Trust whatever contrariety appeareth in Gods Providence Gods word must bear up our hearts it is as a Pawn till the Deliverance come Gods mercy is the same still his word calleth for Trust the more we trust and hope in his mercy the better for us Psal. 13. 5. I have trusted in thy mercy my Soul shall rejoyce in thy Salvation Psal. 33. 22. Let thy mercy O Lord be upon us as we hope in thee And Psalm 32. 10. He that trusteth in the Lord Mercy shall compass him about The more clear is your claim when you trust your selves with him he is a merciful God and his word saith he will take care for them that fear him 4. All this trust must be set a work in Prayer so doth David and so saith the Word Psal. 50. 15. Call upon me in the day of Trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie my Name Ier. 29. 11 12. I know the thoughts that I think towards you saith the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end Then shall ye call upon me and ye shall go and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you Ezek. 36. 37. Thus saith the Lord God I will yet for this be enquired of by the House of Israel to do it for them 4. The effectual Application Let thy Mercies come also unto me 1. He beggeth Application unto me also God is every day scattering his Mercies abroad in the world and David would not be left out of Gods Care and blessed Provision but have his share also Esau's words are applicable upon this occasion Gen. 27. 38. Hast thou but one blessing O my Father Bless me even me also When the Earth is full of his goodness beg your share God is the Father of Mercies he hath not the less for bestowing as the Sun hath not less Light for us because others enjoy it with us God doth not wast by giving 2. He beggeth an effectual Application Let thy mercies come unto me the way was blocked up with sins and difficulties yet Mercy could clear all and find access to him or make out its way Let it come to me that is let it be performed or come to pass as it is rendred Iudges 13 12. Now let thy words come to pass to us Heb. Let it come here let it come home to me for my comfort and deliverance David elsewhere saith Psal. 23. 6. Mercy and Goodness shall follow me all my days go after him find him out in his wandrings So Psalm 116. 12. What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me They found their way to him though shut up with sins and dangers Thus we see how to plead with God for temporal Salvation we must make Grace and nothing but Grace the ground of our hope and this according to the tenor of the word 2. As it is applicable to eternal Salvation and then 1. The ground of all is mercy or pity of the Creatures misery the Lord is not moved to bestow Grace upon Sinners for any goodness that he findeth in them or could foresee in them for he findeth none and could foresee nothing but what was the fruit of his own Grace Rom. 11. 35. Who hath given him first and it shall be recompensed unto him again It is the honour of God to begin all things as the River oweth all to the Fountain the Fountain nothing to the River as none can give him first so none can be profitable unto him for he needeth nothing Acts 17. 25. Neither is worshipped with mens hands as though he needeth any thing seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things Nay we deserve the contrary to be cast into utter darkness Ezek. 36. 21 22. I do not this for your sakes I had pity for my Names sake which ye have prophaned among the Heathen 1 Pet. 1. 3. Of his abundant goodness he hath begotten us to a lively hope We have not a right notion of mercy unless we admire the plenty of it Eph. 2. 4. God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us when we were dead in trespasses and sins hath quickned us with Christ. There need many mercies from first to last for the saving of a poor sinner their natural misery is great Ezek. 16. 6. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live Their actual Sins many Ier. 14. 7. Our iniquities testifie against us the way of their recovery by Christ is mysterious Iohn 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life The course taken for satisfying wronged Justice the Application involveth many mercies the renewing of their Natures Titus 3. 5. According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost The preserving of inherent Grace against temptations forgiving many sins after Conversion Isa. 55. 7. Let the wicked for sake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon The righteous fall seven times a day and riseth up again Prov. 24. 16. The great eternal good things to be bestowed on them Iude 21. Looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto eternal life So that from first to last there is nothing but a concatenation of mercies 2. The Effect Salvation This properly deserveth to be called so we are saved but in part before then from all evils from the greatest evil Hell before we are saved but we may be troubled again now no more sorrow when all opposition is broken and God is all in all and the Church presented as a prey snatched out of the teeth of Lions all former things are done away 3. This dispensed according to the Word Now what doth the Word say when a sinner repenteth all the Iniquities which he hath committed shall be forgotten there is abuse of Mercy noted Deut. 29. 19. If he shall bless himself and say I shall have Peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart I may go on in sin and cry God mercy and there is an end No Mercy issueth out it self for Salvation of men according to the Word these are Conclusions contrary to Grace Iude 4. There are certain men crept in unawares who were before of old ordained to this condemnation ungodly men turning the Grace of our God into Lasciviousness The Principle is true but the Conclusion is false certainly God is merciful there is no end nor measure nor bank nor bottom in his Mercy but throughout the whole Scriptures Mercy is only promised to the Penitent and those that come to God by Christ. Take mercy according to the Word
lest ye forget the Covenant of the Lord your God Quest. But when should we renew our Covenant or our Oath of Allegiance to God 1. Partly when we stand in need of some special favor from God or when we draw nigh to him in some special duty As Iacob when God manifested himself to him and he had communion with him at Bethel then he vowed a Vow Gen. 28. 21. So Num. 21. 2. Israel vowed a Vow to the Lord when they were in some distress And Psal. 65. 14. I will pay the vows of my distress which I made when I was in trouble 2. Again after some special mercy when under some love pang of spiritual rejoycing and we have a deep sense of God's love to us or a new pledge of his love to us either in spiritual or temporal benefits and our soul melted out towards God in acts of spiritual rejoycing Psal 116. 8 9. For thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living And when God breaks the force and power of Enemies when he makes the wrath of man turn to his praise then Psal. 76. 11. Vow and pay unto the Lord your God Those Pagan Mariners they made their Vows to God when the Lord deliver'd them from the storm Ionah 1. 16. 3. When all things go to ruine when the state of Religion is collapsed either in a Nation or in our hearts after some notable breaches of Covenant by a people or by a person and we have warped from God seem to have wrested our selves out of his arms then to bind our selves to him again and to renew our Vows for upon this occasion doth Iosiah enter into Covenant with God and cause the people to stand to the oath 2 Chron 34. 4 When we are to draw nigh to God in the use of the Seals of the New Covenant when a Man is to revive his own right in the Covenant of Grace so when we are to draw nigh to God in the Lord's Supper which is the New Testament in Christ's blood which is the Seal of the Covenant then we should solemnly bind our selves to the duty of it and swear to the Lord anew Use. To press you with all earnestness to enter into Covenant with God and then to keep it and make it good to be sensible of the Vow of God upon you and to keep firm in the bond of the holy Oath 1 First To enter into solemn Obligation to God a purpose of holy and close walking with God I shall press you hereunto 1. God's Laws are holy just and good therefore certainly we should not be backward to swear to him because we cannot bring our selves seriously to give up our selves to the Lord they are righteous Judgments Suppose you could be free yet subjection to God were to be chosen before liberty therefore when Christ invites us to take his yoke upon our selves he doth not so much urge his authority All things are given to me of my Father therefore come to me but he urgeth the sweetness of Obedience and the pleasure we may find in coming to him Mat. 11. 29. My yoke is easie and my burden is light If a Man were free to chuse whether he would be for God or no yet the perfection or well-being of the reasonable nature being so much concerned in obedience to God you should chuse those Laws before liberty What doth the Lord require of you to be holy just temperate often praying and praising his Name and are these things hard a Man is not a Man if he do not yield to these things Tit. 2. 12. All our duties are comprised in those three Adverbs soberly righteously godly by being sober a Man delights himself and by being just and righteous a Man delights others without this the World would be but like a Den of Thieves and by being godly he doth delight God If we had only leave to love God and serve him much more when we have a command to serve him to be often in communion with him it is the happiest life in the World There 's a great deal of pleasure sweetness and rational contentment doth accompany the exercise of these three graces Sobriety Righteousness Godliness 2. We are already obliged by God's command so that whether you resolve or no you are bound There are some things that are left free in our own power before the Vow passeth upon us as Acts 5. 4. Was it not in thy power Ay but there are other things that are not in our power God's right over the creature is valid whether he consent to it or no as the natural relation doth infer and enforce duty without consent This is the difference between voluntary and natural relations look as a Father is a Father whether the child own him or no in that quality and relation and without his consent a Father as a Father hath a right to command the child But there are duties that depend upon our consent as in the choice of an Husband or Master So here 's a natural relation between God and us he our Creator we his Creatures he our Superior and we his Inferior by reason of his authority and eternal right and God may urge this I am the Lord though he do not urge that I am the Lord thy God Sometimes I am the Lord Lev. 18. 5. his own Sovereignty Sometimes The Lord thy God ver 2. which argues our choice and consent to chuse him for our God therefore thou art not free 3. Actual consent and resolution on our part is required that the sense of our duty may be more explicite upon our heart 2 Chron. 30. 8. Yield your selves to the Lord. In the Original Give the Lord the hand that is strike hands with him enter into Covenant with him say Lord I will be for thee and thou for me chuse him for your portion and give up your selves to be the Lord's people Rom. 12. 1. Present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service He alludes to the Eucharistical Sacrifices All our offerings must not be sin-offerings but thank-offerings so present your selves Under the Law a Man he brought his thank-offering and laid his hand upon it Lord I am thine It was implied in your Baptism and it is but reason that you should own your Baptismal Vow when you come to years of discretion A bargain that is made for an Heir during his Non-age it is confirmed by him when he comes to age You were dedicated to God's service when you were young and knew not what you did now when you come to chuse your own way and at years of discretion you should stand to what was done in your Name to God therefore there must be a serious and solemn consent of your heart 4. It is for your profit to chuse the strictest Engagements Not only to approve the ways of God
