not perform it And Psal 56.4 In God I will praise his word And Psal 60.6 7. God hath spoken in his holiness I will rejoyce c. In a word It 's to little purpose to the children of God in a waiting posture to offer to be acquaint with the Word and make use of it except they lean their weight on it and be determined by it otherwise a man may sâ—arve beside his allowance he may see enough in the Bible to make him up and yet not be the better of it because he will not captivat his sense reason and carnal imaginations to credit and lay weight on it But to press and follow this forth I proceed to the 3d thing I proposed to be spoken to in this Head of Doctrine and it is the main thing to the end we may lean weight upon the Word and it may put an end to all controversies that may arise in our bosoms we would fix this principle that the Word of God is of Divine Authority and of infallible verity and certainty That 's a Principle a man that would live by Faith must fix that as it is Tit. 1.2 The Scriptures are the word of him that cannot lie Here it is that Faith resolving to wait on God must begin his exercise to fix this well that the Scriptures and the Doctrine contained therein are the Word of the faithful God that they are of infallible verity and Divine Authority and therefore when the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.19 is pressing upon believers to take heed to the Scriptures as a more sure word of prophecy than the voice that came from heaven He intimats in the two following Verses that that will be to no purpose except they know first that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation The meaning whereof is not that privat spirits must not Expone or give the sense of Scripture for the Passage speaks not of the interpretation or giving of the sense but of the authority of the Scripture In which sense Prophets were inspired to reveal the Word of God and his will betwixt him and men as Aaron was betwixt Moses and Pharaoh when Moses was unto him as a God as the Heathen Sybills werâ— called Deorum Interpretes and so the meaning is that the Scriptures are not of any private inspiration by men but from God as is contained in the reason which he gives in the next Verse For the Prophesie came not of old time by the will of men but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost These sure words of Prophecy â—ould he say to which I invite you to take heed are of Divine Authority spoken by holy men as they were inspired by the Spirit and his ye must know and believe ere ye can receive light and comfort from them Hence Paul dealing with Agrippa Act. 26.27 presses him to look to the Scriptures Divine Authority as being a solid ground of Faith King Agrippa believest thou the Prophets I know that thou believest he threaps upon him that he believed This Principle being necessary to be fixt our work in fixing it might soon be at an end if we were quit of the wicked and perverse clamours of Papists who expecting little kindness of the Scriptures as I asserted the last day are in tops with it at every bout they will have none to read the Scriptures without their licence and when they are read they will not have them a perfect rule for Faith and Manners without their traditions not will they grant that they can be understood without their interpretations And in the point I am upon they will not have the Scriptures to be of Divine Authority in respect of us what ever Authority they have of themselves more than the Fables of Aesop without the testimony of their Church so blasphemously speak they against that Scripture from which they expect so little friendship For us we acknowledge it is a mercy that there is a Church to hand down the Scriptures to us and that we have the testimony of the Church by her Ministry 〈◊〉 sure that testimony is not from the Romish Church only The Ancients when they speak of Testimonies concerning the Doctrine of the Scriptures adduce the Testimony of the Romish Church being then Orthodox only among other Churches and there are many other Churches beside the Protestants who acknowledge the authority of the Scripture and yet do not acknowledge the authority of the Church of Rome such as the Grecian Ethiopian Armenian Churches and others whatever the Church do in asserting the Authority of the Scriptures she is in that like the woman of Samaria Joh. 4. Who testified to the Samaritans concerning Christ saying Come see a man that told me all that ever I did is not this the Christ but when they came to him on her information they said Now we believe not because of thy information and saying for we have seen and heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the world They founded not their faith on her Testimony though that was inductive to their meeting with Christ but ascended to their own perswasion which was founded on their hearing of him themselves But to batter out this a little which ye may have to do with ere long to let you see that the Scripture must not subject its authority to the Roman Church I shall speak a little to these four 1. I enquire whether they have given this Testimony or not Further Whether it be arbitrary for them to give it or not if it be arbitrary and the Word have no Authority but at their pleasure they put a cheat upon the World by asserting the authority of that which hath no antecedent authority in it self But if it be not arbitrary but they are bound to give it and have given their Testimony already as Pope Innocent long ago pronounced his authority in his Decretal concerning the Scripture Then they can no more be heard pleading against the Authority of the Scriptures determining in these Controversies that are betwixt them and us 2. Who gives this Testimony The Pope or his Counsel or both Again How came they to give this Testimony They are perswaded or not perswaded are they not perswaded and yet give it then are they the grandest cheats in the world If they are perswaded how came they to that perswasion If they go up to the Church preceeding how was that Church perswaded and let them ascend as far as they can ascend they must still fist at some who were perswaded of the truth of the Authority of the Scriptures without any antecedent Testimony of the Church as for Revelations witnessing the Divine Authority of the Scriptures they will not pretend to them they call us Enthusiasts though falsely on that account and if they had that perswasion from the Scriptures themselves why may not others having the Spirit of God discern that Divine Authority of
the Scriptures without the Testimony of the Church as well as they But I shall add 3dly If any should ask who gave them that warrand to determine concerning the Authority of the Scriptures If they should say to a Pagan that is the Word of God I say it and I have authority to declare it If the Pagan should say where is your evidence that ye have that authority if they cannot adduce any may not he justly alledge that they bear Witness of themselves All the evidence they afford to any is that the Church of Rome is infallible and when they are put to that they adduce these passages Mat. 16.18 Thou art Peter c. Luke 22.32 Joh. 21.15 well say I have these Testimonies Divine Authority to perswade men concerning the infallibility of the Church of Rome and must men believe that antecedently to their receiving their testimony concerning the Scriptures If so then not only themselves who testify but others who are to receive their testimony must be perswaded of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures antecedently to that testimony In a word when they would prove their Authority they run to the Scriptures and in proving the Authority of the Scriptures they recurr to their own testimony and so run in a circle I might add a 4th thing to discuss their Authority from their own principles for the clearing of which I shall hint at three words I hope they will grant that they who testify concerning the Divine Authority of the Scriptures must be Christians not Pagans