it All the Generations past were but are not and the present is but will not be and within a little while who of us can say I am no our place will know us no more but God eternally saith I am not I have been or I shall be but I Am. Look a little backward and you shall find Man's Beginning step a little forward and you shall overtake his Dissolution but God is still I Am he is one that is All before all after all and in all He beholdeth from the Mount of Eternity all the Successions and Changes of the Creature and there is no succession or mutation in his Knowledge Well then here is an Answer for Pharaoh and the Israelites and all of you to study on I Am that I Am. I am the Fountain of all Being that do unchangeably and eternally exist in my Self and from my Self 2. God hath described his Name by his Attributes To go over all the compass of a Sermon will not permit I shall single out three from all the rest his Power Wisedom and Goodness they are manifested in all that God doth 1. In Creation Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Goodness of God is seen in the usefulness of the Creatures to man the Power of God in the stupendiousness and wonderfulness of his Works his Wisedom in the apt structure constitution and order of all things first he createth then distinguisheth then adorneth The first work was to create the Heavens and Earth out of nothing there is his Power his next work is a wise Destination and Ordination of all things he distinguisheth Night from Day Darkness from Light Waters above the Firmament from Waters beneath the Firmament the Sea from the dry Land there is his Wisedom then he decketh the Earth with Plants and furnisheth it with Beasts and storeth the Sea with Fishes the Firmament with Stars there is his Goodness Let us examine these more particularly beginning 1. With his Goodness The Creation is nothing else but an effusion of the Bounty and Goodness of God he made the World not that he might be Happy but that he might be Liberal he made the World not by Necessity but at his Pleasure Rev. 4. 11. Thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created God was happy enough without us he had a fulness and absolute sufficiency within himself his great aim was to raise up Objects out of nothing to whom he would communicate his Goodness the Heavens and Earth were made that Man might have a place for his Exercise and a dwelling for his Rest and in both might love honour serve and glorifie his Creatour God sits in his Palace among his best Creatures and thither also will he translate Man at length if he be obedient and observe the ends of his Creation thus his Goodness appeareth 2. His Power he brought all things out of the womb of nothing The powerfull fiat was enough Isa. 40. 26. Lift up your eyes on high who hath created these things and bringeth out their host by number and calleth all things by their names by the greatness of his might for that he is strong in Power The force of the Cause appeareth in the Effect and God's Power in the Life and being of the Creature There is no Artificer but he must have Matter to work upon or else his Art will fail him and he can do nothing all that Man can do is to give some Shape and Form or to fashion that in some new Model which had a Being before but God made all things out of nothing the inclination and beck of his Will sufficeth for his great Works we have great toil and sweat in all things that we doe but behold what a great Work is done without any pain and travel it is troublesome to us to carry up a little piece of Stone or Timber to any Building of ours but God stretched out all these Heavens in such an infinite compass by the Word of his Power and hangeth the Earth upon nothing 3. His Wisedom The admirableness and comely variety of God's Works doth easily offer it to our thoughts In the frame of the Work you may easily find out a Wise Workman Psal. 136. 5. Sing praises to him that by Wisedom hath made the Heaven and the Earth for his mercy endureth for ever so Prov. 3. 19. The Lord by Wisedom hath founded the Earth by Understanding hath he established the Heavens the Wisedom of God appeareth in the order of making and order of placing all the Creatures In making them in simple things God begun with those that were most perfect as his first Creature was Light which of all Qualities is the most pure and defecate and is not stained by passing through places most impure then all the other Elements In mixt Bodies God took another method from imperfect to perfect first things that have a Being as the Firmament then Life as Plants then Sense as Beasts then Reason as Men first God would provide the places of Heaven and Earth then the Creatures to dwell in them first the Food then the Creatures to be sustained by it Provision was made for the Inhabitants of the Earth as Grass for Beasts and Light for all living and moving Creatures Plants have a growing Life Beasts a feeling Life then Man was made last of all Creatures as most excellent Thus God would teach us to go on from good to better Man's Palace was furnished with all things necessary and they were plac'd and dispos'd in their apt Cells for the beauty and service of the whole and then like a Prince he was sent into the World to Rule and Reign There are not so many Animals in the Earth as in the Sea to avoid the great waste of Food which would be consumed by the Beasts of the Land to the prejudice of Man but there is no end of these Considerations Onely let me tell you Power is most eminently discovered in the Creation Rom. 1. 20. The invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal Power and Godhead the first Apprehensions which we are possest with and which are most obvious are the infinite Greatness and Power of the Creatour 2. These are manifested in the whole structure of his Word his Power in the Histories and Prophecies which declare what God hath and shall doe his Wisedom in the Precepts and Counsels and discovery of such Mysteries his Goodness in Promises Institutions and provisional Helps More particularly in the Law-part of his Word his Goodness that sheweth Man what is good Micah 6. 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good his Power in threatning such Punishments and promising such Rewards and in the wonderfull efficacy of his Word in the Conscience his Wisdome in stating such a Rule that hath such an admirable fitness for the governing and regulating of Mankind
Doctrine they may have a liking to the holiness of it and have some consolation thereupon they have their beginnings and some good offers towards Sanctification but it brings nothing to perfection They may have such a hope of Heaven as that they may be said to taste the powers of the world to come Heb. 9. 5 6. Yet because it is not deeply rooted in the heart and only begets some raw motions and moves the lighter part of the soul and doth not shew it self in an uniform course of obedience therefore it is not with all the heart it may be it was but for a time or cast in upon some eminent trouble Therefore that is only believing and seeking God with all the heart when the Doctrine of life is so acknowledged to be true good and holy as to be closed with upon that account not only because of its suitableness to our eternal good and interest but as it is a rule of our duty and then it enters upon the heart when every faculty of it is subdued to God It is not some colouring of the out-side but a deep dye when it soaks into the whole soul and subdues the affections to God which is manifested by an uniform course of obedience Now David urgeth this to God as an argument I have sought thee with my whole heart Hence observe Doct. We may mention the good which is wrought in us and urge it to God in Prayer It is an useful case How may we mention our own gracious Qualifications and the good that is wrought in us Negatively 1. Not by way of boasting there is no such thing here no presumptuous boasting of his own perfections for it was accompanied with a deep sense of his weakness wandring and stragling condition he acknowledgeth his infirmities There is no such thing allowed as boasting the Apostles argument is convincing Why boastest thou what have we that we have not received If we can boast of any things it is that we are most in debt that we have received more 1 Cor. 1. We must glory in the Lord. 2. Not pleading of merit as if he had deserved any thing of God so the Pharisee speaks of his good works Luk. 18. 11. It is not to such a purpose as if we could challenge a reward as a due debt upon any good that we have done But Positively How then may we make mention of our Qualifications 1. We may mention what is wrought in us for Gods glory surely however we humble our selves we must not belye his bounty To be always complaining of spiritual evils it doth not argue a good temper of soul Psal. 116. 7. Return to thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee We may own the Lords bounty and take notice what good we have done to the glory of his grace Not I but the grace of God which was with me 1 Cor. 15. 10. 2. We may mention it to our own comfort thus Paul 2 Cor. 1. 12. Iesus Christ is our rejoicing but in one sense this is also our rejoicing the testimony of our conscience Wherefore is grace given us but for the furtherance of our comfort To bear false witness against our selves is naught Though the duties of the first Table neither begin nor end in us yet the whole Law of charity begins at home 3. For our own Vindication Thus Hezekiah Isa. 28. 3. Remember O Lord how I have walked before thee with a perfect heart This was his plea but I suppose it was not before God as a Iudg but before God as a witness he called God to witness that he had walked before him with a perfect heart He was slandered by Rabshakeh They thought when he broke down the Altars of Baal and cut down their Groves that he had cut down the Altars of the God of Israel therefore saith Rabshakeh speaking to the humour and discontent of the people and we must look upon it as a politick insinuation Is not this he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away and demolished 2 King 18. 22. Now saith Hezekiah I have walked before thee with an upright heart Many a good Magistrate is often put upon such pleas for Gods honour in things distasteful to the popularity 4. What God hath wrought in us may be urged as an argument in prayer to obtain further grace many ways partly because God loves to crown his own mercies and make one to be a step to another We are endeared to God by his own mercies he is very tender and choise of them In whom he hath begun a good work he will perfect it Zach. 3. 2. Is not this a brand pluckt out of the fire What shall all my former mercies be in vain it is Gods own argument and he takes it well when his people urgeth it In many cases Deus donando debet by giving one mercy he makes himself a debter to give another Plutarch gives us a story of the Rhodians when they came to sue to the Romans for help that one urged what good turns they had done to the Romans but the people urged what good turns the Romans did to them and they obtained relief Such a plea is acceptable and honourable to God when we urge what God hath done for us And partly because sincerity by the consent of all hath the full room of an evidence and Gospel-plea in the Court of Justification When the business is how a sinner shall be accepted with God for a Law-plea we can only plead the merits of Christ and Gods mercy there all we have and can do is but dung and dross Phil. 3. 8 9. as to an acquittance from sin But as to our acquittance from hypocrisie as to the plea of a Gospel-evidence we may produce our sincerity and the fruits of our obedience to shew our title is good as the matter is ordered by the Lords grace that we have the Gospel-title To all the other our title is by the righteousness of Christ but the evidence of our title is sincere walking Secondly Let us come to Davids Request Let me not wander from thy Commandments It may be translated Make me not to err that is by the suspending of thy grace for that will necessarily follow The Septuagint read Do not repell from thy Commandments God seems to repell and cast off those that he doth not assist with his grace Here David saith I have sought thee Observe the mischief that an heart which truly seeketh God desireth to fly from sin or wandring from the path of obedience There is a communion with God but in the way of his Commandments therefore they do not desire establishment of their interest and happiness only but of Gods glory that they might not wander Hence observe Doct. 1. The more experience men have of the ways of God the more sensible will they be of their readiness to wander David a man of so much experience that sought God with his whole
that goeth about with Spices to sell thence the word is used for one that wandreth from place to place uttering slanders as wares These Pedlars will always be opening their Packs Men fill up time by tatling and medling with others Thus have I heard of such or such an one 4. Or our discourse is wholly of worldly business not a word of God They are of the earth and speak of the earth Joh. 3. 31. The habituating our selves to worldly discourse together without interposing something of God it is a great disadvantage 5. Or vain jangling if we speak of any thing that hath an aspect upon Religion we turn it into a meer dispute about opinion we do not use Conferences as helps to gracious affections How many are there sick of Questions as the Apostle saith and dote upon strife of words 1 Tim. 6. 4. Thus if we did put our selves to question at night What have I spoken What good have I done What good have I received from such company it would make the Word more sensible and active upon our souls Use 2. To press us to holy Conference both Occasional and Set. 1. Occasional We are not left at random in our ordinary discourse to speak as we will but at all times and with all persons we should have an eye to the good of those with whom we speak Col. 4. 6. Let your speech be alway with grace seasoned with salt that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man In Visits Walks Journeys let your speech be always with grace we should ever be drawing to good discourse as remembring we must give account Iam. 2. 12. So speak as those that shall be judged by the law of liberty Certainly a gracious heart will thus do He that doth not want a heart will not want an occasion of interposing somewhat for God This was Christs manner Luk. 14. 15. when he was eating bread in the Pharisees house he discourseth Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God There will be a feast in Heaven when we shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdom of God So when Christ was at Iacob's Well Ioh. 4. 14. he discourseth of the Well of living waters which springeth up to eternal life still he draweth towards some gracious improvement of the occasion So Ioh. 7. 37. when he was at the Feast of Tabernacles and it was the custom there to fetch water from Siloa and pour it out upon the Altar of Burnt-offerings they were to make a flood of it Christ improves it If any man will come to me out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water He spiritualizeth the occasion If our hearts were as they ought to be we would have a gracious word more ready we would either be beginning or carrying on good conference where ever we come But Christians are to seek either through barrenness or leanness of soul they have not that good treasure or stock of knowledg in them or through the custom of vain speech And the great cause of all is the prevalency of an unsanctified and worldly heart this hindreth us from being more fruitful in our converse 2. It should press us to holy Conferences set There may be and should be some set time for mutual edification It is not the duty only of Ministers but also of private Christians keeping within the bounds of their station and the measures of their knowledg to teach and to instruct one another The Scriptures are full for this Col. 3. 6. Col. 1. 5 11. Heb. 3. 13. Iucle v. 20. Christians should often meet together for prayer and spiritual edification So Heb. 10. 24 25. Rom. 15. 14. I heap up these places because of the error of the Papists who will not have the Laity speak of Scripture or things pertaining to Scripture Whereas you see these injunctions are plain and clear and it is a great part of that holy Communion that should pass between Saints this mutual exhorting quickning and strengthning one anothers hands in the work of the Lord. These places are not to be understood of publick Communion of Church-societies but of private conferences by way of interchangeable discourse and mutual edification It is not necessary these Set-conferences should be always and all the members of the Church meet and confer together but a company of savoury Christians whose spirits suit best in commerce and most likely to help one another Though I am to love all the brotherhood and carry a respect to all in relation to me yet I am to single out for my advantage some of the most eminent or the most suitable for great regard is to be had to that Christ made a distinction in his little flock in his family shall I call it some he singleth out for more immediate converses as Peter Iames and Iohn in his Transfiguration in Mat. 17. 1. and in his Agonies these were the flowr the choice that he singled out for his special converse I speak not of publick meetings in publick societies but set conferences with gracious Christians with whom our spirits suit best and are likely to be of greatest help in maintaining of the spiritual life These set times the people of God have ever made conscience of It is a great comfort and refreshing to be conscious to the exercise of each others grace Rom. 1. 12. That I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me And it is a mighty strengthning in evil times Mal. 3. 16. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkned and heard it And you will find the benefit of the manifold graces of God that what one wants will be supplied by the help of another God doth not so give his gifts to one but that he needs others help Paul calls Aquila and Priscilla Fellows or helpers in Christ Iesus And Apollo a mighty man in the Scriptures had a great deal of help by Aquila and Priscilla Rom. 16. 3. 1 Cor. 12. 21. The eye cannot say unto the hand I have no need of thee nor the head to the feet I have no need of you The meanest have their use quickning and strengthning one another This mutual edification differeth from Ministerial or Church-society because the one is an act of Authority the other of charity the one in the face of the congregation the other by a few Christians in private and it may be improved to awaken each other to consider of God of the ways of God the word of God the works of Creation and Providence Redemption the Judgments he executes in the world mercies towards his people the experiments and proofs of his grace in your Christian warfare Psal. 66. 16. Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. Ferus speaks of some old Monks Conveniebant in unum audiebatur verbum Dei c. they were wont
shall a poor sinner do This is the duty exacted 2. The penalty that shall be inflicted Cursed is every one that continueth not in the words of this law to do it The Law hath a mouth that speaketh terrible things Cursed it is but one word but it may be spread abroad into very large considerations In one place it is said The Lord will not spare him All the curses that are written in this book of this law shall light upon him Deut. 29. 20. The book of the Law is full of curses and all together they show you what is the portion of an impenitent sinner In another place it is said Every curse and every plague which is not written in the book of this law will the Lord bring upon thee Deut. 28. 61. Mark though it be not specified in the Law God hath threatned sundty sorts of punishments yet he hath many plagues in store which are not committed to record or writing therefore whatever is written or unwritten revealed in the word or dispensed in Providence by way of plague and misery it is but the interpretation of this one word Cursed is he that continueth not c. However because particulars are most affective I will name some parts of the Curse 1. This is one part of the cursed condition of a sinner that is under the Law that the knowledg of his duty doth but the more irritate corruption Rom. 7. 9. The commandment came and sin revived The more we understand of the necessity of our subjection to God the more is the soul opposite to God Sin takes occasion by the Commandment as oppositions do more exasperate and enrage a waspish spirit 2. This exaction of duty doth either terrifie or stupifie the conscience he that escapeth the one suffereth the other Either men are terrified indeed all sinners are liable to it the conscience of a sinner is a sore place and the Apostle saith they are liable to bondage all their days Heb. 2. 14. as Belshazzar trembled to see the hand-writing upon the wall and Felix trembled to hear of Judgment to come so a carnal man is afraid to think of his condition and some are actually under horror and wherever they go as the Devils do they carry their own hell about them Or if conscience be not terrified then it is stupified they grow sensless of their misery and are past feeling Eph. 4. 19. and that 's a very sad estate and dangerous temper of soul when men have outgrown all feelings of conscience and worn out the prints of conviction These are the two extremes that all Christless persons are incident unto 3. There 's a curse upon all that a man hath as long as he continues in his rebellion and obstinacy against God He is cursed in his basket and store in his going out and coming in c. Deut. 28. 15 16 17. A man is cursed in his Table that becomes a snare his afflictions are but beginnings of sorrows It is a miserable thing to lye in such an estate If the curse do not break out so visibly sensibly it is because now it is the day of Gods patience and he waits for our return But mark Gods spiritual providence is the more dreadful when God rains snares upon men all the seeming-comforts which they have do but harden them in an evil course and hold them the faster in the bonds of iniquity 4. There 's a curse upon all he doth his duties are lost his prayers are turned into sin his hearing is the savour of daath unto death whilst he remaineth in his impenitency It is said Prov. 21. 27. The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind Though he should come in the best manner he can with his flocks and herds yet all will be to no purpose it is an abomination to God 5. Impenitency binds over a man body and soul to everlasting torment in time it will come to that Go ye cursed c. Mat. 25. 41. They are only continued until they have filled up their measure and are ripened for hell and then they lye eternally under the wrath of God Look as it is sweet to hear Come ye blessed c. so dreadful in that day to hear Go ye cursed c. Thus are the proud cursed that is obstinate impenitent sinners while they stand off from God Secondly Let me examine upon what score they are cursed 1. Every man by Nature is under the Curse for until they are in Christ they are under Adams Covenant and Adams Covenant will yield no blessing to the fallen creature Gal. 3. 10. As many as are under the works of the Law are under the curse c. Mark every man that remains under the Law that hath not gotten an interest in Christ the curse of the first Covenant remains upon him and accordingly at the last day he shall have judgment without mercy he shall be judged according to the terms of that Covenant for there are but two states under the Law or under Grace therefore while they are in a state of Nature they must needs be under wrath So John 3. 18. He that believeth not is condemned already that is in the sentence of the Law there is a curse gone out against him the man is gone lost condemned already 2. This curse abideth upon us until we believe in Christ. The Sentence of the Law is not repealed John 3. 36. He that believeth not the wrath of God abideth on him Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us c. 3. When Christ is tendered and finally refused then the sentence of the Law is ratified in the Gospel or the Court of mercy A Court of Chancery God hath set up in the Gospel for penitent sinners but then it follows This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men choose darkness c. When God shall tender men better conditions by Christ and they turn their backs upon it then is this curse confirmed USE 1. Consider how matters stand between God and us examine how it is with you Here let me lay down these propositions by way of trial 1. Every man by nature is in a cursed condition Eph. 2. 3. every man is liable to Adam's forfeiture and breach the elect children of God as well as others are liable to the curse 2. There is no way to escape this curse but by flying to Christ for refuge Heb. 6. 18. As a man would flye from the Avenger of blood so should we flye from the curse of the Law that is at our heels Wrath is abroad seeking out sinners now saith the Apostle O that I might be found in him 3. A sense of this benefit we have by Christ will necessarily beget an unfeigned love to him else we can have no evidence but the curse doth still remain and therefore it is said 1 Cor. 16.