Though for the main we give up our selves to live according to the will of God yet consider notwithstanding our sins what constant humbling confiderations there are to keep us sensible of our defects First All that you do is not worthy of God who can serve so great a Majesty as the Lord is according as he should be served Iosh. 14. 29. You cannot serve the Lord for he is a holy and a jealous God Alas such is the poverty of humane condition that they can never perform service becoming his Majesty have you a due sense of his purity and holiness Nay how jealous he is of the respects of his people Secondly Not worthy of such a pure Law which requireth such perfect service at our hands Psal. 19. 6 7 8. The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul c. What doth that speculation produce that a short exposition of the Law begetteth a large opinion of our own righteousness Thirdly Not worthy such great hopes 1 Thess. 2. 12. That ye walk worthy of God who hath called you to his Kingdom and Glory Since we have such great wages we should do more work Is this for Heaven Is this for eternity Fourthly Not such as will answer our obligations We are indebted to all the Persons of the Trinity God himself for our portion Christ our Redeemer the Spirit for our Guide and Comforter The Gentiles greatly obliged to God for fruitful Seasons The Jews though acquainted only with Gods patience and forbearance the Ceremonial Law was a testification of guilt or a Bond that shewed the Creatures Debt this Bond was not cancelled Fifthly Not answerable to the new Nature in Gods Children they would be in a state of perfect conformity and subjection to God A seed worketh through the Clods so they groan under the reliques of corruption and sin Rom. 7. 24. longing for the time when they shall be more like God when they shall serve him without spot or blemish therefore are unsatisfied with their present imperfections These things considered we should ever keep humble and thankful praising Gods Grace Isai. 63. 7. I will mention the loving kindness of the Lord and the praises of the Lord according to all that the Lord hath bestowed upon us and the great goodness towards the house of Israel which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies and the multitude of his loving kindnesses Use 5. Directeth us how to pray Cast your selves at Gods feet pleading his mercy We have heard the Kings of Israel aâ—…e merciful Kings 1 Kings 20. 31. you have heard so of the God of Israel try whâ—… mercy will do for you say as David here Deal with thy servant according to thy mercy My prayers have no other foundation of hope but thy mercy I am nothing and would be nothing but what I have from thee I have no merits but thou hast mercy all that I have and expect to have floweth and must flow from this Fountain take heed of challenging Duty as a Debt no Lord thy mercy is all my plea as all thy servants before have done Lord temember me in thy mercy if any have other things to plead let them plead I am resolved to use no other Plea Psal. 13. 5. But I have trusted in thy mercy Second Branch Teach me thy Statutes This may be considered apart by it self or with respect to the Context 1. Apart as an intire prayer in its self So the Doctrine is Doctr. 'T is God must teach us his Statutes This will appear if we consider 1. What it is to be taught of God There is a difference between Grammatical Knowledge and Spiritual Illumination or a literal instruction and a spiritual instruction a greater difference than there is between teaching a Child to spell and read the words and a Man to understand the sense Literal instruction is when we learn the truths contained in the Word by rote and talk one after another of Divine things But Spiritual Illumination is when these things are revealed to us by the Spirit of God as we read of the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 4. Others have a form of knowledge Rom. 2. 20. Some have only the report of Christ have but an humane credulity or the recommendation of others that reveal the Doctrine of God to them Others receive a revelation made to their souls their eyes are opened by the Spirit Isai. 53. 1. Once more there is a difference between the Spirits enlightening in a way of gifts and common Grace and his enlightening in a way of special and saving Grace Some that are enlightned by the Spirit fall away Heb. 6. 4. Others are taught of God so as to come to him by Christ Iohn 6. 45. This latter sort that are savingly enlightned have not only their minds opened but their hearts enclined So to be taught as to be drawn to faith and practice this is proper to God who is the Soveraign Dispenser of Grace 2. This will appear if we consider the heart of Man which is naturally full of darkness and oppressed by the prejudices of customs and evil habits 1 Cor. 〈◊〉 14. But the natural man receiveth not the things of God 2 Cor. 4. 4. The God of this world hath blinded their eyes This Veil can only be removed by the Spirit of God After Grace received we know but in part 1 Cor. 13. 9. and much of the matter which becloudeth the mind still remaineth with us And when our lusts are awakened by temptations our old blindness returneth upon us and we strangely forget our selves and our Duty for the present Therefore we have need to go to God to be taught 2 Pet. 1. 9. He that wanteth these things is blind and cannot see afar off 3. If we consider the matter to be taught 't is the mysterious Doctrine that came out of the bosome of God Every Art hath its mystery which Strangers cannot judge of 1 Tim. 3. 16. All Scripture is given by inspiration This was a Secret which had not been known without a Revelation God hath his Mysteries which no man knoweth but by the Spirit of God Matth. 13. 1â—… To you 't is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but to them it is not given Those that have Scriptures yet have scales on their eyes 1 Cor. 2. 14. they have not saving knowledge How sharp-sighted soever graceless souls may be in things that concern the present World yet they are blind in spiritual things so as to be affected and engaged thereby seriously to turn to God Yea how accurately soever they can discourse in the Theory and preach of Christ and his ways yet they have no transforming light Gods mysteries must be seen in his own light or they make no impression upon us Psal. 36. 9. In thy light we shall see light The Scriptures containing the summ of the Lords mind none can of themselves attain to the meaning of them 'T was
draw us to the same Fountain of Grace for Pardon and Life to our selves These Examples do more than the Doctrinal declaration because they do not onely shew that Mercy and Grace may be had but that it hath been attained unto by those who in all respects did judge themselves and were really unworthy of it as unable to lay hold of it and to make good use of it afterwards as we our selves The Ice is broken the Ford ridden before us therefore we may venture our Salvation and Acceptance with God upon the same Grace 3 His former love to our selves At first he took us with all our faults and betrothed us unto himself in Loving-kindness and tender Mercy Hosea 2. 19. and therefore he will still do us good freely and bountifully And so we may answer all Objections from Gods wonted goodness towards us When he hath entred into Covenant with us out of his Love and Bounty we may well expect that upon the same terms he should keep Covenant The continuance is more easily believed and asked than the beginning and first grant Psal. 36. 10. O continue thy loving-kindness unto them that know thee and thy righteousness to the upright in heart When by Experience we have found what it can do for unworthy creatures we may the better expect it should help us upon all occasions 4. The End why God exerciseth it which is his Glory even the glory of his Grace and Loving-kindness That that might be acknowledged and exemplified by those that are partakers of it even to be altogether glorious Eph. 1. 6. To the praise of his glorious grace wherein he hath accepted us in the beloved That it may be owned and esteemed as free and liberal and working of its own accord We only cross Gods End when we do not plead it admire it and esteem it highly and improve it for our Comfort for this is Gods End in the whole business of our Salvation from first to last that Men and Angels might be excited to set forth the praises of his rich Mercy and free Grace And here is a new incouragement to ask gracious supplies of God according to his Loving-kindness or upon the account of that Attribute even that his Grace may be more esteemed and exalted in our hearts Psal. 109. 21. But do thou for me O God the Lord for thy names-sake because thy mercy is good deliver thou me It concerneth him in point of his chief honour and glory to do good to his People that he may be known and owned to be a good and a gracious or loving God Use Well then If this be the great plea of the Saints 1. Let us meditate often of the Loving-kindness of God of his pitying and pardoning and lovingly intreating poor sinful and broken-hearted creatures that come to him This should be our daily Meditation bonum est primum potentissimum nomen Dei saith Damascene It is the first-born and chiefest name of God We cannot conceive of God by any thing that concerneth us so much as his Goodness by that we know him and for that we love him We admire him with Reverence for his other Titles but this doth first insinuate with us and command our respect to him The first Temptation that ever was in the World was to weaken the conceit of his Goodness in the heart of the creature as if God were envious harsh and sowre in his restraints still it is a great Temptation yet God is good to Israel Psal. 73. 1. Oh let us fortifie our Hearts with frequent thoughts of his Goodness and Loving-kindness As we should do this every day so especially upon the Sabbath day Psal. 92. 2. I will shew forth thy loving-kindness in the morning and thy faithfulness every night We should do this with all the advantage we can use more especially when we are in his presence conversing with him and ministring before him Psal. 48. 9. We have thought of thy loving-kindness O God in the midst of thy Temple We should often and seriously think when we come to God surely now we have to do with a loving and gracious God whether we wait upon him in Prayer or the Word or Sacraments if any prayer to make or comfort to expect 2. Observe the fruits and effects of it and value them They that are Students in Providence shall not seek long before they find God to be a God full of loving-kindness and tender Mercy Psal. 107. Whoso is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. Few regard it or look after it but they that do pry into the course of his dealings shall not be without many instances of Gods love and free favour to them now when you have found it out value it Psal. 63. 3. Because thy loving-kindness is better than life my lips shall praise thee You shall have rich experiences such as will fill you with joy unspeakable and glorious to be esteemed above all comforts whatsoever 3. Praise God for it This should be a lively motive to praise him Psal. 138. 2. I will worship towards thy Temple and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth These two are the cause of all we have 't is without any deserving of ours only because we have to do with a gracious and faithful God Isa. 63. 7. I will mention the loving-kindness of the Lord and the praises of the Lord according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us and the great goodness towards the house of Israel which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies and according to the multitude of his loving-kindness The Prophet speaketh as if he could never find words enough or pregnant enough to express his sense of Gods gracious dealing so bountifully had he dealt with his People 4. Let us improve this loving-kindness and readiness of Gods Mercy to help penitent Supplicants 1. In a way of Trust the least degree of which is enough to keep the sinner from running away from him how grievous soever his offences and demerits be yet come to him say as David Psal. 51. 1. Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving-kindness according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions Yea make it a ground of confidence and support Psal. 69. 16. Hear me O Lord for thy loving-kindness is good turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies 2. In a way of Fear that we may not interrupt the sense of it or stop the current of his good will Psal. 26. 3. Thy loving-kindness is before mine eyes and I have walked in thy truth 'T is the ground of all our Confidence lose not that the Lord taketh notice of them that trust in his goodness Nahum 1. 7. The Lord is good a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him There is one word yet undiscussed According to thy Iudgment Some