Church-Officers not Laicks Now by their principles how can they satisfie the Christian world that their Pope is not an un-baptized Pagan or a meer privat person I shall not found my doubt upon Pope Leo the Tenth his Creed that said The Fable concerning Christ had been a gainful Fable but upon their making the real administration of the Sacraments to depend upon the real intention of the Priest that administrats them And so I reason it is impossible morally to know that the present Pope is a baptized Christian or a Church officer in regard we cannot know what were the intentions of him that baptized or ordained â—im and what a blind is it to cause the authority of the Scriptures depend upon such an uncertainty 2. Consider again their sin of Simony we find their Histories full especially in these dark times some while bâ—fore the Reformation of their Symoniacal Popes who by budds and bribes and one by faigning a Voice from Heaven to out his Predecessor did advance themselves into the Chaiâ— Now by their own Cannon Law Symony makes void the Election and nullifies all the Acts following thereon Now suppose a Pope get into the Châ—ir by Symoâ—y and â—â—eats Cardinals who elect his successor their Act his Election are null and it is impossible they can be capable of any Ecclesiastical Act particularly for testifying concerning the authority of the Scriptures 3. I would know how the Christian world should know the Popes declaring concerning the authority of the Scriptures since very few have access to him except we take the Testimony of humane Writings or some wandring Priest with his Papal Bulls and Lead affixt to them Shall we give credit to these Bulls carried by his Priests because they have the ordinar Characters of Papal Bulls and shall â—e not for all the Divine Characters that are found in the Scriptures creâ—â—t them to be the Word of God From all which ye would learn to look upon the Romish Religion as a Religion wherein ye have no ground of certainâ—y to go on and so that there is no Faith in the Romish Religion but that which is ultimatly a humane Faith for if they give us Scripture how know 〈◊〉 that it is Scripture They tell us their Church says so 〈◊〉 know we the certainty of the Churches Testimony 〈◊〉 Pope says so and for that we have but the testimony of his humane Writings and of his Priests Bulls and suppose we should go to Rome we should not get easie access to him and though we should get access to him we know not what he is whether a baptized Christian or an unbaptized Pagan and the Priest that baptized him had not the due intention so that ultimatly all the Faith in the Romish Religion result into an humane report but if the Lord will I shall in the afternoon let you see other evidences of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures that we shall not need to go to Rome for their Testimony Take the Bible seek that Spirit that dictated the Bible look on the Scripture as a true History look oâ— it with that credit ye look on Titus Livius Quintus Curtius Buchannan or any other humane writing and they will prove their own Divinity This I say if the Lord will I shall follow forth more distinctly in the afternoon and therefore I leave it and speak a word to profane Cavillers at the Scriptures authority There is a word Christ hath in assorting the Divine Authority of Hâ— Doctrine which ye would notice Job 7.10 My doctrine is not mine but his that sent me if any man will do his will be shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self The meaning whereof is not that folks must first obey ere they know the Divinity of his Doctrine nor is it that the Word needs the charity of well disposed persons but this is it that he must be in a good frame that would take up the Divine Authority of the Word I mark it for this end because there are so many Atheists Anti-scripturists mockers of Scripture denyers of the Being of Spirits immortality of the Soul and of Rewards and Punishments after this Life and it is to little or no purpose to discourse to them of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures It is with them as with that man who said non persuadebis etiamsi persuaseris although thou convince me thou shalt not perswade me they have done with their part of happiness if the Scriptures be of Divine Authority and therefore they will not be perswaded that it is so for these I shall leave them to these two words one is Psal 9.16 The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth They that will not see God in his Bible shall see and find him in the execution of his Judgments upon them The other word is Zech. 1. when verse 4. he has spoken of their Fathers who when they were bidden turn would not hear nor hearken he says verse 6. But my words and my statutes did they not take hold of your fathers and they returned and said as the Lord of Hosts thought to do unto us according to our ways and according to our doings so hath he dealt with us I leave these malitious and desperat men who are hardned in their impiety to have the Scripture verified on them but a man that does the will of God that walks humbly
and soberly shall find that there are as many Characters shining in the Scripture it self as may refresh and satisfie him and all those who have their all in God God bless his Word to you for Christ's sake SERMON XXVIII Psalm 130. Verse 5. And in his word do I hope A Person without skill will readily mistake the best contrivances whoso without skill should look slightly upon a man building an House and digging very deep to seek a sure foundation for it whereby a great part of his expenses and pains is hid under ground would they not be ready to go and count that great cost but when the foundation is well laid the superstructure will stand the better So may it be with many in reference to the purpose I am now upon needy bodies would fain have something presently to fill their mouth they are not for frist but little do they consider that the Doctrine of this Text lays the foundations that cannot be destroyed The foundation of all their other food that they get from the Scripture and because this foundation is not well laid other things relating to their cases in the superstructure proves slipâ—y I am now upon the great Task of the Psalmist here waiting for God I have shewed the necessity of Faith and Hope for that undertaking the fastning of Faith and Hope in waiting on its sure ground the Word of God And I have laid before you the necessity of being acquaint with the Scriptures that it is your duty to be determined by the Scripture and to judge of all things according to the verdict of the Word and in prosecution of that I am led upon this great Truth That the Scriptures are of Divine Authority they are the Word of God I laid by the pretence of the Romish Church to assert the Authority of the Scriptures whose principles lead men in the matters of Religion to a labyrinth of unextricable uncertainties Now it would remain that I should hint at some things to clear the Divinity and Divine Authority of the Scriptures and the Doctrine therein contained not to Atheists to Whom I spake a word in the close of the mornings Exercise but to sober minded folk who would fain have their Faith helped in that concern and as the last day I recommended your Bibles to you to be made more use of that ye might have the word dwelling richly in you So this day I would recommend to all to take another and a better look of their Bibles that they may see them and the Doctrine held out therein clearly and distinctly to be Divine One word I premit which would lead me to that I would speak to here and ye will find it Psal 119.152 You read it in your Translation Concerning thy testimonie I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever but the Original reads it word for word thus From thy testimonies I have learned of old that thou hast founded them for ever wherein ye may take notice of these three 1. What he learned concerning the Scriptures that God had founded them for ever that is