light Affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory while we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal He that hopeth for nothing from God will soon fall off from him and yield to fainting discouragements their hearts are turned off and perverted but when we hope we do with Patience submit to the Cross What troubles will not they undergo that expect undoubtedly their speedy ending in everlasting and endless Bliss and Happiness If God hideth his Face that raiseth a storm Psal. 43. 5. Why art thou so disquieted O my Soul still hope in God Casting Anchor upon the Rock as the crying Child falls asleep with the Teat in his mouth or when God delayeth the performance of what is promised Prov. 13. 12. Hope deferred maketh the heart sick Expectation is a tedious thing as smoak to the eyes and vinegar to the teeth an ordinary messenger sent on a trifling Errand Now Rom. 8. 15. If we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it 1 Thes. 1. 3. And patience of hope in our Lord Iesus Christ. Is a Title nothing before Possession 'T is not a matter of debt Or is it the fear of approaching death which is the King of Terrors Prov. 14. 32. The wicked shall be driven away in his wickedness but the righteous hath hope in his death The Wicked being arrested by Death is hurried away into Hell but the Righteous dismisseth his Soul into his Redeemers hands Never more chearful than when our confidence in Gods Mercy is most put to Trial. Secondly Here is the Profession of his Obedience I have done thy Commandments Here is I. The Object thy Commandments II. The Act of Duty done I. The Object thy Commandments quia tua therefore kept them because they are thine things thou hast given in charge Men were ready to perswade or threaten him out of his Duty II. The Act of Duty done thy Commandements The Act of Duty to Do noteth the substance of the Act or Omission The doing things Commanded by eschewing things Fordidden 3. The Manner of doing out of knowledge of Gods Command and Conscience of obeying it to his Glory and our Salvation Now saith David I have done it Implyeth I have not only Care and Conscience but Strength and Ability in some measure to do thy Will But is not this Plea a proud Word for a Creature to say I have done thy Commandments Who can thus say and aver it to the face of God Ans. There is a Twofold keeping or doing of the Commandments Legal and Evangelical 1. Legal When we do them so exactly as is answerable to the Rigor of the Law and the Rule of strict Justice doth require which exactness is when our Obedience is Universal in every Point when every thing Commanded by God is done by us without failing in one point Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them 1. In all things and that 2. Continually in respect of time from the first minute of our birth till our dissoution one failing in thought at any time casteth off our Plea 3. Full and Compleat in respect of the degrees and measure of Obedience with the utmost Intention and Affection of the heart which the Scripture expresseth by all the Heart and all the Soul In this sense never man was able to keep the Law save only the first Adam in innocency and the second Adam Jesus Christ and therefore according to this Rigor there is no hope for us one sin once committed would undo us for ever as it did the Apostate Angels 2. Evangelical according to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and moderation of the Gospel that is when we do the Commandments according to those terms of Grace which God offereth to us in Christ that doth as to Obedience mitigate the Rigor of the Law in two things 1. It granteth a Pardon of Course to some kind of sins 2. Accepteth of Repentance after any the most hainous sin committed 1. It granteth a Pardon of Course to some kind of sins as sins of infirmity either of Ignorance which if we had known we would not have committed or sins of suddain surreption which escape without our observing of them or sins of violent Temptation which by sudden assault sway against the right Rule before we have time to weigh both it and our selves or in cool Bloud to think what we are a-doing Such as do not arise out of any evil purpose of the Mind but out of humane Frailty and from which we shall never be free as long as we live in this Body of Corruption Rom. 7. 24. Paul groaneth under these relicks when what we have done is not out of deliberate consent giving way to the growth and reign of Sin Rom. 6. 14. For sin shall not have dominion over you non dixit non sit sed non regnet inest peccatum cum perpetras regnat cum consenseris saith Austin When we give Obedience to it freely willingly yield up our selves to be Servants of it then Sin Reigns Therefore he doth not say let not Sin be in you or Tempt you or please you but let it not Reign in you 'T is a misery to be Tempted a snare to be delighted and a forfeiture or renouncing the Grace of the Covenant to give up our selves to the full sway of it 2. The Gospel doth herein moderate the Rigor of the Law because it leaveth a Sinner a way and means of Recovery Namely by Repentance and Faith in Jesus Christ and upon Repentance giveth him a Pardon Matth. 9. 13. Remission or Forgiveness is a Priviledge of the New Covenant the Law knoweth no such matter Ezekiel 18. 21. 22. But if the wicked shall turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes and do that which is lawful and right he shall surâ—…ly â—…ive and not die all his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him Well then this is to be understood in the Gospel sense 't is the Plea of a Man Justified freely by Gods Grace and one that is Sincere and Upright for the Main One that had received Grace to be Faithful though not without his Infirmities and did not make a practice to live in any known sin against Conscience Secondly We now come to shew the Connexion between these two I. None can and do rightly hope for Salvation but they that keep the Commandments II. None do and can keep the Commandments but they that hope for Salvation I. None can and do rightly hope for Salvation but they that keep the Commandments that will appear to you 1. Partly Because God hath by a wise Ordination conjoined Means and End and offered the
their posterity approve the same that is they live by the same Principles are as greedy upon worldly satisfactions as ever those were that have gone before that neglected God and heavenly things and went down to the grave and their honour was laid in the dust Until the Lord take off our heart by the light and power of his grace we remain as sottish and foolish and worldly as they Thus you see how much it concerns you to be right in the notion of true blessedness Doct. 2. That sincere constant uniform obedience to Gods Law is the only way to true blessedness This is called a way and this way is said to be Gods Law and in this way we must be undefiled which implies not absolute purity and Legal perfection but Gospel sincerity and in this way we must walk which notes both uniformity and constancy it must be our course and we must persevere therein Three things need to be opened 1. Speak to the Rule 2. Of conformity to the Rule that it must be sincere uniform and constant 3. How this is the way to true happiness what respect it hath to true blessedness First The Rule is the Law of God All created beings have a Rule Christs humane nature was the highest of all Creatures and yet it is to be in subjection to God he is under a Rule Gal. 4. 4. made of a Woman made under the Law The Angels they have many Immunities above man they are freed from death from the necessities of meat and drink but they are not freed from the Law they are not sui juris at their own dispose They obey his Commands hearkning unto the voice of his word Psal. 103. 20. Inanimate Creatures Sun Moon Stars are under a Law of Providence under a Covenant of night and day Psal. 148. 6. He hath also stablished them for ever he hath made a decree which shall not pass They have their courses and appointed motions and keep to the just points of their Compass All Creatures are under a Law according to which they move and act Much more now is Man under a Law because he hath Election and Choice But if the Law were not a rule to a Christian as some Antinomians have that opinon if it were not in force then there should be no sin or duty for where there is no Law there is no transgression for the nature of sin is the transgression of the Law 1 Ioh. 3. 4. Rom. 4. 15. Certainly the Law as a rule is a very great priviledge and surely Christ did not come to lessen or abolish the priviledges of his people Deut. 4. 4. There is no nation have such Statutes Psal. 147. 20. He hath made known his Statutes to Israel was their Prerogative If the Law might be disannulled as to New Creatures then why doth the Spirit of God write it with such legible Characters in their hearts This is promised as the great blessing of the Covenant of grace Heb. 8. 10. Now that which the Spirit engraves upon the heart would Christ come to deface and abolish The Law was written upon Tables of Stone and the great work of the Spirit is to write it upon the Table of the heart and the Ark was a Chest where the Law was kept and with allusion to it God saith I will put my Law into their heart Clearly then there is a Rule and this Rule is the Law of God now this Rule must be consulted with upon all occasions if we would obtain true blessedness both to inform us and to awe us First To inform us that we may not act short or over 1. Not short There are many false Rules with which men please themselves and are but so many by-ways that lead us off from our own happiness for instance Good meaning that 's a false Rule the world lives by guess and devout aims But if good meaning were a Rule a man may oppose the interest of Christ destroy his servants and all upon good meaning Ioh. 16. 2. These that kill you will think they do God good service men may grosly err that follow a blind Conscience Custom that is another It is no matter what others have done before us but what Christ did before them all If Custom carry it most of Christs institutions would be out of doors Example of others that 's no good Rule it is not for us to go where others have gone before but what 's the true way Matth. 7. 14. The broad way that leads to destruction and many walk therein the path to Hell is most beaten we are not always to follow the track they are dead Fishes which swim down the stream we are not to be led away with Custom and Example and do as others do Our own desires and inclinations are not our Rule O how miserable should we be if our Lust were our Law if the bent of our hearts were our Rule Iude 16. walking after their own lusts is the description of those that were monsters of men that had outgrown all feelings of Conscience The Laws of Men are not our Rule 'T is too narrow and short to commend us to God to be punctual to the Laws of men and no more Psal. 19. 7. The Law of God is perfect converting the Soul To convince us of sin to humble the heart to reduce and bring us back to God there 's no rule for this but the Law of God Men make Laws as Taylors do garments to fit the crooked bodies they serve for to suit the humours of the people to be governed by these Laws surely they are not a sufficient Rule to convince us of sin and to guide us to true happiness A civil orderly man is one thing and a godly renewed man another It is Gods prerogative to give a Law to the Conscience and the renewed motions of the heart Humane Laws are good to establish converse with man but too short to establish Communion with God and therefore we must consult with the Rule which is the Law of the Lord that we may not come short of true blessedness 2. That we may not act over There is a superstitious and an Apocryphal Holiness which is contrary to a genuine and Scriptural Holiness yea destructive to it it is like the Concubine to the Wife it draws away respects due to the true Religion Now what is this kind of Holiness It is a temporary flesh-pleasing Religion which consists in a conformity to outward Rites and Ceremonies and external mortifications such as is practised by the Papists and Formalists after the Commandments and Doctrines of men Col. 2. 23. Which things indeed have a shew of wisdom in will-worship and humility and neglecting of the body not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh God will not thank them that give more than he requireth These things have a shew of wisdom As Brass-money may be fairer than true Coyn though not of such a value So this will-worship and
so they have their particular corruptions which are more suitable to their temper and course of life Peter seems to be inclin'd to Tergiversation and to shrinking in a time of trouble We find him often triping in that kind in the denial of his Master again Gal. 2. 12. it is said he dissembled and complied with the Iews therefore Paul withstood him to his face for he was to be blamed It is evident by experience there are particular corruptions to which the children of God are more inclinable this appears by the great power and sway they bear in commanding other evils to be committed by their falling into them out of inward propensity when outward temptations are few or weak or none at all and when resistance is made yet they are more pestered and haunted with them than with other temptations which is a constant matter of exercise and humiliation to them Secondly Wherein doth grace now discover it self where 's the difference 1. In that they cannot fall into those iniquities wherein there is an absolute contrariety to grace as hatred of God total Apostasie so they cannot sin the sin unto death 1 Joh. 5. 16. 2. In that they do not sin with the whole heart Psal. 119. 176. I have gone astray like a lost sheep seek thy servant for I do not forget thy commandments There was somewhat of God in the heart when he was conscious to himself of strayings and wandrings and David saith elsewhere I have not departed wickedly from thy precepts When they sin it is with the dislike and reluctancy of the new nature it is rather a rape than a consent Bernard saith A child of God suffers sin rather than acts it and his hearts protest is against it 3. It is not their course not constant easie and frequent Relapses into gross sins they argue an habitual aversion from God for a habit is determined by the constancy and uniformity of acts therefore it is but now and then under some great temptation There is sin and there is a way of sin Psal. 139. 24. Search me and see if there be any way of wickedness in me as Chrysostome glosseth 4. When they fall they do not rest in sin Shall they fall and shall they not arise Jer. 8. 4. They may fall into the dirt but they do not lye and wallow there like swine in the mire A fountain may be mudded but it works it self clean again The needle that hath been touched with the load-stone may be jogged and discomposed but it never leaves till it turn towards the Pole again Gods children have their failings but they sue out their pardon run to their Advocate 1 Ioh. 3. 1. humble themselves before God 5. Their falls are sanctified When they have smarted under sin they grow more watchful and more circumspect A child of God may have the worse in praelio in the battel but not in bello in the war Sometimes the carnal part may get the victory and they may fall foul but see the issue Psal. 51. 6. In the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom David had sinned against the Lord but I have learned wisdom never to trust a naughty heart more but to look to my self better 6. Grace discovers it self by the constant endeavours which they make against sin What 's the constant course a Christian takes They groan under the reliques of sin it is their burden that they have such an evil nature Rom. 7. 24. They fly to Gods grace in Christ for daily pardon 1 Ioh. 1. 9. They are ever washing their garments in the Lambs blood Rev. 7. and every day are cleansing themselves from the filthiness and defilement they contract by sin Ioh. 13. 10. He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet An allusion to a man that hath been a journey in those Countries where they went bare foot when he came home he must wash his feet So a man that is reconciled to God though he hath been in the Bath in the fountain which God hath opened for uncleanness yet every day he must be washing his feet cleansing himself by the blood of Christ more and more because he contracts new defilement Then by using all endeavours against it Col. 3. 5. as prayer striving watching cutting off the provisions of the flesh improving the death of Christ. They do not voluntarily and without opposition live under sin and the slavish tyranny of it Their bent and habitual inclination is to do otherwise therefore they are said to do no iniquity whereas those that are wretchless and careless of their souls sin and never lay it to heart they are the workers of iniquity Use 2. If this be the character of a blessed man To make it our business to avoid sin Then here 's caution to God's people 1. To beware of all sin 2. To be very cautious against gross sins committed against the light of conscience 3. To beware of continuance in sin First To beware of all sin The more you have the mark of a blessed man 1 Joh. 2. 1. These things I write unto you that you sin not Though you have a pardon and cleansing by the blood of Christ though you have an Advocate yet sin not Now the motives to set on this Caution are taken from God from our selves from the nature of sin 1. From God Sin not why because it is an offence to God Consider how contrary sin is to all the persons in the Trinity To God the Father as a Lawgiver being a contempt of his Authority 1 Ioh. 3. 4. Sin is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a transgression of the Law that is an act of disloyalty and rebellion against the Crown of Heaven Open sin doth as it were proclaim rebellion and war against God and privy sin is conspiracy against him All creatures have a Law Psal. 148. 6. Thou hast set to them a Decree beyond which they cannot pass And they are less exorbitant in their motions than we are It is a greater violation to the Law of Nature for man to sin than for the Sea to break its bounds The Creatures have not sense and reason yet they do not pass beyond the Law which God hath set them This should prevail with the new creature especially whose hearts God hath suited to the Law so that they offer a violence to their own conscience Take heed of entring into the lists with God of despising his Authority Every sin that is committed slights the Law which forbids it 2 Sam. 12. 9. Wherefore despisest thou his commandments God stands much upon his Law one tittle shall not pass away and you despise it go about to make it void when you give way to sin Nay it is an abuse of his Love 1 Joh. 3. 1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath shewed us you are children and sons of God and will you slight his love Your sins are like Absoloms treason against his Father The Rechabites are commended for
ignorant nor forgetful of our prevarications and disobedience The Rechabites were tender of the Commandment of their dead Father Ier. 35. who could not take cognizance of their actions Our father commanded us certainly we should be tender of the commands of the great God Prov. 15. 3. The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good He is not so shut up within the curtain of the Heavens but that he takes notice how his Laws are kept and observed Saith the Prophet to Gehazi Went not my spirit with thee meaning his Prophetical Spirit so doth God as it were appeal to the Conscience of a sinner doth not my Spirit go along with thee is not he conscious to our works and observes all we do 4. God stands much upon the authority of his Law Hos. 8. 12. I have written to them the great things of my Law c. Mark he calls them the great things of his Law they are not things to be slighted and contemned They are not directions of little moment there is no small hazard in contemning them or not walking according to them Indeed we think it a small matter to stand upon every circumstance but God doth not think so Uzzah was struck dead in the place for failing in a circumstance he would stay the Ark which shook The Bethshemites sinning in a circumstance it cost them the lives of many thousands Lot's wife for looking back was turned into a pillar of salt Let these things beget an awe upon our hearts of the great God and of what he hath enjoined us Use 2. It informs us of the heinous nature of sin of sin in general it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a transgression of the Law 1 Joh. 3. 4. that is a contempt of Gods authority it is an unlording of him and putting him out of the Throne Every sin is an affront to Gods authority it is a despising of the Command 2 Sam. 12. 9. you rise up in defiance to God and cast off his Soveraignty in despising his Command more particularly sins against knowledg or against conscience you may see the heinousness of these sins by this All sins they proceed either from ignorance or from oblivion or from rebellion Sins of Ignorance they are not so heinous though they are sins a man is bound to know the will of his Creator but then ignorance of it is not so heinous to strike a friend in the dark is not so ill taken as in the open light So there are sins of Oblivion which is an ignorance for the time for a man hath not such explicite thoughts as to revive his knowledg upon himself he is overtaken Gal. 6. 1. This is a great sin too why for the awe of God should ever be fresh and great upon the heart and we are to remember his statutes to do them But now there are sins of Rebellion that are committed against light and conscience whether they be of omission or commission We are troubled for sins of commission against light we should be as much for sins of omission for they are rebellions against God when we omit a duty of which we are convinced Iam. 4. 17. To him that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin Secondly Come we to the manner of this Obedience Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently From thence note Doct. That we should not only do what God hath required but we should do it diligently 1. Because the matter of keeping Gods precepts doth not only fall under his authority but the manner also God hath not only required service but service with all its circumstances 1 Cor. 9. 24. I so run that I may obtain It is our duty not only to run but so run not as in jest but as in good earnest Rom. 12. 11. Fervent in spirit serving the Lord Not only serving the Lord but seething hot in spirit when our affections are so strong that they boil over in our lives And Iam. 5. 16. The servent effectual prayer that prayer which hath a spirit and a life in it not only prayer is required but fervency not dead and drowsie devotion So Luk. 8. 18. not only it is required that we hear but to take heed how we hear with what reverence and seriousness And Act. 26. 7. The twelve Tribes served God instantly day and night with the uttermost extention of their strength so the word signifies And for Charity it is not enough to give but with readiness and freeness Be ready to communicate like life-honey it must drop of its own accord 2. The manner is the great thing which God requires it is very valuable upon several grounds Prov. 16. 2. The ways of man are clean in his own eyes but the Lord weigheth the spirits What doth God put into the ballance of the Sanctuary when he comes to make a judgment When he would weigh an action he weighs the spirits he considers not only the bulk the matter of the action but the spirit with what heart it was done A man may sin in doing good but he cannot sin in doing well therefore the manner should be looked to as well as the matter 3. It 's a good help against slightness We are apt to put off God with any thing and therefore we had need to rouze up our selves to serve him with diligence Josh. 24. 19. You cannot serve the Lord for he is a jealous God c. It is another matter to serve the Lord than the world thinks of why for he is holy and jealous he is holy and so hates the least failing and very jealous sin awakens the displeasure of his jealousie he will punish for very little failings Ananias and Saphira struck dead in the place for one lye Zacharias struck dumb for an act of unbelief Moses for a few rash words never entred into the land of Canaan David for a proud conceit in numbering the people lost seventy thousand men with the Pestilence The Corinthians many of them died for unworthy receiving God is the same God still he hates sin as much as ever therefore we should not be slight 4. It is a dishonour to God to do his work negligently Mal. 1. 14. Cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing for I am a great King saith the Lord Implying that it is a lessening of his Majesty it is a sign we have cheap thoughts of God when we are slight in his service Christians we owe our best to God and are to serve him with all our might Deut. 6. 5. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all thy might It is a lessening of his excellency in our thoughts when every thing serves the turn 5. Keeping the Commandment 't is a great trust God hath left this trust with us that we should keep his precepts therefore it is