purpose the Lord is easie to be intreated 3. By the Motives that do induce God to shew Mercy the bare sight of our misery and therefore the Saints do so often represent their Condition Psal. 69. 20. I am poor and sorrowful let thy salvation O Lord set me on high You see he bringeth no other Argument but his Grief and Misery Justice seeketh a fit Object Mercy a fit Occasion Deut. 32. 36. For the Lord shall Iudge his people and repent himself for his seruants when he seeth that their power is gone and there is none shut up or left II. The next Adjunct is Great the mercies of God are seldom spoken of in Scripture but there is some additional word to shew their Plenty and Excellency As Psal. 130. 7. For with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption 1 Pet. 1. 3. Which according to his abundant mercy And Eph. 2. 4. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he hath loved us So Eph. 2. 7. The exceeding riches of his Grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paul thinketh he can never word it enough when he speaketh of mercy he saith it over over-abounded all to shew the multitude and greatness of Gods mercies So Psal. 51. 1. we read of the multitude of his tender mercy it must needs be so if we Consider 1. How many there are to whom God hath done good even as many as there have been are and shall be Creatures in the World None that ever had a being but tasted of Gods goodness Nay for his special mercies the many Persons that are pardoned all the Elect from the beginning of time till the Day of Judgment What hath God been doing these Thousands of years that the World hath continued but multiplying Pardons and passing Acts of Grace in favour of his People Time would be no more but only that there are some more whom God meaneth to Pardon 2 Pet. 3. 9. Not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance When we come to Heaven how many Monuments of Grace shall we see there A man would think that the unthankful World had given discouragement and God should wait no longer but yet there are some vacant places to be filled In my Fathers house are many Mansions Ioh. 14. 2. We waste by giving give from our selves what we give to another but this fountain is never dry Rom. 5. 10. The free gift is of many offences 2. How many Benefits he bestoweth on every one many repeated Acts of Grace of the same kind divers kinds of Benefits Bodily mercies Soul mercies Psal. 40. 5. Many O Lord my God are thy wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to usward they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee if I would declare and speak of them they are more then can be numbered Private mercies and Publick mercies mercies in hand and mercies in hope Psal. 31. 19. O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men We have not one sin but many sins not one misery but many miseries therefore we have many mercies the Creatures are always in some necessity and so are alwayes an Object of mercy how many supports this life continually needeth all which the Providence of God supplieth to us 3. The greatness of these effects the sending of his Son 1 Ioh. 4. 9 10. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his son to be a propitiation for our sins The gift of the Spirit himself to be Everlastingly with us Ioh. 14. 16. and by present Troubles to prepare us for future Glory 2 Cor. 4. 17. And Rom. 8. 18. Surely nothing but mercy and great mercy could do all this for us Use. I. To Exhort us to consider of this and to meditate much upon this Attribute To this End I shall lay down a few Considerations 1. All that come to God should consider of his mercy 't is the great motive to Repentance and beginning our acquaintance with God Ioel 2. 13. And rent your hearts and not your garments and turn to the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil Our distrustful and unbelieving thoughts draw an ill Picture of God in our Minds we think him an hard and Austere one that is more ready to Condemn us than to receive us to mercy Thus we look upon him in the Glass of our guilty Fears Oh no! he is merciful if we will but stoop to him Besides 't is a great check to our pursuit of Carnal Vanities Ionah 2. 8. They that seek after lying vanities forsake their own mercies Thus to the secure and careless when they consider all this Grace and tender Mercy 't is the great means to overcome them with kindness A serious consideration of what God hath done and is ready to do for us Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you by the mercies of God Saul wept when David had spared him 1 Sam. 24. 16. if we had not let all Ingenuity I am not worthy of all the mercy and truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant Gen. 32. 10. Then when we come to a reckoning and audit with God how great is the sum of them there are more effects of his mercies and of more diverse kinds Psal. 139. 17. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me O God! how great are the summe of them 2. 'T is not enough to know that God is merciful but we must also consider how great and tender his mercy is for Gods Children are wont to have great and large thoughts of it we must think of it as becometh the infiniteness of his Nature whose mercy it is Isa. 55. 8 9. For my thoughts are not as your thoughts nor my ways as your ways saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your wayes and my thoughts than your thoughts Hosea 11. 9. For I am God and not man We must not streighten God to our scantling our drop is soon spent Peter a good man what forgive seven times a day How tender it is 'T is so natural to God Acts of punitive Justice are exercised with some Reluctancy but he rejoyceth over them to do them good he is strongly inclined to let out his goodness to unworthy and miserable sinners who deserve the contrary from him The Sea doth not more naturally flow nor the Sun more naturally shine nor Fire more naturally burn than God doth naturally shew mercy These thoughts will answer all the Doubts and Fears of a Penitent thou canst never have too large Thoughts of
thereby glorified and praised given us to this End and Purpose to bless God Iam. 3. 9. As our Understanding was given us to know God and think on him so our Speech to speak of God to declare his excellent Perfections and to stir up others to praise him with us 4. Holiness the Fruit of it for as Iob said the sides of the Poor blessed him Iob 31. 20. so must our Lives praise God 1 Pet. 2. 9. sheweth forth his Vertues not in Word only but in Works Our Lives must be a constant Hymn to God though we should be silent We remember the Lords Excellencies that we may imitate them and express them to the Life the Children of God serve only for this Use to represent God to the World as the Image in the Glass representeth the Person that looketh in it So Isa. 40. 21. This people have I formed for my self they shall shew forth my praise The Impression of all the Divine Attributes and Perfections must be left upon us and Copied out by us plainly represented in our Wisdom Purity Faithfulness and Godliness Secondly The Motives Because there is no part of Gods Worship to which we are more indisposed Self-Love will put us upon Prayers and Supplications but Love of God upon Praises We are inclined to the one by our own Necessities but we need to be stirred up to the other by pressing Arguments I will only mention those which are heaped up together in one place Psal. 147. 1. Praise ye the Lord for it is good to sing praises unto our God for it is pleasant and praise is comly 1. It is Good and Profitable a piece of service acceptable in Gods sight Psal. 50. 23. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me 'T is a part of that spiritual Worship required under the Gospel beyond all the sacrifices of the Law in other Duties we expect something from God but in this we bestow something on him All Gods Praises are a Believers advantage every Attribute is his store-house This is my beloved and my friend Cant. 5. 16. And Psal. 135. 5. For I know that the Lord is great and that our Lord is above all Gods Yea 't is Profitable as 't is Acceptable Psal. 67. 5 6 7. Let all the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee then shall the earth yield her increase and God even our God shall bless us God shall bless us and all the ends of the earth shall fear him Pliny telleth us of a Fountain that would rise and swell and overflow at their playing of a Pipe or Flute and when they ceased would stop again The Fountain of Mercy riseth and swelleth and overfloweth with new supplies of Mercy when we praise and acknowledge the old 2. 'T is Pleasant and Delightful full of sweet Refreshment he that knoweth not this work is pleasant is unacquainted with it for this Ravishing Transporting Joy is matter of Experience When is the gracious heart more delighted then when it Feasts with God All acts of Obedience have a pleasure accompanying them especially acts of Worship being the Nobler part of the Spiritual Life and among them Praise Psal. 135. 3. Sing praises unto his name for it is good and pleasant 'T is our Duty in Heaven to Praise God when we are in our highest Felicity therefore this is a work wherein we should rejoyce to be employ'd 'T is our Reward rather than our Work the Heaven that we have upon Earth and nothing so sit to chear up the Spirit as to remember what a God we have in Christ the very nature of it hath allurement enough to a gracious Heart Psal. 92. 4. For thou Lord hast made me glad through thy works when God blesseth our Meditations of his Works with gladness 3. 'T is Comely and Honourable to be about the Imployment of Angels to be Heralds to Proclaim the Lords Glory nothing so comely for us as Creatures who have our whole Being from him As new Creatures we are set apart to be to the praise of his glorious Grace in Christ Eph. 1. 12. It beareth all men as a debt which they owe to God though the wicked have no power to perform it Indeed the new Song doth ill become the old Heart but when there is an Obligation and a Capacity then it is comely indeed it becometh them to pay and God to receive it from them Psal. 33. 1. Praise is comely for the upright All are bound to Praise God yet none will do it cheerfully and acceptably save the Godly They have Obligations above all People in the World they have a Capacity and an Heart to do it and from them God most expecteth it Secondly The Continuance that we should never cease Praising God David saith here seven times a day which is the number of Perfection and elsewhere you shall find equivalent Expressions Psal. 34. 1. I will bless the Lord at all times his praise shall be continually in my mouth So Heb. 13. 15. Let us offer the sacrifice of praise continually giving thanks unto his name So Eph. 5. 20. Giving thanks always unto God for all things What is the meaning of these extensive Particles Continually Alwayes and at all Times I Answer 't is not to be understood as if we were without intermission to be imployed in the actual exercise of formal and distinct Thanksgiving no there are other necessary Duties which sometimes must divert us from it but the meaning is 1. That there is continual occasion of Praising God God is continually Beneficial to us Blessing and Delivering his People every day and by new Mercies giveth new Matter of Praise and Thanksgiving and there are some standing Mercies which should never be forgotten but be remembred before God every day as Redemption by Christ with all the abundant Benefits and therefore the Gospel-Church is represented by four Beasts or four living weights together with four and twenty Elders who rest not day and night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty Rev. 4. 8. This is spoken to shew that matter doth still continue of Lauding and Blessing God and David saith Psal. 71. 8. Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thine honour all the day There is no moment of time wherein we are not obliged to Praise and Glorifie God 2. This must be understood of the preparation of the heart without intermission we must cherish that disposition of heart which is necessary for it an habit of thankfulness an heart deeply affected with the Lords Excellencies and Mercies should ever be found in us and never laid aside the Instrument must be kept in Tune though it be not alwayes played upon David saith Psal. 57. 7. My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise There must be a prepared heart or a fixed purpose to Praise the Lord a renewed sense of Gods Favour and fresh experience of his Goodness to us do draw forth this preparation into Act yet