That they were and are an unalterable and everlasting foundation of Faith having a Divine Authority stamped upon them 2. When he learned this of old not only from experience but he learned it as the first principle he had drunken in That was would he say the A B C. of my Religion a Peter hath the word in that forecited place 2 Pet. 1.20 Know this first c. 3. Whence he learned this From thy testimonies I learned it saith he I needed not another evidence thy Testimonies when my eyes were open discovered to me their divine authority and infallible verity Hence ye may gather that which I closed with in the morning That if ye suppose the Historical verity of the Scriptures they will prove their Divinity to any who have the Spirit of God or to any who receive the Scriptures as a true History the Scriptures themselves will prove themselves to be Divine Writings So here ye have 1. The Historical verity of the Scriptures supposed 2. Their Divine Authority proposed and 3. The necessity of the Spirit to discern that 1. I suppose that men receive the Scriptures as a true History that is that men will give that credit to the Word that they give to any common History handed down to their days to wit that there was such a Nation as Israel that there was such a man as Moses that gave them Laws that was instrumental in working miracles in bringing them out of Egypt and in the Wilderness that there was such an one as Jesus Christ that preached in Palestine was crucified at Jerusalem that he had twelve Apostles that followed him c. This is to be supposed in this inquiry concerning the Authority of the Scriptures neither is it irrational to suppose it Though there be no vestige of that antient City of Troy now yet who doubts but such a City was And that Homer wrote not a meer Romance whatever Poetical enlargements he has when he wrote of it Who doubts of Alexander the Great though his Empire be now gone and that Q Curtius wrote of him Who doubts of the Roman Wars and that Titus Livius wrote of them when men get these Books in their hands they look not on them as fables and if so how rationally do we plead that the like Credit be given to the Scriptures that they may have the like acceptance if any account this irrational he must grant that he will not believe any thing done before his own time nay that he will not believe any thing done in his own time if he see it not done with his eyes and thus a man questioning the Historical verity of things should nonpluss himself with absurdities and declare that he were fitter for a Bedlam than to be Disputed with But 2. This being supposed there is their Divine Authority proposed to be spoken to the Scripture it self will prove it self a true Divine word they often do solemnly declare they are of God that God spoke them to Moses the Prophets and assert that what they spoke are the truths of God and that they do not cheat in this assertion whoso will go through the Characters of the words Divinity they will be convinced of it But a man falling on that subject must say as Psal 106.2 Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord Who can shew forth all his praise I might here speak of the form and stile of Scripture of the scope and end of it leading to God and Everlasting happiness but I shall limit my self to the antiquity of the Scripture the instruments employed in transmitting it to us the matter of the Scripture the efficacy and success of them and the adjuncts of the Scripture 1. For the antiquity of the Scripture that is most true which is most antient and so is the Scripture for however error may plead antiquity yet truth had
used by the Papists against us concerning the Spirits testimony it is not by way of Enthusiasme or any new Revelation but by way of gift from God opening our eyes to discern the wonders of his Law and so it is not required to prove the Scriptures to be Divine but to assure us they are Divine because there be some to whom the Gospel is hid not that a saving work of the Spirit is requisite to take up these evidences of the Divinity of the Scriptures for a temporary may taste of the good Word of God and yet fall away Heb. 6. But a common illumination of the Spirit is necessary to take up these evidences the Scripture gives of its Divinity Now I have been long upon this Head which is Doctrinal and though it be so it shall not be in vain if it be a mean to fix your Faith and Hope in this Principle that the Scriptures are the Word of God and of Divine Authority The Scriptures are the Word of Truth by which we are begotten Jam. 1.18 His Law is the truth Psal 119.142 The Scriptures are a more sure word of prophesie whereunto ye do well to take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place 2 Pet. 1.19 When David is comforting himself against the rising of enemies like the mighty Waters and Waves of the Sea he says Thy testimonies are very sure Psal 93.5 And then they are a tryed word Psal 12.6 The words of the Lord are pure words as silver tried in a furnace of earth purified seven times Ye would reduce these things to your practice and seek to have the Word of God to be found that which it is called in your experience But that which I intended to have insisted upon is to leave a sad check upon the generality of you that see so little of God in your Bible Something hath been said to hold forth the Divine Authority of the Scriptures but I confess it 's but a spilt commendation that hath been given this word yea it fears me more hath been said than even ye that have Bibles discern O will ye consider how men of old have experienced the Divinity of this word and have found it to be of God and have fallen down and confessed worshipping God saying God is in you of a truth 1 Cor. 14.25 All the fores that Christianity now hath do not contribute to make the Word so successful as it hath been in times of persecution wherefore it is so soon passed from by many in times of trial because the Divine Authority thereof is not stamped on hearts and God is not made use of and imployed to write it upon the heart Let this be looked upon partly as the practical use of what ye have heard partly to excite you to bless God ye have this Word Ye are not behind so long as ye have your Bibles though ye were straitned in many other things and partly to humble you that ye may blush and be ashamed that the Divine vertue and efficacy that wont to accompany the Scriptures is so little found in this generation and upon your hearts SERMON XXIX Psalm 130. Verse 5. And in his Word do I hope WAiting for God being the great and trying task of of the godly man as ye have heard who afterhend his wrestling with the deeps of difficulties and with insupportable pressures of guilt must learn also by patient waiting for God to wrestle with delays to the answers of Prayer or the longed for outgate prayed for whether as to issue or comfort These that are put to this trying task and seriously engaged in it had need to be well supported that they may bide it out till they meet with the end of the Lord. This is it which I am now upon in these words wherein the Psalmist after that he hath profesâ— he is waiting waiting for the Lord that his soul doth wait he adds in the next place an account of his support in waiting that therefore he waited because he hoped in the Word of God I wait c. I have spoken already to the first general Doctrine in these words that patient waiting on God cannot be gotten cherisht without the exercise of Faith and Hope no man can say I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait but he that can say he hopes and trusts in God I wait saith he because I hope I have also near put a close to what I would say from the second general Obervation to wit that this Faith and Hope that supports the patient waiter for God that sends the believer and carries him thorow in waiting for God till the outgate come must take the Word for its ground and measure I wait because I hope and hope because I have the Word of God for the ground of my hope Ye may remember