to the other they are left to arbitrement to abstain and use for edification according to the various postures and circumstances of times places and persons but so that we should never take from any believer or suffer to be taken from him that liberty which Christ hath purchased for us by his blood It is a licentious abuse of Power not to be endured We are to stand fast in that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free Gal. 5. 1. the Apostle mainly intends it of the observance of the ceremonial Law which was a bondage because of the trouble and expence O but then the price wherewith Christ bought our freedom should make us more chary of it and stand in the defence of it with greater courage and constancy whatever it cost us The Captain told Paul that his liberty as a Roman was obtained with a great sum Acts 22. 28. Now the Court of Rome doth challenge such a power that it commandeth and forbiddeth those things which God hath left free as distinction of days meats marriage according to their own pleasure 1 Tim. 4. 3. Nay sometimes dispenseth with that which God hath expresly commanded or forbidden and then what doth it but make him equal with God yea superior to him That Physician possibly may be born with that doth only burden his Patient with some needless prescriptions if for the main he be out faithful but if he should mingle poyson with his Medicaments and also still tire out his Patient with new prescriptions that are altogether troublesome and costly and nauseous and for the number of them dangerous to life it behoveth his Patient to look to his health And this is the very case The Pope doth sometimes make bold with dispensing with Gods Laws and doth extinguish and choak Christian Religion by thousands of Impositions of indifferent things which is not to be endured And then as to the Authority it self according to the eminency of the Lawgiver so is his Authority more or less absolute Therefore when a mortal man shall challenge an Authority so absolute as to be above controul and to give no account of his actions and it is not lawful to say to him What dost thou or enquire into the reason or complain of the injury this is that which the Churches of Christ cannot endure therefore they had just ground and cause of withdrawing and making up a body by themselves rather than yield to so great encroachments upon Christian liberty to receive the Decrees of one Church and that so erroneous and imposing without examination or leave of complaint 3. That which grieveth and did grieve and cause this withdrawing is both Papal Infallibility and freedom from error That any Church which is made up of fallible men should arrogate this to themselves especially the Roman which of all Churches that ever Christ had upon earth is most corrupt that they should fasten this Infallibility to the Papal chair which is the fountain of those corruptions this they look upon as a great contradiction not only to faith but to sense and as hard a condition as if I were bound when I saw a man sick of the Plague and the swelling and tokens of death upon him yet to say he is immortal nay that that part wherein the disease is seated is immortal This was the burden that was imposed upon the people of God that they should yield to this Secondly Come to their Heresie in Doctrine To rake in this filth would take up more time than will comport with your patience It is almost every where corrupt the only sound part in the whole frame is the Doctrine of the Trinity which yet the Schoolmen have intangled with many nice and unprofitable disputes which render that glorious and blessed mystery less venerable We must do them right also in this that they grant the doctrine of Christ's Satisfaction and that he not only dyed for our good but in our stead and bore our punishment they grant the truth of it but deny the sufficiency of it so mightily weaken if not destroy it while they think it must be pieced up by the sacrifice of the Mass human satisfaction by the merit of works Purgatory and Indulgences but in all other points of Religion how corrupt are they That which most offends the Reformed Churches is their equalling Traditions with the Scripture yea their decrying and taxing the Scriptures as obscure insufficient and as a nose of wax pliable to several purposes Their mangling the doctrine of Justification which we own to consist in the imputation of Christs righteousness received by faith and they plead in the works of righteousness which we have done and so if the Apostle may be Judg make void the grace of God Gal. 2. 21. And then the merit of works not expecting the reward of them from God's mercy which becometh Christian humility but from the condignity of the work it self which bewrayeth their Pharisaical pride We say that sins are remitted by God alone exercising his mercy in Christ through the Gospel towards those that believe and repent But the Papists say pardon may be had by virtue of Indulgences if a man give such a price do this or that say so many Ave-maries and Pater-nosters though far enough from true faith and repentance The one savours of the Gospel the other of the Tyranny of the Pope of Rome that hath set himself in the place of God and substituted his Laws instead of the Laws of Christ. So their portentous doctrine of Transubstantiation that a Priest should make his Maker and a people eat their God I could represent the difference of both Churches both in excess and defect In excess what they believe over and above the Christian faith The true Church believes with the Scripture and with the primitive Churches that there is but one God Father Son and Holy Ghost to be religiously invocated and worshipped They plead the Creature Angels and Saints are to be both religiously invocated and worshipped The Scripture shews that there is but one Surety and Mediator between God and man he that was both God and man Jesus Christ. They say that the Saints are Mediators of intercession with God by whose merits and prayers we obtain the grace and audience of our supplications The Scripture saith that Christs Propitiatory Sacrifice offered on the Cross is sufficient for the plenary remission of all our sins They say the Sacrifice of the Mass which the Priest under the species of bread and wine substantially that is by consecration into the body and blood of Christ offered to God that this is available for the remission of sins both of quick and dead That the remission of sins obtained by Christ and offered in the Gospel to the penitent believer is bestowed and applied by faith this is the opinion of the Scripture They say remission of sins is obtained and applied by their own satisfactions and Papal Indulgences That true repentance consists in
according to the Analogy of Faith and there is not a more powerful incentive of Duty Psal. 130. 5. There is forgiveness with thee that thou maist be feared Jer. 2. 11 12. The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you Brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable Service This is true Divinity The flesh deviseth another Doctrine let us Sin that Grace may abound to make a carnal Pillow of Gods Mercy that they may sleep securely in sin yea a Dung-cart to carry away their filth God is Merciful but to those that count sin a burden and misery God is slow to Anger but yet angry when provoked abused Patience kindleth into Fury as water when the mouth of the Fountain or course of the River is stopped breaketh out with more violence God hath his Arrows of Displeasure to shoot at the wicked you must not fancy a God all Honey all sweetness He is the Father of Mercies but so that he is also a God of Vengeance Psal. 68. 19 20. Blessed be the Lord who daily leadeth us with Benefits even the God of our Salvation Selah He that is our God is the God of Salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from Death But God shall wound the hairy scalpe of his Enemies the mercy of God is large and free if men do not make themselves uncapable by their Impenitency 4. We must beg 1. The Application of these to me also We have heard that the Kings of Israel are merciful Kings 1 Kings 20. 31. Now we would feel it 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a Faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Iesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief Wind in our selves within the Covert of a Promise enter at the back door of a Promise there comes Virtue from Christ if but touched the Woman came behind him and touched the hem of his garment so we must seek the Application of this Vertue 2. Effectual Application Let it come unto me Mercy cometh unto us or we shall never come unto it 1 Pet. 1. 10. The Grace that cometh to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Grace which is brought to you at the Revelation of Jesus Christ Gods Grace is brought home to our doors we seek not after it but it seeketh after us Salvation is gone forth saith the Prophet to find out lost sinners Wisdom hath sent forth her Maidens she crieth upon the high places of the City whoso is simple let him turn in hither Prov. 9. 3 4. God sends the Gospel up and down the Worldto offer his Grace to men it worketh out its way Use. Here is Incouragement and Direction to poor Creatures how to obtain Gods Mercy for their Comfort 1. Incouragement Mercy doth all with God it is the first cause that setteth every thing awork 1. Mercy is natural to God 2 Cor. 1. 3. Father of Mercies God is not merciful by Accident but by Nature the Sun doth not more naturally shine nor Fire more naturally burn nor Water more naturally flow than God doth naturally shew Mercy 2. It is pleasing to him Micah 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee that Pardoneth Iniquity and passeth by the Transgression of the remnant of his Heritage he retaineth not his Anger for ever because he delighteth in Mercy Judgment is called his Strange work Isa. 28. 21. That he may do his work his strange work and bring to pass his Act his strange Act. Primitive Acts he is forced to but he rejoyceth to do good as Life-Honey droppeth of its own accord 3. It is plentiful in God he is rich in Mercy abundant in Goodness and Truth thy sins are like a spark of Fire that falleth into the Ocean it is quenched presently so are all thy sins in the Ocean of Gods Mercy there is not more water in the Sea than there is Mercy in God 4. It is the great wonder of the Divine Nature Every thing in God is wonderful especially his pardoning Mercy It is no such great wonder in God that he stretcheth out the Heavens like a Curtain since he is Omnipotent that he formed the Earth or the Waters since he is strong that he distinguished Times adorned the Heavens with so many Stars decked the Earth with such variety of Plants and Herbs since he is Wise that he hath set Bounds to the Sea Governeth the Waters since he is Lord of all that he made Man a living Creature since he is the Fountain of Life but that he can be Merciful to Sinners infinitely Merciful when infinitely Just. There is a conflict in the Attributes about us but Mercy rejoyceth over Iudgment Iames 2. 13. That he is so Gracious and condescending when his first Covenant seemed to bind him to destroy us that he that hateth sin is so ready to forgive it pardoneth it so often and punisheth it so seldom 5. He is Communicative it is over all his Works Psal. 145. 9. Not a Creature but subsisteth by Gods Mercy he loveth Man and Beast Psal. 36. 6. and 1 Tim. 4. 10. He is the Saviour of all men especially of those that believe the whole Earth is full of his goodness Lord shew it to me also he heareth the cry of Ravens 2. To direct us how to sue for it in a broken hearted manner there are two Exreams Self-confidence and Desperation Self-confidence challengeth a Debt and Despair shutteth out hopes of Mercy a proud Pharisee pleads his Works Luke 18. 11. Kain saith Gen. 4. 13. My Punishment is greater then I can bear The middle between both is the penitent Publican Luke 18. 13. He stood afar off and would not lift up so much as his eyes to Heaven but smote on his Breast saying God be merciful to me a Sinner Go to him that which with men is the worst Plea with God is the best SERMON XLVIII PSALM CXIX Verse 42. So shall I have wherewith to answer him that Reproacheth me for I trust in thy Word IN the former Verse we saw the man of God begging for Deliverance or Temporal Salvation from the Mercies of God according to his Word Salvation belongeth to the Lord and his Mercy can pardon great sins and fetch us off from great extremities and that according to the Word of God he had boasted of this there is his Request here is his Argument from the use and fruit of his Deliverance he should have something to reply to the Scoffs and Mocks of wicked men who insulted over him in his Distress and Calamity he had spoken of great things or the Promise and now desireth the Promise to be made good that he might have an Answer ready against their Reproaches So shall I have wherewith to answer him that
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.
14 15. For the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again And therefore Praise and Thanksgiving is a greater help to the Spiritual Life than we are usually aware of For working in us a sense of God's love and an actual remembrance of his benefits as it will doe if rightly performed it doth make us shie of sin more carefull and solicitous to doe his will for shall we offend so good a God God's love to us is a love of Bounty our love to God is a love of Duty when we grudge not to live in subjection to him 1 Iohn 5. 3. His Commandments are not grievous 2. Submission to his Providence There is a querulous and sowr Spirit which is natural to us always repining and murmuring at God's dealing and wasting and vexing our spirits in heartless complaints Now this fretting quarrelling impatient humour which often sheweth it self against God even in our prayers and supplications is quelled by nothing so much as by being frequent in praises and thanksgivings Iob 1. 21. The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. It is an act of Holy Prudence in the Saints when they are under any trouble to strain themselves to the quite contrary Duty of what temptations and corruptions would drive them unto When the temptation is laid to make us murmur and swell at God's dealings we should on the contrary bless and give thanks And therefore the Psalmist doth so frequently sing praises in the saddest condition There is no perfect defeating the temptation but by studying matter of praise and to set seriously about the Duty So Iob 2. 10. Shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil Shall we receive so many proofs of the love of God and quarrel at a few afflictions that come from the same hand and rebel against his Providence when he bringeth on some needful trouble for our tryal and exercise And having tasted so much of his â—…ounty and love repine and fret at every change of dealing though it be useful to purge out our corruptions and promote our communion with God Surely nothing can be extreamly evil that cometh from this good hand as we receive good things chearfully and contentedly so must we receive evil things submissively and patiently 3. It is a most delightful Work to remember the many thousand mercies God hath bestowed on the Church our Selves and Friends To remember his gracious Word and all the passages of his Providence is this burdensome to us Psal. 147. 1. Praise ye the Lord for it is pleasant And Psal. 135. 3. Sing Praises unto his Name for it is pleasant Next to necessity profit next to profit pleasure No necessity so great as spiritual necessity because our Eternal well being or ill being dependeth on it and beggery is nothing to being found naked in the great day No profit so great as spiritual that is not to be measured by the good things of this World or a little Pelfe or the great Mammon which so many worship but some Spiritual and Divine benefit which tendeth to make us spiritually better more like God more capable of Communion with him that is true profit it is an increase of Faith Love and Obedience So for pleasure and delight that which truly exhilarateth the Soul begets upon us a solid impression of Gods love that is the true pleasure Carnal pleasures are unwholsom for you like luscious fruits which make you sick Nothing is so hard of digestion as carnal pleasures This feedeth the Flesh warreth against the Soul but this holy delight that resulteth from the serious remembrance of God and setting forth his excellencies and benefits is safe and healthful and doth chear us but not hurt us Use. Oh then let us be oftner in praising and giving thanks to God Can you receive so much and beg so much and never think of a return or any expression of gratitude Is there such a being as God have you all your supplies from him and will you not take some time to acknowledge what he hath done for your Souls Either you must deny his being and then you are Atheists or you must deny his Providence and then you are Epicureans next door to Atheism or you must deny such a Duty as Praise and Thanksgiving and then you are Antiscripturists for the Scripture every where calleth for it at our hands or else if you neglect this Duty you live in flat contradiction to what you profess to believe and then you are practical Atheists and practical Epicureans and practical Antiscripturists and so your condemnation will be the greater because you own the Truth but deny the Practice I beseech you therefore to be often alone with God and that in a way of Thanksgiving to increase your Love Faith and Obedience and delight in God Shall I use Arguments to you 1. Have you received nothing from God I put this Question to you because great is our unthankfulness not onely for common benefits but also for special deliverances the one are not noted and observed the other not improved Humble persons will find matter of Praise in very common benefits but we forget even signal mercies Therefore I say have you received nothing Now consider is there no return due You know the story Luke 17. 15 16 17 18 19. Christ healed ten Lepers and but one of them returned and with a loud voice glorified God and fell down at his feet giving thanks and he was a Samaritan And Iesus answering said were there not ten cleansed but where are the nine There are not found that returned to give glory to God save this Stranger and he said unto him Arise go thy way thy Faith hath made thee whole All had received a like benefit but one onely returned and he a Gentile and no Jew to acknowledge the mercy They were made whole by a miraculous Providence he was made whole by a more gracious dispensation thy Faith hath made thee whole he was dismissed with a special Blessing God scattereth his benefits upon all mankind but how few own the supream Benefactor Surely a sensible heart seeth always new occasions of praising God and some old occasions that must always be remembred always for Life and Peace and Safety and daily Provision and always for Christ and the hopes of Eternal Life Surely if we have the comfort God should have the Glory Psal. 96. 8. Give unto the Lord the Glory due unto his Name bring an offering and come into his Courts He that hath scattered his Seed expecteth a crop from you 2. How disingenuous is it to be always craving and never giving thanks It is contrary to his directions in the word for he sheweth us there that all our
right and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me or good eternal 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Use 1. For Information That God's Righteous Judgments are matter of Praise and Thanksgiving an Angel is brought in speaking Revel 16. 5. Thou art righteous O Lord which art and wast and shalt be because thou hast judged thus Indeed the formal object of Thanksgiving and Praise is some benefit Psalm 135. 3. Praise the Lord for the Lord is good We praise God for his Judgments because they are just and right we praise God for his Mercies not onely because they are just and equal but comfortable and beneficial to us and so a double ground of Thanksgiving Use 2. For Reproof That we make more noise of a little trouble than we do of a thousand Benefits that remain with us We fret and complain and manifest the impatiency of the Flesh like a great Machine or Carriage if one Pin be out of order all stoppeth or one Member hurt though all the rest of the Body be sound or as Haman the favours of a great King pleasures of a luxurious Court all this availeth him nothing as long as Mordecai was in the gate Esther 5. 13. notwithstanding his Riches Honours multitude of Children great Offices this damped all his joy Mal. 1. 2. I have loved you saith the Lord yet ye say wherein hast thou loved us non quod habet numerat c. Oh let us check this complaining Spirit let us consider what is left not what God hath taken away what we may or shall have not what we now want what God is and will be to his People though we see little or nothing in the Creature 3 Doct. That an heart deeply affected with God's Providence will take all occasions to praise and give thanks 1. It is certain that our whole Life should be a real expression of Thankfulness to God The Life of a Christian is a life of Love and Praise an Hymn to God 1 Pet. 2. 9. But ye are a chosen Generation a royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar People that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous Light Christianity is a Confession the visible acting of Godliness is a part of this Confession we are all saved as Confessors or Martyrs Now the Confession is made both in Word and Deed. 2. There are special occasions of Thanksgiving and Praise to God as the Apostle bids Timothy preach 2 Tim. 4. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in season out of season meaning thereby that he should not onely take ordinary occasions but extraordinary he should make an opportunity where he found none So we should press Christians to praise God not onely in solemn Duties when the Saints meet together to praise but extraordinarily redeem time for this blessed Work yea interrupt our lawfull sleep and repose to find frequent vacancies for so necessary a Duty as the lauding and magnifying of God's Mercy 3. As for rising up at Midnight we can neither enforce it as a Duty upon you nor yet can we condemn it 'T was an act of heroical Zeal in David who imployed his time waking to the honour of God which others spent in sleeping and we reade that Paul and Silas sang praises at midnight Acts 16. 25. though then in the Stocks and they had been scourged the day before And it is said Iob 25. 10. None saith where is God my maker who giveth songs in the night that is giveth matter of praise if we wake in the night And David saith elsewhere Psalm 42. 8. The Lord will command his loving kindness in the day time and in the night his song shall be with me day and night he would be filled with a sense of Gods Love and with Songs of Praise Therefore we cannot condemn this but must highly commend it Let men praise God at any time and the more they deny themselves to doe it the more commendable is the Action yet we cannot enforce it upon you as a necessary Duty as the Papists build their nocturnal Devotions upon it That which we disprove in them is that those Hours instituted by men they make necessary that they direct their Prayers to Saints and Angels which should onely be to God that they mingle them with superstitious Ceremonies and Observances that they pray and sing in an unknown Tongue without Devotion appropriating it to a certain sort of men to Clerks for their gain with an opinion of merit The Primitive Christians had their Hymnos antelucanos but in Persecution their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Clem. Alex. but what is this to superstitious night services 4. Though we cannot enforce the particular observance upon you yet there are many notable Lessons to be drawn from David's practice 1. The ardency of his Devotion or his earnest desire to praise God at midnight then when sleep doth most invade us then he would rise up His Heart was so set upon the praising of God and the sense of his righteous Providence did so affect him and urge him or excite him to this duty that he would not onely imploy himself in this work in the day time and so shew his love to God but he would rise out of his bed to worship God and celebrate his Praise That which hindreth the sleep of ordinary men is either the cares of this world the impatient resentment of injuries or the sting of an evil Consciencâ—… these keep others waking but David was awaked by a desire to praise God no hour is unseasonable to a gracious heart he is expressing his affection to God when others take their rest Thus we read of our Lord Christ that he spent whole nights in Prayer Luke 16. 12. It is said of the glorified Saints in Heaven that they praise God continually Rev. 7. 15. They are before the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them Now holy men though much hindered by their bodily necessities yet they will come as near as present frailty will permit we often times beg in the day with some fervency of Prayer and Praise but we faint ere even 2. His sincerity seen in his secrecy David would profess his faith in God when he had no witness by him at midnight then no hazard of ostentation It was a secret chearfulness and delighting in God when alone he could have no respect to the applause of men but onely to approve himself to God who seeth in secret See Christ's direction Matth. 6. 6. But thou when thou prayest enter into thy closet and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly his own practice Mark 1. 35. Rising early in the morning he