see the whole drift of Christs doctrine was to press men to give it is a more blessed thing This is the happiness of God that he gives to all and receives of none that he is so ready to communicate of his own fulness upon such free terms Joh. 1. 16. Of his fulness have all we received and grace for grace that is grace for graces sake Thus we have seen how God is actively blessed 2. God is passively blessed as he is blessed by us or as worthy of all praise from us for his goodness righteousness and mercy and the communications of his grace There are two words by which our thanksgiving is expressed praise and blessing you have both in Psal. 145. 10. All thy works shall praise thee O Lord and thy Saints shall bless thee Praise relateth to Gods Excellency and Blessing to his Benefits his Works declare his Excellency but his Saints which are sensible of his benefits they bless him they count him worthy of all honour and praise and are ever ascribing to him Rev. 5. 13. Blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Why blessing As for other things so it was for opening the Book which was sealed with seven seals and revealing his mind to his people as you may see v. 9. So David here Blessed art thou O Lord teach me thy statutes As if he had said Lord thou art and thou shalt be blessed I bless thee that thou hast taught me and I desire thou wouldst teach me still that I may ever bless thee Thus it may be taken in a passive sense as he is the object of our blessedness Well then all that I have said upon this Compellation it may be reduced to these six Propositions I. That God is over all and above all blessed enough in himself and needeth nothing from us to add to his Happiness and Perfection That he is blessed enough in himself Rom. 9. 6. God over all blessed for ever That he needs nothing from us to add to his Happiness and Perfection Ps. 16. 2. My righteousness my goodness extendeth not to thee He is above our benefits and injuries If there could result any one happiness to God from the creature surely then he would have made the World sooner what hindered him For why should he keep himself out of his own happiness And therefore he made the world not that he might be happy but that he might be liberal Before ever there was Hill or Mountain Man or Angels God was happy enough in himself The Divine Persons took infinite delight and complacency in each other as their rejoycing is expressed Prov. 8. 30 31. I was daily his delight rejoycing always before him God had infinite complacency in Christ and Christ in God both in the Spirit all in each and each in all before ever there was hill or mountain The World is upheld as stones are in an Arch by a mutual dependance by a combination of interests we need one another but God doth not stand in need of us The head cannot say to the foot I have no need of thee the greatest stand in need of the meanest of their labours their service the meanest parts have their use in the body But now God standeth in no need of us for he giveth all and he receiveth nothing back again as the Fountain hath no need of the stream but the stream hath need of the Fountain the Sun fills the lap of the Earth with blessings and the Earth returns nothing but Vapours that obscure its beams rather than add any thing to its brightness God he filleth every living thing especially his Saints with blessing and receiveth nothing from us again II. Though God stand in no need of us yet he is willing to communicate his blessedness and to make us happy in the enjoyment of himself There 's a threefold consideration which doth advance the bounty of God That to us that himself to us and that so readily and freely 1. That to us who can neither hurt him nor help him Psal. 8. 3 4. Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him What a poor sorry creature is man wilt thou set thine eyes upon such a one What would God lose if we were all damned Or what would he gain if all were saved He would lose no more by us than a bounteous man doth by the death of a company of beggars and maimed persons which live upon his expence and charge Wherein can we be useful to God 2. Herein lyeth the bounty of God to give us such a blessing as the enjoyment of Himself When he had no greater thing to swear by saith the Apostle he sware by himself When God hath no greater thing to give us he gives us himself I am thy God He scatters and sheds abroad some common influences upon all creatures but to us he gives not only that which is his but gives us himself that when our happiness is at the highest we may immediately enjoy him For the opening of this blessedness in giving us the fruition of himself consider we enjoy God two ways mediately and immediately one proper to this world the other to the next 1. Mediately we enjoy God when he communicateth himself to us by secondary means or the interposition of the creature between him and us Thus in common mercies when he feeds us by his meat and drink and enlightneth us with his Sun Here in the world we have blessings at second or third hand I will hear the heavens and they shall hear the earth c. Hos. 2. 21 22. Whatever one Creature affordeth to another it hath it first from God The Creature is but an empty hollow-pipe through which the blessing runs and it passeth from pipe to pipe God poureth out his influences to the Heavens and the Heavens pour out their influences upon the Earth and the strength of the Earth runneth up into corn wine and oil and by corn wine and oil Israel hath his refreshments So still from pipe to pipe is the blessing conveyed to the Creature So for special mercies we have them by degrees life comfort grace by the word and seals But the Lord will not only supply us at second and third hand but 2. Immediately when God communicates himself to us without any other thing between us and him when we are immediately present with God and have immediate influences from God this is the happiness of Heaven In the heavenly state God shall be all in all 1 Cor. 15. 28. He shall be both the dispenser and the dispensation There we see him face to face and in his face and presence there is fulness of joy Psal. 16. 11. That 's our happiness in the next world where immediate influences and vertue doth pass out from him In Heaven there is no Temple Rev. 21. 22. But the Lamb is the Temple
Reproacheth me But hath a Child of God nothing to answer to a wicked man before Salvation cometh Answ. Yes A Child of God could answer them of the Principles of Faith But they must have Instances of Sence he could say that his God is in Heaven and doth whatsoever pleaseth that he is the Shield of his Help and Sword of his Excellency Deut. 33. 29. Weapons Offensive and Defensive enough yet left but the business is not what is an Answer in it self but what Answer will satisfie them For they that have no Faith must be taught by Sence When we urge Principles of Faith unless their Senses hear feel see they will not regard them then their mouths are stopped when God doth own his People from Heaven They count Faith a foolish Perswasion Hope a vain Expectation and inward Supports and Comforts Phantastical Impressions as if men did feed themselves with the wind but Gods Salvation would answer for him and some sensible Providences be a real confutation Observe three things 1. The Ground of Davids Comfort I trust in thy Word 2. The Enemies Insultation thereupon intimated in these Words him that Reproached me They scoffed at his Trust in God as if he would not bear him out in his strictness 3. The Request of the Psalmist that God would confute and stop their mouths by making good his Promises to him So shall I have wherewith to answer him Points Doct. 1. It is our Duty to trust God upon his Word Doct. 2. Those that do so must look to be Reproached for it Doct. 3. God making good his Promises confuteth their Reproaches and Insultations Doct. 4. God will therefore make them good and his People may expect and beg Deliverance to that end 1. Doct. It is our Duty to trust God upon his Word The act of Trust is spoken of with respect to a twofold Object the Word and God the one more properly noteth the Warrant of Faith the other the Object both are mentioned together Iohn 17. 20. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their Word In other places sometimes one is mentioned sometimes the other Trusting in God and Trusting in the Word of God but whenever the one is mentioned the other is included to trust in God without his Word is a foolish and groundless Presumption and the Word without God is but a dead Letter it is not the Conveyances meerly that a man liveth upon but the Lands Conveyed by them 1. What is this Trusting in God Answ. An Exercise of Faith whereby looking upon God in Christ through the Promises we depend upon him for whatsoever we stand in need of and so are encouraged to go on chearfully in the ways wherein he hath appointed us to walk It is a fruit of Faith and supposeth it planted in the heart for an Act cannot be without an Habit I suppose a man to have this Grace before I require the Exercise of it And it looketh upon God in Christ as the Fountain of Blessings for otherwise God to the fallen Creature is not an Object of Trust but Horror as the Devils believe and tremble Iames 2. 19. and that may be the reason why the Sons of men are said to put their Trust under the shadow of his Wings Psal. 36 7. How excellent is thy loving-kindness O God therefore the Children of men shall put their trust under the shadow of thy Wings and Psal. 57. 1. My Soul trusteth in thee yea in the shadow of thy Wings will I make my Refuge untill these Calamities be overpast In which there is supposed to be an Allusion not only to the Feathers of of an Hen spread over the Chickens but the out-stretched Wings of the Cherubims over the Mercy Seat which was a Type of Christ who is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Propitiation as also the Mercy Seat Heb. 5. 8. with Rom. 3. 24. Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Iesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his blood The Mercy Seat or God offering himself to be reconciled in Christ is an open Sanctuary for distressed Souls to fly unto this doth draw our hearts to him through the Promises these are the hold fast which we have upon God the Sacred Bands which he has taken upon himself the Rule and Warrant of Faith which shew how far God is to be trusted Our necessities lead us to the Promises and the Pomises to Christ and Christ to God as the Fountain of Grace and therefore we put these Bonds in Suit we turn them into Prayers and then we have free leave to challenge him upon his Word Psal. 119. 99. Remember thy Word unto thy Servant wherein thou hast caused me to hope Therefore to bear up our hearts God hath not only promised us in the General that he will never fail us nor forsake us Heb. 13. 5. And all things shall mork together for good Rom. 8. 28. That he will be with us in Fire and Water Isa. 43. 20. And that he will be a Sun and a Shield and give us Grace and Glory and no good thing will he withhold Psal. 84. 11. but also in particular hath multiplyed and suited his Promises to all our necessities that when we come to the Throne of Grace we may have a Promise ready A general intimation is not so clear a ground of hope as a particular and express Promise the more of these we have the more explicit are our thoughts about Gods Protection and the more are our hearts fortified and born up in praying to him and waiting upon him Chirographa tua injiciebat tibi Domine whose are these lay up his words in thy heart Iob 22. 22. The more of these the more Arguments in Prayer We depend upon him for all that we stand in need of herein is the Nature of Trust seen in Dependance and Relyance upon God that he will supply our wants in a way most conducible to his Glory and our good Now this depending on God must be done at all times especially in a time of streights and difficulties at all times Psal. 62. 8. Trust in the Lord at all times it is an Act never out of Season but especially in a time of Fears Misery and Distress Psal. 56. 3. At what time I am afraid I will put my trust in thee In Prosperity and Adversity we are to depend upon God and to make use of him in all conditions Psal. 91. 9. Thou shalt make the most high thy Refuge and my God thine Habitation a Refuge is a place of Retreat and Safety in a time of War and an Habitation the place of our Abode in a time of Peace whatever our Condition be our dependance must be on God When all things are prosperous God must be owned as the Fountain of our Blessings all our Comforts taken out of his hand and that we hold all by his Mercy