that from this I have spoken to these three which I wish may not evanish with the Preaching 1. That really needy Saints put to wait for God and in waiting for him put to live by Faith and Hope will be much conversant with the Word of God they must learn to be acquaint with the Scriptures to know what is there for their direction or encouragement or both 2. That these who would wait for God in the way of believing and hoping must learn to judge of things according to the Word and be determined by the Word that it may be the ground of Faith and beget Hope otherwise it will be to little purpose for a man to be acquaint with the Scriptures from end to end if he improve it not but starve beside his allowance And 3. For this end such as are put to wait for God and to have their encouragement from the Word that they may lean weight upon it they would be fixed in this Principle that the Word of God is of Divine Authority and infallible certainty they would believe and hope in in it as Gods Word In his Word do I hope And as the day before I pressed upon you thâ— use of your Bibles that ye might be better acquainted with them and with the grounds of your Faith and Hope therein contained so the last day I insisted long to give you a right impression of the Bible that it is the Word of God and of Divine Authority the Historical verity whereof being granted which cannot rationally be denyed the Scriptures will prove themselves to be of Divine Authority and I would now intreat you to study these two Sermons well that ye may have the Divine Authority of the Scriptures fixt upon your hearts that ye may lay weight on them feed on them and converse with them with more delight And then what shall I say for the need of proofs for the Divine Authority of the Scriptures when the efficacy of it upon your hearts shall be a proof thereof as the effects and success of it of old is a standing Witness that it is not the word of man but the Word of
of Promise In the next place I shall speak somewhat to hoping in his word The term in the Text is In his word do I hope as Faith gives subsistence to things promised and doth not suspend all benefit and use of the Promises until they be performed So hope looks out for the actual accomplishment and performance of the Promises A Saint believing the Word and feeding on that which Faith gives a subsistence to in the word he looks out by hope for the accomplishment of that which it finds to subsist in the word I shall deduce this as briefly as I can and leave this Note and the Verse in these two 1. Remember that true Believers wealth lyes in hope or things before their hand They have no existence but in the word of promise The first or at least a very conspicuous mark of an adopted Child of God is that he is put to his Hopes to his Too-looks and to live that way he that 1 Joh. 3.2 can say I am a son of God and it doth not appear what I shall be but when he appears I shall be like him for I shall see him as he is Must add in the 3. verse He that hath this hope in him must purifie himself c. He that according to Gods abundant mercy is begotten again is begotten unto a lively hope His Regeneration breaths out Hope because his happiness is before his hand 1 Pet. 1.3 And beside his too-looks to issues here that he holds by hope his great too-look is his Hope which is laid up for him in Heaven Col. 1.5 and in that forecited place 1 Pet. 1.3 He that is begotten again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Christ from the dead it is to the hope of an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved for him in Heaven his great hope is the hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began Tit. 1.2 His hope is a hope set before him Heb. 6.18 Now a Believers wealth lies in things before his hand or the Saints portion lies in their hopes and too-looks because God is reserving their happiness for the fittest place and season he will have them brought where their happiness is before he give them the wealth he hath promised because neither could they be capable of it nor guide it here and while he suspends their Hope he does them good by holding them waiting looking out and pursuing for these things promised a pursuers life being the best life 2. As the great portion of the Saints is before their hand so their great work lyes in the exercise of Hope It is not enough for a saint to be begotten again to a lively hope of an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fades not away reserved for him in heaven but he must be putting out his Hope to feed upon it to look and long for it If ye consider Negatively what a saint is without hope in reference to temporal issues David will tell you in that Psal 27.13 I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living if my hope had failed me I had been undone and in reference to Eternity Paul tells us 1 Cor. 15.19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men the most miserable which may be understood both of things hoped for of the Grace of Hope looking for them and hence Heb. 6.19 Hope is called the anchor of the soul sure and stedfast entring into that within the vail to assure us that if hope be not exercised storms will drive a tossed soul and make it run the hazard of shipwrack but hope the souls anchor cast upon good ground drives not and preserves the soul from ruine Hence also Eph. 6.17 Hope is called the helmet of salvation because it is that which keeps off many a deadly stroke off a saint The head being the seat of the senses especially of the judgment and memory If a man keep his head and a bit about his heart well there is the less hazard of wounds in other places of his body that they prove deadly Now Hope is an Helmet to keep the head And as considering Negatively what a saint is without hope we will find great need of the exercise of hope So look on it positively hope exercised and kept at work brings in many noble advantages to the soul as I said of the man that is a Believer so may I say of him that is a hoper indeed O what a made up man is he he may say I will wait because I hope in his word he is a great gainer by Tribulation and may glory in it when tribulation works patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope makes not ashamed Rom. 5.3 Ye have it recommended Rom. 12.12 To rejoyce in hope and that will produce patience in tribulation and continuing instant in Prayer hope exercised makes patience and prayer to thrive well and a man to go on in his way not heartlesly but rejoycing And Heb. 3.6 We are bidden hold fast our confidence and the rejoycing of hope firm unto the end what shall I say of them Heb. 10.34 who not only sympathised with others in affliction but took joyfully the spoiling of their goods Why knowing in themselves that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance they had the hope of a better Treasure From all that hath been said on this let me exhort you who have been put and may yet more be put to it To wait for God to study to be better acquaint with your Bibles to believe the divine Authority of the Scriptures and on that account to put forth your Faith and Hope to exercise upon the Scriptures that ye may feed on the Promises by Faith and rejoyce in hope of the accomplishment of them that will make you patient in tribulation and to continue instant in prayer And for a close of all that hath been said to you on this matter would ye know what ye are doing in this exercise of Hope in your waiting for God or the good things be hath promised or what Characters ye have of it I shall only desire you to look to these three 1. Look to Hopes langour if ye be waiting for God and if your waiting be an affectionat waiting if your soul be waiting and looking out in hope to that great and ultimat hope of Believers try what languor is in thy affection for the marriage day What languor thou hast to see how the Crown and the Robe will set thee to see God as he is to see God incarnat in thy own nature to see the Lamb and to follow him wherever he goes and to be made like him Try what there is of warmness of affection longing without fretfulness haste or passion upon the one hand and careless indifferency and stupidity upon the other that is a good