special business and temptation Prov. 28. 26. He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool but he that walketh wisely shall be delivered that is he that followeth his own conceit soon falleth into a snare he that maketh his Bosome his Oracle and his own Wit his Counsel thinks himself wise enough without daily seeking to God to order his own business never succeedeth well but plungeth himself into manifold inconveniencies 2. From Gods manner of giving he is not weary and tyred with constant supplicants Iames 1. 5. If any man lack wisdom let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him The Throne of Grace lyeth always open the oftner we frequent it the more welcome we frown upon one that often troubleth us with his suits but it is not so with God we may beg and beg again 3. The value of the benefit it self Saving knowledg or the light of the spirit keepeth alive the work of grace in our hearts Habitual graces will soon wither and decay without a continual influence the increase of sanctification cometh into the Soul by the increase of saving knowledg 2 Pet. 1. 2. Grace be multiplied unto you through the knowledg of God and of Iesus Christ our Lord. The more we grow thriving in knowledg the more we grow in grace and the heart and life is more engaged As we learn somewhat more of God in Christ our awe and love to him is increased Eph. 4. 20 21. Ye have not so learned Christ if so be that you have heard him and been taught of him as the truth is in Iesus that is if ye are taught and instructed by Christ himself in the Truth It is not every sort of hearing Christ or knowledg which will do us good Many learn him and know him who abuse that knowledg which they have of him but if he effectually teach us by his spirit then our knowledg is practical and operative we will practise what we know be careful to please God in all things 4. From the temper of a gracious heart a tast of this knowledg will make us desire a further supply that we may be taught more and the Soul may be more sanctified therefore doth David deal with God for the increase of saving knowledg We are contented with a little tast of heavenly Doctrine but holy men are not so shew me thy mind let me see thy Glory Hos. 6. 3. then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord. They are for growth as well as truth they experimentally know how good God is and the more they know him the more they see their Ignorance and that there is more behind to be known of him Before they had but a flying report of him now they are acquainted with him and have a nearer inspection into his ways and this is but little in comparison of what they desire We are bidden 2 Pet. 3. 18. Tâ—… grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. Present measures do not satisfie them they must grow in knowledg as grow in grace more love to Christ more delight in his ways III. Prop. In asking any spiritual gift we are encouraged by the bounty and mercy of God David signifieth both 1. His bounty or benignity or that free inclination which is in God to do good to his Creatures 2. His mercy respects the Creature as affected with any misery Mercy properly is a proneness to succour and relieve a man in misery notwithstanding sin Now the larger thoughts of mercy the more hope partly because we have no plea of merit and therefore mercy is the Fountain of all the good which cometh to us from God We cannot come to him as a Debtor and therefore we must come to him as a free Benefactor Wherewith can we oblige God We have nothing to give to him but what is his own already and was first received from him all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee 1 Chron. 29. 14. We pay the great Governour of the World out of his own Exchequer The Apostle maketh the challenge Rom. 11. 35. Who hath given him first and it shall be recompensed to him The Sun oweth nothing to the Beam but the Beam all to the Sun the Fountain oweth nothing to the Stream but the Stream hath all from the Fountain so we have all from God can bring nothing to him which was not his before and came from him Partly because there is a contrary Merit an ill-deserving upon us for which he might deny us any farther Mercies Psalm 25. 8. Good and upright is the Lord and therefore he will teach sinners in the way If the Sinner be weary of his wandring and would be directed of the Lord for the time to come God is upright he will not mislead us and he is good will readily lead us in a right Path. Sin shall not obstruct our Mercies and therefore must not keep the penitent supplicant back from confidence to be heard in his Prayer when he would be directed in the ready way to Happiness You would fain be reduced to a good Life after all your straying humbly lay your selves at God's feet 1 Kings 20. 31. We have heard that the Kings of the house of Israel are mercifull Kings let us I pray thee put sackcloath on our Loins and ropes upon our Heads and go out to the King of Israel peradventure he will save thy life If God were most tenacious we have cause to beat his Ears continually with our Suits and Supplications such is our want but he is good and ready to guide poor Creatures nay he is mercifull and former Sins shall be no obstruction to us if at length we are willing to return to our Duty IV. Prop. The universal Experience of the World possesseth all mens minds with this apprehension that God is a mercifull God The Earth O Lord is full of thy Mercy the World and every thing therein sets forth his Goodness to us The same is said in other places Psalm 33. 5. The Earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. If Earth what is Heaven Psalm 145. 9. His tender Mercy is over all his works 1. Let us see that every Creature is a Monument and Witness of God's Mercy and Goodness things animate and inanimate the Heavens and Earth and all things contained therein declare that there is a powerfull wise and good God There is no part of the World that we can set our Eyes upon but it speaketh Praise to God and the thoughts of his Bounty to the Creatures especially to Man for all things were either subjected to Man's dominion or created for his use and benefit If we look to the Heavens all serveth for the use and benefit of Mankind Psalm 8. 3 4. When I consider thy Heavens the work of thy fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained What is man that thou
out into leaves the baits of the Flesh must be taken from us that our gust and rellish of heavenly Things may be recovered The Use is to caution us against our Murmurings and taxing of God's Providence How few are there that give him thanks for his seasonable Discipline and observe God's Faithfulness and the Benefit they have by Afflictions but rather murmur repine and fret through Impatience If it be good to be afflicted let us accept of it for Good is matter of choice Levit. 26. 41. If their uncircumcised hearts be humbled and they then accept of the punishment of their Iniquity Now all Affliction on this side Hell is good as 't is a lesser evil hic ure hic seca if God will cut here burn here lance here as a Chirurgion that we may not be destroyed for ever corrected that we may not be condemned 1 Cor. 11. 32. 'T is good as it is a means to Good for the end putteth a loveliness also upon the means though things in themselves be harsh and sowre We must not consider what things are in themselves but what they are in their reduction tendency and final use so all things are yours Crosses Deaths 1 Cor. 3. 18. all their Crosses yea sometimes their Sins and Snares by God's overruling We lose the benefit of our Affliction by our Murmurings Repinings Faintings carnal Sorrows and Fears an impatient distrustfull Mind spoileth the working of God Tribulation worketh Patience and Patience Experience 'T is not the bare Affliction worketh but the Affliction meekly born Let us not misconstrue God's present way of dealing with us there may be a seeming harshness in some of his dealings but yet all things considered you will find them full of Mercy and Truth Murmuring is a disorder in the Affections misinterpreting in the Understanding to prevent it 1. Consider you must not interpret the Covenant by God's Providence but God's Providence by his Covenant Certain it is that all New Covenant-dispensations be Mercy and Truth Psalm 25. 10. our Crosses not excepted by them God is pursuing his Covenant and eternal Purpose concerning our Salvation There is sometimes a seeming Contradiction between his Promises and his Providences Word and Works his Voice is sweet like Iacob's but his Hands rough like Esau's Goe into the Sanctuary and God will help you to reconcile things Psalm 73. 16 17. otherwise the difficulty will be too hard for you The Children of God that have suspected or displeased him have always found themselves in an Errour Isa. 49. 14 15. His Promise is the light side his Providence is the dark side of the Cloud Psalm 77. 19. Thy way is in the Sea and thy path in the deep waters and thy footsteps are not known We cannot trace him nor find out the reason of every thing which God doth onely in the general That he doth all things well Mark 7. 37. nay what is best 2. We must distinguish between a part of God's Work and the end of it We cannot understand God's Providence till he hath done his Work he is an impatient Spectatour that cannot tarry till the last Act wherein all Errours are reconciled Iohn 13. 7. What I do thou knowest not now but hereafter thou shalt know No wonder if we are much in the dark if we look onely to present sense and present appearance then his Purposes are hidden from us he bringeth one contrary out of another Light out of Darkness Meat out of the Eater God knoweth what he is a doing with you when you know not Ier. 29. 11. I know my thoughts to give you an expected end When we view Providences by pieces we know not God's mind for the present we see him it may be rending and tearing all things therefore let us not judge of God's Work by the beginnings till all work together Our present State may be very sad and uncomfortable and yet God is designing the choisest Mercies to us Psalm 31. 22. I said in my hast I am cut off from before thine eyes nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my Supplications when I cried unto thee Psalm 116. 11. I said in my hast all men are liars Hast never speaketh well of God nor his Promises nor maketh any good Comment upon his Dealings 3. We must distinguish between that which is really best for us and what we judge best for us Deuter. 8. 15 16. Who led thee through that great and terrible Wilderness wherein were fiery Serpents and Scorpions and Drought where there was no water who brought thee out water out of the Rock of Flint Who fed thee in the Wilderness with Manna which thy Fathers knew not that he might humble thee and that he might prove thee to doe thee good at the latter end Other Diet is more wholsome for our Souls than that which our sick Appetite craveth 'T is best with us many times when we are weakest 2 Cor. 12. 10. When I am weak then am I strong Worst when strongest 2 Cor. 26. 16. When he was strong his heart was lifted up to his own destruction Lot chose Sodom a fair and pleasant Situation but you know what inconveniencies he met with there Many times the Buffettings of Satan are better for us than a Condition free from Temptations so is Poverty Emptiness better than Fulness loss of Friends than the injoyment of them Use 2. Is of Information 1. By what note we may know whether God chastens us in anger yea or no whether our Crosses be Curses The Cross that maketh thee better cometh with a Blessing 't is not the sharpness of the Affliction we should look to but the improvement of it the bitter Waters may be made sweet by experiences of Grace if we are made more godly wise religious 't is a good Cross but if it leave us as careless and stupid or no better than we were before that Cross is but a preparation to another if it hath onely stirred up our Impatience done us no good God will follow his stroak and heat his Furnace hotter 2. It informeth us that 't is our Duty not onely to be good in Afflictions but we must be good after Afflictions David when escaped saith 'T is good for me that I have been afflicted Wicked men are somewhat good in Afflictions but assoon as they are delivered they return to their old Sins As Mettals are melted while they are in the Furnace but when they are taken out they return to their natural hardness but the godly are better afterwards 3. That every Condition is as the Heart is Afflictions are good if we have the grace to make a good use of them Look as the good Blessings of God by our Corruption are abused to wantonness and so made hurtfull to us so Crosses that are evil in themselves when sanctified are good All things are sanctified to us when we are sanctified to God Other things that would be Snares prove Helps and Incouragements are great Furtherances the Creature is
becoming one heartily devoted to God thy hands have made me c. he would willingly return to his Creatours Service and glorify him with what was made by him I acknowledge that I am obliged as I am the work of thine hands to live in a faithfull obedience to thee Lord I give up my self to this work Mark this is a good Spirit he doth not beg his own Comfort but ability for Service that he might so know his Masters Will as to doe it Now this is Repentance towards God when we are heartily willing to return to our Duty more than to our Comfort Acts 2. 21. there is more hope of that Soul that rather seeketh Obedience than Comfort and where there is a resolved Will and Purpose to devote our selves to the Lord to please him and serve him This was God's end in his New Covenant Grace and Christ's end in Redemption to restore us to obedience as well as to favour and put us into a capacity of service again Heb. 9. 14. Purge our Consciences from dead works to serve the living God 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his body on the tree that we being dead to sin might live unto righteousness He died to weaken the love of Sin in our Hearts and to advance the life and power of Grace and Righteousness 3. There is implied in it a confession of Impotency that God cannot be glorified and served by him unless he be renewed and strengthened by Grace not by him as a Creature till he be made a new Creature or have renewed influences of Grace from him God permitted the lapse and fall of Mankind that they may come to him as needy Creatures and take all out of his hands Man's great errour which occasioned his fall was that he would live alone apart from God be sufficient to his own Happiness We greedily catched at that word Ye shall be as Gods Gen. 3. 5. the meaning was not in a blessed Conformity but a cursed Self-sufficiency Man would be his own God desired to have his Stock in his own hands and would be no more at God's finding Gen. 3. 22. The man is become as one of us to live as an Independent being Well then to cure this God would reduce him to an utter necessity that he might bring him to an entire dependance and might come as a beggerly indigent Creature expecting all from God putting no confidence in his own Righteousness for his Justification nor natural power and strength for Sanctification Gal. 2. 19. I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God The rigorous Exaction of perfect Obedience under the hazard of the Curse of the Law maketh them dead to the Law the Curse of the Law puts them so hard to it that they are forced to fly to Christ to be freed from Condemnation and the spiritual Nature of the Law as 't is a Rule of Obedidence driveth them to see there is nothing in themselves tending to Righteousness and Holiness to the glory of God without the power of his Spirit They that serve in the newness of the Spirit Rom. 7. 6. God bringeth us at last to this Matth. 19. 26. With men 't is impossible but with God all things are possible Well then when we are brought to see our Impotency we are at a good pass and lie obvious to his Grace 4. It implies an earnest desire after Grace and that is a good frame of heart when not satisfied with common Benefits David was not satisfied with his natural Being but seeketh after a spiritual Being What 's that he prayeth so earnestly for but an inlightened Mind and a renewed Heart and all that he might be obedient to God Thus we are more fitted to receive Grace A Conscience of our Duty is a great matter in faln Man who is turned Rebel against God and a Traytour to his Maker who is impatient and self-will'd and all for casting off the Yoke Psal. 2. 3. Well to have an Heart set upon Duty and Obedience that 's the next step the third was a sense of Impotency now this fourth a desire of Grace such the Lord hath promised to satisfy Matth. 5. 6. these open unto God and are ready to take in his Grace Come as Creatures earnestly desiring to doe your Creatours Will and in the best manner and will God refuse you Because I am thy Creature teach me to serve thee who art my Creatour 5. There is one thing more in this Plea a perswasion of God's Goodness to his Creatures This is the very ground and reason why this Plea is used Psal. 145. 9. The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works There is a great deal of fatherly care and mercy to his Creatures till by their impenitency persisted in against the means of Grace they render themselves uncapable of it The first battery which Satan laid to Man's Heart tended to undermine the sense of God's Goodness to the Creature as if God were envious Gen. 3. 5. Doth not God know that in the day ye eat thereof as if God envied their Happiness this the Devil would instill To have good thoughts of God is a great means to reduce us and bring us back again to him We frighten our selves away from him by entertaining needless Jealousies of him as if he sought our Destruction or delighted in it Surely he will not destroy a poor Soul that lieth submissively at his Feet and is grieved he can no better please him and serve him the man that had hard thoughts of God neglected his Duty Matth. 25. 24 25. I know thou wast an austere Master therefore I hid my Talent in a Napkin that is the legalism and carnal Bondage that is in us which makes us full of Jealousies of God and doth mightily hinder and obstruct our Duty The Use is to press you to come to God as Creatures to beg relief and help for your Souls this will be of use to us in many Cases 1. To the Scrupulous who are upon regenerating that are not sure that the work of Grace is wrought in them you cannot call God Father by the Spirit of Adoption yet own him as a Creatour come to him as one that formed you your desire is to return to him 2. 'T is of use to Believers when under desertions and God appeareth against them in a way of Wrath and all God's Dispensations seem to speak nothing but Wrath yet come to him as the Creatour Lord we are the work of thy hands if you cannot plead the Covenant of Abraham which was made with Believers plead the Covenant of Noah which was made with Man and all Creatures Isa. 54. 9. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more goe over the Earth so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee nor rebuke thee there may be a great