Here 's 1. The sin deprecated Remove from me the way of Lying 2. The good supplicated and asked Grant me thy Law graciously In the first clause you have his Malady David had been inticed to a course of lying In the second we have his Remedy and that 's the Law of God First let me speak of the evil deprecated there Observe 1. The Object The way of lying 2. Gods act about it Remove from me c. First for the Object The way of lying It is by some taken generally by others more particularly 1. For those that expound it more generally they are not all of a mind Some think the way of lying is meant Corruption of Doctrine others of Worship others apply it to disorders of conversation some take it for Error of Doctrine false opinions concerning God and his Worship which are called lying and so opposed to the way of truth spoken of in the next verse I have chosen the way of truth Heresie and false Doctrine is called a lye Ezek. 13. 22. Their diviners speak lies So John 2. 21. A lye is not of the truth and the word used The way of lying is elsewhere rendred a false way v. 104. and 128. there is the same expression Now this he desires to be removed from him because it sticks as close to us as our skin Error is very natural to us and man doth exceedingly please himself with the figments of his own brain All practical Errors in the world are but man's natural thoughts cryed up into a voluble opinion because backed with defences of Wit and Parts and secular Interests and other advantages they are but our secret and privy thoughts which have gotten the reputation of an opinion in the world for we speak lyes from the womb even in this sense we suck in erronious principles with our milk Nature carrieth us to wrong thoughts of God and the ways of God and out of levity and inconstancy of spirit we are apt to be carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the sleight of men Now to this sense the latter clause will well agree Keep me from a way of lying that is keep me from falling into error and mistakes about Religion for he begs that the law may be granted to him or a certain stated rule without which all things are liable to deceit and imposture And according to this sense Austin beggeth that he may neither be deceived in the Scriptures nor deceive out of them Nec fallar in iis nec fallam ex iis let me never be mistaken my self nor cause others to mistake Again By a way of lying some understand false worship for an Idol is a lye Isa. 44. 20. Is there not a lye in his right hand meaning an Idol By others a course of sinning for a way of sinning is a way of lying for it deceives us with a conceit of happiness which we shall never enjoy therefore Eph. 4. 22. Put off the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts Lusts are called deceitful because they promise what they never perform they flatter us not only with hopes of impunity but much imaginary comfort and satisfaction O but it 's a lye Satan deceived our first Parents pretending to shew them a way of Immortality whereas that brought death to the world Most go this way Remove from me the way of lying that is the way of sin and the rather because the Septuagint translation read it thus Remove from me the way of Iniquity and Chrysostom in his gloss He means Every evil deed should be removed from him or it proves a lye in regard of all those flatterings and blandishments by which it enticeth the soul. Nay there 's a parallel place seems to make good this sense Prov. 30. 8. When Agur prays against sin Remove from me vanity and lies meaning a course of sin Thus it is taken more generally 2. Those that take it more particularly for the sin of lying or speaking falsly in commerce they again differ Some take it passively keep me from frauds or deceits of other men because it seems to be a hard thing to ascribe a way of lying to a child of God therefore they rather take it passively But this is to fear where no fear is But David begs that he might be kept from a way of lying that it might not settle into a way that 's his meaning Therefore I rather take it actively that he might not run into a false and fallacious course of dealing with others Now why would David have this way of lying removed from him Three Reasons 1. Because of the inclination of his corrupt nature We had most need pray to be kept from gross sins as Psal. 19. 13. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins We need not only pray against lesser sins or spiritual wickednesses but from gross sins carried on presumptuously against the light of Conscience So Col. 3. 5. Mortifie your earthly members c. What members doth he speak of not worldliness and unbelief only but he speaks of adultery uncleanness inordinate affections and the like and the Children of God if they do not deal with God for grace against their gross sins they will soon know to their costs Jesus Christ warned his own disciples those that were trained up in his School those that were to go abroad and deliver his Gospel to the world Luke 21. 34. Take heed lest your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness c. A candle newly blown out easily sucks light and flame again and we that are newly taken out of the dominion of sin into a state of grace may suck light and flame again therefore we had need pray against gross sins 2. Because he had been tripping and guilty in this kind In the story of David you may trace too much of this way and vein of lying as his feigning to Abimeleck the Priest 1 Sam. 25. 8. and to Achish 2 Sam. 27. 8. compar'd with vers 10. his perswading Ionathan to tell his Father he was gone about such a business Now this we may learn when we are foiled by any sin we should take heed lest we settle into a way and course of sin for in every sin as there is culpa the fault or the transgression of the Law and reatus the guilt or obligation to punishment so there is macula the blot an inclination to sin again in like manner as a brand once on fire is more apt to take fire again By every act of sin the Law of God is lessened our carnal inclination is increased therefore we had need be earnest with God Lord keep me from a way of lying 3. Man is strongly inclined to lying it sticks close to our nature so that God must remove it from us as more fully afterwards Thus for the Object a way of lying Secondly Gods Act about it Remove from me Sin is removed either in a way of Justification when the guilt of
2. In loving fearing praising serving God the noblest Faculties are exercised in the noblest and most regular way of Operation The Soul is in the right temper and constitution they are the highest Actions of the highest Faculties elevated by the highest Principles about the highest Objects The Objects are God Christ Heaven the great things of Eternity The Principles are the Love and Fear of God the Faculties Understanding and Will not Sensitive Appetite these exercised in thinking of God and chusing of God II. The second part of the Demonstration is That there is liberty given to walk in that way Ever since Adam's Fall every Man is a spiritual Slave under the Dominion and Power of Sin and Satan and the Curse of the Law but now where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. true Christian Liberty or a power given us to walk familiarly with God and chearfully and comfortably in his Service By Grace a Man is freed 1. From the yoke of oppressing Fears And 2. The Tyranny of commanding Lusts. 1. We are freed from the Bondage of Sin Rom. 8. 2. The law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus hath made us free from the law of sin and death John 8. 36. If the Son therefore shall make ye free ye shall be free indeed There is a Liberty in that which is good Psal. 119. 32. I will run the way of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart 2. We are freed from those Doubts and Fears and Terrors which accompanied the state of Sin Iob 36. 8. If they be bound in fetters and be holden in the cords of afflictions Job 13. 27. Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks Lam. 3. 7. He hath hedged me about that I cannot get out he hath made my chain heavy so that the meaning is I shall walk at liberty be chearful and enlarged in heart for I seek thy Precepts III. There is Liberty in that walking It is the fruit of strictness There is a twofold Liberty 1. Outward Deliverances out of Straits and Afflictions Psal. 118. 5. I called upon the Lord in distress the Lord answered me and set me in a large place And Psal. 18. 19. He brought me forth also into a large place he delivered me because he delighted in me So Psal. 4. 1. Thou hast inlarged me when I was in distress Affliction is compared to a Prison where the poor afflicted Creature is as it were confined committed by God and must not break Prison come out by the Window but the Door When we are let out by God upon submission and supplication urging the Satisfaction of Christ as we are sent thither by God's Authority so we come out by God's Love Now God doth this for those that obey him as all those Places manifest 2. Inward Confidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostom on the Text An holy Life is the ground of Liberty and holy boldness 1 John 3. 9. If our hearts condemn us not then have we liberty towards God We have delight and pleasure and contentment Till we defile Conscience we have a great deal of boldness and courage against opposition yea a boldness to go to God himself who otherwise is a consuming Fire Use 1. Is to take off that prejudice that we have against the Ways of God as if they were strait and hard and not to be endured Oh no all Gods ways are for our good Deut. 6. 24. The Lord commanded us to do all these statutes to fear the Lord our God for our good always And the Duties that he requireth of us are honourable and comfortable we never walk more at large than when we have a Conscience of them Man acteth like himself when he is holy just temperate sober humble Grace puts all things in the right frame and posture again it puts Reason in Dominion and maketh us Kings in governing our own Hearts and this breedeth sweetness and peace Pax est tranquillitas ordinis when all things keep their place then is there peace As when the Humors of the Body are in order and the Spirits move tuneably there is a chearfulness ensueth so the fruit of Righteousness is Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost If a Man had no Rule to guide him and God had left him without a Law yet if he were well in his wits he would prefer the Duties which he hath enjoyned before Liberty and of his own accord chuse to live according to such an Institution there is such a sutableness in all those things to the Reasonable Nature What do Men aim at Pleasure Honour or Profit For Pleasure Prov. 3. 17. Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace None have such a sweet life as they that live vertuously and as God hath commanded All the Sensualists in the world have not such a dainty Dish to feed on as they that have a good Conscience they have a continual Feast that never cloyeth You never come away from your Sports with such a merry heart as they come away from the Throne of Grace If Men would consider their Experiences after the discharge of their Duties and when stragling to carnal delights after saddest Duties there is a serenity in the Conscience Who ever repented of his Repentance 1 Sam. 1. 18. Hannah went her way and did eat and drink and her spirit was no more sad Prayer giveth ease but sensual Pleasures leave remorse and a sting If you count Liberty to consist in hunting after Honours and great Places can there be a greater Honour than to serve God Who hath the better Service he that attendeth on the uncertain will of Men yea of the greatest Princes or he that waiteth on the Lord Your Work is more Noble Prov. 12. 26. The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour What an unprofitable drudgery is the Service of the greatest Prince in the World in comparison of the Work of a poor Christian that liveth in Communion with God We serve a greater Prince and on surer terms Then for Profit Where is there more gain as to our Vails and Wages than in God's service Well then he that liveth holily hath much the sweeter and happier life than they that serve Covetousness Ambition or any other Lust. Certainly this should perswade us to put our neck under Christs yoke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 11. 29. His yoke is easie and his burden is light If it be grievous it is to the Flesh and we have no reason to indulge the Flesh Rom. 8. 7. The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can it be The Command to an unfound Conscience is as a light Burden laid on a sore Back Men that are soaked in Pleasures are incompetent Judges of the sweetness of the Heavenly Life On the other side What a miserable Servitude is there in Sin how disabled for their great End for which
of the wicked which forsake thy Law THE Man of God in the former Verse had shewed what Comfort he took in remembring God's Judgments of old meaning thereby his Righteous Dispensations in delivering the Godly and punishing the Wicked he now sheweth that seeing God's horrible Judgments on the Wicked he was seized and stricken with a very great fear In the Words observe 1. A great Passion described 2. The Cause of it assigned 1. A great Passion described Horrour hath taken hold on me The Word for Horrour signifieth also a Tempest or Storm Translations vary some reade it as Iunius a Storm overtaking me Ainsworth a burning Horrour hath seized me and expoundeth it a Storm of Terrour and Dismay The Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faintness and dejection of mind hath possessed me our old Translation I am horribly afraid all Translations as well as the Original word imply a great trouble of mind and a vehement Commotion like a Storm it was matter of disquiet and trembling to David 2. What is the matter the Reason is given in the latter Clause because of the wicked which forsake thy Law Now this Reason may be supposed to be 1. Either because of the Storm of Trouble raised by them or Persecution from them and so it would note the outragiousness of those who have cast off the Yoke all fear of God and respect to his Law and so also the imbecillity and weakness of the Saints who are not able to stand against violent Evils and assaults of Temptation But this is not so consistent with David's Constancy and Comfort asserted in the former Verses 2. Because of the Detriment and Loss which might accrue to the Publick they bring on common Judgments and Calamities It is a Iewish Proverb that two dry Sticks will set a green one afire One sinner destroyeth much good Eccl. 9. 18. much more Mercy Now the Godly which believe God's Word are troubled when they see Wickedness increaseth they know this will turn to loss and ruine in the issue therefore it causeth a grievous Horrour and Indignation to seize upon them for they have a tender and publick Spirit 3. Besides the common Calamities which they might bring upon others the sore Punishment which they would bring upon themselves was an horrour to him which sheweth a Charitable Affection to Enemies The Punishment which had not as yet seized upon them nor did they think of it yet being prepared for their Wickedness by the Justice of God was a grief and trouble to David as it is to all good Men to see the Wicked run on to their own Destruction and Condemnation These two last Senses I prefer Doctr. It argueth a good Spirit to be grieved to see God's Laws broken and to be stricken with fear because of those Iudgments which come from God by reason of the wickedness of the wicked The Reasons are 1. Here is matter of great Commotion of Spirit to any attentive and serious Beholder for the Cause assigned in the Text is because they forsake thy Law There are two things in the Law the Precept and the Sanction by Penalties and Rewards Now they that forsake the Law violate the Precept and slight the Sanction and so two things grieve the Godly their Sin and their Punishment How grievously they sin and what grievous Punishments they may expect 1. That the Law is violated that they should forsake God and all thoughts of Obedience to him and so make slight of his Law Sin is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Iohn 3. 4. the Transgression of the Law a contempt of God's Authority if we consider the intrinsick evil of Sin we shall see that it is not a small thing but an horrible Evil in it self a thing not to be laughed at but feared whether our own or others 1. There is Folly in it as it is a Deviation from the best Rule which the Divine Wisedom hath set unto us If we should look upon the Law of God as a bare Direction or Counsel given us by one that is wiser then we it is a Contempt of the Wisedom of God as if he knew not how to govern the World and what is good and meet for Man so much as he himself and so a poor Worm is exalted above God Micah 6. 8. He hath shewed thee O Man what is good Now shall we slight his Direction and in effect say our own Way is better Reason requireth that they who cannot choose for themselves should obey their Guides and since they are not wise for themselves content themselves with the Wisedom of others who see farther then they do as Elymas the Sorcerer when he was struck blind sought about for some body to leade him by the hand Acts 13. 11. can a blind man feel out his way better then another who hath eyes to choose it for him God is wiser then we and all who would not contemn their Creatour should think so He hath reduced the sum of our Duty into an holy Law now for us after all this to run of our heads and to consult with our foolish Lusts and the Suggestions of the Devil who is our worst Enemy is extreame Folly and Madness and so doth every one who breaketh the Laws of God 2. Laws are not onely to direct but have a binding Power and Force from the Authority of the Law-giver God doth not onely give us Counsel as a Friend but commandeth us as a Sovereign and so the second Notion whereby the evil of Sin is set forth is that of Disobedience and Rebellion and so it is a great Injury done to God because it is a Depretiation and Contempt of his Authority As Pharaoh said Exod. 5. 2. Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice or those Rebels Psalm 12. 4. Our Tongues are our own who is Lord over us We will speak and think and doe what we please and own no Law but our own Lusts. Now though Sinners do not say so in so many direct and formal Words yet this is the Interpretation of their sinfull Actions Whenever they sin they despise the Law which forbiddeth that Sin and so by consequence the Authority of him that made it 2 Sam. 12. 9 10. Wherefore hast thou sinned in despising the Commandment Tush I will doe it it is no matter for the Law of God that standeth in the way is the Language of the Corrupt and Obstinate heart Now no man can endure to have his Will crossed by an Inferiour and will God take it at their hands and therefore the Children of God who have a great Reverence of God's Authority when they see it so openly violated and contemned are filled with Horrour Will not God be tender of his Power and Sovereignty will he see his Authority so lightly esteemed and take no notice of it 3. It is shamefull Ingratitude Man is God's beneficiary from whom he hath received Life and Being and all things and therefore is bound to love him and serve