Prayers he will be looked down upon and lightly esteemed and that he that was wont to soar in Prayer will do much if he can creep on the Ground but that clipping of Prayer is a restraint of Prayer before God I shall add 3ly That many restrains Prayer that neither quites nor clips Prayer of whom if ye judge by their frequent continuance and the edge they have in Prayer ye will find no difference betwixt what they are now and what they were formerly and ye will not easily know their restraining Prayer and yet they restrain it for in stead of humble Supplications their Prayers are made up of murmuring and quarrelling And this way of Praying is much the way of them who are of the best stamp that take out of their Prayers their quarrellings complaints glooms and frowns ye will get little of the poor mans Supplications in their Prayers Look to these things as Glasses wherein ye may see your short-comings and guilt and I intreat the Lord to bless them to you for that end and for your exciting to more fervency to Prayer And remember when I press upon you crying out of the depths that I press a peremptor Duty on you and that every neglect of Prayer while ye are in the Depths disposes you to Apostasie and is a step to your ruine SERMON III. Psalm 130. Vers 1. Out of the depths have I cryed unto thee O LORD 2. Lord hear my voice let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications THE Psalmist as ye have heard being in distress is put to wrestle in the first six Verses of this Psalm partly with the Difficulties and plunging perplexities in his case vers 1 2. Partly with the sense of guilt that might hinder his access or hope of audience vers 3 4 And partly with Gods delaying to answer him and give him an issue vers 5 6. For the first contained in the first and second vers Ye may remember that I took it up in these four 1. That which he wrestles with which he expresseth under the name of Depths 2. His way of wrestling with these Depths viz. by Prayer He cryed out of the depths 3. He reflects on this his exercise and avows it before God Out of the depths have I cryed unto thee O Lord. And lastly He prosecutes his Exercise of Prayer presses for audience in a new suite vers 2. Lord hear my voice let c. For the first of these what he wrestled with the depths I spake to it and insisted to Explain that Metaphor of depth or depths and shew what affinity there may be betwixt that and the Distresses and Perplexities of the People of God and spoke somewhat to the use of it For the Second of his Crying out of the Depths I have spoken also to that and deduced the point a little and shew you how Distresses and Perplexities puts the Saints to Prayer and what is imported by Crying in Prayer ye may remember that I was cut off by Time at a word of Use which was a sad regrate that Distresses should be upon the People of God and yet Prayer restrained that there should be so much Trouble and so little Crying Several Scriptures I laid before you wherein the People of God as in a glass may read their foul spots in this matter I Proceed to some moe Uses The second in order shall be this if it be sad to see the People of God in Distress and yet not Praying it must be yet more sad to see them in Distress and in stead of Praying taking sinful shifts to extricate themselves out of the Depths wherein they are That the Trouble which is sent to call them to God should be so improved as if it had a Commission to drive them from God That if there be a sinful shift to be had they will try that before they think on Prayer before they stoop to think on calling on God It 's a sad Complaint of a wicked Generation that ye have Jer. 2.30 In vain have I smitten your children it 's to no purpose that I have taken pains upon them for they received not correction they will not stoop to it they will not improve it as a Correction from God for Sin and would ye know how ye shall ponder these Scriptures which will lay before you what I would say further on this Use One is Hos 5.13 When that People saw their wound what did they with it they went to the Assyrian and sent to king Jareb They were so far from calling on God that they took a sinful shift to bring them out of the present Trouble Another is Is 1.5 Why should ye be stricken any more it 's to no purpose for smite you as I will ye will revolt more and more to smite you that 's the high gate if ye were ill before to make you worse If you was far from God to drive you further from him A third Scripture is that spoken of Ahaz 2 Chr. 28.22 Who in the time of his Distress in stead of turning to God did trespass yet more and more against the Lord this is that king Ahaz who in his Distress would not Pray but would worship the gods of the Syrians who he pretended had helped them against him I shall say no more to this Use but look to it it 's a dreadful thing when Trouble makes folk worse than they were before Trouble came on them and I shall add that a People taken pains upon by Trouble and not Crying out of the Depths unto God they are in the nearest capacity of any to encrease their Trespass under it a Prayerless Trouble will be a singularly plagued Trouble to them that are under it But a third word of Use shall be by way of Prevention of a Cavillation or Objection It may be said there may be a great deal of din made of Crying and Turning to God in Trouble but are there not many who never owne God in their Trouble and who if they can have a sinful shift take them to it and yet these come through when Praying folk stick in the Mire To prevent this Cavlllation or Objection I say take this word of Use that if it be a duty to cry out of the Depths to God then it is a plague for folks to be brought out of Trouble and not sent to God by Prayer when they are brought through their Trouble and never sent to God to make earnest of their turning to him Job 36.13 When Elihu is pressing upon folk the right improving of Affliction he adds but the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath they cry not when he bindeth them they heap up wrath why they cry not when he bindeth them If we will believe the Spirit of God speaking in Scripture a person not Crying to God when God binds him he heaps up wrath against himself And I shall desire such as swatter through their Trouble miskenning God to consider these three things
a testimony of their reading of it what a monstruous neglect is it 2. Consider that it is a mean of God's Converse with us There is a double mean of intercourse and converse betwixt God and us on our part we converse with him by Prayer by sending up our beggar supplications to Him we traffick with Heaven by our necessities vented in Prayer to God upon the one hand and upon the other hand it is by these Scriptures that God corresponds visibly with us and sends messages to us Hence I infer and look to it That neglecters to converse with the Scripture not only obstruct God's intercourse and provocks him to give up correspondence with them in his Word nay his dwelling in them for Joh. 15.7 Speaking of his abiding in us and we in him he says If ye abide in me and my words in you he in stead of putting in his abiding puts in his words abiding in us because it is by his word he abides in us But I say it is to be feared that neglecters of converse with the Scripture not only obstruct God's correspondence with and dwelling in them but that they also cut short the converse on their side with Heaven by needy Prayer Let them never say that they are serious in Prayer that neglect to read the Scriptures though a man may read much that prays not for these are not reciprocal yet he can never be serious in prayer that reads none he must be a delighter in the Scripture that converses with God by prayer if then ye neglect reading ye not only obstruct Gods intercourse with you but yours with him And I shall