 50.21 or else because he doth not presently execute wrath upon sin and sinners Eccles 8.11 Others and not a few conceive God to be made up altogether of mercy they think he will save them and not destroy the works of his own hands though they live never so wickedly Others deny the truth of God and make him a lyer as if God would not accomplish either what he hath promised to his people or threatned against his enemies so did those wicked ones of whom the Apostle Peter speaks 2 Pet. 3.3 4. Others in the last place do not onely think basely and unworthily of God but they think thoughts against him such thoughts as are directly opposite to his Name they take up high and haughty imaginations such as exalt themselves against the knowledge of God and obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ of which thoughts you reade 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Nay they have thoughts of high treason and open rebellion against heaven saying as Pharaoh did Exod. 5.2 Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice or as they Psalm 12.4 With our tongue we will prevail our lips are our own who is lord over us or as they Jer. 44.15 16 17. As for
the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the Name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee but we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth of our mouth Thus Beloved and many other ways which I might name do wicked men think dishonourably of God Now as I told you in the beginning of this Use the Doctrine which I have in hand looks very wishly and sowrely upon all these As it excludes them out of the society of the fearers of God so it brings them under heavy wrath guilt and punishment God will one day discover and lay open before the whole world angels and men those vile thoughts that wicked men have had of him and against him in their hearts he will set their iniquities in order before them and their secret sins in the light of his countenance as 't is Psal 90.8 he will bring every one of these secret thoughts into judgement Eccl. 12.14 And that none might be ignorant of this he makes proclamation thereof as it were in open Court by the voyce of his holy Prophet Jer. 6.19 I desire all those that are guilty of sinful thoughts against God to observe this text well and to lay it home unto and upon their hearts this evening Hear O earth behold I will bring evil upon this people even the fruit of their thoughts The heavy wrath and vengeance of Almighty God is both the just desert and the certain issue and event of evil thoughts inward distempers and mental abominations shall not go unpunished And this shall suffice to be spoken of the second Use the Use of Increpation I proceed to a third and shall make what progress in it the ordinary time will give me leave and that shall be a Use of Trial and examination to every one that hears me this evening 3. Is it so that it is and ought to be the practice of all them that truly fear God to meditate diligently upon God and upon the things of God Let then every man and woman learn hence to make an estimate of his and her spiritual estate by the quality and disposition of their thoughts For 't is most certain that as the man is such are his thoughts and as the thoughts are habitually and ordinarily whether good or evil so is the man Thoughts are called the possessions of the heart Job 17.11 The thoughts of my heart in the Original 't is the possessions of my heart Now they are called possessions of the heart two ways 1. In a passive and 2. in an active sense Passively because thoughts are possessed by the heart the heart doth inclose and hold our thoughts the heart is the proper vessel and receptacle of thoughts the heart naturally is the soil and seat of thoughts there they are planted and there they dwell And then they are the possessions of the heart actively for as thoughts are possessed by the heart so thoughts do possess the heart Thoughts are full of activity they trouble and they comfort the heart Look what our thoughts are such is the estate of our hearts if our thoughts be quiet our hearts be quiet if our thoughts be unquiet our hearts be unquiet if our thoughts be joyful our hearts rejoyce if our thoughts be sad our hearts are sorrowful And therefore 't is said in the Gospel Luk. 24.38 Why are you troubled and why do thoughts arise in your hearts i.e. Why do troublesome disconsolate thoughts arise in your hearts 'T is as natural for thoughts to arise in the heart as 't is for water to rise in a spring or fountain Christ did not chide because thoughts but because such thoughts did arise in their hearts We cannot hinder our thoughts from thinking no more then we can hinder the fire from burning or water from wetting They are the possessions of our hearts and being the possessions of our hearts we may easily judge of our estate and condition by them Purity in the inward parts is the most sound and infallible evidence of our fearing God Whatever evil is practised or committed in the life proceeds from the heart Mat. 15.9 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts c. So again on the