Precepts and that is filial and sincere Obedience and so they are said to keep God's Precepts not they who have no Sin in them but they who study to be free from sin and desire to please God in all things David had many failings and some of them of an high nature yet he saith I have kept thy Precepts His purpose and endeavour was to please God in all things The Apostles had many failings they were weak in Faith Passionate full of Revenge calling for Fire from Heaven a great many failings we may find upon record against them yet Christ returneth this general acknowledgment Iohn 17. 16. They have kept thy Word God accepteth of our endeavours when our defects are repented of he pardoneth them Iames 5. 11. You have heard of the Patience of Iob and we have heard of his Impatience too his cursing the day of his birth and his bold Expostulation with God but God putteth his Finger upon the Scar and mentions that which is commendable This sincere Obedience is known by our endeavours after Perfection and our repentance for defects For let me tell you here that perfect Obedience is required under the Gospel the Rule is as strict as ever it was but the Covenant is not so strict The Rule is as strict as ever it was we are still bound to perpetual personal and perfect Obedience otherwise our defects were no Sins For where there is no Law there is no Transgression Rom. 4. 15. but the Covenant is not so strict This perfect Obedience is not so indispensably required under the Sanction and Penalty of the Old Covenant for the Gospel though it alloweth or approveth of no Sin yet it granteth a pardon of course to some Sins as they are retracted by a general Repentance As Sins of Infirmity such as are Sins of Ignorance which had we known we would not have committed and Sins of Incogitancy and sudden Surreption which may escape without observation of them and Sins of violent Temptation which by reason of some sudden assault sway our Passions against the right Rule such Sins as do not arise out of an evil purpose of the Mind but out of humane frailty they are consistent with an Interest in this Covenant which alloweth a means of recovery by Repentance which the Law doth not The Law for one offence once committed doth condemn a Man without leaving him any way or means of recovery But the Gospel saith I came to call sinners to repentance Matt. 13. 9. It accepteth Repentance and doth not cast men off for Sins of Infirmity Where there is a general purpose to please God and an hearty sorrow when we offend him this is the sincerity which the Gospel accepteth of In the Law compleat Innocence is required in the Gospel Repentance is allowed and so he is said to keep God's Statutes that doth not voluntarily and impenitently goe on in a course of known Sin 2. Let me now shew the good that cometh to us thereby David saith indefinitely this I had not telling us what good or priviledge it was onely in the general 't was some Benefit that accrued to him in this life He doth not say this I hope for but this I had And therefore I shall not speak of the full Reward in the Life to come In Heaven we come to receive the full Reward of Obedience But a close Walker that waiteth upon God in an humble and constant Obedience shall have sufficient encouragement even in this Life Not onely he shall be blessed but he is blessed he hath something in hand as well as in hope As David saith in this 119 Psalm not onely he shall be blessed but he is blessed As they that travelled towards Zion they met with a Well by the way Psal. 84. 6. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a Well the rain also filleth the Pools In a dry and barren Wilderness thorough which they were to pass they were not left wholly comfortless but met with a Well or a Cistern that is they had some Comfort vouchsafed to them before they came to injoy God's Presence in Zion some Refreshments they had by the Way As Servants that beside their Wages have their Vailes so besides the recompence of Reward hereafter we have our present Comforts and Supports during our course of Service which are enough to counterballance all worldly Joies and the greatest Pleasures that men can expect in a way of Sin Let me instance in the benefits that Believers find by walking with God in a course of Obedience that every one can say This I had because I kept thy Precepts First Peace of Conscience a blessing not to be valued and this we have because we keep his Precepts Isa. 32. 17. The work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever They shall be free from those unquiet thoughts wherewith others are haunted A wicked man his Soul is in a mutiny one Affection warreth against another and all against the Conscience and Conscience against all but in an heart framed to the Obedience of God's will there is peace Pax est tranquillitas Ordinis When every thing keeps its place there is peace when the Elements keep their place and the Confederacies of Nature are preserved then there is peace so when a man walketh in a holy course there is peace when the thoughts and affections are under rule and government there is a serenity and quiet in the Soul Now this is never brought to pass in the Soul but by Obedience and holy walking according to the Rule of the new Creature Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this Rule peace and mercy shall be upon them as upon the whole Israel of God Such an accurate and orderly life is the onely way of obtaining this peace and harmonious accord in the Soul so Psal. 119. 165. Great peace have they that love thy Law and nothing shall offend them not onely peace but great peace a peace that passeth all understanding a peace better felt than expressed and this resulteth from Obedience or the government of our hearts and ways according to the will of God look as chearfulness and liveliness accompanieth perfect health or the tunable motion of the spirits in the Body so this serenity and quiet in the Soul the regular and orderly motion of our faculties there is a sweet Contentment of mind resulting from it The peace of God shall keep your hearts and minds through Iesus Christ. In a troublesome World we need to have our hearts and minds kept and guarded from the assaults of temptations and diffident vexing cares and fears and therefore 't is mightily necessary in those times to get the peace of God without which the Soul is upon the rack Oh this sweet peace and calm that is in our hearts in the midst of all tempests and tossings from without a man is provided and fortified against the apprehension of injuries troubles
prey is a man to Satan and is carried headlong to destroying courses when a man hath more zeal and earnestness of spirit than knowledge to guide him how will he stumble and dash upon things that are very contrary to the will of God 2 If they can discern them they shall not have a heart and skill to remedy them without understanding VVe shall not have a heart for light will be urging calling upon us minding us of our duty warning us of danger whereas otherwise we shall go on tamely like an Ox to the slaughter and like a Fool to the correction of the Stocks we shall not have this restless importunity of Conscience which is a great restraint of sin And then we shall not have the skill for all is misapplied and misconceived by an ignorant spirit for the whole business of his Religion is making Cordials instead of Purges and Potions instead of Antidotes catching at Promises when Threatnings belong to him lulling his soul asleep with new strains of grace when he should awaken himself to duty 2. Never count your selves to have profited in any thing till your hearts are awakened into a further hatred of sin Christians they are but Notions it is not saving knowledge unless it be in order to practice men have no understanding that have not this active and rooted enmity against sin Psal. 111. 10. A good understanding have all they that do his commandments They that hate sin more and are more weary of corruption He is made wiser by the Word that is made better by it It is not the talker against but the hater of iniquity that is the wise man If wisdom enters upon the heart and breaks out in our practice by that is our thriving in knowledge to be measured 1 Iohn 2. 3. Hereby we know that we know him if we keep his commandments This was God's scope in giving the Word not to make trial of mens wits who could most sharply conceive or of their memories who could most faithfully retain or of their eloquence who could most nimbly discourse but of the sincerity of the heart who could most obediently submit to the will of God Ier. 22. 16. when he had spoke of hating of sin and doing good Was not this to know me saith the Lord This is to know God to hate sin Outward things were not made for sight only but for use as Herbs Plants and Stars so our Reason and the Scriptures the Lord hath given us it is not only for sight but for use that we may be wise to salvation not that we may please our selves with acute notions about the things of God but seriously set our hearts to practise The fourth thing in this general Point is That this wisdom and understanding is gotten by God's precepts Mark I hate every false way why Because by thy precepts I get understanding Where have we it by studying God's Word Rom. 3. 20. By the Law is the knowledge of sin How is the knowledge of sin by the Law three ways according to the nature of the sin according to who is the sinner and according to the guilt and dreadful estate of them that lie in a state of sin so the knowledge of sin that is the nature of it and where it lives and where it reigns and what will be the effects of it all this knowledge is by the Law 1. By the Law is the knowledge of sin quoad naturam peccati There are many things we should never know but by the Law of God though we have some general notions of good and evil Rom. 7. 7. saith the Apostle I had not known sin but by the Law for I had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet Those first stirrings and secret lingrings of heart and inclinations to that which is cross to the Will of God that they go before all consent of will and all delight these things we could never discern by the light of nature 2. Quoad subjectum what is the sinner and who is guilty of it So Rom. 7. 9. I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came sin revived and I died He saw his lost miserable undone condition by the Law of God The acts of sin are discovered by the Word of God it discovers the thoughts and intents of the heart Heb. 4. 12. and state of sin our natural face the condition wherein we are is to be seen in this glass 3. Quoad reatum magnitudinem peccati what will be the effects of it Rom. 5. 20. The Law entred that the offence might abound Therefore the Law was given that it might work a deep sense of the evil consequents of sin and what wrath man was bound over to for violating the righteous Law The Law represents the heinous nature of sin as it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a transgression of the Law as it strikes at God's Being or at God's Authority seeks to justle him out of the Throne as it contradicts his Sovereignty and plucks the Scepter out of his hand and the Crown from his head and makes men to say Who is Lord over us As if we had nothing to guide us but our own Lusts the Word of God discovers this pride of heart and then the manifold mischiefs of sin are discovered we get this understanding by the Word It is better to know these mischiefs of sin by the threatnings of the Word than by our own bitter experience it is sin that separates from God and renders us uncapable of all blessings Use 1. Study your selves and take a view of the case and state of your souls by the glass of the Word see what you gain by every reading hearing every time you converse with him what is given out to convince you of sin or awaken your soul against sin 2. When you consult with the Word beg the light of the Spirit which is only lively and efficacious The Apostle speaks of knowing things in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and of power 1 Cor. 2. 4. There is the same demonstration of the Spirit there 's a manifest difference between the evidence of Reason and Arguments held out from a natural understanding and between the illumination or the demonstration of the Spirit There are many that may have a full knowledge of the letter and the sense of the words as they lie open to the evidence of reason yet be without the light and power of those truths for that 's a fruit of the demonstration of the Spirit the lively light of the Holy Ghost that goes along with the word SERMON CXII PSAL. CXIX VER 105. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path THE present world as much as it suits with our carnal nature 't is but like a howling wilderness with respect to Canaan in which there are many crooked paths and dangerous precipices yea many privy snares and secret ambushes laid for us by
God restored in us Ephes. 4. 24. The new man is created to restore in some measure those abilities we lost in Adam God never yet gave man a liberty to be free from the obligation of the Moral Law He would not pardon any sin against it without satisfaction made by Christ and believed and pleaded by sinful man Christ merited and God restored the Spirit of sanctification that men might keep it He will not spare his own Children when they transgress against it by heinous and scandalous sins as to temporal punishments Prov. 11. 31. The righteous man shall be recompenced upon Earth much more the wicked and the sinner Psal. 30. 31. David and Eli both smarted for their sins No man hath interest in Christ unless he return to the obedience of this Law 1 Cor. 9. 21. To them that are without Law as without Law being not without Law to God but under the Law to Christ that I might gain them that are without Law Rom. 8. 1 2. There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit For the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death No interest in mercy else Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this Rule peace and mercy be upon them We cannot have full Communion with God till we perfectly obey it Ephes. 5. 27. That he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but it should be holy and without blemish 2. The great priviledg of the Covenant of Grace is To be taught Gods Statutes or to have a real impress of them upon the heart and mind which is the way of Divine teaching Heb. 8. 10. For this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel in those days saith the Lord I will put my laws into their minds and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people He will cure us of our wickedness weakness and carelesness and inable us to keep his Law 't is Gods undertaking to do so and that out of free Grace and favour for he is not indebted to us 't is to give us knowledge of them and power to keep them Much of the Law natural cannot be severed from it and that is the reason why the Heathens have the Law written upon their hearts Rom. 2. 15. But the writing is very imperfect both as to knowledge and power to keep it God will imprint them more perfectly this is the true Notion of the Law By the mind is meant understanding by the heart the rational appetite In the mind is the directive counsel in the will the imperial and commanding power There is the prime mover of all humane actions he giveth an apprehensive and perceptive power whereby we apprehend things more clearly and effectually desire and affect spiritual delights Use 1. Is to refute the claim of them that would plead mercy but would still go on in their own ways blessing themselves in their sins Till our hearts and minds are suited to Gods Law by a permanent tincture of holiness we are not fit Subjects to ask mercy and the promises of the Covenant 2. If we would have this effect we must go to God who alone can work upon the immortal Soul to reform mould or alter it a new man or Angel cannot do it they may by sense and fancy teach him many things but to make these lively impressions must be the work of the Spirit SERMON CXXXVII PSAL. CXIX VER 125. I am thy Servant give me understanding that I may know thy Testimonies IN this Verse he repeateth his Plea and Request also In the former Verse he mentioneth the relation of a servant and prayeth Teach me thy Statutes And here again First Asserteth his relation to God I am thy servant and Secondly Reneweth his Request Give me understanding Thirdly The fruit and effect of the Grant That I may know thy Testimonies or Then I shall know This repetition hath its use this repeating his relation to God sheweth That where the Conscience of our Dedication to God and our endeavours to serve him is clear and sincere we should not easily quit our claim Deal with thy Servant in mercy yea Lord I am thy servant I have my failings but Lord 't is in my heart to serve thee I can and will avow it as long as I live Our defects and disallowed failings do not deprive us of the title of being Gods Servants we may take comfort in it and assert our interest in the promises as long as we delight to do his will And though unbelief opposeth our claim we must remove it in the face of all objections Christ puts Peter to a threefold assertion of his love to him Iohn 21. 'T is supposed we do not lye in these redoubled professions of our respect and service to God Secondly This renewing his Request sheweth his earnestness to encrease in spiritual understanding Savoury and powerful knowledge of Divine things is in itself so excellent a benefit and our necessity of it is so great that we cannot enough pray for it Only observe that in the former Verse the Notion was Statutes here Testimonies Statutes are that part of Gods Word which we should obey Testimonies that part which we should believe viz. the promises But this may be too critical the words being taken in this Psalm in a greater latitude Doctr. That 't is a good Plea when we want any mercy spiritual or temporal to be able to plead that we are Gods servants I. That there are a sort of people that in a peculiar manner are Gods servants II. These may plead it when they want any mercy spiritual or temporal I. That some are in a peculiar manner Gods Servants The Saints of God are so called 't was Moses's honour They sung the Song of Moses the servant of the Lord. So Ios. 1. 1. Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord. So Paul asserts it of himself Acts 27. 23. The God whose I am and whom I serve Here is a true description of a Christian Man he is Gods and serveth God he is Gods by special appropriation and communion with God He serveth God that is walketh answerable to his relation and is ever about Gods work Elsewhere he describeth himself by his service Rom. 1. 9. My God whom I serve in my spirit 1 Tim. 1. 3. God whom I serve with a pure conscience But to know who in a peculiar manner are Gods servants we must distinguish 1. God is served actively and passively by necessity of Nature or voluntary choice Passively by necessity of Nature all Creatures even the inanimate are his servants Psal. 119. 91. They continue this day according to thine ordinances for all are thy servants But actively to serve him out of
hardened by their own prejudices But to have a spiritual understanding of them so as to profit and encrease in sanctification that is from the Lord. These things may be drawn into a Systeme wherein there will be nothing that exceedeth the understanding of a man But to understand it so as to be affected with and changed by it that is from the spirit 1 Iohn 5. 20. And we know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true And Ephes. 5. 8. Ye were darkness but now are ye light in the Lord. He is the Purchaser and Authour of that light Use 3. Is reproof to those that presume on their own wit to understand Divine Mysteries Many think they have eyes in their head and can see into a matter as far as other men and conceive and judge of a thing as soon and as well as others can do and so will not acknowledge their dullness and blindness in heavenly things take it ill to be told of it Iohn 9 40. Are we blind also In a rage scoff at those that talk of the enlightening of the spirit and being taught of God Alas you must be blind and be fools before you be wise 1 Cor. 3. 18. in your own conviction and feeling SERMON CXXXVIII PSAL. CXIX VER 126. It is time for thee Lord to work for they have made void thy Law IN the Words we have First A prayerful suggestion It is time for thee Lord to work Secondly The reason of it For they have made void thy Law In the First Branch take notice of 1. The person to whom the address is made For thee Lord. 2. The suggestion it self What and when what they would have the Lord to do To work and when Even now 'T is time to work To open these I begin with 1. The person to whom the address is made The Lord. Some read the Words It is time to work for thee O Lord because they have made void thy Law 'T is time indeed to work for God when so many work against him in an evil Generation lest the Law should perish and fall to the ground some should keep up the authority of it and they that fear God are to encourage one another Mal. 3. 16. The Chaldee Paraphrase reads it 'T is time to do the will of the Lord. But the Hebrew Original carries it as we do 'T is time for Jehovah to do The Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Vulgar Latin Tempus faciendi Domine 2. Here is the suggestion it self and that First what they would have God to do 't is expressed by a general word Work as also Ier. 14. 7. Do for thy names sake what should he do Tempus mittendi Filium Dei saith Augustine to set about the work of redemption to send the Son of God But that is a work rather to exercise and shew forth his Justice Power and Truth both in punishing his enemies and delivering his people to work his own proper work of Justice as becometh the Judg of all the World to do namely to punish the wicked and help his servants out of their hands Secondly When it is time Then it seemeth to be a time when mans wickedness is grown to the height Gen. 15. 16. In the fourth Generation they shall come again for the sins of the Amorites are not yet full Good men are put to the uttermost of their patience and Gods Glory abused beyond measure Isai. 52. 5. Lord 't is time to work they are as bad as bad may be thy people have quite spent all their faith and patience when thine Ordinances and Word are despised and affronted and thy people trodden under foot 't is time for thee to work Secondly Let us explain the reason For they have made void thy Law The Law is made void two ways formaliter interpretative First Formally when any deny the authority of God as Pharaoh Exod. 5. 2. Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice Or those Rebels Psal. 12. 4. Our lips are our own who is Lord over us Or we make void the Law when we deny it to be given of God as Martian and his Followers That the Law was given by an evil God Many now question the Scriptures themselves or deny the obligation of the Moral Law to Believers as the Antinomians and Libertines as the Apostle telleth us Rom. 3. 31. that we do not make void the Law by Faith yea we establish the Law 'T was the greatest ratification to it that could be Or finally Those that take upon them to enact things contrary to the Law of God or besides the Law as necessary to salvation and enforce their own traditions beyond and before the Law of God These make void the Law as Christ telleth the Pharisees that they made the Commandments of God of no effect by their Traditions Matth. 15. 6. Especially when they obtrude these things upon the Consciences of others under the highest penalties Secondly Interpretatively when men by consequence take away the honour and authority that is due to the Law by their wickedness and rebellion against God though in words they acknowledge the authority of God and the obligation of his Law yet they have no respect to it in their carriage and practice doing whatever pleaseth themselves stand in no awe of God and his Word reject it as a thing of nought Obedience to the Law is a ratifying and confirming the Law by our consent Deut. 27. 26. Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to do them Our words do not confirm the Law so much as our works So on the contrary they repeal or make void the Law that observe it not in their practice Finis operis is made finis operantis as if they intended to abolish whilst they make no reckoning of the Law Where observe that this is a Notion to make sin odious to us 't is not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a transgression of the Law 1 Iohn 3. 4. but a despising the Law 2 Sam. 12. 9. a judging or censuring the Law Iam. 4. 11. yea a repealing and disannulling the Law which is the Notion of the Text. Doctr. That when a flood of wickedness is broken out we may put God in mind of doing his work of punishing the wicked and delivering his people I shall give you the summ of this Doctrine in these four Considerations I. That God doth for a while hold his hand and bear with the wickedness of his enemies II. Though he doth for a while bear with them yet he hath his times to punish and proceed to execution III. This time is usually when the impiety and insolency of wicked men is come to an height IV. When 't is come to an height we may and must mind God of doing his work or arising to judgment The first Consideration is implied in the Doctrine and the Text the other three