beast maketh its moan when 't is in pain But much more will his compassion shew it self to his people when they bemoan themselves in a spiritual manner Ier. 31. 18. 20. I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself what then My bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. When Ephraim was bewailing his sins God taketh notice of it and returneth an answer full of fatherly affection that he would surely shew him mercy Gods compassion proceedeth from Love as the cause and produceth Relief as the effect Secondly The next word is Kindness that noteth the bounty of God or his free inclination to doe good without our merit and against our merit The cause is not in us but himself We draw an ill picture of God in our mind as always angry and ready to destroy No! The Lord is kind and that many times to the unthankfull and to the evil Luke 6. 35. We should all inlarge our thoughts more about Gods mercifull Nature that we may love him more that we may not keep off from him As long as we think he delighteth in the Creatures misery or seeketh occasions of man's ruine and destruction God is made hatefull No! You must conceive of him as one that is kind that doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the Children of men Lam. 3. 33. but is ready to doe good upon all occasions We need not fear any hurt from God but what we willingly bring upon our selves He destroyeth not humble Souls that lie at his feet and would have mercy upon his own terms Secondly What incouragement this is to the people of God 1. 'T is an incouragement because the object of mercy is misery Mercy is favour shewed to a miserable person Now the more sense of our misery especially of our true misery which is sin the greater hopes So that the broken-hearted are more capable of his mercy than others are God will revive the spirit of the contrite ones â—…sa 57. 15 16 17. He taketh care to comfort them and to look after them what ever be neglected Isa. 60. 2. None are so apt to presume of mercy as the careless nor none less capable of mercy or more deserve judgment While we make nothing of sin 't is easy to believe mercy In a time of peace sin is nothing Vanity and Carnality nothing a negligent course of profession nothing vain talk idle mispence of time pleasing the Flesh with all it craveth is nothing and there needeth no such niceness and strictness God is mercifull but when the conscience is awakened and we see our actions with their due aggravations especially at the hour of death and when earthly comforts fail then 't is hard to believe Gods mercy Sin is a blacker thing than they did imagine and they find it another manner of thing than ever they thought of and the same unbelief that now weakens their faith about their Duty and what belongeth to their Duty doth now weaken their faith about their comfort and what belongeth to their comfort Those that now question precepts will then question promises Well then the careless and negligent are not capable objects of the tenders of mercy but the sensible and the contrite and the serious these are the fittest objects though they think themselves farthest off from mercy Those that have a deep sense of their own unworthiness most see a need of mercy and most admire mercy Gen. 32. 10. They see that mercy doth all that there is somewhat of the pity and kindness of God in all things vouchsafed They apprehend they are alwayes in some necessity or in some dependance and they are unworthy and that it is at Gods mercy to continue or take away any comfort they have Health Liberty Strength all is dipt in mercy continued in mercy restored at mercy Secondly It is an incouragement to us because the Scripture saith so much of this mercy in God Id agit tota Scriptura ut credamus in Deum saith Luther 't is natural to him 1 Cor. 1. 3. The father of mercies not Pater ultionum but misericordiarum he is as just as he is mercifull but he delighteth in the exercise of one attribute more than the other Micah 7. 18. The other his strange work There is a fulness and plenty abundant mercy 1 Pet. 1. 3. and Psal. 51. 1. According to the multitude of thy tender mercies Our wants are many and so are our sins onely plentifull mercy can supply and overcome them They are tender mercies compared with those of a Father and Mother Of a Father Psal. 103. 13. As a Father pitieth his Children so doth the Lord pity those that fear him We need not much intreat a Father to pity his Child in misery An earthly Father may be ignorant of our misery as Iacob in Iosephs case an earthly Father pitieth foolishly but God wisely when 't is most for our benefit An earthly Fathers pity may goe no farther than affection and cannot always help his Children and relieve their misery But God as he is Metaphorically said to have the affection so he hath an alsufficient power to remove any evil present or avert that which is imminent With that of a Mother Isa. 49. 15. Can a Woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her Womb yea they may forget yet I will not forget thee saith the Lord. In the general passions in Females are more vehement especially in humane Creatures the Mother expresseth the greatest tenderness and largeness of love God hath the Wisdome of a Father and Bowels of a Mother Mark 'T is not to an adopted Child but to her own Son her sucking Child that hangeth on her Breast cannot subsist without the Mothers care Mothers are wont to be most chary and tenderly affected towards them poor helpless Infants and Children that cannot shift for themselves Nature hath impressed this disposition on them Suppose some of them should be so unnaturall as to forget their sucking Babes which is a case rare to be found yet I will not forget you saith the Lord. They are durable compassions his compassions fail not Lam. 3. 22. They are continual mercies supplying daily wants pardoning daily failings bestowing daily mercies Oh that the miserable and the wretched those that find themselves so could believe this and plead this and cast themselves in the arms of this mercifull Father Surely the Penitent are not more ready to ask than he to give Therefore let us come boldly to the Throne of Grace Heb. 4. 16. Let not our Sins keep us from him our Misery rather than our Worthiness is an object of his mercy Thirdly His mercy is more to his People than to others There is a general mercy and a special mercy 1. There is a general mercy by which God sustaineth and helpeth any Creature that is in misery especially man so Christ calleth him mercifull as he sheweth himself kind to the unthankfull and evil
upon me that I may once more see good and comfortable days in the World for a life spent in sorrow is as no life Or 2. He putteth life for some comfortable sense of Gods Mercy or assurance of his love to him Most Interpreters both Antient and Modern goe this way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Theodoret he counted himself but as a dead man without the sense of Gods favour and good will to him but it would be as a new life or resurrection from the dead if God would shew him Mercy and cast a favourable aspect upon him This sense suiteth well with the context for David was for the present deprived of the tokens and effects of Gods tender Mercy why else should he so earnestly beg for that to come to him which he had already and it suiteth well with a gracious spirit such as David had The points 1. That Gods tender Mercy is the fountain of his Peoples comfort and happiness 2. That 't is not enough to hear somewhat of the Mercy of God but we should by all means seek that it may come unto us 3. That 't is life to a believer to have a sense of God's Mercy and Love in Christ and death to be without it 4. Such as would tast or have a sense of Gods ' mercy must delight in his law This was Davids plea. The two last propositions I shall insist upon the other being handled elsewhere and so much consideration of them as is necessary for the opening and improving of this Verse will occur in one or both of these Points That 't is life to a believer to have a sense of Gods mercy and love in Christ and death to be without it David was a dead man because he felt not Gods mercy as formerly he did eat and drink and sleep and transact his business as others did but he counted this as no life because he felt not the wonted sense of Gods love Gracious Spirits cannot live without Divine comforts they take no joy in the world unless God favourably look upon them Let me Illustrate this note with these observations 1. Observe he seeketh all his comfort from mercy and tender mercy so in the former so in the present Verse I shall shew you the necessity and utility of so doing First the necessity of it the best of Gods Children have no other claim For a Publican to come and say God be mercifull to me a sinner Luke 18. 13. is no such wonder but for a David to use the same plea that should be noted From first to last the Children of God have no other claim 't is meer mercy that took us into a state of Grace at first and meer mercy that keepeth us in it and furnisheth us with all the supplies that are necessary to keep it up in vigour and comfort and mercy that giveth us the final consummation and accomplishment of it at last Our first entrance into the state of Grace is always ascribed to meer mercy Nothing moved the Lord to bestow life upon dead and graceless sinners but his meer pity and tender compassion 1 Pet. 1. 3. Of his abundant mercy he hath begotten us to a lively hope Eph. 2. 4. God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he hath loved us while we were yet dead in trespasses and sins yet quickened us Titus 3. 5. Of his mercy he hath saved us by washing us in the laver of regeneration Mercy was then exercised not onely without our Desert but against our Desert God was not moved to bestow his Grace by any goodness which he did foresee or find in us but meerly by his own pity Misery offered the occasion but mercy was the cause of all the good done unto us After Conversion all our supports and supplies are given us of his tender mercy Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this rule peace and mercy be upon them New Creatures and the most accurate walkers are not so free from sin but they still stand in need of mercy All their receipts come to them not in the way of Merit but undeserved mercy Our peace and comfort when we walk most according to rule is the fruit of mercy The Elect are called Vessels of mercy Rom. 9. 23. because from first to last they are filled up with mercy and supplied by the free favour and love of God in Iesus Christ. Our final consummation is from mercy the same mercy that laies the first stone in this building doth also finish the work Iude 21. verse looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ to Eternal Life We take Glory out of the hands of mercy and 't is mercy that sets the Crown upon our heads after we have done and suffered the will of God here upon Earth We can merit no more after grace than before 2. The utility of it this giveth boldness and more hopefull expectation that will appear if we consider what mercy is 't is Gods Propension and Inclination to doe good to the sinfull and miserable so far as his wisdome seeth convenient As mercy is a perfection in the Divine nature so God is necessarily mercifull as well as just but the exercise of it is I confess free and arbitrary 't is not necessarily exercised but according to his will and good pleasure to some more to some less as his Wisedom thinketh fit yet this advantage we have by it that mercy rather seeketh a fit occasion to discover it self than a well qualified object as Justice doth For it doth not consider what is due or deserved but what is needed Therefore First the needy and miserable have some hope for misery as misery is the object of mercy and therefore when our afflictions are pressing and sore our miseries and streights are some kind of argument which we may plead to God Psalm 79. 8. Let thy tender Mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low they plead their miserable condition Mercy relents towards a sinfull people when they are a wasted People he heareth the moans of the Beasts and therefore certainly he will not shut up his Bowels against the cries of his People their very misery pleadeth for them Secondly the broken hearted that have a sense of their misery have a greater advantage than others and are more capable of God's mercy because they are not onely miserable but miserable in their own feeling especially if this feeling be deep and spiritual they are sensible of the true misery and they are more troubled about sin than temporal inconvenience Matth. 9. 13. Go learn what that meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice 3. When we flee to his mercy and seek it in the appointed way of repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Iesus Christ the Lord will not utterly destroy a sinner fleeing to his Mercy he hath ingaged his word and oath Heb. 6. 18. and this comfort we may make use of Partly When the sense of guilt sits
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
this may put us upon great seeming zeal and activity So for profit to make a Market of Religion as the Pharisees got themselves credit to be trusted with Widows Estates by their long prayers these are rotten principles Then some are more tolerable not so bad principles as the former as when we serve God out of hope of temporal mercy as when they howl upon their beds for Corn Wine and Oil Hos. 7. 4. or for fear of temporal Judgments when men hang down their heads like a Bull-rush for a while or else for mere fear of eternal death they shall else be damned When Mens Duties are a sin-offering a sleepy sop to appease an accusing Conscience But then there are some that are lawful good and sound as when Duties are done out of the impulsion of an enlightened Conscience that urgeth them to that which is good or upon the bare Command of God his authority swaying the Conscience or when they walk in the ways of God out of the consideration of the reward to come a respect to Heaven this is very good in its place Again there are some excellent principles of Grace and which do most of all discover a Gospel Spirit a well tempered frame of Soul to God and these are love to God because of his benefits and love to us gratitude and thankfulness 1 Iohn 4. 19. We love him because he first loved us And Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you by the mercies of God When we serve him out of love Again when we serve him out of delight out of love to the Duty find such a complacency in the work that we love the work for the works sake as David I love thy Law because it is pure when we love the Law for the purity of it Or when the Glory of God prevails above all our own interests Or when the promises and Covenant of God enabling of us that 's our principle Heb. 10. 16. I observe this Men usually are brought on from one sort of principle to another from sinful principles they are brought to tolerable and lawful and from lawful to those that are rare and excellent 2. This is such a mercy as gives us hope of more mercy in that kind If God hath held us up and we have been safe hitherto then we may say Thou hast held me up we may look for more new temptation will bring new strength every days work will bring its own refreshment God by giving binds himself more to give for he loves to crown his own work when he hath done good he will do good again Zech. 3. 2. Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire He hath saved us and he will save us And it holds good sometimes in temporal mercies 2 Cor. 1. 10. He hath delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver But especially it holds good in spiritual mercies 2 Tim. 4. 17. He hath delivered me out of the mouth of the Lion and the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly Kingdome One act of mercy gives us more God that hath begun will make an end he that hath kept me will keep me Use. It serves to reprove two sorts of people 1. Those that are unthankful after their deliverance We forget his care of us and never think how much we owe to him When the Marriners have gotten to the Haven and Harbour they forget the Tempest so these forget how God stood by them in the temptation and conflict they do not abound more in the work of the Lord. These are like those that would have deliverance that Thorns might be taken out of the way that they might run more readily to that which is evil 2. It reproveth those that faint and despond in Gods ways after much experiences of his help and presence with them The Israelites in the Wilderness upon every new difficulty their faith is at a loss and then back again to Egypt they would go though they had so often experience of God they would not believe him because of his wonders but forgat his works and his wonders that he had shewed them Psal. 78. 11. God had given them wonderful mercy in destroying Pharaoh that it might be meat to their faith yet they believed not Good David was ready to say I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27. 1. though he had experience upon experience We should rather encourage our selves and go on in our work notwithstanding all difficulties The last Point from the accuracy and constancy of his obedience I will have respect unto thy Statutes continually This Phrase is diversly rendered the Septuagint render it I will exercise my self in them or apply my heart to them David's regard to Gods law is diversly expressed in this Psalm Doctr. 4. Gods Precepts must be respected and consulted with as the constant measure and direction of our lives Not only respect but continual respect Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this Rule it notes as many as shall walk in rank and order there needeth great accurateness and intention that we may keep within the bounds of commanded Duty So walk circumspectly Some men are so crafty through their self-deceiving hearts through their lusts and interests so doubtful that there needs a great exactness and so apt to be turned out of the way that we need a great deal of care to look to the Fountain and Principle of our actions to look to the matter manner end and weigh all circumstances that we may serve God exactly SERMON CXXIX PSAL. CXIX VER 118. Thou hast trodden down all them that erre from thy Statutes for their deceit is falshood IN the former Verse the man of God had begged establishment in the ways of God and now as an help to what he had prayed for he observe Gods Judgments on those that erre from them It is a special means to preserve us from sin to observe how mischievous it hath been to those that close with it So the Prophet here I will have respect to thy Statutes Why Thou hast trodden down them that erre from thy Statutes By this means we learn to be wise at other mens costs and are whipt upon others backs Zeph. 3. 6 7. I have cut off the Nations their Towers are made desolate their Cities are destroyed there is none inhabitant I said Surely thou wilt fear me c. God is very much disappointed if we be not bettered and improved by his Judgments Exemplo qui peccat bis peccat He that would plunge himself into a Quagmire where others have miscarried before sins doubly because he neither fears threatnings nor would take warning by their example God looks to be the more reverenced for every warning he gives us in his Providence because then what was before matter of Faith is made matter of sense and needs only a little application Thus it will be with me if I should straggle from
on fire as the whole metal is melted that the dross may be severed Use. 3. All Judgments on the visible Church are to sever the dross from the Gold God suffereth them a while to be mingled and then come trying Judgments to separate the one from the other which is a comfort to us the Church is the purer for these Judgments Isai. 1. 25. And I will turn my hand upon thee and I will surely purge away thy dross and take away thy tin So Mal. 3. 3. And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness He will send such Judgments as will destroy the incorrigible wicked ones and purifie the rest 'T is a comfort against persecutions we murmure under them know not how they shall be turned away God who is the purger of his Church will find out some way And 't is a comfort under his Judgments they are not to destroy but to purge God intendeth only our purging how hot soever the Furnace be therefore let God alone with his work Use 4. Is to teach us to wait upon God in the way of his Judgments He is putting away the wicked of the Earth like dross it is not only a work that he hath done or will hereafter do but he is always doing of it We should observe how God hath already done it and so by faith we should look upon him as still about it First He beginneth with his people he is purging away of their wickedness Isai. 27. 9. By this shall the iniquity of Iacob be purged But many shall cleave to them by flatteries and some of them of understanding shall fall to try them and to purge and make them white Dan. 11. 35. Now when God hath employed wicked men to fann and purge his people then their turn cometh next Ier. 25. 29. For lo I begin to bring evil on the City which is called by my name and should ye be utterly unpunished Ye shall not be unpunished for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the Earth 1 Pet. 4. 17. If punishment begin at the house of God where shall the wicked and ungodly appear Prov. 11. 31. Behold the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth much more the wicked and the sinner When the Lord hath performed his work upon Mount Zion and Ierusalem then he will reckon with his Enemies he beginneth with his Church and maketh an end with their Enemies his Enemies drink the dregs of the Cup and their end must needs be unspeakably terrible Use 5. Let us see we be not put away like dross when Gods Judgments are abroad in the Earth 1 Cor. 11. 32. We are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world We shall put that out of question if we do two things First If we be faithful to God and cleave to Gods people truth and interest how great soever our tryals be Psal. 44. 17. All this is come upon us yet we have not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsely in the Covenant To consume in the melting is the property of dross but the pure metal is the more united and cleaveth together the more closely Secondly If you are refined by all these tryals Isai. 27. 9. By this shall the iniquity of Iacob be purged A Christian loseth nothing by his afflictions but sin which is better parted with than kept We come now to the second Branch of the Text and that is the effect it had upon David's heart Therefore I love thy testimonies This use he made of all Gods Judgements Doctr. A gracious heart that observeth the Providence of God and the course of his judicial dispensations will find more cause to love the word of God than ever before 1. Because thereby he hath sensible experience of the truth of it Gods Providence is a Comment upon his Word the effect is answerable to the prediction and the word that God hath said is fulfilled to a tittle Now the more confirmation the word receiveth the more is affection encreased The Apostle telleth us That the word spoken by Angels was stedsast Heb. 2. 2. because every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward the punishment of the transgressours of the Law was a proof of Gods authorizing their Doctrine the same Law made formerly is valid We see the word doth not threaten in vain and they that slight it smart for it Now I see the word of God is to be valued for God will make it good even to a tittle 2. Because if we love not the word we may see great danger likely to ensue even those terrible punishments by which he purgeth out the dross should make us fall in love with Gods Law If we would not perish with the wicked of the earth we should not sin with the wicked of the earth if we partake of their sins we must partake of their plagues Psal. 2. 11. Kiss the son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way if his wrath be kindled but a little blessed are they that trust in him When we see the danger of being enemies to God or unsound with him we have need to learn this wisdome of shewing all affection and reverence and respect to Christ and his ways and submit to him heartily there is no safety in any other course If a spark of his wrath light upon us how soon will it consume us The stupid world regardeth not this to love his ways the more God giveth out proofs of his anger against those that despise them Many are cut off in the mid way sooner than they did or could expect and yet they do not grow one jot the wiser 'T is dangerous to stand out against God his cause work or people 3. It doth indear the mercy of God to us because he hath dealt otherwise with us who in strict Justice have deserved the same Gods Judgments on the wicked commend his Mercies to his Children Rom. 9. 23. The Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction serve to shew the greater love of God to the Vessels of mercy the torments of Hell inflicted on the wicked do the more set forth his love to the Saints to whom he hath appointed the joys of Heaven So the severity of God in his present Judgments doth imply the love of God to his chosen people who can take comfort in the promises when the threatnings are accomplished upon others this might have been our condition too but that Grace hath made the difference Well then as it doth indear the mercy of God to us so it calleth upon us more highly to love and prize him and his word because of this distinction 4. 'T is not only a means to set off the love of God to us but even his Judgments upon others may be a necessary act of love