other side whatever good is acted in the life proceeds from the heart Out of the heart says Solomon are the issues both of life and death And therefore I say again Examine your estate by your hearts and by your thoughts which are the possessions of your hearts Now there are two ways how a man may try his thoughts 1. By the causes of them and 2. By the effects of them A word or two of each and so I shall conclude 1. Try your thoughts by the Causes of them Are they put in by God and his Spirit doth the Spirit of God raise them up in your hearts or else are they injected and cast in by the devil And so I might enlarge my self in shewing when our thoughts are formed and framed in us by the Spirit of God and when thrust in by the devil but that would be a field too large for me and therefore I briefly pass it by 2. Try your thoughts by the matter and substance of them Are they holy heavenly and gracious Carnal men are projecting how to spend their days and moneths in buying in selling and getting gain the fool in the Gospel is thinking of enlarging his barns of pulling down his houses and building greater Luk. 12.17 18. this is that which engrossed all his thoughts One Apostle describes such men thus Minding earthly things Phil. 3.19 another thus Having an heart exercised with covetous practices 2 Pet. 2.14 With covetous practices i.e. with earnest contrivances how to promote their gain and earthly aims But now men and women fearing God they are for gracious projects they are thinking how they may be more thankful saying with David Psal 116.12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me They are thinking how they may be more holy and spiritual how they may be more useful and serviceable to God how they may be more fruitful in every good word and work So that I say in the second place try your thoughts by the matter of them 3. Try them from the form and fashion of them Are they notional floating and accidental or are they studious sollicitous and diligent thoughts Do you sit as it were in the door of your hearts on set purpose to entertain good thoughts as Abraham was wont to sit in the door of his tent to entertain strangers or do they fall in onely by the by collaterally and besides the intention These holy men in my text did not onely think upon Gods Name casually or by chance but they did it seriously and in good earnest and stayed up their hearts against all discouragements 4. Examine your thoughts by the duration and continuance of them Are your good thoughts fixed setled constant and permanent or are they flitting fugitive transient and temporary onely as soon
gone as come like a flash of lighting in the air like the stony ground whose fruit was no sooner ripe then rotten or like the grass upon the house top which the Psalmist speaks of which withereth afore it groweth up And then last of all 5. Try your thoughts by the effects which they work in you Do your thoughts of Gods presence purity and holiness make you to tremble and afraid to sin thoughts of his mercy and patience lead you to repentance the thoughts of his power and all-sufficiency work you to a close even and uniform walking with God the thoughts of heaven wean you from the earth the thoughts of the vanity of life fit you for death Do the thoughts of the instability and uncertainty of temporal things edge and quicken your desire after eternal things Are your meditations driven to that issue which Davids were to make you turn your feet unto Gods Testimonies to have respect to his Ordinances to his Ways and Precepts Are your thoughts thus improved are your thoughts improved to such holy ends purposes as these are I beseech you when you come home to commune with your own hearts endeavor to conclude somewhat of your estate and condition by your thoughts And so much of this Use and for this time I proceed unto the fourth last Use of this Point and that shall be for Exhortation 4. Is it so that it is and should be the practice of all them that truly fear God to meditate diligently upon God and the things of God This Doctrine then calls upon all the true fearers of God to be much in meditating and thinking upon his Name And here for the performance and better performance of this great and necessary duty I shall lay down before you in the first place some Motives Secondly some Means and thirdly some Rules or Directions I begin with the Motives and the first shall be taken from the necessity of the duty 'T is necessary in a double consideration 1. in regard of God 2. in regard of our selves 1. In regard of God he requires and commands the duty See what God saith to Joshua Josh 1.8 This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein One would think it should rather have been said This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy heart but thou shalt c. of if not so then thus This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt speak of it day and night Meditation is too high a Muse for the mouth But Beloved because there ought to be much meditation about the Law of God before a word of it comes out of the mouth therefore the Lord saith