and to revive the heart of the contrite ones For I will not contend for ever neither will I be always wroth for the spirit should fail before me and the souls which I have made For the iniquity of his covetousness I was wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth he went on frowardly in the way of his heart I have seen his ways and will heal him I will lead him also and restore comforts unto him When the spirit is softened by a deep and serious remorse for sin and a tender sense of their condition with these will God dwell to comfort relieve restore them Secondly The Believer Psal. 33. 18. Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his mercy They that look for God shall find him Thirdly The sincere Psal. 11. 7. His countenance doth behold the upright He hath a singular care of them to manifest his love to them both inwardly and outwardly A good Conscience presents it self to God none but such will say Look upon me Adam hid himself upon his trangression Hypocrites cannot trust him Fourthly Such as love his Name It is the description and mark of Gods people in the Text They love God and all that by which God is especially made known To these God will look that he may bless them and comfort them with his love Ephes. 6. 24. Grace he with them that love our Lord Iesus Christ in sincerity Gods Grace and free Favour is to them they love the name of God that rejoyce to see God honoured known and had in request in the world to be owned to be such as he is by themselves and others Isai. 26. 8. The desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee Their great desire is That God may be exalted in their own hearts and in the hearts of others To these God will look who take care to honour God love Christ and keep his Commandments Iohn 14. 21. He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him II. The ground and cause of that favour he expects Be merciful unto me David begs what he begs upon terms of Grace Doctr. Gods mercy is the cause of all his favour to us or gracious dealing with us All that we have or would have cometh only and wholly from his mercy and mere mercy If God cast but a look upon us or visit us with one glympse of kindness we can ascribe it to no other cause Only mercy and never a word of merit should be in the mouth of a Believer 1. Because there was nothing in us to move him to be thus gracious to us Gen 32. 10. I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant Let us ask the reason and debate the cause with our selves Why doth or should God do this for me What moveth him Is he necessitated Then he could do no otherwise and should be kind to all Would he be unjust if he did not whereby have I obliged him Who hath given to God first and it shall be recompenced to him again Rom. 11. 35. Could you enter your action and Plea against him Before what Bar and Tribunal And with what Arguments will you manage your Cause How will the Beam plead against the Sun the Stream against the Fountain Is it a Debt to your Kind and rank of Being How many of the same Flesh and Blood are equal in Nature but unequal in condition nay in the same Vicinity and Neighbourhood not only Americans but of your own Nation and Countrey What did God see more in you than in them of the same Calling and Profession Two grinding at a Mill one shall be taken and the other left Luke 18. 35. Of the same Parentage was not Iacob Esau's Brother Indeed what did God see to move him to give you the first Grace Rom. 9. 16. So then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy 2. There is much to the contrary a manifest unworthiness and contrary desert to what God bestoweth on us First A general unworthiness in all the Sons of Adam Man was left as a condemned Malefactor in the hands of the Law without all hope and possibility of recovery under sin Rom. 7. 14. I am carnal sold under sin Under a curse Ephes. 2. 3. We were by nature the Children of wrath even as others and that God should regard such Secondly A particular unworthiness before Conversion and after First Before Conversion Tit. 3. 3. For we our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient â—…eceived serving divers lusts and pleasures c. We deserve to be abhorred and cast out of Gods presence and might justly expect his vengeance rather than his bounty and goodness his anger and frowns rather than the light of his countenance Secondly Since Conversion Iames 3. 2. In many things we offend all Eccl. 7. 20. There is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not There are mixtures of evil imperfections of holy things Well then First Let mercy be all your Plea when you have any favour to seek from God We cannot claim any good upon any other right and title Justice will except against you and Conscience will take its part What have you to say but on that Dan. 9. 18. We do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses but for thy great mercies We have no other motive that will become God nor bear weight in our own Consciences but only God hath set up a Court where Grace taketh the Throne and giveth out pardons and blessings to Sinners Secondly When you have once tasted one pledge of Gods love vouchsafed to you let this kindle Coals in your bosomes and warm your hearts with love to God It is not only his condescension to take notice of you but his mercy to shew any favour and kindness to you 2 Sam. 7. 19. Is this the manner of men O Lord God Is this the manner of men to requite good for evil Who am I Thirdly Be contented with your measures Where nothing is deserved any thing should be kindly taken Grace communicateth it self to whom and in what measure it will Matth. 20. 15. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own If we are kept under and in great extremities he might have dealt worse with us Lam. 3. 22. It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not If we had a prize in our hands to procure better we might complain Now all is free and undeserved we should admire and submit SERMON CXLVI PSAL. CXIX VER 132. As thou usest to do to those that love thy name HERE you have III. The terms of the
Action A Rebellion or an act of disloyalty against God yea there is not only a vertual hatred in Sin but a formal hatred not only implyed but exprest they wish there were not a God to punish them and call them to an account such a Law to forbid such Practices as they affect or that such things were not sin VVell then 't is not some kind of pleasure in the study of the VVord will shew our love to the VVord but an Impartial Intire and Uniform Obedience strictly abstaining from such things as if forbiddeth and carefully practising what it requireth at our hands 2. That our hatred of Sin must flow from such a Principle a man may hate sin upon forreign and accidental reasons and so that obstaining from sin is not a true hatred but a Casual dislike as when we forbare some sins but retain others that sute better with our Condition Callings Employment Temper or because of some difficulty in compassing shame in Practising or repugnant to our natural Temper No it must be out of a principle of Love to God Psal. 97. 10. Ye that love the Lord hate evil So Psal. 119. 113. I hate vain thoughts but thy law do I love An hatred of Sin arising from love to God and his VVord is the only true hatred that 's hatred of sin as sin as 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Iohn 3. 4. A transgression of the Law as 't is ingratitude to God contrary to our Obligations to him not only as destructive to our selves not principally timore poenae but amore virtutis The VVord of God furnisheth us with divers Reasons and Arguments to move us to hate sin they all have their place but some are more Noble and Excellent than others As when a Man hateth sin because God hath forbidden it True hatred cometh from a love of the contrary therefore he that hath a vehement love to the Law hateth all things which are contrary to it Matth. 6. 20. He will hate the one and love the other There is no serving two Masters love to the one inforceth hatred of the other To love the Good and hate the Evil are inseparable 3. The more we hate Sin the more prepared we are to love the Law A carnal Heart hateth the Law Ioh. 3. 20. He that doth evil hateth the light And Rom. 8. 7. The carnal mind is not subject to the Law He that doth not hate sin hateth the word of God VVe cannot delight in it till our Affections be purified and sanctified Mens evil practices and dispositions cause them to hate the Light 't is a reproving light can sore Eyes delight to look upon the Sun or an unsound heart delight in that which will so ransack and search the Conscience 4. According to the degree of Love so will the degree of our Hatred be they that have the highest love of the Law will have most hatred of Sin they hate every lesser contrariety a vain Thought Psal. 119. 113. They do not only hate open and scandalous sins but sin carried on in a more close and cleanly manner yea they groan under the Relicks of Corruption and feel it an heavy burden Rom. 7. 22 23 24. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members And then Oh wretched man that I am Next to the Object of our affection the principle or spring of it must be regarded and next to the spring and rise of it the degree must be looked after that we love the good and hate the evil proportionably that is to say that our Hatred must be proportionable to the evil of the thing hated and our love to the good of the thing loved and indeed where the one is the other will be where a great love a great hatred where a little love a little hatred Psal. 119. 127 128. I love thy commandments above gold yea above fine gold therefore I esteem thy precepts in all things to be right and hate every false way Use. Well then if we would shew our love to the Word we must truly sincerely and constantly turn from all known sin with Detestation and Abhorrence for hatred of sin is an infallible evidence of love to the Word Now hatred of sin if it be right 1. 'T is Universal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the whole kind as Haman thought scorn to lay hands upon Mordecai alone but sought to destroy the whole Race of the Iews Ester 3. 6. one sin is as inconsistent with the love of God as another there may be as much Contempt of Gods Authority in a sin of Thought as in a sin of Practice in a small sin as in a greater There may be much crookedness in a small line and in some Cases the Die is more than the Stuff I hate every false way 't is twice repeated in this Psalm in the 104. verse and verse 128. To hate what God hateth Prov. 8. 13. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil 2. 'T is Implacable it aimeth at the utter Extirpation and Expulsion of Sin they seek to remove the guilt to weaken the inclination they groan sorely under the very Being of sin that any thing of sin is left O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of death Rom. 7. 24. 3. 'T is still growing at first 't is a dubious Case men that are Convinced have some Mind to let sin go or a wish that Christ would save them from it but 't is with such Reserves that they have rather a mind to keep it than let it go As Pharaoh had no mind to dismiss Israel and therefore stood hucking with God or as David when he sent out Forces against Absalom yet be tender of the young Man Pleasing Lusts we have but a remiss Will against them our love to it is greater than our dislike of it therefore so unstable Iam. 1. 8. but when the soul is Converted the soul is armed with a resolution 1 Pet. 4. 1. Then the love of sin is weakned in their hearts and the strength and vigour of it abated the soul is armed with a serious purpose to give it up and shake off this servitude in the confidence of that Grace which is purchased for them by Christs Death there is a Godly Inclination and bent of soul to live unto God Again as our Communion with God and sense of his Love is increased in us so our hatred of sin groweth more keen and fierce when God had told what he would do for Ephraim what have I any more to do with Idols Hosea 14. 8. I have had too much to do already what any more In what proportion there is a sense of Gods Love in the same proportion an hatred of Evil. Moses when he had talked with God in the Mount at his return
them out of his presence they become the scorn of Saints and Angels Dan. 12. 2. And many of them that sleep in the dust shall arise some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt But now the godly are bold and confident Psal. 1. 5. The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous But the godly shall lift up their head with joy and rejoicing Now the Reasons of this Where sin is not allowed there is a threefold comfort 1. Justification 1 Joh. 1. 7. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin It is an evidence that giveth us the comfort He hath failings but they are blotted out for Christs sake 2. It is an evidence of sanctification that a work of grace hath passed upon us 2 Cor. 1. 12. For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world and more abundantly to you ward Heb. 13. 18. We trust that we have a good conscience willing in all things to live honestly An universal purpose and an unfeigned respect hath the full room of an evidence 3. A pledg of glory to ensue Rom. 5. 5. And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us Use. It informeth us by the rule of Contraries That we deceive our selves if we look for any thing from sin but shame Rom. 6. 21. For the wages of sin is death Sin and shame entred into the world together How were Adam and Eve confounded after the fall Sin is odious to God it grieveth the Spirit but the person that committeth it shall be filled with shame In the greatest privacy sin bringeth shame Men are not solitary when they are by themselves there is an eye and ear which seeth and observeth them there is a law in our hearts which upbraids our sins to us as soon as we have committed them a secret bosom-witness 2. It informeth us what hard hearts they have that have respect to no commandments yet are not ashamed They have outgrown all feelings of conscience and so glory in their shame Phil. 3. 19. Whose end is destruction whose God is their belly and whose glory is in their shame who mind earthly things Erubuit salva res est By how much less they are ashamed now the more they shall be their shamelesness will encrease their shame Jer. 3. 3. Thou hadst a whores forehead thou refusedst to be ashamed The Conscience of a sinner is like a Clock dull calm and at rest when the weights are down but wound up it 's full of motion 3. Here is caution to Gods children The less respect you have to the Commandments the more shame will you have in your selves Partiality in obedience breaketh your confidence and over-clouds your peace Therefore that we may not blemish our profession let us walk more exactly So shall we not be ashamed when we have respect to all Gods Commandments SERMON VIII PSAL. CXIX 7. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments IN this Verse David expresseth his esteem of the Word by telling what he would give for the knowledg and practice of it As we use to tell a man how thankful we would be if he would do thus and thus for us So Lord if thou wilt give me to learn thy righteous judgments then I will praise thee c. His promise of praise manifesteth his esteem which should affect our stupid hearts The Canon is now larger and the mysteries of the Word are more clearly unfolded If the Saints of God were so taken with it before when there were so scanty and dark representations in comparison of what is now O what honour and praise do we now owe to God! In this Verse observe 1. The Title that is given to the Word Thy righteous judgments 2. His Act of Duty about it or the benefit which he desireth sound erudition When I shall have learned 3. The fruit of this benefit obtained Then will I praise thee 4. The manner of performing this duty With uprightness of heart First The Title that is given to the Word Thy righteous judgments or as it is in the Margent the judgments of thy righteousness Hence observe Doct. Gods precepts are and are so accounted of by his people as righteous judgments or judgments of righteousness There are two Terms to be Explained 1. What is meant by judgments 2. By righteousness For the First Righteousness is sometimes put alone for the Word and so also Judgments as we shall find in this Psalm but here both are put together to increase the signification The precepts of the Word are called judgments for two Reasons 1. Because they are the Judicial sentence of God concerning our state and actions 2. Because of the suitable execution that is to follow First They are the Judicial sentence of God concerning our state and actions The judicial sentence that is they are the Decrees of the Almighty Law-giver given forth with an authority uncontroulable A man may appeal from the sentence of men but this is judgment this is as certain as if he were executed presently There is injustice and oppression many times in the Courts of men but there 's a higher than the highest regards it and there be higher than they Eccles. 5. 8. There may be another Tribunal to which we may appeal from the unjust sentences of men but there is no appeal from God for there is no higher Judicature Paschalis a Minister of the Albigenses when he was burnt at Rome cited the Pope and his Cardinals before the Tribunal of the Lamb. When we are wronged and opprest here we may cite them before the Tribunal of God and Christ but who can appeal from the Tribunal of Christ himself And then this sentence is concerning our state and actions 1 Our State whether it be good or evil The word sentenceth you now for instance If a man be in a carnal state Joh. 3. 18. He that believeth not is condemned already How condemned already In the sentence of the Law so he is gone and lost Every unbeliever such as all are by nature is condemned already having only the slender thread of a frail life between him and the execution of it The sentence of the Law standeth in force against him since he will not come to Christ to get it repeal'd This sentence standeth in force against all Heathens which never heard of Christ and are condemned already by the Law But now Christians or those that take up such a profession and have heard of the Gospel on them it is confirmed by a new sentence since they will not fly
it is very needful they should be seasoned with the word betimes 3. Consider the many inconveniencies that will follow if they do not presently mind this work 1. Death is uncertain and therefore such a weighty business as this will brook no delay God doth not always give warning Nadab and Abihu two rash and inconsiderate young men were taken away in their sins and the Bears out of the Forest devoured the children that mocked the Prophet The danger being so great as soon as we are sensible of it we should flye from it When children come to the fulness of reason they stand upon their own bottom before they are reckoned to their Parents Oh! wo be to you if you dye in your sins Certainly as soon as a man is upon his own personal account he should look to himself lest God cut him off before he hath made his peace with him 2. Sin groweth stronger by custom and more rooted it gathereth strength by every act A brand that hath been in the fire is more apt to take fire again A man in a Dropsie the more he drinks the more his thirst increaseth Every act lesseneth fear and strengthneth inclination Jer. 13. 27. Wo unto thee O Ierusalem wilt thou not be made clean when shall it once be A twig is easily bowed but when it grows into a Tree it is more troublesome and unpliable A Tree newly set may be transplanted but when long rooted not so easily The man that was possessed of a Devil from his childhood how hardly is he cured Mark 9. 29. 3. Justice is provoked the longer and that will be a grief to you first or last If ever we be brought home to God it will cost us many a bitter tear not only at first conversion Jer. 31. 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised c. but afterwards David though he began with God be-times Psal. 25. 7. yet prays Remember not the sins of my youth nor my transgression And Iob 13. 26. For thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth Old bruises may trouble us long after upon every change of weather and new afflictions revive the sense of old sins They may stick by us We think tricks of youth are not to be stood upon you may have a bitter sense of them to your dying day 4. You will every day grow more useless to God the exercise of Religion dependeth much on the vigor of affections Again it is very profitable it brings a great deal of honour to God to begin with him betimes All time is little enough to declare your respects to God And it is honourable for you Seniority in grace is a preferment They were in Christ before me saith Paul An Old Disciple is a title of honour To grow gray in Christs service and to know him long it maketh the work of grace more easie The dedication of the first-fruits sanctified the whole lump Lam. 3. 27. It is good for a man that he bear the yoak in his youth to be inured to strictness betimes Dispositions impressed in youth increase with us Again it will be very comfortable when the miseries of old age come upon you As the Ant provideth in Summer for Winter so should we provide for age Now what a sweet comfort will it be when we are taken off from service that while we had any strength and affections God had the use of them Then our age will be a good old age USE 1. is for Lamentation That so few youths take to the ways of God No age doth despise the word so much as this which hath most need of it It is a rare thing to find a Ioseph or a Samuel or a Iosiah that seek God betimes Go to the Universities and you will find that those that should be as Nazarites consecrated to God live as those that have vowed and consecrated themselves to Satan Amos 2. 11. And I raised up of your sons for prophets and of your young men for Nazarites c. The sons of the prophets in their youth were bred for a more strict discipline in their holy calling separated from worldly delights to be a stock of a succeeding Ministry But alas they spend their time in vanity bringing nothing thence but the sins of the place and vainly following the sinful customs of the Countrey How few regard the education of their youth in knowledg or religious practice Families are Societies to be sanctified to God as well as Churches The Governours of them have as truly a charge of souls as the Pastors of Churches They offer their children to God in baptism but educate and bring them up for the world and the flesh They bewail any natural defect in them if their children have a stammering tongue a deaf ear or a withered leg but not want of grace We have a prejudice and think they are too young to be wrought upon but Gods word can break in with weight and power on young ones Luke 11. 1. One of his disciples said unto him Lord teach us to pray as Iohn also taught his disciples And Mat. 21. 15. When the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did and the children crying in the temple and saying Hosanna to the son of David they were sore displeased and said unto him Hearest thou what these say And Iesus said unto them Yea have ye never read Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise They learned it of their Parents Mat. 21. 9. And the multitudes that went before and that followed cryed saying Hosanna to the Son of David We should often be infusing good principles in youth Corruption of youth is one of the saddest symptoms of approaching Judgment USE 2. Is exhortation to young ones You that are to begin your course begin with God you have no experience yet you have a rule You have mighty lusts but a stronger Spirit No age is excluded from the promise of the Spirit Joel 2. 28 29. And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesie your old men shall dream dreams your young men shall see visions and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit Of Iohn Baptist it is said Luke 1. 15. He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mothers womb And Mark 10. 14. Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of God There is power to enlighten you notwithstanding all your prejudices to subdue your lusts notwithstanding the power of corruptions 1 Joh. 2. 13 14. I write unto you young men because ye have overcome the wicked one I write unto you little children because ye have known the Father c. And see Gen. 39. 9. It will be a