add in the 3d. place there is not a more infallible mark of Grace and Regeneration nor to be much acquaint and conversant with the Scripture delighting therein and feeding thereon I shall not urge that natural Axiom iisdem nutrimur ex quibus constamus we are nourished of the same things we are made of but I shall give it you in Scripture terms Compare these two 1 Pet. 1.23 and 2.2 â—n the one passage it is said Ye are born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever In the other passage as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby If a man be begotten and born by the word he will desire the sincere milk of the Word that he may grow and be nourished by it and in this I may allude to that of David Psal 119.93 I will never forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickened me A man that hath found the Word powerful pulling him from Nature to Grace from the power of Sathan to God will not forget it but must be conversant with it And I shall add in the fourth place as the frequent use of the Scripture is a blessed proof of Regeneration so it is an evidence of a tender man The untender man takes advice from any thing that may bring him pleasure advantage or preferment and accordingly steers his course but the tender man must have directions from the Word else he will not stir in any thing he far transcends these Grecians who being at their Sacrifice would not stir from it though the enemy approached and killed some and wounded others till they got some good signs and then they got up and went to it So the tender man in all his cases and difficulties will take his directions from the Bible and then he goes to it for his encouragements and hence Psal 1.2 The blest man is he who delights in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth meditat day and night He must not want his Bible what ever he want and that is a tender man who like David in a distress must encourage himself in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30.6 or else he will not be encouraged There is a 5th thing that presses this duty of conversing with the Scripture and it is the thing in hand the godly man hath so many needs that he must not want the Bible to make up and supply them he is put to fend by Faith and Hope and Faith and Hope must not want the Scriptures the ground of both there is no pasture for Faith and Hope but the Scripture Therefore the godly man must be conversant with it he must have his all in God and must study to know the mind of God that he may please him in all things The godly man is called to live by Faith and must know what Faith hath to feed on and this puts him to converse with Scripture As I said before The Bible is the Charter of his Inheritance the Rule that he must walk by his Elder Brother's Testament the Compass he must steer his course by in storms his Magazine for weapons and furniture his Touch-stone that he must try all Duties and Comforts by in all these and many mo he hath need of the Bible and therefore if his grace be in exercise he must be much conversant with it I shall not fall on any of the other Heads but exhort you while ye have the light to walk in the light and while ye walk in the light make use of the Bible let this Word not be sown in the wind but let it be as a good and a nail fastened by the Masters of Assemblies Acquaint your selves with the Bible through and through read it and depend on God for the blessing delight in it meditatâ—on it hereby ye shall evidence your esteem of it as most excellent above all other Books Hereby ye shall evidence your esteem of and converse with God your Regeneration and walk with God that ye dwell in God and have your all in him and that ye rest on what he has spoken in the Scriptures for making up all your wants God bless his Word to you for Christs sake SERMON XXVII Psalm 130. Verse 5. And in his Word do I hope WAiting for God being as ye have heard it the excellent yet difficult and trying task of the Saints surely they stand in great need to be well beam-fiâ—led and stocked that would engage in such an undertaking lest they weary of waiting on God and row to some other shore and this is it that the Psalmist here is from his own experience and practice directing us in after that he hath in the first place asserted his waiting and next his waiting for the Lord. And 3. That his waiting is not degenerat in a careless indifferency and stupidity but however he did cast out bitterness haste and fretfulness out of his waiting yet it did not cool his affection was not blunted for his soul did wait after that I say he proceeds to give an account of his support in waiting my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope he tells that it was Faith and hope that enabled and supported him to wait for God Ye may remember that the first
God that works effectually in them that believe I proceed now to a 4 thing which I have yet to add and that is to put the two Points together Faith and Hope and hoping in his word That since we have the Scriptures and since the Scriptures are of Divine Authority we would put forth Faith and Hope to feed upon that which is contained there Faith to believe and Hope to look for all that we find in so divine and sure a word and that I may make something out of this and so have done with this Verse I shall hint at some things distinctly required both to Faith and Hope And 1. For Faith the Apostle tells Heb. 11.1 That faith is the substance of things hoped for The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies that it is the subsistence of things hoped for Things hoped for being held forth in the Word Faith gives them a subsistence before they exist in themselves which is not to be understood absolutely for it is in the Promises of God revealing the purposes he hath concerning these things and the Power of God effectuating them that gives them an absolute subsistence before they be Faith gives them a subsistence instrumentally and relatively while it leads the believer to close with the Promises wherein those things subsists and while it gives them a subsistence in the heart of the believing man Now this subsistence Faith gives to things promised two ways 1. More absolutely while Faith enables the believing man to look on whatever God hath promised as no less certain than if it were in his hand like these that reckon their riches not so much by their present stock or that which they have in their hands as by what they have owing them by Bonds of responsal Debitors So the Believer reckons God's Promises as so many Bonds making the things promised as sure as if they were in his hands and this had need to be looked to by us for I know not if every man that hath the Promises among his hands puts forth his Faith vigorously to believe them a man may have the Promises and not contradict them nor doubt of them while he lets them ly by him and does not rouze up his Faith to actual exercise in closing with them and resting upon them and when folks are not actually doubting Christ finds it necessary to rouse up and quicken them actually to believe as Mark 11.22 Have faith in God saith he to the Disciples look that your Faith be on foot and in exercise that ye take not the Promises lying by you without contradicting them for Faith but rouze it up to improve them and Joh. 11.25 When Christ is holding out precious Promise◠to Martha That he is the resurrection and the life That he that believeth on him though he were dead he shall live he shall never die He finds it necessary to put her to it with this question Believest thou this I suppose thou wilt not doubt of it Martha but is thy Faith quickned and put forth to exercise on what I have said to thee actually to close with it and rest upon it as the true and faithful sayings of God But 2. Faith gives things a subsistence not only by way of contemplation in bringing the Believer to believe they are true but by way of application to himself that is it so gives a Subsistence to them as the believing man gets the substance of them as the word is Translated in that forecited place Heb. 11.1 for his present use comfort and encouragement till the performance come It gives them a subsistence when the substance of the things promised is made out to the believer as if they were performed ye use to account them dyvors and spend christs that forenail their rent continually but Faiths vertue stands in forenailing yet without diminishing the things promised the believer suspends not all the things in the Promises till he get them in his hand the beeing of the Promise is a foundation to him and Faith brings in the substance of the thing promised 1 Pet. 1.8 Though he see not Christ yet believing he rejoyceth with joy unspeakable and full of glory and it is a notable word which ye have Joh. 