This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night The meaning of it is this As often as thou shalt speak thou shalt meditate thou shalt not speak rashly it shall not be the work of thy tongue alone but of thy minde and tongue together Now as in this text the Lord requires holy conference of which I shall speak God willing in the next Point so doth he likewise require holy meditation Thou shalt meditate therein This carries with it the full force of a command So again Prov. 6.20 21. My son keep thy fathers commandment and forsake not the law of thy mother binde them continually upon thine heart and tie them about thy neck The phrase of speech is borrowed from Garments or Jewels The meaning of it is Lay them up as safe in your thoughts tie them as fast to your hearts by holy meditation as men do their clothes nay as they do their chains and jewels to their bodies or else deal with them by frequent meditating upon them as men do by those things which they set down in their book or table that so they may keep a precise memorandum of them The like injunction you finde given Phil 4.8 the text which I alledged in the confirmation of this Point So again 1 Tim. 4.15 saith Paul there to Timothy Meditate upon these things give thyself wholly to them that thy profitting may appear to all What things why the things of God and bis Gospel So then this duty is necessary in respect of Gods positive and peremptory command Secondly this duty is necessary in respect of God because 't is he that indued us with reasonable souls with thinking faculties 't is he that hath given us an ability this way I mean an ability or faculty to think or meditate The Apostle tells us Acts 17.28 In him we live and move and have our being 'T is in God that we move I and that with the motions of our mindes no less then with the motions of our bodies in him i. e. by and through him through his power and goodness that we are acted and moved in our minds 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God The Apostle you see instanceth in this very duty of thinking and of holy meditation 'T is not in our own power to think much less to think a good thought all our sufficiency this way is from God Now then if it be God as you hear that hath put into us thinking faculties 't is needful then that we should return them back upon him again by thinking seriously and industriously upon his Name Nay you shall finde that upon this very ground because God hath given us our spirits our souls and the several faculties of them therefore we are to glorifie him with them This is evident 2 Cor. 6.20 the later part of the verse Therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirits which are Gods q. d. your spirits as well as your bodies are Gods therefore glorifie him in your spirits And can we better glorifie God in and with our spirits then by frequent thinking upon his Name Nay Thirdly consider that God will account with us for our thoughts we must one day be as responsible or answerable to God for our thoughts and meditations as for any other things or talents whatsoever Eccles 12.14 At that day of revelation for so the day of account is sometimes called in Scripture we shall be made like a transparent pellucid and diaphanous body and all shall be laid naked and open the books of Gods Omniscience and mans Conscience shall be opened thy secretest thoughts thy most reserved retired and sequestred meditations shall be as legible in thy forehead as if they were written with the most glittering sun-beams upon a wall of Chrystal Not only mens words and actions but their thoughts are all in print in Heaven and God will in that day read them aloud in the ears of all the World although no heart in the earth be privy to them but
prefer God and the things of God incomparably before all other things whatsoever would we once make supernatural and heavenly things our chief portion and treasure then would our hearts be chiefly set upon them and our thoughts mostly run on them See what our Saviour saith Matth. 6.21 Where your treasure is there will your heart be also 5. And then in the last place to this end make use of Prayer too You know that God is both the heart-maker and the heart-mender desire him to put your souls into a spiritual frame and temper to direct your hearts unto the remembrance of his Name Pray for your selves as David did once for his people 1 Chron. 