are related to us or in whose good or ill we are concerned As publick Persons as Magistrates 1 Tim. 2. 1 2. I exhort therefore that first of all supplication prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men for Kings and for all that are in authority Pastors of the Church 2 Cor. 1. 11. You also helping together by prayer for us that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf Or our Kindred according to the flesh or some bond of Christian duty Rom. 12. 15. Rejoyce with them that do rejoyce Another place where this Duty is enforced is Eph. 5. 20. where we are bidden to give thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ. Where you see it is a duty of an universal and perpetual use and wherein the honour of God and Christ is much concerned A third place is 1 Thess. 5. 18. In every thing give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Iesus concerning you See what Reason he urgeth the express will of God requiring this worship at our hands We are to obey intuitu voluntatis God's Will is the fundamental Reason of our Obedience in every Commandment but here is a direct charge now God hath made known the wonders of his love in Christ. I shall prove to you that this is a necessary Duty a profitable Duty a pleasant and delightfull Duty 1. The necessity of being much and often in Thanksgiving will appear by these two Considerations 1. Because God is continually beneficial to us blessing and delivering his People every day and by new Mercies giveth us new matter of Praise and Thanksgiving Psalm 68. 19. Blessed be the God of our Salvation who loadeth us daily with his benefits Selah He hath continually favoured us and preserved us and poured his Benefits upon us The Mercies of every day make way for Songs which may sweeten our Rest in the night and his giving us Rest by night and preserving us in our sleep when we could not help our selves giveth us Songs in the morning And all the day long we find new matter of Praise our whole work is divided between receiving and acknowledging 2. Some Mercies are so general and beneficial that they should never be forgotten but remembred before God every day Such as Redemption by Christ Psalm 111. 4. He hath made his wonderfull works to be remembred We must daily be blessing God for Iesus Christ 2 Cor. 9. 15. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift I understand it of his Grace by Christ. We should ever be thus blessing and praising him for the keeping of his great Works in memory is the foundation of all Love and Service to God 2. It is a profitable Duty The usefulness of Thanksgiving appeareth with respect to Faith Love and Obedience 1. With respect to Faith Faith and Praise live and die together if there be Faith there will be Praise and if there be Praise there will be Faith Iâ—… Faith there will be Praise for Faith is a Bird that can sing in Winter Psalm 56. 4. In God will I praise his word in God have I put my trust I will not fear what flesh can do unto me And verse 10. In God I will praise his word in the Lord I will praise his word His Word is satisfaction enough to a gracious Heart if they have his Word they can praise him before hand for the grounds of Hope before they have injoyment As Abraham when he had not a foot in the Land of Canaan yet built an Altar and offered Sacrifices of Thanksgiving because of God's grant and the future possession in his Posterity Gen. 13. 18. Then whether he punisheth or pittieth we will praise him and glory in him Faith entertaineth the Promise before Performance cometh not onely with confidence but with delight and praise The other part is if Praise there will be Faith that is supposing the Praise real for it raiseth our Faith to expect the like again having received so much grace already All God's Praises are the Believers Advantage the Mercy is many times given as a pledge of more Mercy In many cases Deus donando debet if life he will give food and bodily raiment it holdeth good in Spiritual things if Christ other things with Christ. One Concession draweth another if he spares me he will feed me cloath me The Attributes from whence the Mercy cometh is the Pillar of the Believers confidence and hope if such a good then a fit Object of trust If I have found him a God hearing Prayer I will call upon him as long as I live Psalm 116. 2. Praise doth but provide matter of Trust and represent God to us as a Storehouse of all good things and a sure foundation for dependance 2. The great respect it hath to Love Praise and Thanksgiving is an act of Love and then it cherisheth and feedeth Love It is an act of Love to God for if we love God we will praise him Prayer is a work of necessity but Praise a meer work of duty and respect to God We would exalt him more in our own hearts and in the hearts of others Psalm 71. 14. I will hope continually and will yet praise thee more and more We pray because we need God and we praise him because we love him Self-love will put us upon Prayer but the Love of God upon Praise and Thanksgiving then we return to give him the Glory Those that seek themselves will cry to him in their distress but those that love God cannot endure that he should be without his due honour In Heaven when other Graces and Duties cease which belong to this imperfect State as Faith and Repentance cease yet Love remaineth and because Love remaineth Praise remaineth which is our great employment in the other World So it feedeth and cherisheth Love for every benefit acknowledged is a new fewel to keep in the fire Psalm 18. 1. I will love thee O Lord my strength Psalm 116. 1. I will love the Lord who hath heard the voice of my Supplications Deut. 30. 20. That thou mayst love the Lord who is thy life and the length of thy days The Soul by Praise is filled with a sense of the mercy and goodness of God so that hereby he is made more amiable to us 3. With respect to Submission and Obedience to his Laws and Providence 1. His Laws The greatest bond of Duty upon the fallen Creature is Gratitude now gratefull we cannot be without a sensible and explicite acknowledgment of his goodness to us the more frequent and serious in that the more doth our love constrain us to devote our selves to God Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you therefore Brethren by the mercies of Gâ—…d that you present your selves a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service To live to him 2 Cor. 5.
here they would be incouraged by his Example cheerfully to expect the same deliverance from God In the Example of one sufferer there is a pawn given to all the rest 't is for the Edification and Encouragement of others to be acquainted with our Experiences of God's Mercy to us Psalm 66. 16. Come near all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my Soul all are concerned for they have the same necessities have interest in the same God the same Promises the same Mediator and the same Covenant so that to be acquainted with the passages of Divine Providence towards others is a great help to teach us more of God that we may learn to magnisy his Power And partly by this means their hearts are more knit to one another in Spiritual Love when they pray for one another as for their own Souls and rejoyce as in their own deliverance it maintaineth Unity among us God loveth to pleasure many of his Children at once and to interest them in the same Mercy and so we receive the Mercy others intercede for and give thanks for it Love in the Spirit is seen in praying and Praising God for one another And partly too because it doth oblige us to more frequent acts of Worship we can never want an errand to the Throne of Grace or an opportunity of Worship for our selves or others to Pray with them or to offer Praise with them and for them 4. Joy is Communicative Mourning apart is good Peter went out and wept bitterly Matth. 26. 75. And Ieremiah saith when he would weep for the People Ier. 13. 17. My Soul shall weep in secret places for your Pride And Zach. 12. 12 13. They shall mourn every Family apart the Family of the house of David apart and their Wives apart c. Sorrow affecteth Solitude and retiredness where no Eye seeth but God's but joy doth best in Company and in Consort as the Woman called her Neighbours to rejoyce with her Luke 15. Because she had found the lost Groat So we must stir up one another to rejoyce in God Besides Mercies may be told to many but not our griefs therefore the Godly will be flocking together to help them in Praises as well as Prayers 'T is not onely commendable to beg their help in Prayer but we should call upon them to Praise God with us Psalm 34. 3. O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his Name together We are bound to be witnesses of one anothers thankfulness and to assist one another in the Praises of God Use is Information of Five things 1. It sheweth us the Lawfulness yea the Conveniency yea in some sort the Necessity of Publick Thanksgiving for Private Mercies 'T is Lawfull we read of paying Vows in the great Congregation Psalm 22. 22. Psalm 40. 9. 'T is highly convenient and usefull partly that the People of God may flock together and make a Crown of Praise for God Psalm 22. 3. He inhabiteth the Praises of Israel he delighteth to be in the midst of his People when they Praise him And partly that by the thankfulness of others we may be quickened to remember our own Mercies as one Bird sets all the Flock a cherping And partly that we may quicken others by our help And partly to shew a Christ-like Love to them by being affected with their Miseries and rejoycing in their Mercies Well these things should quicken us to joyn with others in their thanksgiving for their private Mercies so to raise a spirituall affection in us in the performance of those duties And as 't is Lawfull so 't is Necessary other men's Mercies may be our Mercies as well as theirs you are concerned in the Mercy if you have Prayed for it We are to love God for hearing our Prayers for others as well as for our selves Eli gave thanks and solemnly worshipped God for Hannah's sake because he had before prayed for her and therefore Praised God for her who had heard his Prayers in her behalf Compare 1 Sam. 1. 28. when Hannah told him what the Lord had done Eli falls a worshipping the Lord he had prayed for her before in the 17 verse The Lord grant thee thy Petition which thou askest of him Every answer of Prayer is a new proof or fresh experience of God's Love and special Respect to us 't is a sign that God regardeth us and is mindfull of us nay 't is a sign of God's Favour when he will not onely hear us for our selves but for others also If a man come to a King he will say if you had asked for your self I would have granted you 't is a special honour to interceed for others which God putteth upon his choice Servants Gen. 20. 7. Abraham shall pray for thee and thou shalt live Job 42. 8. My Servant Iob shall pray for you and him will I accept God will hear his Servants for others when he will not hear them for themselves If our Prayers had returned into our own Bosoms as David's for his Enemies Psalm 35. 13. if God as an answer had given you onely the comfort of the discharge of your duty Luke 10. 6. If they be not worthy your peace shall return to you again This were matter of Praise much more now the Mercy is obtained All this is spoken to shew that there should be more Life and Spiritual affection in those Duties which we perform in the behalf of others 2. It informeth us of the excellency of Communion of Saints there is such a Fellowship and Communion between all the Members of Christ's mystical Body that they Mourn together and Rejoyce together the Grace vouchsafed to one is cause of rejoycing to all the rest they drive on a joint trade for Heaven and rejoyce in one anothers Comforts as if they were their own in one anothers Gifts and Graces as if they were their own in one anothers Supports and Deliverances as if they were their own We read of Joy in Heaven at the conversion of Sinners they rejoyce at our welfare praising and lauding God so there is also Joy on Earth when any spiritual Benefit is imparted if any be gotten to a God like Nature they give thanks to God They that fear thee will be glad when they see me Acts 4. 32. The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one Soul there was a great multitude many thousand Souls here was the primitive simplicity the Christians were so united as if they had but one Heart and Soul among them and it was an usual saying Aspice ut se mutuo diligunt Christiani see how the Christians love one another 't was otherwise afterwards no wild Beasts are so fierce to one another as one Christian has been to another Surely it concerneth all that fear God and hope in his Word to be of one Heart and of one Mind as much as may be Lesser differences should not make void this Christ-like Love