he God is pure and holy they know yet how can he bear with the enemy in their treachery and violence against the Church So brutified are they that they know not how to reconcile his Dispensations with his Nature and Attributes though they have Faith enough to justifie God yet Atheism enough to question his Providence When the heart is over-charged with fears Psal. 73. 1. Yet God is good to Israel my feet were almost gone my steps well nigh slipped They hold fast the Conclusion Yet God is good to Israel yet cannot maintain it against all objections 3. Carnal affections are hasty and impetuous and if God give not a present satisfaction they question all his love and care of them Psal. 31. 22. I said in my heart I am cut off Isai. 49. 14. Zion said The Lord hath forsaken and my God hath forgotten me Jon. 2. 4. And he said I am cast out of thy sight So that did not God confute his unbelief by some sudden experience as in the first instance or the Word contain a suitable supply as in the second or the principle of Grace in some measure withstand but I will look towards thy holy Temple the soul would be swallowed up in the Whirlpool of despair Thus hasty and precipitant are we while we hearken to the voice of the flesh we are apt to count all our troubles Gods total desertion of us Such an hasty principle have we within us that will hurry us to desperate Conclusions as if it were in vain to wait upon God any longer 4. Mutability in man What a flush of faith and zeal have we at first as Stuffs have a great gloss at first wearing We lose as our first love so our first faith Gal. 5. 7. Ye did run well who did hinder you There is a great forwardness at first which abateth afterwards and men grow remiss faint in your minds Heb. 12. 3. from one degree to another Thirdly That this failing is but an infirmity of the Saints though their hope be weak and ready to faint 't is not quite dead First T is an infirmity of the better sort not like the Atheism and malignity of the wicked Some Diseases shew a good constitution and seize on none but such This Distemper is not incident to carnal men Isai. 38. 14. Mine eyes fail with looking up It argueth a vehemency in our hope they that do not mind things are never troubled with such a spiritual Disease for this failing cannot be but where there is vehemency of desire and expectation Those that desire little of the salvation of Gods people feel none of this Secondly There is a difference between them and others though they have their weaknesses yet their faith doth not quite expire there is a twig of righteousness still to trust to they are weary of watching but they do not give over waiting and say as he 2 Kings 6. 3â—… What should I wait for the Lord any longer Fainting is one thing and quite dead is another they strive against the temptation though no end of their difficulties appeareth they attend still keep looking though the vigour of the eyâ—… be abated by long exercise There is life in the Saints though not that liveliness they could wish for they do not fall and rise no more and are quite thrown down with every blast of a temptation Thirdly They confess their weakness to God as David doth here acquainteth God with it and so shame themselves out of the temptation and beg new strength 'T is an excellent way of curing such Distempers to lay them forth before God in prayer for he helpeth the weak in their Conflicts When we debate dark Cases with our own hearts we intangle our selves the more Use 1. It reproveth our tenderness when we cannot bear a little while What! not watch with me one hour Matth. 26. 40. David kept waiting till his eyes failed Some their whole Voyage is Storms Christ indents with us to take up our Cross daily Luke 9. 22. who are all their life time kept under this discipline and can we bear no check from Providence We would have all done in an hour or in a year can bear nothing when God calleth us to bear much and long cannot endure to abate a little of our wonted contentment when God will strip us of all 2. Let us provide for long sufferings All colours will not hold as long as the Cloath lasts We need a great deal of Grace because we know not how long our great troubles may last Sometimes sufferings are like to be long First When the Cross maketh little improvement carrieth little Conviction with it While the stubborness of the Child continueth the blows are continued God will withdraw till they acknowledge their offence Hos. 5. 15. When we eye instruments and pour our rage upon them or instruments are minded and we hope to be delivered some other way when we repent not Secondly When provocations are long Deut. 28. 58 59. If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this Law that is written in this Book that thou mayst fear this glorious and fearful Name THE LORD THY GOD then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful and the plagues of thy seed even great plagues and of long continuance and sore sicknesses and of long continuance SERMON CXXXVI PSAL. CXIX VER 124. Deal with thy Servant according to thy mercy and teach me thy Statutes IN this Verse we have two requests the one general the other particular wherein he would have the Lord exercise his mercy to him Shew thy mercy to me in teaching me thy Law The one respects the priviledgâ—… part of Religion the other the duty-part The one concerns time past or the pardon of sin already committed Deal with thy servant according to thy mercy the other prevention of sin for the time to come that I may perform my Duty for the future Teach me thy Statutes Mercy is the ground of his request teaching Gods Law the matter of it He would have this gift bestowed on him freely First Branch Deal with thy servant c. Where we have I. His relation to God Thy servant II. The terms upon which he would have God deal with him not according to my works but according to thy mercy 1. His relation is mentioned either first as a part of his Plea as if he had said Lord thou art merciful to all for thy tender mercy is over all thy works Psal. 145. 9. much more to thy Servants now I am thy Servant Gods Servants have a special claim and interest in God besides his general bounty they expect his special mercy and favour Psal. 116. 16. O Lord truly I am thy servant I am thy servant and the son of thine hand-maid Clear that that you are some of Gods servants once and then you may the better expect your Masters bounty Or Secondly To shew his need of mercy though Gods servant Such an Emphasis it seemeth to
have Psal. 143. 2. Enter not into judgment with thy servant non dicit cum hostibus tuis He doth not say Enter not into judgment with thine enemy but with thy servant So here David that was Gods servant a man of singular holiness desireth that God would deal with him in mercy From first to last the Saints have no other Plea Theodoret on the Text observeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. so great a worker of righteousness beggeth to receive mercy and looketh for all his salvation by mercy And again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He doth not challenge a reward but asketh favour and kindness Doctr. That Gods best servants have no other and no better plea than that God would deal with them in mercy 1. Because there is and can be no merit on the Creatures part towards God according to the rule of Justice Adam in innocency could impetrare not mereri 't was his Grace to covenant with the Creature when innocency and purity did adorn our Nature how much more since the Fall and the distance between God and us hath been so widened by sin What merits must be indebitum and utile It must be indebitum When our righteousness was perfect yet still due by virtue of our relation to God as Creatures and paying of Debts deserveth no reward The Lawyers tell us Nemo consequitur praemium quod facit ex officio debitum We are bound and do but our Duty but God is not bound to us All that the Creature hath and is and can do it oweth to God and hath received it from him and God is in such a degree of excellency above us that he cannot be obliged Where there is so great a disparity of Nature and Being there is no common right to make him obnoxious to make it Justice to any action of ours to reward us Aristotle denied Children could requite their Parents and merit from them and that the obligation of merit is only between Equals Certainly not between God and Men. There was nothing which bound him necessarily to reward his Creature but his free Covenant Again that which merits must be utile profitable to him from whom we challenge reward If we be never so righteous the benefit is ours not Gods He is not beholden to us useth us not out of indigence but indulgence not as if he needed any thing but we need his blessing Luke 19. 10. When we have done all we are unprofitable servants and Psal. 16. 2. Our goodness extendeth not to thee God giveth all receiveth nothing from us The Beam oweth all to the Sun the Sun nothing to the Beam 2. Because since the Fall there is no claiming but by the Covenant of Grace and mere mercy A Sinner cannot expect any thing but upon terms of mercy The Covenant of works supposed us innocent and holy and bound us so to continue Gal. 3. 20. so that the Law knoweth not how to do good to a Sinner Once a Sinner and for ever miserable it leaveth no room for repentance So that now there is no hope for the best according to the Rule of strict Justice but only according to the law of mercy In the new Covenant there are these special differences from the Law of Works First That there is not only Grace but mercy and Grace too In the first Covenant there was Grace but no Mercy Grace doth all things gratis freely but Mercy pitieth the Miserable therefore till sin and misery entered there could be no room for Mercy There was Grace in that Covenant for 't was of Grace that God did enter into Covenant with Man at all and of Grace that he did accept Mans perfect obedience so as upon performance of it to make him sure of eternal life But now in the New Covenant God doth shew Mercy and Grace too and Grace in the most rich and glorious manner Mercy and Grace too in this way of salvation in that there is hope for a sinner a plank cast out after shipwrack And Grace in the richest and most glorious manner Partly for the design and end that was driven at it was the glory of Grace Ephes. 1. 6. To the praise of the glory of his Grace and partly the ground of it was founded upon the infinite Mercy of God and the infinite merit of Christ. The infinite mercy of God Mercy is the infinite goodness of God flowing out freely to the Creature without any moving cause or worth on the Creatures part to expect it Rom. 9. 16. 'T is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy And the infinite merit of Christ Isai. 55. 3. I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Isai. 42. 6. And give thee for a Covenant to the people And Isai. 49. 8. I will preserve thee and give thee for a Covenant to the people David that is Christ the seed of David all the mercies of the Covenant are exhibited in and by him in whom the Covenant is made with us and made good to us 2 Cor. 1. 20. And he is given for a foundation that is the foundation of a new and better Covenant And partly because of the terms wherein it is dispensed which is not unsinning obedience but a sincere owning of Christ unto the ends for which God hath appointed him So that in effect a thankful acceptance of a free discharge is all that we do for paying the Debt or to make way for our acceptance with God Rom. 4. 16. Therefore it is of Faith that it might be of Grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed And Ephes. 2. 8. Ye are saved by Grace through Faith and that not of our selves it is the gift of God By the Grace of Faith we lay hold upon or apply to our selves Christ and all his benefits and that Faith God giveth us by his mere Grace not exhibited by any work of others The whole work of salvation from its first step in regeneration to its last step in glorification doth intirely flow from Gods free Grace and not from any worth in us So that this being the end grounds terms of the new Covenant from first to last mercy doth all on which our hope dependeth We must claim by mercy 3. As there is no merit in the best Saints so there is much demerit and as there is nothing to induce God to be good to us so there is much to hinder him much that standeth in his way yet God will do us good Isai. 57. 17 18. I have seen his ways and will heal him I will lead him also and restore comforts to him He taketh motives from himself to pity when he might take occasion to punish There are many sins to be forgiven both before and after Conversion We are not only un-deserving but ill-deserving 'T was much that God would take us with all our faults when he first drew us into acquaintance with
seen in their deliverance and therefore before God doth appear for his Children he bringeth them very low Thus Paul 2 Cor. 1 9. We had the sentence of Death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raised the dead and Psal. 136. 23. He remembred us in our low estate for his mercy endureth for ever His Mercy and Power is the more glorious in our rescue All that I shall say by way of Use on this point is this 1. That when we are a small people and persons of no Interest we have a liberty to use it to God you may make use of your weak and low Condition as an Argument of Pity so doth the Prophet Amos Iacob is small so doth David here and elsewhere Psal. 109. 22. But I am poor and needy deliver me for thy Names sake and Psal. 69. 29. But I am poor and sorrowful let thy salvation O God set me on high It is some ease to acquaint a friend with our griefs that can onely pity us much more when we have liberty to go to God who can and will help us and will allow us to complain to him though not of him 2. When God's ends are accomplished there is hope Isa. 10. 12. When the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Zion when he hath chastised his People and brought them to his purpose then he will reckon with his Enemies When Heaven is minded more and Earth less We naturally mind earthly things and please our selves with the dreaming of an happy estate in the World The Appetite of Temporal dominion and Wealth and Honour and Peace is natural to us and very hardly subdued and therefore we would fain flourish here and do not comfort our selves in our Crosses with the Meditation of the Glory of the World to come but are alwayes feeding our selves with desires and hopes of earthly happiness and of turning the Tide and Current of Affairs that things may again smile upon us and when frustrated and disappointed of this hope our Soul fainteth Your Worldly Happiness will be a snare to you while you are thus affected Matth. 6. 33. Prepare for Heaven and God will give you so much Happiness by the way as will be needful and fit for you Again when we are Mortified and the Cross hath purged out sin Isa. 27. 9. the Cross hath done its work So when we are humble Lev. 26. 41. If then their Uncircumcised hearts be humble and they accept of the punishment of their iniquity to be meek in Spirit and to trust in the Lord is a fore-runner of Mercy Zeph. 3. 12. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor People and they shall trust in the Name of Lord. When you bring honour to God by your Sufferings Iam. 1. 4. but let patience have its perfect work that ye may be perfect and intire wanting nothing When 't is most for Gods Glory to 〈◊〉 Deut. 32. 36. For the Lord shall Iudge his People and repent himself for his Servants when he seeth that their Power is gone and there is none shut up or left 2. Doctrine Gods people when they are brought low are usually a very despised people the most despised people under Heaven Here I shall shew 1. That this is the usual Lot of an Afflicted people 2. But especially of the people of God 3. The Tryal is very grievous to them 1. An Afflicted People are usually a despised People Psal. 123. 4. Our Soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease and with the Contempt of the Proud They that are proud and have all things flow in upon them according to their own will contemn and slight others and take no notice of their burdens unless it be to increase them they pour vinegar on the wound The Heathens had a reverence for places stricken with thunder because the hand of God had touched them but here 't is not so Iob 12. 5. he that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thoughts of him that is at ease While we are burning lamps shining in Riches and greatness we shall have enough to look after us but a poor broken dying lamp a snuff that is ready to go out every body holdeth their nose at it Whilst the enemies are Honourable Great tumble in Wealth and the excess of Carnal delights they despise those that are mean and low and faln under God's hand 2. The People of God much more common sufferers may meet with some pity in their Calamity but the godly are subject to reproaches and mockings in their troubles and this many times proveth the heaviest part of the Cross and maketh it most grievous to be borne 'T is so partly because faln from their great hopes carried on in a way of Religion Where is their God Their fasting prayer As if all were now delusions and phantastical Impressions And partly because the presence of God is sensibly gone from them The presence of God among his people maketh them Wise Couragious Prosperous How should one chase an hundred and a hundred put a thousand to flight But when God leaveth them they grow despicable and ridiculous above all others Hosea 14. 2. Return to the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by this iniquity All that honoured her shall despise her because her nakedness is seen Lam. 1. 8. A dispirited Judgment-blasted people shall be contemned And partly because the cause for which they suffer may be strangely disguised and ill-represented to the World Satan was first a Liar and then a Murtherer Ioh. 8. 44. Elijah was thought the troubler of Israel They may not only persecute but say all manner of evil against us falsely for Christs sake Matth. 11. 19. Christ is called a Glutton a Wine-bibber and Stephen a Blasphemer And partly by Satans instigation by this means he maketh the despisers increase their sin and hasten their Judgment and so he disswades and discourages many weak Christians from owning the despised wayes of Christ yea it taketh off much of the cheerfulness and Courage of the strong in the profession of Godliness 3. 'T is very grievous Contempt maketh our other tryals more sharp Every man thinketh himself worthy of some respect and would be somebody in the World and therefore when we are laid aside as if dead and useless the temptation is the greater Saul could better bear death than contempt 1 Sam. 31. 4. Draw thy sword and thrust me thorough lest the Uncircumcised come and abuse me Zedekiah was afraid of mocking Ier. 38. 19. Lest they deliver me into the hands of the Chaldeans and they Mock me but not only as we are men it is grievous to us but also as Christians because this contempt reflecteth upon our hopes and the Worship of God it hindreth our service while we were esteemed we did more good and had greater advantages It may revive the sense of guilt God saith