shall I do so or shall I not to desire him that is Lord of all to give us leave who is the Fountain of Wisdom to give us Counsel who is the disposer of all Events to give us a blessing 3. The declaring of our ways is necessary that we may be sensible of Gods eye that is upon us and so act the more sincerely Certainly it is a great advantage to make God conscious to every business we have in hand when we dare undertake nothing but what we would acquaint him withal There are some to whom the Prophet pronounceth a wo Isa. 29. 15. Wo unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord and their works are in the dark and they say Who seeth us and who knoweth us For the opening of this place surely none can seriously be so vain and grow up to such sottish Atheism as to think to hide a thing from God but they are loth solemnly to draw it forth in the view of conscience to revive a sense of Gods Omnisciency upon themselves We are said to deny that which many times we forget and will not think of So that those which hide their counsels from God are those that will not take God along with them In short this declaration is not necessary for God who knows our thoughts a far off Psal. 139. 2. not only our words and works but purposes before we begin to lift up a thought that way But this declaration is necessary for us to encrease the awe of God upon our heart and that we may undertake nothing but what we will solemnly acquaint the Lord with Well then this declaring our ways is an act of dependence Secondly By his ways may be meant all his straits sorrows and dangers and so this declaring it is an act of holy friendship when a man comes as one friend to another and acquaints God with his whole state lays his condition before the Lord in hope of pity and relief We have liberty to do so to tell God all our mind Heb. 10. 19. Let us come with boldness by the blood of Iesus and Heb. 4. 16. The word signifies with liberty of speech speaking all to God your whole state and condition if you have any sins to be pardoned any miseries to be redressed that where you are doubtful you may be helped by Gods counsel where you are weak you may be confirmed by his strength where you are sinful you may be pitied by his mercy where you are miserable you may be delivered by his power This is holy friendship to acquaint God with our doubts wants griefs and fears and we may do it with more confidence because we go to him in Christs name Joh. 16. 23. Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name it shall be granted unto you It is no fiction or strain but a real truth Will Christ deceive us when he saith Verily And then whatsoever you ask you have liberty to go to God for the removal of any fear the granting any regular desire or for satifying any doubt Whatsoever you ask the Father in my name our prayers by this means are Christs request as well as ours For instance if you send a child or servant to a friend for any thing in your name the request is yours and he that denies a child so servant denies you so saith Christ Go to the Father in my name God cannot deny a request in Christs name no more than he can deny Christ himself therefore you may use a holy boldness Thirdly By ways is meant temptations and sins and so this declaring is an act of spiritual contrition or brokenness of heart Sins they are properly our ways as Ezek. 18. 25. the Lord makes a distinction between my ways and your ways God hath his ways and we ours Our ways are properly our sins Now these saith David I will declare that is distinctly lay them open before God This is a part of our duty with brokenness of heart to declare our ways to acquaint God fully how it is with us without dissembling any thing It is a duty very unpleasing to flesh and blood natural pride and self-love will not let us take shame upon our selves and out of carnal ease and laziness we are loth to submit to such a troublesome course and thus openly to declare our ways Guilt is shy of Gods presence and sin works a strangeness Adam hid himself when God came into the garden and when he could shift no longer he will not declare it but transfers the fault upon Eve and obliquely upon God himself and ever since there are many tergiversations in mans heart and therefore it is said Job 31. 33. If I have covered my sin as did Adam Iunius renders it more hominum after the manner of men but Adam's name is used because we shew our selves to be right Adam's race apt to cover our sins The same expression we have Hos. 6. 7. But they like men have transgressed the covenant in the Hebrew 'tis like Adam so if I covered my sin as did Adam this is the fashion of men Now David brought his heart to this resolution with much strugling Psal. 32. 5. I said I will confess my sins he forced himself and thrust his backward heart forward by a strong resolution for we are loth to deal thus openly plainly and truly with God being shy of his presence and would fain keep the Devils counsel and come with our iniquity in our bosom But though this is a troublesome displeasing exercise to flesh and blood yet it is profitable and necessary For us thus to declare our ways 1. Because it is made to be one of the conditions of pardon and the act of Repentance that 's necessary to the pardon of sin Prov. 28. 13. He that hideth his sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsakes them shall find mercy so it runs And 1 Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins Gods Justice is satisfied by Christ but it must be glorified and owned by us So Jer. 3. 13. I am merciful saith the Lord only acknowledg thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God God hath mercy enough to pardon all only he will have it sued out his own way he will have his mercy asked upon our knees and have the creature stoop and submit And David Psal. 51. 3. I acknowledg my transgression 2. It is the only means to have our peace setled If you would not have your trouble and anxious thoughts continued upon you go open your selves to God declare your ways Psal. 32. 5. I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin As soon as David did but take up a resolution presently he felt the comfort of it If David had confest sooner he had come to his case sooner Distress of conscience is continued upon us until this be
is Grace which noteth the free bounty of God and excludeth all Means on the Creatures part Grace doth all gratis freely though there be no precedent Debt or Obligation or hope of Recompence whereby any thing can accrue to God His External Motive is our Misery his Internal Motive his own Grace Angels that never sinned are saved meerly out of Grace Men that were once miserable are saved not only out of Grace but out of Mercy 3. The next Notion is Long-Suffering or Slowness to Anger The Lord is not easily overcome by the wrongs or sins of the Creature he doth not only pity our Misery that is Mercy and do us good for nothing that is Grace but beareth long with our Infirmities that is slowness to Anger Certainly he is easily appeased and is hardly drawn to punish Men are ready to Anger slow to Mercy quickly inflamed and hardly appeased but it is quite the contrary with God It is good to observe the Difference between God and Man Man cannot make any thing of a suddain but destroyeth it in an instant When men are to make any thing they are long about it as building an house is a long work but plucking it down and undermining it is done in a short time but God is quick in making slow in destroying he made the World in six days he could have done it in a moment were it not that he would give us a Pattern of Labour and Order in all things now it hath continued for six thousand years and upwards as some account such is his long-suffering how many of us has God born with for ten twenty thirty years from childhood to grey hairs from the Cradle to the Grave the Angels were not indured in their sinful state but immdiately cast into Hell 4. Kindness and Bounty he is plenteous in goodness God is good and doth good his Communications to the Creature are free and full as the Sun giveth out Light and the Fountain water Thus you see reason why Mercies are plurally expressed 2. The Frequency of it Lam. 3. 23. His Mercies are new every morning that is renewed those that concern the Body and Soul not only merciful in saving once or twice but every day pardoneth our new sins and giveth to his repenting Children new Comforts There is a Throne of Grace open every day not once a year Heb. 4. 16. as it was to the High Priest under the Law The Golden Scepter is daily held out the Fountain is ever open not stopt up nor drawn dry God keepeth not Terms but keepeth a Court of Audience and every day we may come and sue out our Pardon and take out the comforts we stand in need of 3. The Variety of our Necessities both by reason of Misery and Sin so that not Mercy but Mercies will do us good We have not one Sin but many not one Misery but many therefore Mercies are needful for us 1. Our Miseries are many danger way-layeth us on every side therefore the Mercy of God is said to compass us about Psal. 32. 10. He that trusteth in the Lord Mercy shall compass him about On which side soever Temptation and Trouble maketh the assault Mercy is ready to make the defence Many are the Troubles of the Righteous but the Lord delivereth them out of them all Psal. 34. 19. Their troubles are many from Gods own hand Satans Temptations Malice of the wicked world therefore let thy mercies come to me 2. Our sins so many Provocations Transgressions from the Womb Isa. 48. 8. After Grace received we have our failings there remains much venom and evil of sin Psal. 51. 1 2. Have mercy upon me according to the greatness of thy mercy according to the multitude of thy tender mercy blot out my Transgressions where great sins great mercies many sins many mercies In that one fact how many ways did he sin No great sin can be committed alone but one evil act draweth on another as Links in a 〈◊〉 Adultery Blood and this by a King whose duty it was to punish it in others the more above the stroke of mans Justice the more liable to Gods This when he had many wives of his own a Crime committed out of want is not so heinous as that committed out of wantonness he took the poor mans one Ewe Lamb when he had many Flocks and Herds This was done not suddenly and in the heat of passion but in cool blood plotting his opportunities abusing Uriah his simplicity and sincerity to his own destruction his honesty in not returning to his House should have been a check upon David he maketh him drunk drew Ioab into the Conspiracy and Confederacy of his guilt many perished with Uriah in the attempt upon Rabbah 4. The many favours to be bestowed upon us as Food Cloathing Protection Liberty in our service and after all Eternal Life therefore Mercies which giveth us all things necessary to Life and Godliness 2 Pet. 1. 4. 2. The Effect Thy Salvation brought about in Gods way and upon Gods terms In temporal safety we must wait for Gods salvation such as God giveth God alloweth better be miserable than be saved upon other terms many would be safe from troubles but they would take their own way and so turn aside to crooked paths Those Martyrs spoken of in the Hebrews Chap. 11. 35. would not accept deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection to wince under trouble and fling off the burden ere it be taken off by God without any sin of ours otherwise we break Prison get out by the Window not by the Door we must take up our Cross as long as God will please to have us bear it David saith Thy Salvation 3. The warrant and ground of his expectation according to thy Word Gods mercy is to be expected according to the tenour of the Promise How is that 1. No temporal Blessing is absolutely to be expected for God hath reserved the liberty of trying and chastising his Children in outward things the Covenant is to be understood with the exception of the Cross and we can have no temporal benefit by it but as it is useful for us Psal. 89. 32 38. I will visit their Transgression with a Rod and their Iniquity with Stripes Nevertheless my Loving Kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail God will use medicinal Discipline though not satisfie his Justice upon them 2. The Qualification of the Promise must be regarded by those that would have benefit by it Gods Covenant is made with his people 't is a mutual stipulation many would have comfort we plead promises of safety with God but forget promises of Obedience to him as Ephraim would tread out the Corn but not break the Clods Hosea 10. 11. There was food Deut. 25. 4. Thou shalt not muzzle the Ox which treadeth out the Corn. We mind our own Interest more than Gods Honour 3. A Word of Promise calleth for Faith and
went into a Desart to pray Both time and place implied secrecy 3. We learn hence the preciousness of time it was so to David see how he spendeth the time of his life We read of David when he lay down at night he watered his couch with his tears after the examination of his heart Psal. 6. 6. at midnight he rose to give thanks In the morning he prevented the morning watches Seven times a day praising God Morning Noon Night These are all acts of eminent Piety We should not content our selves with so much grace as will meerly serve to save us Alas we have much idle time hangs upon our hands if we would give that to God it were well 4. The value of godly exercises above our natural refreshings the word is sweeter than appointed food Job 23. 12. I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food David preferreth his praises of God before his sleep and rest in the night Surely this should shame us for our sensuality We can dispence with other things for our vain pleasures we have done as much for sin for vain sports broken our rest for sin some monsters of man-kind turn night into day and day into night for their drunkenness gaming vain sports c. and shall we not denie our selves for God 5. The reverence to be used in secret Adoration David did not onely raise up his spirits to praise God but rise up out of his bed to bow the knee to him Secret duties should be performed with some solemnity not slubbered over Praise a special act of Adoration requireth the worship of Body and Soul Use. Let Davids example condemn our backwardness and sluggishness who will not take those occasions which offer themselves Mark he gave thanks when we fret at midnight he rose to do it with the more secrecy and fervency this not to pray onely but to give thanks SERMON LXXI PSAL. CXIX 63. I am a Companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep thy precepts IN this Verse two things are observable 1. A description of the people of God they are described by their Principle and by the course of their lives and actions fear and obedience 2. Davids respect to them I am a Companion of all them More particularly 1. In the Person speaking the disparity of the Persons is to be observed David who was a great Prophet yea a King yet saith I am a Companion of them that fear thee Christ 〈◊〉 called them his fell ws Psal. 45. 7. Thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladness above thy fellows and therefore David might well say I am a Companion 2. David saith of all them the universal Particle is to be observed not onely some but all when any lighted upon him or he upon any of them they were welcome to him How well would it be for the World if the great Potentates of the Earth would thus think speak and do I am a Companion of all them that fear thee Self-love reigneth in most men we love the Rich and despise the Poor and so have the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons James 2. 1. therefore this universality is to be regarded Hearing of your Faith and Love to all the Saints Eph. 1. 25. to the mean as well as the greatest Meanness doth not take away Church Relations 1 Cor. 11. 20. There are many differences in worldly respects between one child of God and another yea in spiritual gifts some weaker some stronger but we must love all for all are children of one Father all owned by Christ he is not ashamed to call them Brethren Heb. 2. 11. This I say is observable the disparity of the persons on the one side David on the other all the people of God 1. Let us take notice of the Description of the people of God they are such as fear him and keep his precepts that is obey him conscientiously out of a reverence to his Majesty and Goodness and due regard to his will delivered in his word The same description is used Acts 10. 35. In every Nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him Note hence 1. Doct. The fear of God is the grand principle of Obedience Deuter. 5. 29. Oh that there were such an heart within them that they would fear me and keep my Commandments always Here consider 1. What is the fear of God 2. What influence it hath upon Obedience 1. What is the fear of God There is a twofold fear of God servile and filial 1. Servile By which a man seareth God and hateth him as a slave feareth his cruel Master whom he could wish dead and himself rid of his Service and obeyeth by mere compulsion and constraint Thus the wicked fear God because they have drawn an ill picture of him in their minds Matth. 25. 24 25. I knew thou wast an hard man and I was afraid They perform onely a little unwilling and unpleasing service and as little as they can because of their ill conceit of God So Adam feared God after his sin when he ran away from him Gen. 3. 10. Yea so the Devils sear God and rebel against him Iames 2. 19. The Devils also believe and tremble This fear hath torment in it to the Creature and hatred of God because by the fear of his Curse and the flames of Hell he seeketh to drive them from sin 2. Filial fear as Children fear to offend their dear Parents and thus the godly do so fear God that they do also love him and obey him and cleave to him and this preserveth us in our duty Ier. 32. 40. I will put my fear in their hearts and they shall not depart from me This is a necessary frame of heart for all those that would observe and obey God This Fear is twofold 1. The Fear of Reverence 2. The Fear of Caution 1. The Fear of Reverence when the Soul is deeply possessed with a sense of God's Majesty and Goodness that it dareth not offend him his Greatness and Majesty hath an influence upon this Fear Fear ye not me saith the Lord will ye not tremble at my presence who have placed the sand for the bound of the Sea by a perpetual decree that it cannot pass it Jer. 5. 22. his Goodness and Mercy Hos. 3. 5. They shall fear the Lord and his Goodness Jer. 10. 6 7. There is none like unto thee O Lord thou art great and thy Name is great in might Who would not fear thee O King of Nations both together ingage us to live always as in his eye and presence and in the obedience of his holy Will studying to please him in all things 2. The Fear of Caution is also called the Fear of God when we carry on the business of Salvation with all possible solicitude and care For it is no easy thing to please God and save our Souls Phil. 2. 12. Work out your Salvation