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life He is not a man only that shall have everlasting life but he hath it already in several respects in right and tittle and in the first fruits his very believing puts him in a begun possession of everlasting life this is the unknown Art of the Life of Faith that it fetches its food from far to him that hath it it brings the first fruits of the promised Land to the wanderer in the wilderness a cluster of Grapes from the brook Escol to the barren desart it mounts up with wings as Eagles to bring down life and quickning to our creeping and wrestling motions here below Thus ye have a very brief hint of Faith of that Faith whereby ye are to live and feed on what is in the Word of Promise though it be not accomplished I shall only give you one instance of it which may discover to many how little they know of this Act of living by Faith closing with the Promise and feeding on it ere the performance come The instance is that of the Patriarchs who lived before Christs Exhibition in the flesh look upon it in Abraham of whom it is said Joh. 8.56 He rejoyced or as the word will bear he skipped for joy to see Christ's day and he saw it and was glad whether he saw it in the Promises only or generally in the Sacrifices also or particularly in that Providence of the Ram put in his hand to offer up in stead of his Son Isaak Gen. 22.13 It is all a matter he got such a sight of Christ in those and so closed with the thing Promised that he skipped for joy And the like instances we have given of all the Patriarchs in that word Heb. 11.13 which may make many blush when they read it These all says the Apostle died in faith They were not content meerly to have a life of Faith but they died in faith not having received the promises or though they received not the things promised But what did they Having seen them a far off to wit in the Promises and in the Types illustrating them What more They were perswaded of them the first thing I said before of Faiths giving a subsistence to things hoped for and what more They embraced them they hugged them and what more They confest they were pilgrims or strangers on the earth They saw as much by Faith in the Promises which were not to be accomplisht in all their lifetime as made them up and made them to confess that they were pilgrims here Try your selves by these measures and see what ye have won to like this Faith believing and putting forth Faith to exercise feeding on and fending by Faith in the word
merciful bowels to deal about them according to their ability and as there is cause and a cruel unmerciful disposition is a shrewd token that such an one has not obtained mercy But more of this afterward 5. And Lastly The Objects of this Mercy are described to be tender walkers according to the Rule and Pattern set before them Gal. 6.16 As many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy Their tender walk puts them not without Mercies mister The more tender they are in their walk they see the more need of mercy and this keeps them under the drop of mercy So much for the Object of this Mercy that is with God and for the characters of them to whom it is exprest which would be looked to by all of you who would be partakers of it I proceed now in the 3d place to speak to the properties of this Mercy which will help to unfold the nature of it a little more distinctly and among all the Properties that might be assigned to it a little briefly to these five 1. This would be fixed that the mercy of God is a real mercy Ye will get fair weather and complemental mercy enough in the World mercy professed where it is not and where it kythes not in any effect ye will get mercy enough like that Jam. 2.15 When a brother or sister is naked or destitute of daily food men that will say to them depart in peace be ye warmed and filled but they give them nothing needful for the body The whole world as one says are like Histrionicks counterfeit masked persons and in nothing more than in their pretences and professions of mercy but the mercy of God is a real mercy a mercy that folk may lippen to if ye enquire for it in the inward affection what can be required but it is adduced to express it Isai 23.15 It is exprest by sounding of the bowels Jer. 31.20 By bowels being troubled or moved Hos 11.8 By the turning of the heart within and repentings kindled together All these expressions are to point out how cordial and real the Lord is as to the inward affection of mercy and for the Effects of it men want rather eyes to discern them than the mercies themselves Even his own people are straitned in their own bowels how to keep the proofs of mercy when his heart is enlarged to bestow them and yet they never want a proof of his mercy while they have a room in the Hospital of his Heart and Faith to believe that they are in the Hospital of his Compassion that is an evident proof how real his mercy is 2. As his mercy is real so the Scripture tells it is that wherein he delights Mic. 7.18 He retains not his anger for ever Why Because he delights in mercy No but he delights in himself and in all his Attributes and in the manifestation of them in the World but in a peculiar manner in his mercy upon divers accounts He may be said to delight in it partly on the account of the frequency of his merciful dispensations and manifestations in acts of mercy For works of Judgment towards his people are his Work his strange Work and his Act his strange Act. Isai 28.21 But the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord Psal 35.5 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth to such as keep his covenant c. Psal 25.10 Again he delights in mercy because there is nothing flows from him but that which may invite not hinder sinners from coming to him being objects of his mercy It is true he willeth the death of sinners for sin to glorifie his Justice Yet Ezek. 18.23 He hath no pleasure at all in the death of him that dieth but rather that he should return from his ways and live Nothing flows from him to seclude any from his mercy that will not seclude themselves even when he strikes it is to drive to his mercy when he afflicts the language is Turn you and live why will ye die O house of Israel Again he delights in mercy because all the good he doth to his people he doth it not grudgingly Many a good turn among men is as ye speak spilt in the doing But the good that he does to his people he does it with his whole heart and soul Jer. 32.41 He acts mercy toward his people to speak so as one in his own Element and as going about a work that is kindly to him if I may so word it And lastly he delights in mercy because to speak after the manner of men he hath no pleasure that his people should ever raise any cloud betwixt his mercy and them the people of God cannot do themselves a greater wrong nor him a greater unkindness if ye understand it aright than by their provocations to incapacitat him to manifest his mercy towards them But mistake not this for he hath a Soveraignty in his grace even when they in a manner necessitat him to keep up the acts of his mercy and to afflict them hence when they go onfrowardly in the way of their own heart his tender mercy will make a stepping-stone of impediments