the Lord God even thou onely When they have a good Cause and a good Conscience this they may do and this they ought to do and they will have Comfort in it The last thing which I shall observe is Doctrine V. That Prayer for Deliverance should be accompanied with serious purposes of Obedience Then saith David I will keep thy Testimonies 1. Because this is the best expression of Gratitude and Thankfulness I take it for granted that every Mercy from God deserveth a thankful return on the Creatures part as we expect a return of our Prayers so God expecteth a return of his Mercies and therefore we should be as careful to give him what he requireth as we are careful to seek of him that which we need for even in our Commerce with God there is ratio dati accepti I presume again that there is no such expression of Thankfulness as Obedience Verbal thanks are but a cold return Thanks-doing â—…s â—…he best Thaâ—…ksgiving Psalm 50. 2â—… He that offereâ—… praise gloriâ—…eth we and 〈◊〉 him that oâ—…ereth his conversation aright will I shew the Salvation of God Yea once more that we should think of this afore-hand while we are asking the Mercy in our distress we should engage our selves to glorifie God both in word and deed Again the time that we have our Mercies for in Affliction we consider and are more serious and afterwards we should keep the Conscience of our Obligation 2. It it a sign the Rod hath done its work and then it will be gone when it hath convinced you of former failings and put you upon serious purposes Iob 34. 31 32. Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have borne chastisement I will offend no more That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more Otherwise what we ask of temporal Mercy is either denied us or we get it in Wrath. 3. You have a true notion of Deliverance you look upon it as an ingaging Mercy therefore if God alter your Condition you are bound to serve him The end of oâ—… great Deliverance is Service Luk. 1. 74 75. That he would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our life All deliverances out of Streights are Branches and Appendices of the great Redemption of our Souls unto eternal Life and have the same End and Use. Psalm 105. 45. That they might observe his Statutes and keep his Laws That is the end of all deliverance out of trouble to engage the hearts of his People to Obedience heart to serve him opportunity to serve him 4. A Gracious heart desireth nothing to himself alone and cannot be content to have the use of any benefit to himself onely but eyes God in all his enjoyments and all his requests therefore his great aim is that he may be in the better Condition to keep Gods Commandments for they live unto God Romans 14. 7 8. For none of us liveth unto himself and no man dieth unto himself For whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord. Whether we live therefore or dye we are the Lords In every state they would be unto God what they are when they seek to be delivered it is that they may be in the better condition and capacity to serve God and have more opportunities to glorifie his Name Use. To perswade us to seek deliverance with these aims 1. This is the Temper of the People of God that which urgeth to Prayer is his Glory that which is their scope is his service It is seen partly by the secret workings and purposes of their Souls what they do with their Mercies when they have them what they please themselves with in the supposition of obtaining them What is it with the satisfying of their Revenge providing for their Families living in Pomp and Ease or that they may serve God Psalm 75. 2. When I shall receive the Congregation I will judge uprightly if ever God give an opportunity again And partly by the preparations they are afraid of a treacherous Heart therefore fitting themselves to enjoy the Mercy before they have it as the Apostle learned to abound Phil. 4. 11 12. Partly by the Arguments they urge in Prayer Psalm 88. 10 11 12. Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead shall the dead arise and praise thee shall thy loving kindness be declared in the grave or thy Faithfulness in destruction Shall thy wonders be known in the dark and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness So Psalm 106. 47. Save us O Lord our God and gather us from among the heathen to give thanks unto thy holy Name and to Triumph in thy Praise A true Believer would have Comfort not for his own Satisfaction but to glorifie God 2. Then we are sure to speed when our End is right Iam. 4. 3. Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss that ye may consume it upon your lusts We may speak it with confidence our prayers miscarry for want of a right End 3. The Equity of this God hears us that we should hear him SERMON CLXV PSALM CXIX VER 147. I prevented the dawning of the Morning and cryed I hoped in thy Word DAvid still goeth on to give us an account of his Fervour in Prayer I cried That which we have new in this Verse is First His Vigilancy and Diligence I prevented the dawning of the morning and cryed Secondly The Reason and Incouragement of this Instant and Assiduous Praying I hoped in thy Word First His Vigilancy and Diligence I prevented c. He rose betimes to meditate and pray the Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heschius defineth that time to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a time of no business when others were sleeping David was praying the word prevented is emphatical David lived as it were in a strife with Time being careful it should not over-run him he pressed to get before it by doing some good in it and to get before hand with the day Doctrine Those that make a business of Prayer will use great Vigilancy and diligence therein I say That make a business of Prayer others that use it as a Complement and customary Formality will not be thus affected or do it as a thing by the bye or a work that might well be spared do not look upon it as a necessary duty but if a mans heart be in it he will be early at work and follow it close morning and night his business is to maintain Communion with God his desires will not let him sleep and he gets up early to be calling upon God Psal. 88. 13. But unto thee have I cryed O Lord and in the morning shall my Prayer prevent thee Thus will good men even break their sleep to give themselves to Prayer and calling upon the Name of God
work a great change in us A Christian should and in some measure doth carry an equal mind in all Conditions and keep the same pace whither he goeth up-hill or down-hill and have his heart fixed in God whatever falleth out Psal. 112. 7. He shall not be afraid of evil tydings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. But alas we are much discomposed oftentimes especially at the first onset by our outward estate when under great Afflictions it puts a damp upon our spirits and we cannot serve God so chearfully Levit. 10. 19. And Aaron said unto Moses Behold this day have they offered their sin-offering and their burnt-offering before the Lord and such things have befallen me and if I had eaten the sin-offering to day should it have been accepted in the sight of the Lord. So Hezekiah it is said of him 2 Chron. 32. 25. When Hezekiah was sick unto death and he prayed unto the Lord and he gave him a sign that Hezekiah rendred not again according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up We are too apt to be dejected and cast down with worldly Troubles or exalted and puffed up with worldly Comforts and both bring on deadness upon the Heart both worldly sorrow and carnal complacency It is not requisite that a Child of God should be without all sense of his condition and it cannot be supposed that this sense should always be kept within bounds and under the Coercion and Government of Grace considering our weakness and therefore a Christian receiveth some Taint from the changes he passes thorow as the water doth from the soil through which it runneth He is sometimes in Credit sometimes in Disgrace sometime Rich sometimes Poor sometimes sick and in Pain at other times in Health and firm Constitution of Body Now though it argueth small strength to faint in ordinary Afflictions Prov. 24. 10. and a light spirit to be puffed up like a bubble with every slight blast yet when Troubles are heavy and pressing Gods best servants have been ready to dye and faint and in a full estate it is hard to keep down carnal rejoycing By both the freedom of following Gods service chearfully may often be interrupted 4 Because we sin away our life and strength and by our careless walking contract deadness and hardness of Heart The Mind like the Eye is soon offended and out of Temper we forfeit the quickning influences of his Spirit upon which the activity of Grace dependeth To correct our sinful rashness and to teach us more Watchfulness and Caution God withdraweth Phil. 2. 12 13. Be the sin a sin of Commission especially if grievous and hainous as David found a shrewd abatement of Life and Vigor after his foul sin Psal. 51. 11 12. Or a sin of Omission when we neglect God or serve him slightly if we give way to deadness Isa. 64. 6. rest in the work wrought and are more willing to get a Duty over than to perform it with any Life and Vigor God suspends his quickning If you do not mind the work why should God quicken you in it 3. Reason Is taken from the Nature of Gods Dispensation They do often and earnestly ask quickning because God giveth out by degrees and would keep us in constant dependance In him we live move 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and have our being Act. 17. 28. both as Creatures and new Creatures There is a constant Concurrence of his motions and influences by their beings and operations God will indear his Grace to us by bringing us daily under new debt and therefore he doth not give us all our stock and portion in our hands lest we neglect him as the Prodigal did his Father By multiplyed and renewed Acts of Grace he doth more commend his love to us every day he must quicken us and in every Duty If so much Rain fell in a day as would suffice the Earth for seven years the Commerce between the Air and the Earth would cease Or if a man could eat so much at one meal as to go in the strength of it all his Life there would be no ground to pray for daily bread therefore God doth dispence his Assistances so as you must still wait upon him and be calling to him He keepeth Grace in his own hand that he may often hear from us Doctrine II. The main Argument which Gods Children have to plead in Prayer is his own favour and loving-kindness I shall shew I. That this is a Modest Humble and Pious Argument II. This is a Comfortable and Incouraging Argument I. 'T is a Modest Argument and 't were good if we could learn this modesty of David He was one much in Prayer diligent in keeping Gods Statutes abundant in all Acts of Devotion spent nights in Meditation and yet after all this placeth all his hopes in the Mercy and Loving-kindness of God and desireth onely to be heard according to mercy But in us there is a secret carnal notion of God as if he were our Debtor if we act for him or suffer any thing for him we carry it as if God were obliged to us Isa. 58. Wherefore have we fasted c. We cannot be at a Fast give a little Alms or make a Prayer but we think we have merited much at Gods hands Oh this is against all reason Alas what profit can we be to God Iob 35. 6 7 8. God is above the injuries and benefits of the Creature what miss had he of Angels and Men in those innumerable Ages of duration that went before any Created Being And as it is against Reason so it is against all the declarations God hath made of himself to us Ezek. 36. 32. Not for your sakes do I this saith the Lord of Hosts Be ashamed and confounded for your own wayes So Tit. 3. 4 5 6. But after that the kindness and love of God our saviour towards man appeared not by works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our saviour In short no worth in us or Righteousness of ours is that Merit and Righteousness by vertue of which we are accepted with God Our Works and Righteousness are not that Condition by which we receive and apply this Merit that 's Faith No Works or Merit are a motive or the first inducing Cause to move God to give us that Faith but all is from his Loving-kindness and readiness to do good to the Creatures Again 'T is contrary to the practice of the Saints and Children of God who though never so Holy and never so good yet still they plead Mercy and this by direction from him who knoweth what plea is fittest for Creatures to use to God Luk. 17. 10. As it is not the merit of one part of the Earth that it lyeth nearer the Sun than another onely the Creator would
by Iudgment understand Wisdom and Prudence the Word will sometimes bear that sense Micah 3. 8. But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord and of Iudgment c. As we say a man of Judgment for an Understanding Person In this sense According to thy Iudgment will be As thou thinkest fit but surely Iudgment here is to be understood in the notion of his Covenant or the Rule according to which he judgeth of men for it is one of the Terms by which the word is expressed Iudgement is sometimes put for the Covenant of Works or his strict renumerative Justice David declineth it under this notion Psal. 143. 2. Enter not into Iudgment with thy servant O Lord. And this is called by the Apostle Iudgment without Mercy Iam. 2. 13. Sometimes for the Covenant of Grace and free promises of God or that merciful right which he hath established between him and his People wherein God acteth as an Absolving and Pardoning Judge Of this see verse 132. And of this the Prophet speaketh Isa. 1. 27. Zion shall be redeemed with Iudgment that is by his Mercy promised according to his Judgment David desireth to be Quickned From thence observe Doctrine III. That Gods Mercy and Loving-kindness manifested and impledged in the Promises of the Gospel doth notably incourage us to ask help from him You have heard what incouragment we have by the Loving-kindness of God Now what we have over and above that by his Iudgment I. Quickning and Enlivening Grace is promised in the new Covenant 1. In General From the general undertaking of the Covenant The Covenant of Grace differeth from all other Covenants in the World because every thing that is required therein is also promised and therefore 't is called The Promise Gal. 3. 18. because God hath promised both the Reward and the Condition Faith and Perseverance therein as well as Righteousness Pardon and Life The new Heart to bring us into the Covenant and the continual assistance of Grace to keep us in that Covenant And so it differs from the usual Covenants that pass between man and man Among men each Party undertaketh for and looketh after his own part of the Covenant but leaveth the other to look to his Duty and his part of the ingagement But here the Duties required of us are undertaken for by him that requireth them No man filleth his Neighbours hand with any thing to pay his Rent to him or enableth him to do what he hath covenanted to do But God filleth our hand with a stock yea more than a stock of Habitual Grace with Actual Influences to draw forth habits into Act and doth with strength so far enable us to perform every commanded Duty that in the performance thereof we may be accepted Ezek. 36. 26 27. God owneth there not onely the Principles of Acting but also the Excitement of these Principles yea the very Act it self He hath undertaken to infuse the Principle and stir up the Acts and Exercise of it I will cause you to walk in my Statutes So Ier. 32. 39 40. And I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and of their children after them and I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Besides Converting Grace superadded influences It differeth from the Covenant of Works that had more of a Law and less of a Promise there was a promise of Reward to the Obeyer but no promise of giving Obedience God indeed gave Adam a stock of Habitual Grace but no promise of Assisting Grace There Man was to keep the Covenant here in effect the Covenant keepeth us Ier. 32. 40. And indeed therein lyeth the exceeding graciousness of the Covenant of Grace that God undertaketh for both parties and worketh in his people all that is required for entring into and keeping this Covenant with him 2. In Particular This part of actual influence which is more especially called Quickning is promised in the Covenant of Grace for the Covenant concerneth mainly the Life of Grace the care of which he hath taken into his own hands not to lay it down till it be perfected in the life of Glory And therefore alloweth his Children to repair to him when their life is any way enfeebled or decayed So that besides that the general undertaking of his Covenant will warrant such a plea his particular promises of Preserving and Restoring our Life will embolden us to ask quickning For with respect to his Judgment or Covenant-ingagement God is called The God of our life Psal. 42. 8. And The strength of our life Psal. 27. 1. The care of life Bodily Spiritual and Everlasting lyeth upon him By vertue of the Covenant he hath undertaken to keep it feed it renew it in all the decays of it till we be possessed of the Life of Glory II. The Advantage we have from this Promise We have a double Argument not onely from Gods Mercy but his Truth Both which do assure us that God is not onely easie to be intreated but bound and tyed by his own free condescension His Loving-kindness sheweth that he may do it for us his Judgment that in some part he will do it He is not onely inclined but obliged which is a new ground of Hope His Promise in the New Covenant inferreth a debt of Favour though not of Justice when God hath bound himself by promise both his Mercy and Fidelity are concerned to do us good We have not onely the freeness of Gods love to incourage us but the certainty of his help ingaged in the Promise God inviteth men to him by his Grace and ingageth his Truth to do them good The Nature of God is one incouragement he is wonderful ready to do good but in his Covenant he hath established a right to Believers to seek his Mercy so that all is made more sure and comfortable to us Use. Is to encourage the People of God when they miss his help in the Spiritual Life to lay open their Case to God The thought of strict Justice striketh us dumb there is no claiming by that Covenant but the remembrance of this Merciful Right or Judgment should open our Mouthes in Prayer and loosen our Tongues in acquainting God with our case Lord I want that Life and Quickning which thy promises seem to speak of You may do it with the more confidence for these Reasons First Consider the Tenour of this Judgment or the Terms thereof The mildness of the Court in which you plead 't is not a Covenant of Justice but of Favour in it Grace taketh the Throne not Justice The Judge is Christ The Law according to which Judgment is given is the Gospel our Plea is Grace not Merit The Persons allowed to plead are penitent Sinners Yea they are not
distinction between them and wicked men made more clear and sensible by the activity and vigour of Grace and their diligence and care of Salvation which the wicked neglect awakened by new influences from God and therefore do they so often pray for Quickning Accordingly God in the New Covenant as the God of their Life and Salvation hath undertaken to keep them fresh and lively and therefore when ever we are under deadness we should not be satisfied with it or think it a light evil but present our condition to God looking to the Promise of the New Covenant wherein God hath promised to put his Spirit into our hearts to cause us to walk in his wayes But because all these Points have been often discussed I shall only handle this one Point Doctrine That in the Lord Iehovah there are great and tender Mercies First I shall open the Mercy of God Secondly The Adjuncts the Greatness and Tenderness of them First I shall open the Mercy of God That Mercy is one of Gods Attributes the Scripture is plain and clear Psal. 62. 12. Also unto thee O Lord belongeth Mercy he had said before once hath God spoken and twice have I heard this that power belongeth unto God This is an evident and certain Truth that God is Almighty and hath all power to avenge his Enemies and Reward his Friends but because this is not a sufficient Foundation for our Trust there wanteth more to invite the Creature to depend upon God than his bare Power and Ability to help us there must be also an assurance of his Readiness to do what he is able and that we have in this other Attribute which is as proper and as much belonging to God as Power and that is Mercy Yea 't is an Attribute in the exercise of which God delights most of all Mich. 7. 18. Because he delighteth in mercy God delighteth himself in all his Attributes yea in the manifestation of them to the World but chiefly in Acts of Mercy These come readily from him and unextorted Though God willeth the Punishment of a sinner for the manifestation of his Justice yet these Acts of his Vengeance are not so pleasing to God as the Acts of his Mercy for he never doth them of his own accord but is provoked Acts of Mercy flow from him like life-honey but acts of Vengeance are his strange work Isa. 28. 21. Bees give honey naturally sting when provoked therefore God is no where called pater ultionum whereas he is called pater miserationum 2 Cor. 1. 3. The father of mercies 'T is the Original and Fountain-cause of all our Comfort get an Interest in his Mercy and all his other Attributes shall be for our good Mercy will set a-work his Wisdom to contrive his Power to Accomplish what is for our Comfort and Salvation his Justice and Wrath to avenge your quarrel all other Attributes are serviceable to Mercy among the things that are ascribed to God there is this order that one is given as a reason of the other As in the business of our Salvation why doth God discover himself with so much Wisdom and Power Because of his Mercy Of his Mercy hath he saved us Tit. 3. 4 5. Of his Mercy quickned us Eph. 2. 4 5. Of his Mercy begotten us to a lively hope 2 Pet. 1. 3. But what moved him to shew Mercy to us You can go no higher unless you assign a Cause like itself God who is rich in Mercy out of his great love wherewith he hath loved us indeed so he shewed Mercy because he would 1. The Goodness of the Divine Nature as it doth discover itself to the Creature is called Benignity or Bounty sometimes Grace and sometimes Mercy The first issue or effect of the Divine Goodness is his Benignity or Bounty by which God by giving something to the Creatures sheweth himself Liberal or Bountiful this is his goodness to the Creature as a Creature Thus he hath given being to all things bare Life to some Sense to others and to Man and Angels Reason and Grace The next Term by which the Goodness of God is expressed is Grace by which he freely giveth to the Creature all that good which they have beyond all possibility of Requital The third Term is Mercy which implyeth the ready inclination that is in God to relieve our Misery notwithstanding Sin These three Terms agree in this that they all express the Goodness of God or his Communication of himself to the Creature God knoweth himself loveth himself but he cannot be said to be Bountiful or Gracious or Merciful to himself these things respect us And again that none of these can be reciprocated or turned back from the Creature to God we may Love God who hath loved us first 1 Ioh. 4. 19. but Mercy or Grace never results from the Creature to God we know God and love him but cannot be said to be Merciful to him He giveth out Mercy and Grace but receiveth none thus they agree but they differ in that Bounty or Goodness respects the Creature as a Creature Grace respects the Creature as being able to make no recompense to God or to Merit any thing at his hands but Mercy addeth these two things to the former as supposing us in Misery the Object of it is persona miserabilis or as finding us under demerit or ill deserving and appoints a remedy for us God doth good to the Angels that never sinned out of Grace but to Man fallen out of Mercy so that his Mercy is nothing else but his proneness to help a man in Misery notwithstanding Sin 2. We must distinguish between Mercy as 't is an Attribute in God and the Acts and Effects of it as they are terminated upon the Creature As 't is an Attribute in God Psal. 103. 8. The Lord is merciful and gracious so 't is Infinite as his Nature is but in the Effects as to us there is a great difference Mercy is one in the Fountain many in the Streams because there are divers Effects divers wayes of shewing mercy Mercy in the Effect may cease as when the Angels turned Devils and when God threatneth to take away his mercies from us but God doth not cease to be merciful in himself the effects of Gods mercy are more or less but the Attribute in God is not so Mercy as an Attribute doth not oppose Justice but the effects of Gods mercy may be and are contrary to the effects of his Justice as Punishment is contrary to Blessing 3. Gods Mercy is either General or Special or Peculiar First Gods general mercy hath for the Object of it not only men even them that are strangers to the Faith but also all the Creatures for 't is said Psal. 145. 5. His tender mercies are over all his works God helpeth the poor brute Creatures in their needs and doth supply them with provision convenient for them then there is his special mercy to Man helping and succouring him in