in Affection and Estimation Alas the best of us are scarce dark shadows of his Goodness 4. God's Goodness is the Life of our Faith and Trust so long as the Goodness of God endureth for ever we have no cause to be discouraged If we want Direction in the Text 't is said Thou art good and dost good teach me thy Statutes If we want Support and Deliverance Nahum 1. 7. The Lord is good a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him In every streight the People of God find him to be a good God When we feel the burthen of Sin and fear God's Wrath Psalm 86. 5. The Lord is good and ready to forgive and plenteous in Mercy to all them that call upon him David when his old Sins troubled him the Sins of his Youth Psalm 25. 7. Remember not the Sins of my youth nor my Transgressions according to thy Mercy remember thou me for thy goodness sake O Lord. When his Enemies consulted his Ruine Psalm 52. 1. Why boastest thou thy self in mischief O mighty Man the goodness of God endureth continually They cannot take away the Goodness of God from you whatever they plot or purpose against you Thus may Faith triumph in all Distresses upon the sense of the Goodness of God In the Agonies of Death the Goodness of God will be your Support Non sic vixi ut pudeat me inter vos vivere nec mori timeo quia bonum habeo Dominum We have a good Master who will not see his Servants unrewarded the Goodness of God and his readiness to be gracious to every one that cometh to him is the Fountain of the Saints Hope Strength and Consolation 5. The Goodness of God is the great Motive and Invitation to Repentance Rom. 2. 4. Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance How so God is good but not to those that continue in their Sins Psalm 68. 19 20 21. Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth 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 head of his Enemies and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his Trespasses If Goodness be despised it will be turned into Fury How great soever the Riches of the Lords Bounty and Grace offered in Christ are yet an impenitent Sinner will not escape unpunished God is good oh come try and see how good he will be to you if you will turn and submit to him There is Hope offered and Goodness hath waited to save you so that now you may seek his Favour with hope to speed While he sits upon the Throne of Grace and alloweth the Plea of the New Covenant do not stand off against Mercies God hath laid out the Riches of his gracious Goodness upon a design to save lost sinners and will you turn back upon him and despise all his Goodness provided for you in Christ In point of gratitude the least kindness done men melteth them as coals of fire The Borrower is servant to the Lender God hath not only lent us but given us all that we have therefore it should break our Hearts with sorrow and remorse that we should offend a God so Good so Bountifull so Mercifull The odiousness of sin doth most appear in the unkindness of it that infinite Goodness hath been abused and infinite Goodness despised and that you are willing to lose your part in infinite Goodness rather than not satisfie some base lust or look after some trifling vanity Saul wept at the thoughts of David's kindness 1 Sam. 24. 16. Every man will condemn the wrongs done to one that hath done us no evil but much Good and will you sin against God who is so Good in himself so Good to all his Creatures and so Good to you and waiteth to be better and more gracious and return evil for all his good and requite his Love with nothing but unkindness and Provocation Oh be ashamed of all these things What heart is that that can offend and so willingly offend so good a God Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you by the Mercies of God there is Argument and Endearment enough in that that ye present your bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable Service that ye consecrate dedicate your selves to his glory address your selves chearfully to his Service Let the Soul be warmed into an earnest resolution to please him for the future lest you make Goodness your Enemy and Justice take up the quarrel of abused Grace 6. The Goodness of God is the great Argument to move us to Love God If he be Good he is worthy to be Loved and that with a superlative Love for God is both the Object and the Measure of Love a less Good should be loved less and a greater Good more All that is not God is but a finite and limited Good and must be loved accordingly God only is Infinite and Eternal and therefore he is to be loved of all and above all with our chiefest and most worthy Love by preferring his Glory above all things that are dear to us and being content for his sake to part with all that we have in the world But if any lower thing prevail with us we prefer it before God and so contemn his Goodness in comparison of it If the object of Love be Good none so properly deserveth our Love as God For 1. He is Originally Good the Fountain of all Good therefore if we leave God for the deceitfull vanities of this present life we leave The Fountain of Living waters for a broken Cistern Jer. 2. 13. The Creatures are but dry pits and broken Cisterns 2. He is Summum Bonum the Chiefest Good Other things what good they have they have it from him therefore it is infinitely better and greater in him than in them all the Good that is in the Creature is but a Spark of what is in God If we find any good there it is not to detain our Affections but to lead us to the greater Good not to hold us from him but to lead us to him as the Streams lead to the Fountain and the steps of a Ladder are not to stand still upon but that we may ascend higher There is Goodness in the creature but mixed with Imperfection the Good is to draw to him the Imperfection to drive us off from the Creature 3. He is Infinitely Good Other things may busie us and vex us but they cannot satisfie us this alone sufficeth for health wealth peace protection grace glory Necessities that are not satisfied in God are but Fancies and the desires that are hurried out after them apart from God are not to be satisfied but mortified If we have not enough in God it is not
sharpness of apprehension in carnal Things but dull slow and blind in spiritual and heavenly Things Thoughts are spent freely and unweariedly about the one but there is a tediousness and barrenness about the other a Will backward to what is good but a strange bent and urging to what is evil in that which is good we need a Spur in evil a Bridle these things persevere with us but how fickle and changable in any holy Resolution the Memory slippery in what is good but firm and strong in what is evil the Affections quick easily stirred like Tinder catch fire at every spark but as to that which is good they are like fire in green Wood hardly kept in with much blowing Again our delight is soon moved by things pleasing to Sense a carnal gust and savour is very natural to us and rise with us Rom. 8. 5. but averse from the chiefest good and every thing that leadeth to it Surely then we have need to goe to God and complain of Corruption sometimes under the notion of a blind and dark Mind begging the illumination of the Spirit sometimes under the notion of a dead hard Heart or an unperswadable Will begging his inclining as well as inlightning Grace Surely they are strangely hardened that do not see a need of a spiritual Understanding Nay God's Children after Grace received though sanctified betimes yet halt of the old Maim dull in Spirituals alive and active in carnal Matters Carnal and worldly Men act more uniformly and suitably to their Principles than the Children of God to theirs Luke 16. 8. The Children of this world are wiser in their generation than the Children of light that is more dexterous in the course of their Affairs Grace for the present worketh but a partial Cure we have the advantage in matter of Motive we have better and higher things to mind but they have the advantage in matter of Principle their Principles are unbroken but the Principles of the best are mixed we cannot doe what we would in heavenly things there is the back-bias of Corruption that turns us away and therefore they need to be instant with God to heal their Souls sometimes a blind Mind and sometimes a distempered Heart 5. We must be new made and born again before we can be apt or able to know or doe the Will of God as Christ inferreth the necessity of Regeneration from the corruption of Nature he had been discoursing with Nicodemus You cannot enter into the Kingdome of God For that which is born of the flesh is flesh John 3. 5 6. Our Souls naturally accommodate themselves to the Flesh and seek the good of the Flesh and all our Thoughts and Care and Life and Love runs that way now what was lost in Adam can onely be recovered in Christ 't is not enough that God's hands have once made us and fashioned us but there is a necessity of being made and fashioned anew of becoming his workmanship in Christ Iesus Eph. 2. 10. and so the words of the Text may be interpreted in this sense Thou hast made me once Lord new make me thy hands made me O Lord give me a new Heart that I may obey thee In the first Birth God gave us a natural Understanding in the second a spiritual Understanding that we may learn his Commandments First that we may be good and then doe good The first Birth gave us the natural Faculty the second the Grace or those divine Qualities which were lost by Adam's Sin better never been born unless born again better be a Beast than a Man if the Lord give us not the knowledge of himself in Christ. The Beasts when they die their Misery and Happiness dieth with them Death puts an end to their Pain and Pleasure but we that have Reason and Conscience to foresee the end and know the way enter into perfect Happiness or Misery at death unless the Lord sanctify this Reason and give us an heart to know him in Christ and choose that which is good Man is but a higher kind of Beast a wiser sort of Beast Psalm 49. 12. for his Soul is onely employed to cater for the Body and his Reason is prostituted to Sense the Beast rides the Man We are not distinguished from the Bruits by our Senses but our Understanding and our Reason but in a carnal Man the Soul is a kind of Sense 't is wholly imployed about the animal Life There is not a more brutish Creature in the World than a worldly wicked Man Well then David had need to pray Lord thou hast given me Reason give me the knowledge of thy self and thy blessed Will 6. When we seek this Grace or any degree of it 't is a proper Argument to urge that we are God's Creatures so doth David here I am now come to my very Business and therefore I shall a little shew how far Creation is pleadable and may any way incourage us to ask spiritual Understanding and renewing Grace 1. In the general I shall lay down this 'T is a good way of reasoning with God to ask another Gift because we have received one already 'T is not a good way of reasoning with Man because he wastes by giving but a good way with God and that upon a double account Partly because in some cases Deus donando debet God by giving doth in effect bind himself to give more as by giving Life to give Food by giving a Body to give Rayment Matth. 6. 25. God by sending such a Creature into the World chargeth his Providence to maintain him as long as he will use him for his glory God loveth to crown his own Gifts Zech. 3. 2. Is not this a brand plucked out of the burnings The thing pleaded there is was not this a Brand plucked out of the fire one Mercy is pleaded to obtain another Mercy So God bindeth himself to give perseverance 2 Cor. 1. 10. but this is not the case here for by giving common Benefits he doth not bind himself to give saving Graces And partly too because he doth not waste by giving his mercy endureth for ever The same reason is given for all those Mercies Psalm 136. Why the Lord chose a Church maintaineth his Church giveth daily bread his mercy endureth for ever God is where he was at first he giveth liberally and upbraideth not James 1. 5. he doth not say I have given already Now a former common Mercy sheweth God's readiness and freeness to give the Inclination to doe good still abideth with him he is as ready and as free to give still daily Bread his mercy endureth for ever spiritual Wisdome his mercy endureth for ever indeed the giving of daily Bread doth not necessarily bind God to give spiritual Wisdome but that which is not a sure ground to expect may be a probable incouragement to ask and learn this that though nothing can satisfy Unbelief yet Faith can pick Arguments out of any thing and make use of
this sound heart that doth inseparably cleave to God in all things 1 Chron. 22. 19. Now set your hearts to seek the Lord God of your fathers This is the Obediential Bent when the heart is set and fixed so David speaketh of it Psal. 119. 112. I have inclined my heart to perform thy statutes always to the end When the heart is poized this way not compelled by outward force but inclined and this always not by fits and starts Many have good motions and temporize a little but their righteousness is like the morning dew Many approve what is good and condemn themselves for not doing of it but their hearts are not inclined nay further they can wish it were better with them but the heart is not swayed and over-powred by Grace Here is the ground of a cheerful Uniform and constant Obedience when we do not force our selves now and then to good actions but the heart hath an habitual tendency that way Fourthly There is required that the affections be purged and quickned these are the vigorous motions of the Will and therefore this must be heedfully regarded purged they must be from that carnality and fleshliness that cleaveth to them This is called in Scripture the circumcision of the heart Deut. 30. 6. The Lord thy God shall circumcise thy heart to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy mind that thou may'st live 'T was figured in the cutting of the fore-skin or the circumcision of the flesh which because it was an action done with pain sometimes noteth the humbling of the heart and soul affliction Lev. 26. 41. But because it was done not only with pain but the fore-skin was cut off so it noteth the purging the heart from that fleshliness and carnality that cleaveth to us Acts 15. 9. Purifying their hearts by faith Sin is wrought out more and more by the blood of Christ applied to the Conscience And sometimes this is expressed in Scripture by plowing up the fallow ground Jer. 4. 4. There are perverse inclinations like Bryars and Thorns that grow in us and the strength of vile affections now unless these be abated and broken we shall soon be transported by them 'T is an allusion to ground broken up for tillage till the ground be plowed and the noisom weeds destroyed the good seed will not grow 2dly the affections must be quickned acted and set a work by the love of God Gal. 5. 6. Prepared ready to serve the Lord Eph. 2. 20. Amor meus est pondus meum Love and delight in God's ways go together Thus much of the nature of the sound heart Secondly Let me now come to shew you the value and worth of this Priviledge 't is a great blessing that will appear by two things 1. The Respect that God hath to it 2. The Evil it freeth us from That I be not ashamed 1. The Respect that God hath to it This is the thing that God delights in and looks after 1 Chron. 29. 17. I know also my God that thou triest the heart and hast pleasure in uprightness He can discern integrity and preferreth it before all manner of service and pomp in worship that is yielded to him Now this delight of God is not only in the thing itself in the uprightness but in the persons of the upright upon account of their uprightness so Prov. 11. 20. The upright is his delight That person that is upright for the main though otherwise he hath many failings is of great esteem with God But can the holy God delight in any of the sinful sons of Adam Before the Fall God rejoiced in us as in the work of his hands but since Sin marr'd us and defiled us how can God take pleasure in us The love of good Will may fall upon sinful unworthy Creatures but the love of Complacency cannot fall upon these A fit Object the Sinner is not and exactly perfect none can be there is therefore a middle person the upright and sincere man And this delight of God passeth from the person to his actions The prayer of the upright is his delight Prov. 15. 8. Alas our Prayers are as our Persons poor slender things at the best yet a little findeth acceptance with God 't is welcome for the person's sake who is accepted in Christ. Now how will God manifest this delight in his Providence 2 Chron. 16. 9. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro that he may shew himself strong in the behalf of those whose hearts are upright with him He looks up and down in the world to find out such persons to do them good that he may employ all his power and grace for them so God shews it in his Word God's work is to assure them of a blessing Micah 2. 7. Do not my words do good to them that walk uprightly There he comforts and strengthens and revives their hearts He doth not only speak good but doth good to them that walk uprightly Nay that 's not all but by his Spirit and internal Grace he doth more encourage them and renew strength upon them in their way to Heaven Prov. 10. 29. The way of the Lord is strength to the upright The more they walk with God the more easie and sweet they find it so to do So that if all these Promises will encourage us we had need to look after this sound heart What honor and esteem soever others purchase with men these obtain favor with the Lord and are more regarded in all his dispensations 2. Let us come to the evil it freeth us from in the argument of the Text That I may not be ashamed They whose hearts are not sound with God one time or other they shall be put to shame but others shall be kept from this effect which is so grievous to nature Let me open this A man may be ashamed either before God or men our selves or others First Before God either in our addresses to him at the Throne of Grace or when summoned to appear at the last day before the Tribunal of his Justice 1. If you understand it of our present approach to him we cannot come into his presence with confidence if we have not a sound heart 1 John 3. 21. If our hearts condemn us not then have we boldness towards God We lose that holy familiarity and chearfulness when we are unbosoming our selves to our heavenly Father when our hearts are not sound An unsound heart through the consciousness of its own guilt groweth shie of God and stands aloof from him and hath no pleasure in his company But when we sincerely set our selves to keep a good conscience in all things we have this liberty towards God though our failings humble us yet they do not weaken our confidence of our Father's mercy St Paul thought himself a fit object of others Prayers upon this account Heb. 13. 18. Pray for us for we trust we have a good conscience willing in all things
how we are to refrain from every evil way The reasons of this are two 1 Because sins will weaken our graces 2 They will weaken our Comfort both which are necessary to the keeping of Gods Law therefore if we would keep the Law and be punctual and close with God in a course of Obedience we must stand at a great distance in heart and practice from all sin 1. Sins will weaken our graces There are several graces necessary to the keeping of God's Law as Faith Fear Love Hope You know at Conversion God puts a vital Principle into us that is diversified and called by these several names These graces are planted in us as principles of operation and as these decay our acts of Obedience will be more or less a sickly faith can produce but weak operations as if the root wither and decay the branches will not long flourish so when our fear and reverence of God is lessened as it is by every act of sin the spiritual life will not be carried on with that exactness and care So when our love waxeth cold we will not be so diligent and serious for these are the Principles of operations Rev. 3. 3. When they left their first love they left their first works If there be a decay and diminution of our graces then there will be an intercession of acts and operations these graces will suffer a shrewd loss they are qualities and therefore capable of encrease and remission being more or less As Love it may wax cold Matth. 24. 26. Fear may be greater or less so Faith though there be some seed of Grace remains to preserve the interest of the soul yet things may be ready to dye and faint How do they decay by sins Gal. 5. 17. These things are contrary flesh and spirit that is always warring upon one another and weakening one another and here lies the Christian's advantage to observe which is up and which is down By every act of deliberate sin the flesh is strengthened and grace weakened these are up and down in a renewed heart therefore it is good to see which prevails that you may not weaken your strength if you gratifie the flesh you hearten your enemy and strengthen your clog and so grace languisheth 2. It weakens our comfort Comfort is necessary to make us lively and chearful in God's service The Lord knows we drive on heavily when we have not that peace of Conscience serenity of mind and we want the comforts of God's spirit The more our hearts are enlarged the more we run the way of God's Commandments Psal. 119. 32. What is an enlarged heart chiefly by joy and comfort It is joy that enlargeth the heart now sin weakens this joy this comfort which is our strength When Adam sinned his soul was filled with horror Gen. 3. 10. And David when he had been tampering with sin lost his Comfort Psal. 51. 8. Make me to hear of joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce And ver 12. Restore to me the joy of thy Salvation He that priks himself with a needle or sharp thing must needs feel pain so whosoever gives way to sin certainly will have trouble of soul confusion grief fear sorrow and loseth his sense of salvation for a time and sins away his peace Always the more exact our walking the more is our peace of Conscience 2 Cor. 1. 12. This is our rejoycing the Testimony of our Conscience c. Well then if we would be punctual with God we see how much it concerns us to stand at a distance from every evil way Use 1. To shew how far they are from a course of Obedience that live under a full power of their sins Never think you seek after that which is good while your evil scent remains with you and your former evils are in life and strength to this very day All those that wallow in brutish sins of Drunkenness and Adultery so those that are guilty of common swearing Sabbath breaking and such â—…like gross sins these have good thoughts of themselves they have sincerity towards God but such have a spot that is not the spot of God's people Twice there 's a caution interposed that such should not be deceived 1 Cor. 6. 9. Eph. 6. 6. You will say where lies the danger of any deceit O the worst are apt to deceive their own hearts There 's a world of these deceivings in the hearts of men the best of Saints have fallen into as great sins they think these are but petty slips and humane infirmities and God's patience will suffer all grace will pardon all at length and no man is perfect therefore they have some hopes to even those that are drunkards adulterers and abusers of themselves with mankind though their sins be as Sodom those that fall into the grossest sins they are apt to be deceived Be not deceived these things are not consistent with grace 2. It shews how far they are from the temper of God's Children that are not punctual with God in a course of Obedience that hate one kind of evil not another many hate prodigality yet not covetousness hate covetousness and are given up to sensuality hate an Epicure and such a one as squanders away his estate thinks as evil of him as can be but not hard hearts such as shut up their bowels and do no good in their places and some hate sensuality but not pride but cherish that there is some sweet bit under his tongue as Zophar speaks Iob 20. 12. Christians though we can subdue no sin as we should yet we are to resist every sin and especially to bend all the force and strength of your souls against your sins that sin which is most apt to prevail with you this is a sign of uprightness Psal. 18. 23. and therefore if you would know whether you have given up your selves to walk with God to keep his Word what labouring hath there been with your own hearts what pains have you taken to set against your own sins are you most jealous of it pray most against it often turn the edge of the Word upon it are you observing the decays or do you keep it under the tongue Reason with your selves upon the world to come is it reserved corruption or remaining corruption Have you never been dealing with your hearts to suppress such a corrupt inclination as you have been often foiled with Use 2. To press those that would be exact with God to stand at a distance in heart and practice from every known sin whatever urging and solicitations you have within your selves though it would break out yet have you refrained To this end let me commend two graces and two duties The two graces are love to God and his Word and fear to God and his Word For the Graces 1. A Love to God a Love to the word of God A Love to God Psal. 97. 10. Ye that love the Lord hate evil It is as