29.18 Oh Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Israel our fathers keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people and prepare our hearts unto theâ— In like manner let us pray Lord keep thy Name for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of our hearts and prepare our hearts unto thee or as he prays Psalm 19.14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my redeemer Pray that God would raise up your hearts and ravish your hearts that you may so meditate upon his Name that you may have respect unto all his ways I should come to give you some Rules or Directions concerning this holy meditation But of them God willing the next time Now because circumstances bear such a weight in every action as that they either make or mar it before I speak of the form and manner of our thinking upon the Name of God I shall deliver a word or two concerning the circumstances of Meditation There are two circumstances to be heeded in this duty 1. The circumstance of Time 2. The circumstance of Place I begin with the circumstance of Time Though it cannot be denied but that a Christian should have dayly converse and communion with God he should be alwayes ejaculating and raising up of his heart to heaven saying with David Psalm 36.4 later part of the verse Vnto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul Though he ought to take occasion even from those things which do occur and offer themselves unto his outward senses to aspire and climb up to God in his heart yet without doubt every Christian should redeem some â—it and convenient portion of time and set it apart from other employments that so he may solemaly and seriously think upon the Name of God he must not onely do it occasionally but he must appoint some time or other on set purpose that he may the more thorowly discharge this necessary duty at which time he should concentre and draw as it were into one point all the powers and faculties of his soul and command them to attend this heavenly exercise as much as may be without distaction And I suppose Beloved it were no great task to fetch in the practise of some of the holy men of God this way Isaac went out to meditate at the eventide Gen. 24.63 'T is conceived Isaac did this usually though at this time peradventure more earnestly by reason of that important business he had in hand which was his marriage It seems that Isaac did ordinarily go forth about even-tide which was saith Mr. Ainsworth at the ninth hour of the day with us the third hour in the afternoon about three of the clock to meditate This was Isaac's set-time for meditation as I say 't is generally conceived So David the Name of God and the Word of God was his meditation all the day Psalm 119.97 and in the night Psalm 119.55 yet there are some texts which lead us to think that David had his set and solemn times for this purpose amongst others I will instance onely in that one Psalm 139.18 the last words of the verse When I awake I am still with thee Some indeed refer this to the last resurrection and give out David's meaning to be this When I arise out of my grave I shall be still with thee I shall ever be with the Lord. But we need not to force the text as David had other set-times to meditate upon God so the morning was one of them When I awake out of my sleep or as soon as I awake out of my sleep I am with thee in holy meditation So that Beloved ye are not onely to maintain a constant communion with God in this duty but there must be some time laid aside on set purpose for this duty The second circumstance that I shall speak of is the circumstance of Place and here as I spake of the time so I may speak of the place for holy meditation As at all times we should think upon the Name of God so in all places not onely in this place appointed for the publick service of God but in all other places in your houses in your shops and places of trading at board and at bed at home and abroad But yet for preventing of distraction and considering that Satan is ready to take all advantages against us labouring might and main by outward objects to distract and divide the faculties of our souls with impertinent or unprofitable thoughts yea with sinful and corrupt thoughts therefore I conceive it necessary that the place where we meditate most seriously and solemnly should be retired and secret The devil well knows how neer and familiar earthly things are to our senses and how remote and far distant heavenly and supernatural things are therefore he would fain work upon our carnality by presenting earthly objects and by them would fain convey to our hearts earthly-mindedness and so bereave us of the benefit of meditation So that I say to prevent the policie and malice of the devil 't is best whenever we desire in good earnest to set upon this duty to withdraw our selves into some private place into our chambers studies or closets What our Saviour speaks concerning the duty of Prayer we may apply unto the duty of holy meditation Matth. 6.6 When thou prayest enter into thy closet so when thou meditatest enter into thy closet withdraw as much as may be from the noise and clutter of the world do it as privately and reservedly as may be I might give you some instances for this too Isaac did it in the field as you may finde in the text before alledged Gen. 24.63 he was private in meditation and soliloquie Upon this passage of Isaac I finde one to have this observation Domitian saith he about the beginning of his Empire usually sequestred himself from company an hour every day but did nothing the while but catch Flyes and kill them with a pen-knife but Isaac sequestred himself from company to a better-purpose he improved his solitariness for deep meditation and soliloquie David performed this duty in his bed Psalm 63.6 and therefore saith he Psalm 4.4 Commune with your own heart upon your bed And thus