heavy upon the Soul go humble your selves before the mercifull God and sue out his favour and reconciliation with you as David doth Psalm 51. 1. Have mercy upon me according to thy loving kindness according to the multitude of thy tender Mercies blot out my Transgressions You know not what a mercifull God may do for his underserving and ill-deserving People And partly when God is upon his judicial process and calleth a people to an account for their sins he still retaineth his mercifull nature Hab. 3. 2. In the midst of wrath he remembreth Mercy his wrath and indignation doth not so far transport him as that he should forget his mercifull nature and deal with his afflicted people without all moderation When God is justly angry for sin 't is a special time wherein to plead for Mercy Secondly he beggeth that it may come to him Let us see the meaning of the request and then what may be observed upon it Coming to him noteth a personal and effectual application 1. A personal Application as in the 41 vers of this Psalm Let thy mercies come to me also even thy Salvation according to thy word David would not be forgotten or left out or lost in the throng of mankind when mercy was distributing the blessing to them 2. Effectuall application that noteth 1. The removing of obstacles and hindrances 2. The obtaining the fruits and effects of this Mercy First The removing of obstacles Till there be way made the Mercy of God cannot come at us for the way is barricadoed and shut up by our sins as the Lord maketh a way for his Anger Psalm 78. 50. by removing the hindrances eating out the staff and the stay taking away that which letteth so the Lord maketh way for his Mercy or Mercy maketh way for it self when it removeth the obstruction sin is the great hindrance of Mercy We our selves raise the mists and the clouds which intercept the light of God's Countenance we build up the partition wall which separates between God and us yet Mercy finds the way Secondly The obtaining the fruits of Mercy The effects of God's tender Mercies are common or saving We read Psalm 145. 9. The Lord is good to all his tender Mercies are over all his works not a Creature which God hath made but the Lord pitieth it and supplyeth its wants But there are spiritual effects of the Lord 's tender Mercy his pardoning our sins restoring us to his grace and savour and repairing his Image in us Eph. 1. 3. Who hath blessed us with spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ such Spiritual blessings as are a sure effect of God's favour never given in anger Riches may be given in anger so may also temporal deliverance but pardon of sin is never given in anger nor the spirit of the Lord Iesus to dwell in us Of spiritual blessings some are comfortable to us others honourable to God some fall in with our Interest others suite with God's end as pardon is of the first sort and the subjection of the Creature to God of the latter We are willing to be pardoned and freed from the curse of the Law and the flames of Hell but to be renewed to the Image of God and quickened to the life of Grace and put into a capacity to serve our Creator and Redeemer that we are not so earnest for and yet these are the undoubted pledges of the special mercy of God to us and absolutely necessary to the injoyment of the other relative benefits we must suppose David to intend both in his Prayer Let thy Mercy come unto me Once more these spiritual benefits may be considered as to the effects themselves and the sense that we have of our injoyment of them our safety dependeth upon the saving effects and fruits of God's special mercy and our peace joy and comfort upon the sense of them both are comprised in thâ—…t petition Let thy tender Mercies come unto me This being stated as the full meaning of the words let us observe 1. That 't is not enough to hear of somewhat of God's saving Mercies but we should beg that it may come unto us be effectually and sensibly communicated unto us that we may have experience of them in our own Souls the hearsay will do us little good without experience the hearsay is the first Incouragement we have heard the Kings of Israel are mercifull Kings that moved them to make the address in an humble and submissive manner for their life and safety 1 Kings 20. 31. Let us I pray thee put on sackcloth upon our loins and ropes upon our heads and go to the King of Israel We may reason at a better rate concerning the God of Israel we have heard that the God of Israel is a mercifull God that he delights in mercy but then let us try what he will doe for us Upon the participation of the saving effects and benefits of his mercy our comfort and Interest beginneth 1. We shall never have such admiring thoughts of mercy as when we have felt it our selves then we know the Grace of God in truth Col. 1. 6. A man that hath read of hony or heard of hony may know the sweetness of it by guess and imagination but a man that hath tasted of hony knoweth the sweetness of it in truth So by hearing or reading of the Grace and mercy of God in Christ we may guess that it is a sweet thing but he that hath had an experimental proof of the sweet effects and fruits of it in his own heart and all that is spoken of Gods pardoning and comforting of sinners is verified in himself this giveth him a more sensible demonstration of the worth and value of this priviledg then more admiring thoughts of Mercy when he can say as Paul 1 Tim. 1. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was saved by mercy 2. We shall more love God Phil. 1. 9. I pray that your love may abound in all sense the Spiritual gust maketh love abound 3. We cannot speak of it with that fullness life sense and affection to others nor so movingly invite others to share with us as when the effects of his goodness are communicated to us Psal. 34. 8. O taste and see that the Lord is good a report of a report is a dead cold thing but a report from experience is lively and powerfull well then let it come to me 3. The sense or participation of God's saving Mercies is to believers the life of their lives the heaven they have upon Earth the joy and comfort of their Souls and the want of this is a kind of death to them for so David expresseth himself Let thy tender mercies come unto me that I may live The reasons are taken partly from the object and partly from the subject from the thing it self and from the disposition of a renewed heart 1. From the thing it self from the object and there first the value of this priviledge
to you but that may be the occasion Zacb. 10. 3. My anger was kindled against the Shepherds and I punished the Goats So Prov. 28. 2. For the transgression of a people many are the rulers thereof The peoples sins may make great changes and alterations of Government Thirdly You are one Body with them Nations are one political Body Churches one political Body In Gods Plea about Sodom with Abraham ten righteous persons have an influence to save or ruine it The sins of one Generation may be the cause of another It 's said God turned not from the fierceness of his anger that was kindled against Iudah because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal Manasseh was dead thirty or forty years before Manasseh had repented and Iosiah was a great Reformer none like him You see God may punish their sins many years after nay in the process of vengeance the whole lump is involved as being one body So all Israel were troubled for one Achan Do not tax Gods dispensation of severity and rigour for 't is the condescension and art of Divine mercy by this means to prevent publick ruine and you are involved in their portion that every man in his place may study the prevention of sin and ruine So Churches are one lesser Body one root of bitterness defileth many Heb. 12. 15. not only by the contagion of the sin but also by imputation of guilt So at Corinth 1 Cor. 5. 6. A little leven leveneth the whole lump So also in Housholds and Families which are one lesser Body Fourthly Many of their sins may be thine 'T is a good prayer though it be a harsh expression to desire God to be delivered from our other mens sins Ab alieno libera me Domine They have sinned the more because thou hast been wanting as a Magistrate as a Minister as a Neighbour a Fellow-member as a private Christian. As a Magistrate A negligent Prince all the sin is put upon him Eli was an High Priest and was a Judg in that case and therefore though he were innocent God saith he would cut off his house for the iniquity of his Sons 1 Sam. 3. 17. Because his sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not When Magistrates suffer all things to run at randome in Religion instead of Gods Ministers they prove the Devils Agents though they be holy for their persons yet there is a great guilt lyeth upon them So for Ministers We are to watch as those that must give an account Heb. 13. 17. I will require him at thy hands c. He may be a good man yet not a good Minister when he is not so diligent in inspection so faithful to his trust as he should be so frequent in exhortation prayer mourning care of the flock much hurt cometh by our connivence So for private Christians they are bound to watch over one another It may be you do not look after them Heb. 3. 13. You suffer hardness to grow upon them and would not warn them Ye are Witnesses from God to the people of Israel You may be guilty of much evil example and unwary carriage Heb. 11. 7. By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet prepared an Ark to the saving of his house by the which he condemned the world and became Heir of the righteousness that is by faith And Ezek. 16. 51 52. Thou hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done Thou also which hast judged thy sisters bear thine own shame for the sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they they are more righteous than thou yea be thou confounded also and bear thy shame in that thou hast justified thy sisters You either justifie or condemn the world So that in effect they may be your sins you are sensual vain We easily catch a Disease from one another but do not get health Nature is more susceptible of evil than of Grace Fifthly By seeing of their sins Conscience may awaken and thou mayest remember thy own as Pharaoh's Butler said I remember my faults this day Their lives are but a Glass of the deformity of our Natures There are many Iudas's many Cains in thy nature I was in times past as bad as any as bold with sin and as notorious a Sinner Every sin therefore should be a fresh bleeding wound in our own souls They are but the picture of thy natural face Tit. 3. 3. We in times past were foolish disobedient deceiving and being deceived Thou seest them given up to vain pleasure remember how it was with thee before Conversion and let this humble thee Sixthly If all this do not work consider the holy Angels that are no way interested but as it conduceth to Gods Glory that do not communicate with us in nature and blood how they rejoyce at the welfare of man As when the World was made Iob 38. 7. When the Morning Stars sang together and all the Sons of God shouted for joy So when Christ came and assumed humane Nature at his birth Luke 2. 14. Suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men And when the Creature repenteth Luke 15. 7. I say unto you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one Sinner that repenteth more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance So should we mourn over them to God who are our Flesh our Neighbours united in the bonds of Duty and Neighbourhood it may be Church Relation Seventhly I might tell of the fruits of mourning The greater party of Mourners the more hope of preservation We have complained of drought we have dry Bottles Judgments are kept off as long as there is a sighing party you are preserved Ezek 9. 4. as Lot out of Sodom But if the righteous God see not this fit and a godly man may be swept away as two dry Sticks burn a green one yet you shall laugh when others mourn in Heaven there will be joy enough This is the Valley of tears Wicked men though now they are dry Wood yet they are fit Fuel for Hell Consider of these things 'T is a difficult work to soften the heart and you have need of all the help that may be First Consider the compassion of Christ to thee If he had not mourned and sighed in the Garden and sweat drops of blood where had thy soul been Thou wert in thy blood when free Grace went a sighing after thee in the Ministry of the Word Ezek. 16. 6. I said unto thee when thou wert in thy blood Live yea I said unto thee when thou wert in thy blood Live These are intending Considerations 1 Tim. 1. 13. Who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If I had not been all to be bowelled and all to be mercied
Trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me So Col. 4. 2. Continue in Prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving We are to gather up matter of Praise to God we should not be so barren in gratulation if we did observe more of these experiences You would not only be glorifying God by way of invocation but Commemoration you may Commend him to others from your own experience Psal. 34. 8. O taste and see that the Lord is good 1. Use. Is to reprove them that throw away their Prayers and never look after them that play with such a Duty as this as Children that shoot away their Arrows and never look where they light Surely this argueth great Contempt and low Thoughts of God Formality in prayer and Stupidness of Heart It bespeaks low thoughts of God and of his Providence for if they did believe such a particular Providence reacheth to all persons and things they would study to produce some of these Experiences to be able to say I was in such a streight and God delivered me Psal. 34. 6. This poor man cryed unto the Lord and he heard him Great Formality in Prayer for if we pray not out of Course but in good earnest we cannot but hearken after the speeding of our requests Great stupidity of Spirit hearts that have any sense of life in them are observing Gods dealings and suit their Carriage accordingly Lively Christians are putting Cases 2. Use. Is to press us to hearken after the Answer of our Prayers Gods Children do so and get much Comfort thereby and Evidence of his Love Psal. 66. 18 19. But verily God hath heard me he hath attended to the voice of my Cry 't is no small favour and respect we have from Gods love to us 't is a great owning of our Persons our Mercies are the sweeter there is a double lustre and beauty put upon them when they come in the way of prayer out of the hand of God not by a Common Providence but by Covenant and by vertue of the Covenant put in suit by us as well as granted by God which is a pledge of God's respect to us To this End 1. Be perswaded that God will hear you and answer you when you pray according to his Will 1 Ioh. 5. 14. And this is the Confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his Will he heareth us This is absolutely necessary for all that will pray aright and mind what they do for none can come to God aright but those that are perswaded they shall be the better for coming to him Iames 1. 5. Pray in Faith nothing wavering There must be a relying upon God if indeed we pray to him He that expects little in Prayer will neither be much in it nor serious about the answer of it 2. This Answer must be heedfully observed Careless Spirits will not easily discern it Psal. 130. 5 6. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his Word do I hope My soul waiteth for the Lord more then they that watch for the Morning I say more then they that watch for the Morning As those that watched in the Temple for the dawning of the day this earnest waiting is an happy Token when we make much of prayers they are not lost Therefore as they watched for the Word Brethren so must you wait upon God for some discovery of his Love by a gracious answer and return unto your Prayers 3. Sometimes God giveth an answer presently sometime it may be after some competent space of time 1. Sometimes presently as Cornelius in the time of Prayer and while the duty is a doing God giveth in some tokens of Acceptance as an Angel was sent to Cornelius at the ninth hour which was the hour of prayer to assure him that his prayers were heard and duties accepted Acts 10. 3. Peter and Iohn went up to pray at the ninth hour Acts 3. 1. So Daniel Whilst I was speaking and praying and Confessing my sin yea whilest I was speaking in prayer the Man Gabriel was caused to fly swiftly The Lord is ready to answer the prayers of his servants in the very instant of their praying So Acts 4. 3. While they prayed they were filled with the Holy-Ghost The Cases brought are singular and extraordinary as to the token and manner of Assistance but as to the substance of the Blessing 't is the common practice of Gods free Grace Isa. 58. 10. When they call I will answer while they are yet speaking I will hear Acts 12. 12 18. A Company was met together in Prayer when Peter in Prison heard of the time of his Deliverance 2. Sometimes a good while after the prayers are in Gods book Mal. 3. 16. Now these must be waited for My God will hear me Mich. 7. 7. We cannot say assoon as the prayer is made for he saith I will wait for the God of my Salvation Paul prayed thrice for the removal of the Messenger of Satan 2 Cor. 12. then God said My grace is sufficient for thee We must knock again and again God heareth assoon as the prayer is made but he taketh his own time to dispatch an answer Abraham prayeth for a Child but many years pass over till he hath him in his Armes 4. When God giveth an Answer own it as an Answer sometimes we will not take notice of what is before our Eyes out of deep distress of Spirit 't is said Iob 9. 16. Though I had called and he had answered yet would I not believe that he had hearkned to my Voice Thus we mis-interpret Gods dealings in our troubles that we will not own Gods work as an Answer 5. Consider the several ways how God giveth Answer to his Peoples prayers 1. Extraordinarily as in Ancient time so an Angel was sent to Cornelius to tell him his Prayers were heard So to Daniel so to Abel Heb. 11. 4. probably by Fire from Heaven by Vision to Abraham by Voyce or visible token to Moses and the High-Priest in the Tabernacle of the Congregation from above the Mercy-seat But these returns were proper to those times 2. Ordinary and this several wayes 1 Either by granting the Mercy prayed for as to Hannah 1 Sam. 1. 27. For this Child I prayed and the Lord hath given me the Petition I asked of him So to David Psal. 21. 2. Thou hast given him his hearts desire and hast not with-holden the request of his lips So often to his People when they have humbly sought to him Sometimes instantaneous at the very praying 1 Sam. 7. 9 10. And Samuel cryed unto the Lord for Israel and the Lord heard him and as Samuel was offering up the burnt-offering the Philistines drew neer to Battel against Israel and the Lord discomfited the Philistines Or by degrees when God is preparing Instruments before he giveth Consummate deliverance Acts 7. 34. I have heard their groanings and I will send thee into Aegypt Their
escape was some while after 2 By giving in spiritual Manifestations to the Soul though he doth not give the particular Mercy prayed for As when upon the prayer he reviveth the soul of him that prayeth Iob 33. 26. He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable to him and he shall see his face with joy The Lord giveth them the light of his Countenance and special discoveries of his love or support till the Mercy come Psal. 138. 3. In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my Soul Support is an Answer such an Answer had Paul My Grace is sufficient for thee Or when the heart is quieted though we do not know what God will do with our requests yet satisfied in the discharge of our Duty and that we have commended the matter to God So it is said of Hannah When she had prayed her Countenance was no more sad 1 Sam. 1. 18. And Phil. 4. 6 7. Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Iesus Christ. Sometimes by a secret Impression of Confidence or a strong inclination to hope well of the thing prayed for Psal. 6. 8. The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping Or Experiences as they that travailed to Ierusalem passing through the Valley Baca they met with a Well by the way Psal. 84. 6. a sweet refreshing thought or some help in the Spiritual Life by serious dealing with God some Consideration to set you a work or some new ingagement of the soul to God as a recompence of the Duty some Principles of Faith drawn forth in the view of Conscience not shewed before Some truth or other presented with fresh Life and vigour upon the heart 3. Sometimes by way of Commutation and Exchange and so God doth answer the prayer though he doth not give the mercy prayed for When he giveth another thing that is as good or better for the party that prayeth though not in kind the same yet in worth and value as good This Commutation may be three wayes First In regard of the Person praying David fasts and humbleth and melteth his soul for his Persecutors Psal. 35. 13. and it returned into his own bosom was converted to his own benefit his fasting had no effect upon them but his Charity did not lose its reward David prayeth for his first Child by Bathsheba but that Child dieth and God giveth Solomon instead thereof 2 Sam. 12. 15. Noah Daniel Iob shall save their own Souls Ezek. 14. 14. Your peace shall return to you again Luk. 10. 5 6. the Comfort of discharging their Duty Secondly In regard of the matter Carnal things are begged and Spiritual things are given Acts 1. 6 7. The Apostles asked him wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel They did not receive the Kingdom to Israel but received the promise of the Spirit Moses would fain enter into Canaan with the People Deut. 3. 23 24. And God said let it suffice thee speak no more of this matter but God gave him a Pisgah sight and ease of the trouble of Wars We would have speedy riddance of Trouble but God thinketh not fit as showers that come by drops soak into the Earth better then those that come in a Tempest and Hurricane We ask for Ease in Troubles and God will give Courage under Troubles Lam. 3. 55 56 57. I called upon thy name O Lord out of the low dungeon Thou hast heard my voice hide not thine ear at my breathing at my cry Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee thou saidst Fear not His gracious and powerful Presence in Trouble was enough Christ was heard in that he feared Heb. 5. 7. not saved from that Hour but supported and strengthened in it Iob sacrificed prayed for his Children when they were Feasting Iob 1. 5. and though they were all destroyed God gave him Patience verse 22. for in all that befell him he sinned not nor charged God foolishly Thirdly In regard of means we pray such means may not miscarry God will use other As Abraham would fain have Ishmael the Child of the Promise but God intended Isaac Gen. 17. 18. O that Ishmael might live before thee Thus doth God often blast instruments we most expect good from and maketh use of others to be Instruments for our good which we did least expect it from God may give us our Will in Anger when the Mercy turneth to our hurt Therefore the kind of Gods Answer must be referred to his own Will in all things for which we are not to pray Absolutely and when we have discharged our Duty endeavoured to approve our Hearts to God take what Answer he will give Doct. 2. From the manner of praying with the whole Heart the Saints have the more confidence of being heard in Prayer David alledgeth his crying with the whole heart as an hopeful intimation of a gracious Answer 1. Because a Prayer rightly made hath the assurance of a Promise the Promise is Ioh. 16. 24. Ask and you shall receive that your joy may be full Now this beareth no exception but that we ask according to his Will 1 Ioh. 5. 14. Si bona petant boni bene ad bonum Good men asking good things in the name of Christ for a good end thou canst not miss 2. Where there is sincerity and fervency we have two witnesses to establish our Comfort and Hope the Spirit of God that knoweth the deep things of God and the Spirit of Man that knoweth the things that are in man Gods Spirit who stirreth up these groans in us Rom. 8. 26 27. He that searcheth the heart knoweth the mind of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God And the Testimony of our own Spirits that we have done our part and discharged our Duty and so have true Joy and Confidence Iob 16. 19 20. My witness is in heaven and my record is on high My friends scorn me but mine eye poureth out teares to God 3. God doth not use to send them away comfortless that call upon him in spirit and truth because by one grace he maketh way for another by the grace of Assistance for the grace of Acceptance Psal. 10. 17. Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou hast prepared their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear Where God hath given an Heart to speak he will afford an ear to hear for God will not lose his own work he cannot refuse those requests which are according to the direction of his Word and the motions of his holy Spirit when they are brought to him Use. This exhorteth us to look more after the manner of praying An earnest and sincere prayer cannot miscarry judge by this and you cannot want