of God doth affect men with an earnest desire of knowledge and so affect them as to desire to know the Will of God for no other reason but that they may avoid what is displeasing to God and do what is pleasing in his sight and therefore hear pray read meditate and study the holy Scriptures they are sure to be right for the main 2. Not only avoid the belief and profession of falshood but hate it I hate every false way Not the persons but pity them Phil. 3. 19. I tell you weeping It should be the grief of our hearts to see them misled but as for the Error hate it whatever is not agreeable to the rule of Truth or dissenteth from the purity of the Word There is too great a coldness and indifferency about the things of Religion as if Truth were not to be stood upon Carnal men hate the Truth Psal. 50. 17. They hate instruction and cast my laws behind their backs Truly we have much more reason to hate Error without which we cannot be safe it is so catching with our natures 2dly In point of Practice and so every falshood may be applied 1. To Craft or Carnal-Wisdom I hate Fraud and Deceit true understanding makes us hate false wisdom a simple honest conversation suits best with Christians 2 Cor. 1. 12. In simpliâ—…ity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world 2. Carnal or worldly Vanities and flattering and fallacious Pleasures these entice us with a fair outside and promise a great deal of happiness and comfort to us but when we neglect better things and run after them they deceive us in the issue They are called deceitful riches Mark 4. 19. And Beauty is said to be deceitful Prov. 31. 3. And those that run after these things are said to run after lying vanities Jonah 2. 8. Those that fail when we hope to enjoy them 3dly I take it more generally for all Sin Sinful ways are false ways and will surely deceive those that expect good from them or walk in them Heb. 3. 13. Deceitfulness of sin And deceitful lusts Ephes. 4. 22. And Sin hath deceived me and slew me saith Paul Rom. 7. 11. Sin is false and deceitful many ways 1. It presents its self in another dress than its own proposing evil under the name of good calling light darkness and darkness light Isa. 5. 20. or shadows of good for that which is really good gilded trash for perfect gold 2. As it promiseth happiness and impunity which it never performeth or maketh good Deut. 29. 19 20. and so the poor sinner is led as an Ox to the slaughter Prov. 7. 22 23. And we do not see the danger of it till it be too late to help it and it appeareth in its own colours in the foulness of the Act and the smartness of the Punishment Esau when he had sold the Birthright bewailed it with tears when it was too late Heb. 12. 16 17. The foolish Virgins tarried till the door was shut Mat. 25. 11 12. It is good to have our eyes in our head to see a plague when we may prevent it Prov. 22. 3. The foulness of the Act terrifieth as it did Iudas when he betray'd his Master Mat. 27. 4. Their hearts giveth evidence against them Rom. 2. 15. Excusing or accusing one another As Cain Gen. 4. 14. My punishment is greater than I can bear The unclean person shall mourn at the last when his flesh and his body shall be consumed Prov. 5. 11. Adam and Eve were sensible too late when their eyes were opened Doct. By the Word of God we get that true sound wisdom which maketh us to hate every false way Four things are implied in the Point and in the Text. 1. A Hatred of Sin 2. The Universality of this Hatred Every false way 3. That tâ—…is is a part and fruit of wisdom I get understanding therefore I hate 4. This wisdom and understanding is gotten by God's precepts First That it is our duty to hate Sin It is not enough to reform our practice or to abstain from the Act or to avoid the occasions that may lead to it but it must be hated Psal. 97. 10. Ye that love the Lord hate evil He doth not say forbear it but hate it Love to the chiefest good is fitly accompanied with hatred of the chiefest evil God he is our chiefest good you love the Lord and you must also hate evil the one is as natural to grace as the other for the new nature hath its flight and aversation as well as its choice and prosecution As it inclines us to chuse God for our portion and to pursue after things that lead to God so it hath a disposition to make us avoid that which is evil there are things hurtful to the new nature as well as any other being now hatred is to arm us against it In short this hatred is required 1. Because this is the true principle of resistance against Sin Until a man hate Sin he is never truly set against it as a man is never throughly gained to that which is good until he loves holiness for holiness sake his affections may be bribed with other considerations but then he is rooted in holiness when he loves holiness for its own sake So a man that is not resolved against Sin that will not hate it for its own sake may be frighted out of Sin for a Fit or by the interposings of Conscience put out of humor but his heart falls in again with his old Lusts until there be an envy and detestation of Sin but when it comes to this hatred then temptations cannot easily overcome examples draw not nor difficulties compel us to that which is evil Persuasions and allurements formerly were of great force straightway they followed but when the bent is another way they are not so eaâ—…ly drawn by force and examples which seem to have such cogency Before men did easily swim with the stream but here 's a counter-motion when they hate that which is evil this is the fence of the soul and draws us to an indignation Hos. 14. 8. 2. Partly because this a true distinctive evidence between those that are good and those that are evil Many may forbear Sin that yet do not hate it they forbear it out of restraint out of fear of punishment shame worldly ends yet they regard iniquity in their hearts Psal. 66. 18. As a Dog loves the bone yet fears the blows God judgeth not as Man Man is blameless he abstains from Sin but God hateth Sin Man judgeth according to the action but God judgeth according to the frame of the heart 1 Sam. 16. 7. For he is able to look to the inward springs and poize our spirits So on the other side good men may slip into an evil action but their hearts are against it it 's the evil which they hate Rom. 7. 15. They may be foiled but their hearts are bent another way
tryal when evil men were great and flourished in Wealth and Authority Psal. 73. 17. but how doth he settle his heart I went into the Sanctuary and there I understood their end When we look to the end of things that will settle us but when we see Gods work by halves we miscarry we make another judgment when we see Gods work brought to perfection than we did when we only saw the beginning of it Therefore let us not be altogether dismayed a little faith will help us against the temptations from sense When the Lord shall have tryed and humbled his people then the Cup is put into the hand of the wicked and God will throw them down from the seat of their arrogancy and trample upon them like dust What should hinder Cannot God do it or will he not Cannot he do it Yes very easily poor earthen Vessels that oppose him they do but dash themselves against a Rock they do but break themselves in pieces all attempts are nothing God will laugh them to scorn Or else will he not do it Doth not he hate sin as much as before or love his people as much as ever What God punisheth in one he punisheth in all if repentance prevent not he oweth them a shame therefore will pour contempt and disgrace upon those that dishonour him Psal. 53. 5. It might soon be known what will become of them if you would but awaken Faith you may look upon it as a thing accomplished already he shall tread down all iniquity under his feet Mal. 4â—…3 Use 3. Observe the Judgments upon those that erre from Gods Statutes that we may fear before the Lord and believe in him and learn to obey his Statutes David trembled to see Uzzah smitten 2 Sam. 6. 7 8. so should we when God revenges the quarrel of any Commandment Examples of Judgments are lively instances and are apt to strike deep upon the heart Therefore when we read or hear or see any of these we should look upon it as a warning Piece let off from Heaven to warn us not to sin after the similitude of their transgression God comes to speak to us in the language of sense when we cannot understand by faith he makes good his threatnings The unbelieving Israelites were destroyed Iude 5. Aaron's sons for offering strange fire were consumed Levit. 10. Uzzah for touching the Ark Lot's Wife for looking back turned into a Pillar of Salt therefore it is said Remember Lot's Wife Luke 17. 32. So in every Age there are remarkable Judgments how God treads down those that erre from his Statutes Which should be observed not to censure others but for our own caution But now because men are apt to misapply Providence by a malicious interpretation and to make perverse judgments of the sins of others I shall give you some rules how you may avoid censure on the one hand yet not hinder profit on the other 1. It is certain Gods Judgments upon others must be observed Ier. 7. 12. Go unto my place which was in Shiloh where I set my name at the first and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel Amos 6. 2. Pass ye to Calneh and see and from thence go ye to Hamath the great then go down to Gath of the Philistines be they better than these Kingdoms It is stupidness not to take notice of Gods hand Providence is a Comment upon the Word of God written many times in blood and those that will not observe it shall feel it Remember Lot's Wife One observeth upon those words Lege Historiam ne fias Historia observe the instances of Gods wrath upon others lest thou be made an instance thy self Sometimes God meets with this sinner sometimes that any that will go on in a way of sin and disobedience against God 2. This Observation must be to a good end not to censure others for that is malice to speak even to the grief of those whom God hath wounded this is condemned as enemies did of the people of God in their affliction Ier. 50. 7. Neither must we do it to justifie our selves that 's pride and self-conceit condemned Luke 13. 5. Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish but for instruction that we may fear for our selves Zeph. 3. 7. Surely now thou shalt fear me And that we may be cautioned against the like sins that we may see what an evil and bitter thing it is to forsake the Lord Ier. 2. 19. and that we may admire the Lords mercy to us that we are not set out as marks of his vengeance that we are not in their condition Amos 6. 2. that we may give to the Lord the glory of his Mercy Justice and Truth Take one place for all Rom. 11. 22. there the Apostle doth summe up all these three that we might not boast our selves over others that we may admire the Justice of God and mercy to us ward and may learn to fear him and walk cautiously and humbly with him lest we contract the like Judgment upon our selves 3. In making the observation there must be care that we do not make Providence speak a language which it owneth not the language of our fancies and pry into Gods Counsels without warrant First When you come to observe Judgment there must be a due reasoning from the provocation to the Judgment but not è contra not judge of the wickedness of the person by the affliction of the person The Barbarians shewed little reason and less charity in misconstruing the passage of the Viper fastning upon St. Paul's hand Act. 28. 4. The foregoing provocation must be evident before we interpret the Judgment The dispensations of Gods Providence are common and fall alike to good and bad Eccl. 9. 2. God by a sudden stroke may take off the godly as well as the wicked Good Eli broke his neck 1 Sam. 4. 18. and Iosiah died in the Army in the same manner that Ahab did by an Arrow in battel after he disguised himself 1 Chron. 35. 23. therefore do not reason from the stroke of God Shimei misinterpreted David's afflictions 2 Sam. 16. 7 8. Come out thou bloody man and thou man of Belial the Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul in whose stead thou hast reigned and the Lord hath delivered the Kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy Son Iob's friends thought him an Hypocrite because God smote him with Boils and Sores The best of Gods Children may suffer greatly from his hand but the Judgment must not make you conclude a sin but the foregoing sin must make you interpret it to be a Judgment 2. When the sin is written upon the Judgment and there are some remarkable circumstances wherein the sin and the Judgment meet as Iud. 1. 7. Adonibezek as he served his vanquished enemies so was he served himself his thumbs and toes cut off Gods retaliation is very notable Many Judgments have a signature
fear of thee 'T was not the fear of man that put him into such an Agony and Consternation We are always disswaded from the fear of man but we are exhorted to the fear of God Matth. 10. 28. And fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him that is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell The one is a snare Prov. 29. 25. The fear of man bringeth a snare but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe But the other is a duty The great preservative of the soul from spiritual dangers is the fear of God We are tuti si cauti securi si attoniti saith Tertullian the fear of God maketh us circumspect and so bringeth safety to us yea the one is the cure of the other Isai. 8. 12 13. As one Nail driveth out another or as Moses's Rod did eat up the Rods of the Magicians so doth the fear of God against all contrary fears and terrours whereby the heart may be turned from God Man can only kill the body but God can cast both soul and body into Hell fire So that we may set God against man Soul and body against the body only and Hell-fire against temporal punishment As that holy man said Da veniam Imperator tu Carcerem comminaris Deus autem comminatur Gehennam thou threatnest Bonds and imprisonment he threatneth everlasting damnation therefore 't is God is to be feared Psal. 76. 7. Thou even thou art to be feared and who can stand in thy sight when thou art angry Not man in comparison of God man against man may stand and wicked men in the time of his patience may stand but when God judgeth who can stand Now of God there is a double fear filial which draweth us to him and servile which driveth us from him Exod. 20. 20. And Moses said unto the people Fear not for God is come to prove you and that his fear may be before your face that ye sin not Fear not with a slavish fear but an awful fear composed of reverence and love III. The ground of his fear I am afraid of thy Iudgments The great severity which God did exercise in punishing the evil doers and purging out the dross when God doth smite the wicked and call them to an account for sin he warneth his own people to stand in awe As here thou puttest away the wicked like dross when the threatning is made good and terrible Judgments are abroad every one needeth to look to himself not only to love Gods testimonies but to stand in awe of his Judgments We need all affections to keep us within our duty both fear and love Doctr. That when God is angry and his Iudgments are abroad in the world it becometh his own people to observe them and have a deep awe and sense thereof Here I shall shew you 1. How far the people of God do and ought to take notice of his Judgments 2. This fear that is wrought thereby whether it be an infirmity or a duty 3. The Reasons why it becometh them to have a deep awe and sense of these things 1. For the first His ancient Judgments in former times ought to be laid to heart by us especially when like sins abound The Scripture referreth to the days of Lot and Noah and biddeth us remember Lot's wife Luke 17. 26. to 32. God biddeth his people But go ye now to my place which was in Shiloh where I set my name at the first and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel Ier. 7. 12. And the Apostle tells us that all the punishments that befel the stubborn Israelites are for our caution and warning 1 Cor. 10. 1. to 10. And all these things happened unto them for ensamples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come so he concludeth in verse 11. And the Apostle tells us That Sodom and Gomorrha were an example to those that after should live ungodly 2 Pet. 2. 6. A people might easily read their own doom and destiny if they would blow off the dust from these ancient Providences and mark the prints of Gods Justice and Truth in them and how the Word of God was verified upon them for these are but Copies and Patterns The desert of sin is still the same and the exactness of Divine Justice remaineth still the same These Providences are pledges of the same wrath of the like for substance to come upon us also if we walk contrary to God Others have smarted why not we God is impartially and immutably just Gal. 3. 20. He is but one always consonant unto himself like unto himself his Power is the same so is his Justice and therefore we should take warning Exemplo qui peccat â—…is peccat he that will plunge himself in a Bogg or Quagmire where others have miscarried before him is doubly guilty of folly because he neither feareth nor will take warning by their example This is one great benefit we have by the Historical part of the Word that it doth not only preserve the memory of the Saints that we may imitate their Graces and enjoy their Blessings but also records the sins and punishments of the wicked that we may know God hath owned the Historical part of the Word and fear for our selves Heb. 2. 1 2. Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to these things which we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip for if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward Rom. 1. 18. the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness So the Historical parts are also to justifie the Prophetical 'T is not only a Register and Chronicle of what is past but a Kalender and Prognostication of what is to come God might have blotted out the memory of Sinners that it should be no more thought or heard of but he would secure it upon record for our learning as some Malefactors their bodies are not buried but Quarters set upon places of greatest reâ—…ort Ut qui vivi noluerunt prodesse morte eorum Respublica utatur Or as Lot's Wife turned into a Pillar of Salt to season after Ages So that our flesh may tremble at the old Judgments that Adam for one sin was turned out of Paradise the old World swept away with a Flood Dathan and Abiram swallowed up of the Earth Achitophel and Iudas brought to the Halter Herod eaten up with Worms for his pride And all these have their use Secondly Judgments that light upon other Countries ought to be made use of by us because usually they go in a Circuit The Cup of trembling goeth round Ier. 25. 32. And because by this means we may learn to be wise and have all our schooling at
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
evil humour or to encrease our hatred and exasperation against a party whom it may be we hate too much already with a carnal hatred but to a good purpose partly that we may not be too consident of carnal ease too soon God will it may be have the enemies Cup yet fuller and that they shall appear more in their own colours And so our tryals may be greater We know not the bounds of the Lords patience We that are apt to extenuate our own sins are apt to aggravate the sins of others look upon them in the Glass of passion and cry too soon it is time But of this by and by And partly that we may see the greatness of our transgressions by which we have provoked the Lord to give us up into the hands of such men as blaspheme his Name every day Isai. 52. 5. Our sins were full in our kind in the abuse of Gods truth and worship and though not such moral wickedness yet a great deal of spiritual wickedness And God is more quick and severe upon us and will not bear that in a professing people that he beareth in others Iudgment begins at the house of God 1 Pet. 4. 17. The Cup of trembling goes round and his own people drink first and our staggering is not yet over in time they shall pledge us God beareth with Balaam though he tempted him again and again when he would not bear with the young Prophet whom the Lyon slew He bore with the Philistines a long time e're they were plagned We feel the smart of the Rod sooner Zech. 12. Yet 't is apparent our kind of sins were grown to a ripeness our selfseeking factions turbulency unquietness under Government abuse of Christian liberty uncharitable Divisions among our selves vexing one another vain opinions sleighting Gods Ministers and Ordinances And partly that we may be humbled for their sins It should be a grief to us to see men break Gods Laws to see men outdare Heaven David fasted for his enemies Psal. 35. 14 15 16. and Psal. 119. 136. Rivers of tears run down mine eyes because men keep not thy Law because God is so much dishonoured humane Nature so much corrupted If more of this spirit were stirring it were the better for us And partly that we may fear our selves We are bound up in the same Community and when God judgeth them how shall we escape The Jews have a Proverb That two dry Sticks may set a green one on fire The meaning is The godly man may fall in the common calamity Wheat is plucked up with the Tares God saith in Deut. 7. 22. That they should not destroy all the Canâ—…anites lest the beasts of the field should encrease upon them The safety of his people are involved in the safety of their sinning and persecuting enemies A Hedg of Thorns may serve for a fence to a Garden of Roses and all the relief we have is the Lord can make a distinction 2 Pet. 2. 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust unto the day of Iudgment to be punished 3. Why doth God take this time First For his own Glory His Justice is more discovered when men have filled up their measure Psal. 51. 4. That thou mayest be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest It justifieth Gods proceedings and maketh us the more inexcusable So also his power 't is Gods time to send help and remedy when all things are gone to utter confusion when things are at the most desperate pass Psal. 124. 3 4 5. in our low estate then is God seen Secondly Hereby Gods work upon Mount Zion is promoted His people are humbled when their Adversaries are chief and rage against them Psal. 123. 4. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease and with contempt of the proud When things come to extremity their prayers are quickened Psal. 130. 1. Out of the depths I cryed unto thee O Lord. They are fitted to prize mercy Psal. 102. 13 14. They that thought it no great matter to have a standing Temple delight in the dust of a ruinous heap Then Shepherds Tents look lovely we set a higher rate on despised Ordinances In short they are waiting and praying and humbling their souls before God IV. Fourth Consideration When a flood of wickedness is thus broken out we may mind God of the deliverance of his people But what needs that Doth not God know his seasons and will not he exactly observe them In the Answer I shall shew you Why and How 1. Why Because First God loveth to be awakened by the prayers of his people and when he hath a mind to work he sets the spirit of prayer awork Ier. 29. 11 12. I know the thoughts that I think towards you saith the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end Then shall ye call upon me and ye shall go and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you So thus and thus will I do Ezek. 36. 37. Yet for this will I be enquired of by the house of Israel We are to give a lift by our prayers 't is a time of finding Psal. 32. 6. Secondly He hath put an office upon us God acts the part of a Judg we as Sollicitors and Remembrancers Isai. 62. 6 7. I have set Watchmen upon thy Walls O Ierusalem which shall never hold their peace night nor day Ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence and give him no rest till he make Ierusalem a praise in the Earth We are to put God in mind so that we but do our duty 2. How The principle and manner must be right First The principle be sure it be not the impatiency of the Flesh or love to our own ease or a mere tediousness and irksomeness of the Cross be sure it be not passion and a principle of revenge but a desire of promoting his honour and vindicating his glory David doth not say how troublesome they were to himself but they make void thy Law as if he had said Lord if my own interest were only concerned I would not open my mouth nor ever call upon thee to revenge my private quarrels but it is my zeal for thy Honour and Ordinances not that I have received injury but thy worship is corrupted work else what will become of thy Name and poor people Offences done against God should grieve us more than our own injuries and we should rather regard the general interest of Religion than any personal offence done to us There is often a carnal spirit breathing in our prayers and our zeal is fleshly the people of God beat it back Psal. 115. 1. Not unto us not unto us but unto thy Name give glory And Psal. 74. 10. O Lord how long shall the adversary reproach and the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever The godly can endure their own troubles better than