his Misery notwithstanding sin And so the giving of Christ to be the Saviour of the World Tit. 3. 4. But after the loving-kindness of God our Saviour to mankind appeared his Man-kindness this was pity to us above the Angels no remedy was plotted for them And then his peculiar Mercy is to his Elect in Christ so the Lord saith Rom. 9. 15. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy This is again seen either in the first Grace or bestowing that upon us or in all the subsequent Grace that we stand in need of 1. The first Grace is Pardoning all our past sin or receiving us into a state of Favour upon our Repentance so 't is made the motive Ioel 2. 13. Turn unto the Lord for he is merciful Penitent sinners will find him so to be The Apostle saith 1 Tim. 1. 13. But I obtained mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was overwhelmed in mercy So also in giving us an heart to Repent and turn unto him 1 Pet. 1. 3. we were unworthy and miserable sinners could not help ourselves and then his eye pitied us and his handsaved us by his preventing grace he brought us home to himself 2. In all the subsequent Grace that we stand in need of so the Objects of his Mercy must have a qualification such as fear God Psal. 103. 12. Such as love him and keep his Commandments Exod. 20. 6. That walk according to the Rule of his Word exactly Gal. 6. 16. To the Merciful Matth. 5. 7. For to the Unmerciful God will not shew himself Merciful Iam. 2. 13. but to those that are thus qualified he reneweth his pardoning mercy in taking away the guilt of our daily failings Psal. 25. 7. His sanctifying mercy by freeing them more and more from the dominion of Sin Rom. 6. 14. His preserving mercy by delivering them from Afflictions so far as it is convenient Psal. 119. 41. Let thy mercies come unto me O Lord even thy salvation according to thy Word Lam. 3. 22. It is of the Lords mercy we are not consumed because his compassions fail not His rewarding mercy Iude 21. Looking for the mercy of God unto eternal Life So Psal. 62. 12. Also unto thee O Lord belongeth mercy for thou renderest to every man according to his work He will graciously Accept Reward and Crown every sincere and faithful Servant of his when they have done their work Sincerity and faithfulness shall be accepted and rewarded when Infirmities and Weaknesses shall be pardoned and covered Secondly Let me now open the two Adjuncts of his Mercy 1. 'T is Tender Mercy Luk. 1. 78. Through the tender mercy of our God The word signifieth Bowels as when you see a poor miserable Creature your Bowels work within you especially if you be related to him Misericordia complectitur affectum effectum Let us take the nearest Relation If you be a Father we need not much intreat a Father to pity a poor helpless Child his own Bowels will perswade him to it Psal. 103. 13. Like as a father pitieth his Children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him Or if you think passions in Females more vehement take the relation of a Mother as Hagar was affected to Ishmael when the water was spent in the Bottle she sate over against the Child and lift up her Voice and wept Gen. 21. 16. God will take the Affections of a Mother as Isa. 49. 15. Can a woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea she may forget yet will I not forget thee 'T is passionately set out by the Prophet if all the Compassions of all Fathers and Mothers were joined together 't were nothing to God he is the Father of Mercies he is Pitiful and Merciful Iam. 5. 11. 't is true there is in God no Sickness or trouble of Mind no Commotion but there is Pity and tender Love though no Perturbation which will not stand with the perfection of his Nature that is he layeth to heart and taketh notice of our Misery The tenderness of God may be known by the Compassion which Christ had in the dayes of his Flesh for he was the express Image of his Fathers Person now we read Matth. 9. 36. When he saw the multitude he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted and were as sheep scattered abroad that had no shepherd Their Teachers did not do their duty to them in any profitable way this wrought upon Christ heart when he saw the Multitude So when he saw many sick and under noisom Diseases Matth. 14. 14. when they followed him he pitied them and helped them So Matth. 15. 37. Iesus had compassion on the multitude when they continued with him three dayes and had nothing to eat The Care of mans welfare lieth near unto Christ's heart before the Disciples took notice of it he taketh notice of the Peoples Necessities and is affected with it he would not send them away fasting The two Blind men when they feelingly layed out their Miseries Matth. 20. 34. Iesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes So Luk. 7. 13. The Widow of Naim lamented her only Son the Lord saw her and had compassion on her and said unto her weep not This for a taste what a tender heart Christ had and in heaven he is still a Merciful High-Priest he came down on Purpose to acquaint himself with our Greifs and Sorrows Surely he is touched with the feeling of our infirmities and Gods Pity though it hath no Trouble with it is real operative and efficacious 2. His Tender Mercy is seen in his readiness to hear and help and come in to the Cry of his People if they be but any thing humble and profitable in their Afflictions Isa. 58. 10. And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfie the afflicted soul then shall thy light rise in obscurity and thy darkness be as the noon day Luk. 15. 20. And he arose and came to his father but when he was yet a great way off his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him When the Son was coming the Father run to meet him Isa. 65. 2 4. Before they call I will answer as if God could not tarry to hear the Prayer made Psal. 32. 5. I said I would confess my transgression unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Ier. 31. 19 20. Surely after I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant Child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. The first relentings of the Creature work upon the Bowels of Gods Mercy when we do but conceive a
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
whether with such scrupulous observation of hours is not certain Secondly The subject-matter thy Righteous Iudgments whereby is meant 1. God's most Righteous Laws and Precepts called the Ordinances of Judgment and Justice Isaiah 58. we cannot sufficiently bless God for the benefit of his Word 2. The dispensations of his Providence suiting therewith whether they concern us or others The Word is fulfilled in the punishment of the wicked and in giving the promised reward to the Righteous All Gods dealings are Righteous Judgements and matter of praise is still offered to us from the comforts and blessings of his Providence there is no question of that the smallest of his mercies should not be overlooked though notable mercies should be continually remembred Psal. 68. 19. Not only dayly benefits but great deliverances are a standing ground of Thanksgiving Psal. 66. 2. Sing forth the honour of his Name make his praise glorious shew forth his Salvation from day to day especially now the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the great Salvation is more clearly revealed we should never think of it nor read it nor hear of it without some considerable act of Joy and thankfulness 2dly So for the dispensations of God to others in protecting his people in punishing his Enemies 'T is a great confirmation of Faith to see Promises and Threatnings fulfilled on others how punctually God maketh good his Word to all that trust in him Psal. 18. 30. On all those that reject it and despise it as we have heard so have we seen Psal. 48. 8. They that believe the Word of God and do mark what is foretold in the Word shall find the event and work of Providence suitable to the prediction 3. Gods Righteous Judgments afflicting of us doth also yield matter of praise as they work together for good to such as Love him Rom. 8. 28. and the saddest corrections afford necessary and profitable instructions Psal. 94. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest and teachest him out of thy Law Psal. 119. 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy Statutes though not barely for the afflictions themselves yet for their fruit and issue that our souls are bettered and humbled by them and as we see the faithfulness of God in them Doctrine That the People of God should never cease lauding and magnifying the name of God because of his Righteous Iudgments David was never weary of praising God every day he praised God and often every day Love sweetned it to him We shall praise him evermore in the world to come there it will be our sole Imployment but even in this World we should not count it a burden but praise him yet more Psal. 71. 14. I will yet praise him more and more still magnifying his greatness Here I shall speak 1. Of the Duty that we should praise God 2. Of the Continuance that we should not cease praising God 3. The Grounds of it in the Text because of thy Righteous Judgements First The Duty Secondly The Motives to it First The Duty and there we have 1. The Nature of it 2. The Grounds of it 3. The Formality 4. The Fruit of it 1. The Nature of it There are three Words used in this matter blessing praising giving thanks Sometimes they are used promiscuously at other times there is a distinctness of notion to be observed blessing is used Psal. 103. 1. Bless the Lord O my Soul blessing relateth to his benefits it respects the works of God as beneficial to us his mercy Love and kindness to us we bless him who hath blessed us Eph. 1. 7. praise relateth to his excellencies as we may praise a stranger for his excellent endowments though we are not benefited by them Psal. III. 1. 2. Praise ye the Lord I will praise the Lord with my whole heart in the assembly of the upright and in the Congregation The works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein 'T is a great part of our work to praise the Lord not that he at all needeth it for he is infinitely perfect but he deserveth it and by this means we testifie our love and reverence of him and strengthen our own dependance on him and gain others to him when we speak good of his name The other Word is Thanksgiving Psal. 107. 1 O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good This differeth from the two former because praise may be expressed in Words gratitude and thankfulness in Deed also it hath respect to Benefits as well as Blessings but we shew our Gratitude by Obedience but these are often co-incident Indeed there is a mixture of all in the true praising of God Excellencies and Benefits are to be acknowledged with Heart Mouth and Life 2. The Grounds of it Faith and Love must be at the bottom of our praise if we would not have it slight and formal For the more lively apprehensions we have of Gods Perfections which is the work of Faith and the more sensible of his Goodness and Mercy which is work of love the better is this service performed Therefore unless these praises flow from a Believing Loving soul they are but an empty prattle and a vain sound Faith is necessary that is the Eye of the soul to see the invisible one Heb. 11. 27. It giveth us an apprehension of the Lords excellencies in order to Love and Trust So also in order to praise Faith sets us before the Throne and doth withdraw the vail and sheweth us the Eternal God who liveth and reigneth for ever Dispensing all things powerfully according to his own Will that 's all the sight we have of God in this Life a nearer vision is referred to our future glory here we see him by Faith 2dly Love or a deep sense of the goodness of God which inlargeth the heart towards him and forceth open our lips that our mouths may shew forth his praise Psal. 51. 15. There he meaneth Gods giving a sweet and renewed sence of pardoning Mercy Psal. 63. 3. Because thy Loving kindness is better than Life my Lips shall praise thee an intimate sence of the Lords love sets the Tongue a work to speak of it praise then is the result of Faith and Love None else do it seriously delightfully but where these Graces reign and prevail in the Heart 3. The Formality of it is an acknowledgment of the Divine Vertues Benefits and Perfections manifested to us in his Word or Works or both these must be acknowledged by some outward Expression Words whereby we express our inward thoughts and apprehensions Our Tongues are called our Glory Psal. 57. 8. Awake up my glory Psal. 16. 9. My heart is glad and my glory rejoyceth When that Scripture is quoted Acts 2. 26. 't is said My tongue is glad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the Septuagint So called not only as speech is our Excellency above the Beasts but because God is
the preparation must still remain with us and we are to watch against dulness and indisposedness for this holy work This preparation is more or less at times for special Mercies do raise enliven and inspirit the heart but some measure of a thankful disposition or bent and inclination to Praise God must never be wanting As the Vestal Fire among the Romans was ever kept in on special occasions it was blown up so there should be an habitual frame of heart to Praise God at all times but upon some special occasions it must more especially be excited and stirred up to it 3. We must keep a constant Course and certain order of Worshipping and Praising God both in Publick and Private In Scripture they are said to do a thing alwayes who do it upon stated occasions as Mephibosheth did eat continually at Davids Table 2 Sam 9. 13. not as if alwayes eating but at the eating times And the Disciples are said to be continually in the Temple Praising and Blessing God Luk. 24. 53. that is at the appointed times of Worship So we are to set forth certain times to Bless and Praise the Lord who is continually good to us especially on the Sabbath See the 92 Psal. the Title with the first Verse It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing praises unto thy name O most high We are not to omit any occasion of Formal and direct thanksgiving acknowledge Mercy and Faithfulness the two Pillars of our Confidence as it is to be done Constantly which the former head called for so Frequently that is we must take every just occasion to perform it let no special opportunity pass the Lords Mercies are new every moment Lam. 3. 21. And he loadeth us with his benefits dayly Psal. 68. 19. Therefore as Gods hand is ever open to Bless so should our Mouths be ever open to Praise and we should never go from this exercise nisi cum animo revertendi but with a purpose to return to it again We have poor Temporary Affections towards God and are very rare and unfrequent in these Duties though we are dayly receiving more and more Benefits yet we are slow and backward to this work Every Hour every Minute every Moment God is obliging us to it a-new therefore we should say I will Praise him more and more Thirdly The ground of Praising mentioned in the Text because of thy righteous Iudgments Here observe 1. The Term is one of the Notions by which the Word of God is expressed surely all kind of Mercies are the matter of Praise especially spiritual Mercies and among these his Word for this is a great favour in itself the Church can as ill be without it as the World without the Sun Psal. 19. He compareth the Sun and the Law together this is a peculiar Favour Psal. 147. 19 20. He hath given his word to Iacob he hath not dealt so with every nation praise ye the Lord. The benefit of the Scriptures is a precious gift of God to the Church and so it should be valued and esteemed not counted a burden as it is to them who are wholly Earthly and mind not Heavenly things Alas what should we do without this help to ease our burdened minds to understand Gods Providences and learn the way to happiness without these pure Precepts and heavenly Promises What is it that raiseth in us the joy of Faith the patience of Hope that directeth us to a streight and certain way to Glory but the Word of God This is the book of books the Food and Comfort of our Souls Psal. 56. 10. In God I will praise his word in the Lord I will praise his word The best hold that Faith can have of God is by his Word let us own his Word and then what ever his Dispensations be we have cause to Praise him here is a sure hope to six upon and a sure Rule to walk by it cannot be told in a Breath what benefit we have by it here is matter of Glorying and firm Confidence we need not fear Men or Devils as long as we have such a firm Bulwark to secure us here we have Gods Will made known to give us notice of a blessed Estate and Gods Promise to give us an Interest in it 2. It noteth the dispensation of his Providence fulfilling his Promises unto the Faithful and executing his Threatnings on the wicked he is the same in his Works that he is in his Word his Judgments are declared in his holy Word and executed in his righteous Providence and therefore 't is said of them that have not his Word Psal. 147. 20. As for his Iudgments they have not known them praise ye the Lord. Where they have not his Word the Lords dealing with Men in Justice and Mercy and the Course which he observeth in ruling the World is not understood it lyeth much in the dark so that his Providence is complicated with his Word and as 't is the sentence of his Word Executed is matter of Praise Well then we must Praise God for his Righteous Government of the World according to his Word whether it concern the Church in general or Us in particular Rev. 16. 7. True and righteous are thy judgments But because particular Providences come nearest home and do most affect us I shall instance in them 1. Let me shew you how we should Praise God for his Favours and fulfilling of Promises to us and hearing our Prayers and remembring us for good in our low Estate Ioshua leaveth this note when dying Ioshua 23. 14. I am going the way all the earth and ye know in all your hearts and all your souls that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord hath spoken to you all are come to pass not one thing hath failed thereof Trust God and try him and you will return the same account with this which was the result of all his experience And Solomon taketh notice of Gods fulfilling Promises 1 Kings 8. 20. and 24. And the Lord hath performed his word that he spake Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him Thou spakest also with thy mouth and hast fulfilled it with thine hand There is none of any acquaintance with God but find much of this now they should therefore Praise the Lord and love him so David Psal. 116. 1. I will love the Lord who hath heard the voice of my supplication When we have put Promises in suit and challenged God upon his Word he hath stood to it justified our Confidence every fresh experience in this kind should excite new Love and Praise 2. In time of Affliction when Divine Dispensations go Cross to our Affections and it may be to our Prayers yet even then should we praise the Lord. Iob when the Lord had taken away he blesseth the Name of the Lord Iob 1. 21. The Lord is worthy of praise and honour when he giveth and