that are put in its way Isai 57.17 Because he delights in mercy he will come over all these impediments to do them a good turn freely And that is a 3d property of this mercy it is a free mercy it is a mercy bestowed without money and without price But this as I told you the last day is comprehended under the notion of Grace that is imported in the Goodness of God in that it is freely given And therefore Exod. 33.19 cited Rom. 9.15 He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy compassion c. And it 's not in him that wills nor in him that runs but in God that shews mercy There is no place for disputing here Why he will have mercy on such and such and not on others it is an act of his royal prerogative in grace that none can hinder for who can hinder him to do with his own what he will A 4th Property of this mercy with God is That it is an eternal mercy I do not mean that any creature that gets not an Interest in the mercy of God in this life may look to be partaker of it after this life that was the Opinion of Origen that Devils and damned men and women should at length share in the mercy of God Either thou must grip mercy here or thou hast done with it eternally But to them that close with mercy here it is an everlasting mercy Hence is that over-word of the 136. Psalm His mercy endureth for ever and Psal 103.17 His mercy is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him from election to their eternal glorification so David finds that his tender mercies and loving kindnesses have been for ever of old And the Church Lam. 3.23 finds It is of the
of the Word when folk know not their wealth contained in their Charter When folk are like Hagar beside the Well and yet like to cast their Ishmael from them like to die for thirst because their eyes are not open to discern it Ignorance undoes many folk because they know not their allowance And another hazard upon the other hand that by pressing you to be acquaint with the Scripture I would have avoided and that is the hazard of mistaking and over-reaching when folks lusts and carnal expectations would make a light and ground of expectation to themselves when they look for what God hath not promised or hath not absolutely promised or not always these are dangerous we had need to have our expectations well bottomed lest a disappointment founded on a mistake make us to misbelieve that which is really promised a crush in a carnal expectation may make us look on the Bible as a poor Cordial in difficulties we would therefore guard against both ignorance and mistaking or over-reaching A 2d Direction is That when ye have found any thing in the Bible that is useful for you your first work would be to prize the certainty of what is contained there I spoke to this at great length on these words v. 5. In his Word do I hope That the Scriptures are the Word of God of Divine Authority but I can never enough press it folks that have their Treasure and Store-house in the Bible prize the Bible look on it as the word of him that cannot lie as a tryed word as silver tryed in a furnace of earth purified seven times Psal 12.6 That many have ventured their all upon and never found crack nor slaw in to speak so and Ministers had done with their task if the certainty of this truth that the Scriptures are the Word of God were believed and if thou cannot get the Promises believed will thou look out on the threatnings that thou discerns to be accomplish'd and thou needs not doubt of a promise so long as thou hast a threatning which thou seest verified Ponder that word Zech. 8.14 15. Thus saith the Lord as I thought to punish you when your fathers provocked me to wrath and I repented not So again have I thought in those days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah fear not If ye doubt of my promises that are not yet accomplish'd take a confirmation of them from my threatnings which ye found verified A 3d Direction I would give them that are looking for the accomplishment of what is in or with God and he hath promised is that having found out what is contained in the Scripture and prized it as of infallible verity and certainty then put to your Faith to it that he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquity for he hath said it I cannot give you this Direction more succinctly than the Lord gives it to Habakkuk who when he had prayed against the Caldeans Chap. 1. he is bidden Chap. 2.2 to write the vision and make it plain upon tables speak it out conceal it not that he that runs may read it For v. 3. the vision is yet for an appointed time it will not come presently but at the end it shall speak and not lie though it tarry wait for it there is Faith's work now because it will surely come it will not tarry Ye may remember I spoke also to this when I was upon these words And in his word do I hope But in following it out now I shall only touch on three or four words concerning Faith's looking out to what God shall do and make out to Israel And 1. I would have you looking on Faith as the most eminent and honourable of employments though not the most sensible and satisfactory There is much work my a fall in Saints hand which may be sweeter and may go better with them but no work is so eminent and accceptable to God So it is said of Abraham Rom. 4.20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God And Joh. 20.28 When Thomas after he had evidenced he was a man that would not believe without seeing the print of the nails and thrusting his hand into Christs side he makes a great phrase and says My Lord and my God Well says Christ Thomas because thou hast seen me thou hast believed but blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed Thomas ye might have been more acceptably imployed in giving me credite although ye had not gotten sensible satisfaction 2. Another word is that distrust is the in-let to all folks miscarriages in a stormy time a man is even as tint as if he were in the Sea bottom as to any acceptable acquitting of himself to God in his work before his promise be accomplish'd When ever he is over-power'd with unbelief then he is ready to say There is no hope we will walk every one in the imagination of his own heart Ponder that word Heb. 3.18 19. To whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest but to them that believed not So they could not enter in because of unbelief There the thing that held the people out of the promised Land and made them perish in the Wilderness unbelief And compare it with 1 Cor. 10.6 to 11. Where ye find them lusters idolaters fornicators tempters of Christ murmurers To tell that make once folk unbelievers and ye may make them any of these or all of them upon a suitable temptation There is no ill turn that occurs but an unbeliever capacitats himself for it if mercy in God prevent it not And a 3d word concerning this exercise of Faith and I shall add no more is that it says not a little to the granting or denying of a delivery to the hastning or for-slowing of an issue this exercise of faith If unbelief keep out of the promised Land and make Israel fall and wander in the Wilderness fourty years as in that Heb 3.18 Then blessed believing hastens the performance of the promise Luk. 1.45 Blessed is she that believed for there shall be a performance of these things which was told her from the Lord. Little knows folk how God may be provocked to make their unbelief the rule of their allowance that when they bod little they shall see as little No but God may and often doth shame the unbelief of his people and make their false eyes see that they were in the wrong to him but certainly unbelief of its own nature is obstructive of the performance of promises and if many die in the Wilderness they have as their carnal confidence on the one hand so their unbelief and despondency on the other to blame for it And I shall add more if unbelief withhold not the accomplishment of the promise it may have a black issue when the accomplishment of the promise comes to the man that entertains it And as to