proper to say are Just and Righteous than to say are Truth His Commandments are Just as the Rule of our Duty they are just as the Rule of God's Process but the word Commandment is not taken strictly for the mandatory part of the Word but it is put for the whole Covenant his Precepts invested with Promises and Threatnings the Commandments thus considered with the Promises and Threatnings annexed are true Yea mark the Emphasis of the Phrase Truth it self The Happiness promised to them that make Conscience of their Duty will be made good and so the Punishments on them that offend God will be inflicted Now the joyning of these two Clauses seemeth to speak thus much I know that thou art near me because thy Word is Truth God in his Providence seemeth to be absent sometimes from his People but upon the Assurance of his Word we must believe him near I say God seemeth to be far off from his People for who would think that the God of Peace and all Comfort should dwell with them that are broken in Spirit Isa. 57. 15. For thus saith the high and holy One that inhabiteth Eternity whose name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Or that the Author of all Felicity should be present with them that are harassed and exercised with such sharp Afflictions and hunted up and down in the World but because God hath promised it Isa. 43. 2. When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the Fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee We should be satisfied with it his Word is Truth whatever Sense and Reason saith to the contrary neither distance of place nor afflictedness of condition do hinder his nearness to us Quitting all other points I shall only insist on this one Doctrine That it is the Priviledge and Happiness of God's Children to have God near unto them upon all occasions My great business will be to explain what this nearness is and then you will soon find it to be the great Happiness and Priviledge of the Saints First What is this nearness Secondly How is it brought about First What is this nearness 1. God is not said to be nearer to them than others in regard of his Essence for so he is everywhere present nullibi inclusus nullibi exclusus so an Heathen described God to be a great Circle whose Centre is nowhere and Circumference everywhere and in the Prophet he telleth us Ier. 23. 23 24. Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God afar off do not I fill Heaven and Earth can any hide him in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord He filleth all things with his Essential Presence he is in Earth in Heaven and under the Earth Psal. 139. 7 8. Whither shall I go from thy spirit and whither shall I flee from thy Presence if I ascend up into Heaven thou art there if I make my bed in Hell behold thou art there if I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the Sea even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me God is here and there and everywhere the Heavens do not confine and inclose his Being nor the Tumults of the Earth exclude it in this sense God is alike near to all things they that cannot endure the presence and thought of God where will they go from him They may run away from God as a Friend but they cannot escape him as an Enemy te non amittit nisi qui dimiâ—…t qui te dimittit quo fugit nisi a te placato ad te iratum Men may shut God out of their hearts and yet he is there do what they can and will be found there one day in the dreadful Effects of his Anger 2. Not in regard of his general Providence and common Sustentation for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is not far from every one of us for in him we live and move and have our being Acts 17. 27 28. This general Presence and providential sustentation is vouchsafed to all his Creatures without which they could not subsist nor move nor act so all things are inclosed under the hand of his Power and are still under his disposing 3. It is meant of his friendly and gracious Presence and those eminent and gracious effects of his Power and Goodness which he is pleased to afford his People So God is sometimes said to be nigh unto his People and they are said to be a People near unto him the Lord is said to be near unto them Psal. 34. 18. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart And again Psal. 145. 18. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him and to all that call upon him in truth Deut. 4. 7. What Nation is so great who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for The Lord is said to be nigh because he is always ready to hear their Prayers and to direct them in their doubts comfort them in their sorrows defend and protect them in all their dangers and deliver them in all their Troubles On the other side they are said to be a People near unto God Psal. 148. 14. He also exalteth the horn of his people the praise of all his Saints even of the Children of Israel a people near unto him Because they are the special Objects of his Mercy and Favour and as to the actual intercourse that passeth between God and them God is said to draw nigh to them as they are said to draw nigh to God Iam. 4. 8. Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you and so drawing nigh to us on God's part signifieth his Grace and Blessing and drawing nigh on our part our Duty Love Fear Delight and Reverence of God Well then it is meant of his friendly gracious Presence vouchsafed to his People 4. This nearness may be understood of his visible Presence in his Ordinances or of that spiritual inwardness and saving Union and Communion that is between God and his converted People or those that are brought home to him by Christ and are the members of his Mystical Body In some sense it is the Priviledge of the Visible Church to have God near them because they have the signs of his Presence among them as in the former place Deut. 4. 7. What nation hath God so nigh unto them It was the common priviledge of the Nation in comparison of the Pagans about them who were a People afar off and strangers to the Covenants of Promise So Ier. 14. 9. Thou O Lord God art in the midst of
prayer because we have not the Mercy presently p. 912 913 Awful frame of heart means to get it p. 1002 Fraud and cruelty certain prognosticks of Ruine p. 565 Free-will-offerings must be given to God p. 723 724 Friendship 1. Sinful 2. Civil 3. Religious p. 433 434 Friendship in having all good things Common p. 851 Friendship tryed most valuable p. 418 Friendship of God our security p. 642 237 Fretting of Spirit cured by Thanksgiving p. 421 Fruit of Gods Word is everlasting p. 620 Fruit Holy of Affliction better than deliverance p. 592 470 It must be believed and waited for p. 486 Fruits of Mourning for other mens sins p. 933 Fruition more than expectation p. 787 Fugitives as well as exiles all are by Nature-p 953 Fulness of God not exhausted by giving-p 448 Fulness of Christ and our own wants considered the Means to awaken holy Desires p. 310 G. GAin in Christ more than loss in the World p. 416 Generation one receives the promises that are made good to another p. 580 All Generations have the same Common promises made good to them p. 580 One Generation should report to another what they have found of Gods Faithfulness in making good the promises p. 580 581 344 345 Saints are a generation of such as seek God p. 922 57 58 59 Ghuessing at the World to come is not perswasion of it p. 890 Gifts of God an Argument to seek for more p. 497 Gift of Prayer not so much as the grace p. 903 Giving our selves to God is a debt it is to gain our selves p. 608. It alters the Nature as well as the Use of our selves p. 608 Glory of God is the end of the Grace of God p. 939 1062 Glory not to be given to the Instrument but the chief Agent p. 649 Glory of God seen in his Peoples Deliverance p. 868 Glorifying God 1. By Subjection 2. By Dependance p. 586 Exhortation to Glorifie God p. 1062. Motives ibid. None shall glorifie God in Heaven that do not glorifie God on Earth p. 1095. Two Reasons why we are to aim at Gods Glory above all things p. 1097 God the best Master he doth good to his servants p. 442 443 444. God the first Cause last end cheifest good p. 1 383 He only makes blessed and shews who is so p. 3 Living to him what it denotes p. 6 He writes his Law in the heart p. 10 He will not be our God unless we make him our Guide p. 10 God blessed in himself and needs nothing to add to his blessedness p. 71 He is willing to Communicate his blessedness p. 71 470 471 God's love to us is Bounty ours to him Duty p. 421 God engages to be 1. An Advocate 2. A Redeemer 3. A Fountain of Life to his People p. 972 God is eternal what that is how proved to be so By Scripture 2. By Reason p. 567 384 Gods Wisdom Power Mercy are Eternal p. 568 He sheweth himself Eternal 1. As a Governour 2. As a Benefactor-p 569 God is true 1. In Promises 2. Precepts 3. Threatnings p. 578 God considered 1. As our absolute Lord. 2. As our Governour and Judge p. 934 God is to be feared 1. For his Mercies 2. His Judgments p. 810 Vid. Goodness of God Vid. Power of God Vid. Wisdom of God God bears much affection to Man as his Creature p. 497 Mercy is 1. Natural 2. Pleasing to God p. 319 320 Godly Men continually in danger in respect 1. Of the Soul 2. The body p. 764 The more others despise the more godly men prize Gods ways p. 862 Godly man described by two properties 1. Fear of God 2. Knowledge of his Word p. 527 Fellowship with the Godly a great happiness p. 527 Gold put for all Worldly Comforts and Profits p. 861 Reproof to them that prefer Gold before Gods Word p. 493 Good-men and bad-men exercise one another p. 863 Good the chiefest good should be sought with our chiefest care love delight p. 13 We should desire deliverance no further then as good for us p. 823 Good brought out of evil by God p. 424 824 Cheifest good and last end should influence all our Actions p. 777 Good God is good of himself and doth good to us p. 470 He doth good to his Servants why p. 442 443 It becomes them that have to do with God to have a deep sense of his goodness p. 470 Vid. Do good Goodness 1. Temporal 2. Spiritual 3. Eternal p. 825 Goodness in God threefold 1. Natural 2. Moral 3. Beneficial p. 470 471 Goodness of God to his Creatures ground of hoping for spiritual Mercies p. 438 Goodness of God manifested 1. In Creation 2. Redemption 3. Providence p. 472 368 369 370 438 Gospel called a Testimony because therein God hath Testified how a sinner may be pardoned c. p. 8 The Gospel offers life now and hereafter will Accuse for refusal of it p. 9 It teaches us how we may be blessed in the enjoyment of God p. 72 Gospel reveals eternal Life Nature hath some guesses at it the Law some shadows of it p. 571 Gospel sheweth that we are lyable to eternal Misery p. 572 Government of God encourages to Commit our selves to his protection p. 806 Government of God Moral and Natural p. 585 Natural government either ordinary or extraordinary p. 586 Government of God natural extends to all Creatures 1. Caelestial bodies 2. Angels 3. Winds Seas c. 4. Diseases c. p. 586 Daily Grace necessary on many accounts p. 915 916 917 918 Great grace needful because we know not how long Trials may last p. 837 Vid. Covenant of Grace Grace habitual and actual p. 778 241 242 243 Quest. Whether real Grace can make men proud p. 521 Grace turns Punishments into medicines for sin p. 147 462. It must be always working p. 339 One Act of Grace makes way for another p. 246 461 It is but weak in the best p. 835 Grace preventing grace p. 15. Grace discovers it self where it is p. 19 20 Supporting Grace p. 788. Grace preventing working and co-working p. 181 Grace preventing gives To Will Grace assisting to Do p. 29. God does All in the work of Grace p. 221 241 242 All Grace as to kinds infused at once p. 35 All Grace comes in by the understanding p. 172 Grace confirming as necessary as Converting p. 778 Grace justifying takes away the condemning power Grace sanctifying the Reigning power Grace glorifying the very being of Sin p. 681 682 Qualifications of those that sue for Grace p. 499 Gracious Souls find more joy in Gods way than in all Worldly things p. 83 They take occasions to employ themselves in holy things p. 931 932 Gratitude the bond of duty to the fallen creature p. 421 Grief at the violation of Gods Law a sign of true Zeal p. 854 348 Grief worldly causeth Death p. 590 It must not be smothered p. 158 Grieve not the spirit p. 1107 Groans of the Spirit distinguished from the eructations of