when he taketh away when he emptieth and when he filleth us with Blessings a Child of God is of a strange temper he can fear him for his Mercies Hosea 3. 5. and praise him for his Judgments as in the Text it argueth a great measure of Grace to give Thanks to God at all times and for all things 1 Thes. 5. 17 18. Rejoyce ever more pray without ceasing in every thing give thanks Simply we cannot give thanks for Afflictions as Afflictions as we cannot pray for them nor joy in them but as they are a means of good to us A thankful frame of Heart bringeth meat out of the Eater incouragement out of the saddest Providences and taketh occasion to lift up it self in the praises of God even from those things which are matter of greatest discouragement and heartless dejection to others It seeth the hand of God working for good to him And then on the other side an Unthankful Repining Murmuring Spirit sowereth all our Comforts is ever querulous whether crossed or pleased it entertaineth Crosses with Anger and Blessings with Disdain 'T is hard to be in any Condition on this side Hell wherein we have not cause to praise God even in great Calamities either for their fruit and issue as our Souls are bettered and humbled by them Psalm 119. 65. Thou hast dealt well with thy servant according to thy word Wherein In giving him Faith and sensible and seasonable Correction Verse 67. and presently thou art good and dost good Verse 68. Or else for their Mitigation as to deem them not insupportable 1 Corinth 10. 13. That we are not Consumed Lament 3. 22. That not to the full merit of our Sins Ezra 9. 13. Thou hast punished us less then we have deserved That Comforts come along with them That our Afflictions do not exceed the measure of our Comforts 2 Corinth 1. 5. That we have a good God still who knoweth how to turn all to our Advantage Let us be perswaded he is well affected to us in Christ and we will take any thing kindly at his hand All this is spoken that poor murmuring Souls may not set out from so blessed a Work yea when other Arguments fail we may see the Wisdom Justice and Faithfulness of God in his sharpest Corrections Psalm 119. 75. I know that thy Iudgments are right and in Faithfulness thou hast afflicted me 'T is a great honour to God to speak good of his name when his hand is smart upon us Use. Let me press you now to three things First To the Work Secondly Frequency and Constancy herein Thirdly To suit often God's Word and Works together First To the work of praising God many are often complaining or begging but seldom praising or giving thanks Oh surely this should be more regarded not always taken up with complaints against our selves and supplications for Mercies but should sometime give Thanks and praise the Lord 't is the Noblest part of our work 't is nearest the work of Heaven As Love is the Grace of Heaven so Praise is the Duty then in Season 't is good to be preparing setting our Hearts in order for our eternal Estate 't is the work of Angels when we praise God we do the work of Angels The Angels according to the opinion of the Ancient Hebrews do every day sing praises to God and that in the Morning which they gather because the Angel said to Iacob Gen. 32. 26. Let me go for the day breaketh which place the Targum of Ierusalem thus explaineth Let me go for the Pillar of the Morning ascendeth and behold the hour approacheth that the Angels are to sing however that opinion be sure we are that the Angels ever bless God and laud his holy Name Isaiah 6. 1 2 3. The Angels cryed one to another holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory They were blessing God for Creation then the Morning Stars sang for Joy Iob 38. 4 5 6. For the Nativity of Christ Luk. 2. 13 14. They apprehend more of Gods Excellency and Perfection in himself and in his Works than we do and are more sensible of his Benefits than we are Now if this be the work of Angels the highest and greatest of them surely this work should be more prized by us 't is Nobler than other Duties we serve God in our Callings but this work is a part of our Misery this Burden was laid upon Adam after his Fall that in the sweat of his Brows he should eat his Bread Gen. 3. 19. Though honest Labour be a part of our Obedience yet 't is also a part of our Trouble and Exercise There are Works of Righteousness as to give every Man his due these are Good Works but they concern the benefit of Man the good of Humane Society Whereas Praise is more immediately directed to the Honour of God There are Works of Mercy to relieve the Poor to help the Distressed to support the Weak to comfort the Afflicted these are good Works indeed and a very noble part of our service to be reckoned to our Thank-offerings as praise Heb. 13. 15 16. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his Name but to do good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is wellpleased 'T is Godlike to do Good and a more blessed thing to give than to receive Acts 20. 35. As God giveth to all and receiveth of none but still this redoundeth to Men. There are opera cultus the fourth sort of Works Works of Worship Internal as humbling our Soul repenting of our Sins and asking Pardon these are good Works indeed but such as imply our Misery and Imperfection External as Prayer Hearing and Reading and other Acts of Communion with God but when we give Thanks this is more Noble In other Duties God is bestowing something on us but here in our way we bestow something upon God In Prayer as Beggars in Hearing as Scholars and Disciples we come to expect something from him here we come to put Honour upon God in our way 't is a kind of Recompence or paying our Debts to him by Word or Deed. Now the Reasons why Men are so backward to this Work are I. Because we have so little of the Love of God Self-love puts us upon Supplication but the Love of God upon Praise and Thanksgiving 'T is a Token of great Love to Praise God without Ceasing We are eager to have Blessings and then forget to return and give God the Glory II. And partly Neglect of Observation We do not gather up Matter of Thanksgiving Colos. 2. 4. Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving We should continually observe Gods Answers and Visits of Love Manifestations of himself to the World The Reason then why we have no more pleasure in Praising God is because we observe not so heedfully as we
If we did not think Gods Eye a Fancy and fond Conceit we would at least walk more humbly It would trouble us exceedingly if men had a Window into our Hearts in a time of Prayer why not because God seeth How watchful are we not to incur the penalty of mans Law but offences against God are lightly passed over With what Copiousness and flowings of Language will men inlarge themselves in Prayer when in Company and how sleight and overly in Closet Duties if not wholy neglective of them which is in effect to say our heavenly Father seeth not in secret SERM. CLXXXIV PSALM CXIX VER 171. My Lips shall utter praise when thou hast taught me thy Statutes IN the two former Verses he had prayed First For an increase of saving Knowledge Verse 169. Secondly For Deliverance out of his Trouble Ver. 170. He reinforceth his Request by a promise of Thankfulness if he could get a gracious Answer to that My lips shall utter praise c. In the Words we have First A Resolution of Praise My lips shall utter praise Secondly The Reason and Occasion of it when thou hast taught me thy Statutes First A Resolution of Praise The word for uttereth praise signifieth that praise should break from him as water boileth and bubbleth up out of a Fountain Indeed words come from the abundance of the heart Matth. 12. 34. either from the plenty of spiritual Knowledge Ioh. 4. 38. as a Fountain yieldeth water so his knowledge breaketh out into praises or from the plenty of spiritual Affection rather from the great esteem of the benefit or fulness of Joy at the thought of it 't is a great Priviledge to be delivered from Blindness and Ignorance To you 't is given to know the misteries of the Kingdom of God Matth. 13. 11. Now they that have a spiritual gust and taste are so affected with it that they cannot be enough thankful for it and 't is notable that this thankfulness is promised upon granting the first request Doctrine Divine Illumination is so great a gift that all who are made partakers of it are especially obliged to praise and thanksgiving This will appear by these Considerations I. That upon the receipt of every Mercy we should Praise God there is an equity in it for this is Gods pact and agreement with us Psal. 50. 15. Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me We are forward in supplications but backward in gratulations all the Lepers could beg health but one returned to give glory to God Luk. 17. 18. Self-love puts us upon Prayers but the love of God upon Praises Now we should be as much affected or rather more in the receiving mercies as we were in asking mercies because before we knew it only by guess and imagination but then by actual feeling and experience of the Comfort of it Therefore to seek and not to praise is to be loving to our selves II. Those that have received most from God are most bound to honour him and praise him for the Return must carry some proportion with the Receipt 2 Chron. 32. 25. Hezekiah rendred not according to the benefit done unto him Not according to the kind only good and not evil for good but according to the degree Great Mercies require great Acknowledgements she loved much to whom much was forgiven her and she loved little to whom little Luk. 7. 47. More sins pardoned more mercies received God expecteth more Love more Praise more Thanksgiving And Luk. 12. 48. For unto whomsoever much is given of him much shall be required and to whom men commit much of him will they ask the more Christ pleadeth the equity from the practice of men the more helps the more work and service we expect he should come sooner who rideth on horseback than he that cometh on foot so the more light and knowledge God vouchsafeth the more Honour and Glory he expecteth from us III. That we should praise God especially for spiritual benefits Usually those are overlooked but they deserve the greatest acknowledgment these are discriminating and come from special Love Corn Wine and Oyl are bestowed upon the World but Knowledge and Grace upon his Saints these are the favour of his peculiar People Psal. 106. 4. Remember me O Lord with the favour that thou bearest to thy people O visit me with thy Salvation To have the Favourites Mercy is more than to have a common Mercy Protection is the benefit of every subject but intimate and near admission is the priviledge of special Favourites Love and Hatred cannot be known by the things before us Eccl. 9. 1 2 3. Christ gave his Spirit to the good Disciples the keeping of the purse to Iudas 1. Partly Because these concern the better part the inward man 2 Cor. 4. 16. He doth us more favour that healeth a wound in the Body than he that soweth up a rent in the Garment is not the body more than Raiment the Soul more than the Body and the Soul as furnished with Grace more than the Soul only as furnished with natural gifts and endowments 2. And partly Because these are brought about with more ado than temporal favours God as a Creator and merciful upholder of all his Creatures doth bestow temporal Blessings upon the ungodly World even upon heathens who never heard of Christ yet saving Grace he bestoweth only as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Eph. 1. 3. with respect to the Merit of Christ who was to purchase these blessings before he could obtain them 3. And partly Because they are pledges of Eternal Blessings and the beginning of our Eternal Well-being Ioh. 6. 27. These and eternal Blessedness are so linked together that they cannot be separated Rom. 8. 29 30. For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformable to the Image of his Son that he might be the first fruits among many brethren Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified And Phil. 1. 6. Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Iesus Christ. 4. Partly Because these incline and fit the heart for Praise and Thanksgiving the one giveth occasion to Praise God the other an heart to Praise God outward mercies give the occasion to praise God these the diisposition other mercies the motives these the preparations these dispose the heart to it Psal. 119. 7. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart when I have learned thy righteous Iudgments here they dispose the Lip and open the Mouth Psal. 51. 15. O Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise The work of grace doth set our lips wide open in the magnifying and praising of God Grace is the matter of Gods praise and also giveth a ready Will to praise
be revived and what was cursorily sought at other times should now be sought with some Vehemency and Longings in Prayer Ier. 29. 13 14. When they shall seek me with their whole heart they shall find me and I will give them an expected end We do not stir up our selves to take hold of him Psal. 14. 7. Oh that the salvation of Israel were come cut of Zion There should be a Longing we should not content our selves with a few dead and drowsie Prayers 3. Salvation may be Comfortably expected from God for as necessity enforceth these Longings so Hope quickeneth them Now it may be expected for he is mighty to save Isa. 63. 1. he is willing to save a distressed People Ver. 5. I looked and there was none to help therefore mine own arm brought Salvation to me God strook in for the deliverance and help of his People when all humane help failed he did the work alone himself Once more when he meaneth to save he covereth himself with Frowns and Anger as if he meant to destroy Isa. 45. 15. Verily thou art a God that hidest thy self O God the saviour He seemeth to hide and stand aloof from his People in their Afflictions and carrieth himself so closely and covertly in the passages of his Providence that his People know not what he meaneth to do what is our work then but to keep Longing and Waiting and Looking to Gods hands till he have mercy upon us Doctrine II. That we should delight in the Promise before the Salvation cometh So doth David say here thy law is my delight that is whilst he was Longing for Gods Salvation and by Law is meant Gods Word in the General the Promise is included in it as well as the precept 1. A Believer should not be comfortless in his Troubles Ioh. 14. 1. Let not your hearts be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me Immoderate sorrow for temporal Evils will not become one that hath an interest in God and Christ whatever falls out in the World God is the same still and the Covenant is the same and our better part and our happiness is above the reach of Trouble there is a Long-suffering with Joyfulness Col. 1. 4. 2. All our delight and solace must not arise from the delights of Sense but out of the Word of God 'T is good to see what is our solace and support in Troubles for the man is as his solace is Psal. 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. How do we ease our selves in our perplexities and griefes is it with Gods Comforts Now Gods Comforts are Gospel Comforts the Comforts we have from the Word they will make us more love the Word and trust more upon Gods Word and the more confidently expect the performance of it 3. The Promises should support us upon a twofold account partly because they are good and partly because they are sure 1. They are good there is a fulness in Gods Allowance that suiteth with all our Cases Psal. 84. 11. For the Lord God is a Sun and a Shield he will give grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that live uprightly So 1 Tim. 4. 8. Godliness hath the promises of the life which now is and of that which is to come Heaven and Earth are laid at the feet of it A Man cannot desire a greater Cordial than necessary provisions for this and the future Life Psal. 119. 111. Thy testimonies I have taken for an herâ—…ge for ever they are the rejoicing of my heart The promises of the World to come should swallow up all our present grief for there is more in heaven than can be taken from us in the Creature 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory And Heb. 10. 34. And took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that in heaven ye have a better and a more induring substance We have a Treasure and an happiness elsewhere which cannot be infringed by the Afflictions we endure in this World we do not loose much if we get Eternal Salvation in the issue and so we get to Heaven no matter how dark soever our passage be then for the Promises of this Life they suit with all our Troubles Wants Dangers Breaches and Distresses But what confidence can we have of these Temporal Deliverances or Mercies Answ. Either we shall have the Mercies themselves or God will order Providences so as it may be good for us to want them and have something better given in lieu of them Rom. 8. 28. We know he will not leave us wholly destitute Heb. 13. 5. nor bring upon us insupportable difficulties 1 Cor. 10. 13. and this should be enough for us to maintain us in Life and Comfort 2. They are sure as well as good 1. As Promises a Promise is more than a purpose for 't is a purpose not as conceived in the mind of a man but declared to another to invite hope 't is more than a Doctrine a Doctrine giveth notice of Priviledges but a Promise giveth us an Interest in them 'T is more than a Revelation or Prophesie Scripture prophecies will be fulfilled because of Gods Veracity but Scripture promises not only because of Gods Veracity but also his fidelity and justice there is a kind of Righteousness in making good promises because we give another a Right and Claim to the things promised by the promises we make to him A promisory Lye is worse than an aâ—…ertory Lye a promise gives us an holdfast upon God promittendo se fecit debitorem 2. As the Promises of God who cannot Lye and deceive the Creatures Heb. 6. 18. That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to Lye we might have strong Consolation And therefore by acting Faith on these declarations of his Will we may have the Accomplishment of them none that euer depended on Gods Word were disappointed Psal. 18. 30. The word of the Lord is a tryed Word God was never yet found worse than his Word he hath been tender of the Credit of his Word Psal. 138. 2. Thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name Heathens have acknowledged that God hath never so much shewed himself in the World as in these two things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in doing good and keeping Promise Above all that is named and famed of God this is most Conspicuous Use Is to Exhort us all in our Streights Dangers and Troubles to be contented with his Word and to delight in the promise as if it were performed I shall here shew you how we are to carry our selves towards the promises 1. You must rest confident of the Truth of what God hath promised and be assured that in time the performance will come to pass as if you saw it with your Eyes Heb. 11. 13. They were perswaded
lives upon invisible things secured by Gods faithfulness p. 745 746 It hath an Eagles Eye p. 833. How to get it p. 834 Faith strengthned from the Consideration 1. Of Creation 2. Of Providence p. 584. From Events p. 285 Faith and Fear make us truly wise p. 645 Faith concerning the World to come a great help to the keeping of a good Conscience in this p. 417 Faith encreased by thankfulness p. 447 Faith Conjecture Opinion how they differ p. 286 Faith brings meat out of the caters p. 424. It keeps alive in a dead condition p. 161 How we may know that Faith is of Gods raising p. 327 Faith may Faint and not Fail p. 542. 836. It may fail in some degree p. 835 836 Faith its use in application of promises p. 768 Faith has notable operations 1. The adventure 2. The waiting 3. The resolution 4. The resignation 5. The prudence 6. The Obedience of Faith p. 326 Faithfulness of God relates to some promise it depends on Gods unchangeableness It has been evidenced in all Ages of the World p. 579 580. 831 Faithfulness of God to us should encourage our Faithfulness to him p. 581 How we are to depend on Gods Faithfulness p. 832 Seen 1. In bringing 2. Guiding afflictions p. 510 Falling of a greater dishonour to God then bare refusal p. 342 Fall All may fall in some measure p. 782 Fallen Man compared to a lost sheep p. 1101 Falshood is either 1. In point of Opinion or 2. Practise p. 678 Familiarity reconciles us to Troubles and Temptations p. 872 Familiarity with wicked persons to be avoided Why 1. From the contagion 2. The molestation 3. The seduction 4. The scandal that arises thence c. p. 774 775 Vid. Company of wicked men Family God provides for his Family p. 848 Fast-day the work thereof to put away the evil of our doings p. 658 Fatherly Love of God to his Children under discipline p. 592 Father of Mercies not of punishments p. 512 Favour of God in the sense of it may be withdrawn from his dearest children p. 925. It is the souls life p. 518 Favour of God sought for by all that chuse him for their portion Why When How p. 391 392 393 It is the fountain of all goodness p. 924 925 Favour of God the priviledge of those that walk with him p. 7. Gods Children account it a great favour if he will but look upon them p. 903. It is better than Life p. 926 Reasons 1. From the necessity 2. Their value of it 3. Their confidence p. 903 Fear is ballanced with a sence of Gods great mercies p. 994 Fear of God What p. 427. 290. Twofold Fear servile and filial p. 427 108 290 291 A great resister of sin p. 18. 664 665 A qualification of those that expect Counsel from God p. 154 The great principle of obedience p. 427 Fear filial twofold 1. Of Reverence 2. Caution p. 428 It s influence on obedience p. 428 429 Fear of God consistent 1. With blessedness 2. Comfort 3. Courage 4. Free Grace p. 429 430 Fear to off end an effect and sign of Love p. 861 A note of a true servant of God p. 290 291 292 Fear of God drives out the slavish fear of Man p. 808 Fear and Faith make us truly wise p. 645 Fear of Man a great snare p. 308 Fear of God from the Word of God p. 290 Fear and Shame how they differ p. 309 Feares and cares checkt by Gods Faithfulness p. 511 Feeling of deadness a sign of some life p. 934 Feet what meant by Feet in Scripture p. 400. 658. 395 Fellowfeeling a duty though we feel nothing in our own persons p. 145 Fellowship with the Godly a great happiness p. 527 Fervor and vehemency required in Prayer p. 898. 926 What it is How to obtain it p. 901 902 Vid. Earnestness and Vehemency A few wicked may bring great judgements p. 805 Few punished should make all the rest fear p. 809 Fickleness in obedience matter of humiliation p. 341 Vid. unsteadiness Fidelity in keeping the Commandements should be joyn'd with Faith in believing the promises p. 458 Firâ—… of Tryals purgeth away dross p. 803 Fixed Spirit its excellency p. 525 526 Necessary to the sound heart p. 532. 752 Means to get a fixed spirit p. 535. 596 Fixed desires after holiness to be laboured for p. 308 309 Flashes of Religion Vid. Moods Pangs Flee to Gods Mercy through Christ p. 517 Flesh not to be consulted p. 411 Floods of Wickedness breaking out should put us upon prayer that God would deliver his people p. 855 Fool hardiness to rush into evil Company p. 776 Folly in sinning p. 684 Fore-armed against temptations a duty p. 869 Forbearance of God with sinners upon what grounds p. 855 856 Force Some do good by Force Two ways p. 1076 Forfeiture of mercy by ingratitude p. 422 by using indirect means to get out of trouble p. 542 Forerunners of mercy p. 868 Forgetting is neglecting p. 553. 596 Forgetfulness of Gods Word p. 99 It is Twofold p. 596 Helps against it p. 100 We are naturally apt to forget God p. 366 Formality not regarded by God p. 44 Formalists insist much on little matters p. 33 Formal and Godly professors how they differ p. 12 Former judgments to be laid to heart when like sins abound p. 808 809. 345 Former judgements are to be told to after Ages p. 345 Forsaken of God visibly What 1. When God lets loose Enemies 2. When he comforts not 3. When he directs not 4. When he supports not in an afflicted condition p. 818 Forsaking utterly to be forsaken of God ought to be earnestly deprecated p. 336 Forsaking God and duty to him in trials VVhat 1. To lose our patience 2. Our Confidence in him 3. To desert the Truth p. 414 415 Arguments against forsaking of God ibid God forsaketh none but those that forsake him p. 498 Forsaking God is 1. Folly 2. Rebellion 3. Ingratitude 4. Injustice p. 349. 350 Fortitude true when we can bear reproach for Christ p. 870 Fortifie within against temptations without p. 343 Against 1. Errors 2. Persecutions 3. Scandals ibid. Foundation of the stability of Gods Testimonies 1. Gods Nature 2. The blood of Christ p. 957 Vid. Testimonies Foundation of Righteousness the sure Foundation p. 817 Foundation of spiritual Life said in the word p. 880 Fountain of all goodness is God p. 471 513 514 Fountain of wisdom and knowledge God p. 636 Frame of heart right 1. When the principle is right 2. When there 's a constant progression suitable to that principle p. 892 To long for subjection to the will of God p. 303 Frame of heart spiritual in holy things difficult to be maintained p. 754 Several enquiries about the frame of the heart p. 754 Frame of the heart required by the word as well as the outward Act p. 859 A right frame of heart in six particulars p. 478 Frame of heart evil when we continue not in