excuse for him to say I do but as others do he is to reckon his hours by the Sun not the Town-Clock to take Gods direction not the voice of the multitudes as one of their stamp and at liberty to comply with their fashions 2. The course of Gods dispensations which is to exercise and try his Children before he crowneth them None go to Heaven without their tryals 3. The Duty of Gods Children intimated in the cautions and descriptions and injunctions of the word Exod. 23. 2. Not to follow a multitude to do evil nor to walk according to the course of this world Ephes. 2. 2. the lust of men 1 Pet. 4. 2. nor the corruptions of the times Rom. 12. 2. Be not conformed to this world c. Many such hints every where that shew it a crime c. 4. The opposition of the wicked should make us the more couragious for then it is put to a plain contest who shall have the better Christ or Satan therefore we should discover that he that is in us is stronger than he that is in the world 1 Iohn 4. 4. Wicked men have their end and purposes if they can overcome the Disciples of Christ and discourage them from owning their profession We are to be more than Conquerours Rom. 8. 37. Use 2. We ought to be so far from being involved in the Conspiracy of others against God that our zeal should encrease by others declining and we should love Religion when it is commonly despised That is our commendation esse bonum facile est c. Till we are in termino we have our difficulties till we are gathered to Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of Gun-shot Our business is not to give way to evils but to resist them with the greater courage Indeed it is hard for a man to keep himself free from the infection of the times he lives in We all complain of the badness of the times but let us not make them the worse for us If we would be good in bad times we need 1. Much holiness and heavenly mindedness that we may be burning and shining lights conducting men to Christ as the Star that shone at Christs birth Phil. 2. 15. That ye be blameless and harmless the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation among whom ye shine as lights in the world Noah by preparing an Ark condemned the world Heb. 11. 7. This is the way to appear for God in the lustre of real Grace when we are taken off from other means 2. Much faith or foresight of things to come Heb. 11. 7. By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark. To see the ruine of the wicked when prosperous this kept David in his integrity Psal. 73. 17. I went into the Sanctuary then understood I their end When he was once able to look through their Honours and Greatness and Riches by the light of the Sanctuary he overcame the temptation which did so greatly press and shake him So here in the Text It is time for thee Lord to work for they have made void thy Law therefore I love thy Commandments above gold yea above fine gold There is a Worm in the root they are under Gods curse Iob 5. 3. I have seen the foolish taking root but suddenly I cursed his habitation which predicteth their ruine though little appearance of their fall 3. There needs much zeal and strong love to God When prophaneness is in fashion let us give check to it in our place either as Magistrates by appearing against evil Doers as Nehemiah contended for God Neh. 13. 11. Then I contended with the Rulers and said Why is the house of God forsaken And Verse 17. Then I contended with the Nobles of Iudah and said unto them What evil thing is this that ye do and prophane the Sabbath Day Not like Gallio that cared for none of these things As Ministers more active against sin Isai. 58. 1. Cry aloud spare not lift up thy voice as a trumpet and shew my people their transgression and the house of Iacob their sins As Governours of Families careful of our selves and Families Iosh. 24. 15. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. As private Christians give out more of the lustre of Grace Mat. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven 1 Pet. 2. 12. Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evil Doers they may by your good works which they shall behold glorifie God in the day of visitation Not only stop the mouth of iniquity but bring about the conversion of wicked men Thus should every one of us in our place glorifie God and strive to make the times better Rom. 12. 11. Not sloathsul in business servent in spirit serving the Lord. That is a good time serving the Lord can make a change if we would ply this means Thus did David serve his Generation Acts 13. 36. For David after he had served his own generation by the will of God fell asleep When you dye people will be able to say We miss such a man he was zealous against Sabbath-Breakers and Drunkard and Swearers one that owned the people of God a friend to Religion 4. Caution that we be not carried away with a deluge of corruption Gal. 2. 13. The other Iews dissembled likewise with him insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation Example hath a kind of compulsion in it the best men can hardly stand out against it It secretly insinuateth it self weakeneth our love to God abateth our care therefore we cannot be enough watchful that we be not secretly tainted as a man in the Sun tanns unawares As in times of common Contagion every man is careful of his Diet and Company so should we watch to keep our Garments clean and unspotted of the world 5. Sincerity not dissembling as Iosh. 14. 8. I wholly followed the Lord my God not loving the ways of God on foreign respects but their own internal reasons otherwise a man soon miscarrieth for these Motives will be changed and those very inducements that moved him to take up Religion will move him also to cast it off None but the solid Christian will hold out whilst light Chaff is carried about with every Wind and the carnal minded cuts the Coat of his profession to the fashion of the times A false heart cannot long hold out Prov. 10. 9. He that walketh uprightly walketh surely but he that perverteth his ways shall be known that is to his shame cannot long dissemble his Nature 6. A fixed resolution that we may not be easie and merely do as others do It is the resolved man that encounters temptations and maketh them fly back as Arrows shot against a brazen Wall though others fall I
of the law it is no more of promise but God gave it to Abraham by promise The Commands and Promises were not commensurate There was not a promise in that Covenant for every command of the Law of Nature but in the Gospel God promiseth what he requireth In the Covenant of Works Justice is the Rule of Gods dealing for though he entred into that Covenant and promised a reward out of Grace yet being entred into it Justice holdeth the Ballance and weigheth the works of men and giveth to every man according to his works what is due to him Rom. 2. 6 7 8. Who will render to every man according to his deeds to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for life and glory and immortality eternal life But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath c. But the rule of Gods dealing in the new Covenant is grace The Covenant of works was more independent on God and grace without man and more dependent on man and grace within himself In it man was left to stand by his own strength to be justified upon his own righteousness God having furnished him with a stock at first or a sufficiency of power to keep that Covenant But the Covenant of grace findeth us without strength therefore we are kept in dependance upon another Psal. 89. 13. I have laid help upon one that is mighty And Phil. 4. 13. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me Man was to keep the first Covenant but here in effect the Covenant keepeth us 1 Pet. 1. 5. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation Jer. 32. 40. 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 Thirdly In the terms Unsinning obedience is the Condition of the Covenant of works The Covenant of works is wholly made void and the promise thereof of none effect by any one sin without any hope of cure or remedy Once a Sinner and for ever miserable as the Angels for one sin were thrown down from Heaven and reserved in Chains of darkness unto the judgment of the great day Jude 6. It admitteth of no such thing as repentance neither doth it offer any provision for such it speaketh much to the whole nothing to the sick it maketh a promise to the righteous but none to Sinners But the Covenant of grace is otherwise Matth. 9. 13. I will have mercy and not sacrifice for I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Acts 5. 31. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins Every failing doth not make void the Covenant no not every grosser fault Psal. 89. 33 34. Nevertheless my loving kindness I will not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips The first Covenant is an uncomfortable Covenant to a Sinner and can be only comfortable to a perfect righteous person for in case of the least failing it speaketh nothing but wrath and the curse But the Covenant of Grace is comfortable to Sinners it offereth pardon to them As to the first Covenant it is impossible to be fulfilled by man in the state of corruption Rom. 8. 3. What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh Since the day that Adam fell never did nor could any man fulfil this Covenant Well then the demands of this Covenant cannot be satisfied without a continuation in all things written therein in height of exactness and perfection But the Gospel admits of a sincere uniform obedience as perfect 2 Cor. 8. 12. But if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not There is a merciful lenity as to acceptance though the Rule is as strict Mal. 3. 17. And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in the day when I make up my Iewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him Use 1. Then enter into this Covenant You have no benefit by it till you personally enter into the Bond of it The Covenant of works was made with man generally universally considered with Adam as a publick person representing all his Posterity but the Covenant of Grace is made with man particularly and personally considered and his consent is expresly required or else it can convey no benefit to us That was a Law and so did bind whether man did consent or no. This is a priviledge Christ draweth to consent to him doth not force us against our will Iohn 1. 12. But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name Will you owne him as the Son of God and Redeemer of the World Every man must consent for himself The effects of the first Covenant are uncomfortable for the present the spirit of bondage Heb. 2. 15. And deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage But dreadful hereafter Iames 2. 13. He shall have Iudgment without mercy When none to mediate for them they have to do with Justice strict Justice The least sin is enough to ruine you it will pass by no transgression remit no part of your punishment it will have satisfaction to the utmost farthing admits of no pardon no Advocate regardeth no tears What Justice can give you that you may look for If Justice speak no good promise no good you are to look for none for Justice doth all in the Covenant under which you stand Psal. 130. 3. If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand What you may claim as a due Debt that you may look for that Covenant gives no gift Oh then give the hand to the Lord. 2 Chron. 30. 8. But be ye not stiff-necked as your fathers were but yield your selves to the Lord and enter into his sanctuary which he hath sanctified for ever and serve the Lord your God Receive Gods condition Acts 9. 6. Lord what wilt thou have me to do You have not leave to chuse and refuse Use 2. Let us bless God and admire his grace in bringing about this new Covenant 1. Man irreparably had broken the first Covenant fallen from his state of life so that all the world is lost under guilt and a curse Rom. 3. 19. That every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God 2. Upon this fundamental breach the Lord was acquitted and absolved from the promise of life in this way of works for man could never stand in that Court Rom. 8.
of sin If sin but make a motion it is a match presently If ambition bid Absolom rise up against his Father then he will trouble all the Kingdome it will hurry him to run his Father down if envy bid Cain kill his Brother Abel he will not stick at it if covetousness bid Achan take a bribe of that which was devoted to the flames and must be offered as a burnt-Offering to God yet Achan obeys his covetousness if adultery bids Ioseph's Mistress tempt her servant presently she yields So when a sinner yields and is led away like a Fool to the correction of the Stocks Meadow-Ground may in a great Flood be drowned but Marish-Ground is overflown by every return of the Tide so they cannot cease to sin every temptation carries them away When men are impatient of reproof when they have a privy sore they cannot endure should be touched if a man speak to them any thing to help them on to interpret their condition Herod must not have his Herodias touched though he heard Iohn the Baptist gladly in many things Or when men set up a toleration and Court of faculties in their hearts and they will have a dispensation if God will be contented with obedience in some things they will dispense with other things pardon for some sins but not break them off have an indulgence that they may continue in them or in vain practices This shews the reign of sin SERMON CXLIX PSAL. CXIX VER 134. Deliver me from the oppression of man so will I keep thy Precepts IN the former Verse the man of God had begged Grace with respect to internal enemies to the bosome enemy the flesh that no sin might have dominion over him now he beggeth deliverance from external enemies The Saints are not only exercised with their own corruptions but the malice of wicked men We have to do both with sin and Sinners with temptations and persecutions and therefore he desireth first to be kept from sin and after that from danger and trouble first from the dominion of sin and then from the oppression of Sinners both are a trouble to us they were a trouble to David and God can and will in time give us deliverance from both Deliver me from the oppression of man c. In the Text we have 1. A Prayer for mercy 2. A resolution vow and promise of Duty The one is inferred out of the other So will I keep thy precepts 1. A Prayer for mercy Deliver me from the oppression of man In the Hebrew 'tis From the oppression of Adam the name of the first Father for the posterity This term is put either by way of distinction aggravation or diminution First Man by way of distinction There is the oppression and tyranny of the Devil and sin but the Psalmist doth not mean that now Hominum non Daemonum saith Hugo Secondly Man by way of aggravation Homo homini Lupus no Creatures so ravenous and destructive to one another as man 'T is a shame that one man should oppress another Beasts do not usually devour those of the same kind but usually a mans enemies are those of his own houshold Matth. 10. 36. The nearer we are in Bonds of allyance the greater the hatred We are of the same stock and reason should tell every one of us that we should do as we would be done to Nay we are of the same Religion Eodem sanguine Christi glutinati We are cemented together by the blood of Christ which obliges to more brotherly kindness and if we differ in a few things to be sure we have Cords of allyance and relations enough to love one another more than we do But for all this there is the oppression of man Thirdly Man by way of diminution And to lessen the fear of this evil this term Adam is given them to shew their weakness in comparison of God thou art God but they that are so ready and forward to oppress and injure us are but men thou canst easily over-rule their power and break the yoke I think this Consideration chiefest because of other places Psal. 10. 18. Thou wilt judge the fatherless and the oppressed that the man of the earth may no more oppress The Oppressors are but men of the earth a piece of red Clay Earth in his composition Earth in his dissolution frail men that must within a while be laid in the Dust. But 't is more emphatically expressed Isai. 51. 12 13. Who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall dye and of the son of man that shall be made as grass and forgettest the Lord thy Maker which hath stretched forth the Heavens and laid the foundations of the Earth and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the Oppressour as if he were ready to destroy And where is now the rage of the Oppressour When thou hast the Immortal and Almighty God to be thy Protector and Saviour shouldest thou be afraid of a weak mortal man that is but Adam a little enlivened Dust within a little while he and all his fury is over and gone 2. The promise of Duty I will keep thy precepts Which is a constant observation of all Gods Commandments if God would interpose for his rescue But did David do well to suspend his obedience upon so uncertain a condition I answer No we must of whom shall I be afraid We can set God against the Creature and thâ—… will quell our fears of them When we set our selves against them our interest against theirs we may see Cause to fear but set God against them and engage him and you have no cause to fear Then Secondly For grief and sorrow It cloggeth the heart and stayeth the Wheels so that we drive on heavily in the spiritual life Worldly sorrow worketh death 2 Cor. 7. 10. It brings on deadness and hardness of heart and quencheth all our vigour Prov. 15. 13. By sorrow of heart the Spirit is broken A dead and heavy heart doth little to the purpose for God Now how shall we get rid of this The Cure is by prayer for vent giveth ease to all our passions Phil. 4. 6. Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God As when Wind is gotten into the Caverns of the Earth it causeth terrible Convulsions and Earthquakes till it get a vent so the mind is eased when we can pour out our care into the bosome of God and wait till deliverance cometh from above Prayer sheweth there is some life in our affairs that our right for the present is not dead but sleeps there is a God in Heaven that heareth our groans and is sensible of our sorrows and then we may say Psal. 42. 5. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him c. Prayer is the old refuge of the
for us unless we had some experience of it our selves He tasted of this Cup Matth. 27. 46. And though it be a bitter Cup yet it must go round we must all pledge him in it Conceit will not inform us so much as experience 3. His Justice requires it when we surfeit of our comforts and play the Wantons with them that he should withdraw them We our selves breed the Mist and Clouds which hide from us the shining of Gods favour We raise up those Mountains of transgression that are as a Wall of separation between us and God whence that expression Isai. 59. 2. Your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you As the Sun dissolves and dispels Mists and Clouds by his bright Beams so God of his free Grace dissolveth these Clouds Isai. 44. 22. I have blotted out thy iniquities as a Cloud and thy transgressions as a thick Cloud Now there are two sins especially which cause God to hide himself First Too free a liberty in carnal pleasures and delights and Secondly Spiritual laziness First Too free a liberty in carnal pleasures and delights When we live according to the Flesh we smart for it these marr our taste and when our affections run out to other comforts we forfeit those which are better Psal. 30. 6 7. When we begin to sleep upon a carnal pillow to compose our selves to rest and lye down and dream golden Dreams of earthly felicity Carnal confidence and carnal complacency make God a stranger to us This carnal complacency hinders a sense of Gods love two ways Meritoriè effectivé Not only meritoriously as it provokes God to withdraw when we set up an Idol in our hearts but also effectively As carnal delights bring on a brawn and deadness upon the heart so that we cannot have a sense of Gods love for that requires a pure delicate Spirit Our tast must be purged resined sensible of spiritual good and evil Now this will never be except the soul be purged from carnal complacency for while there is so strong a relish of the Flesh-Pots of Egypt we are not fit to taste of the hidden Manna but always the more dead the heart is to worldly things the more lively to spiritual sense ever Iude 19. Sensual not having the Spirit i. e. spiritual joyes feelings operations When Solomon withheld not his heart from any joy God left him when he was trying the pleasures of the Creature and went a whoring from God God left him Secondly Spiritual laziness is another cause why God hides his face from his people Cant. 5. 6. compared with ver 2 3. The Spouse neglected to open to Christ upon light and frivolous pretences and then her Beloved had withdrawn himself If we lye down on the Bed of security and grow lazy and negligent then Christ withdraws 4. It is necessary and useful for us sometimes that God should hide his face Cloudy and rainy Days conduce to the fruitfulness of the Earth as well as those that are fair and shining and the Winter hath its use as well as the Summer We are apt to have cheap thoughts of spiritual comforts Iob 15. 11. apt to run riot and to grow neglectful of God and be proud 2 Cor. 12. 7. Paul had his buffettings to keep down his pride We have changes even in our inward man to keep us in the better frame the more watchful diligent and waiting upon God Use. Well if it be so all the use I shall make is To put this Question Is this your Case yea or no There is nothing that conduceth to the safety and comfort of the spiritual life so much as observing God's comings and goings that we may suit our carriage accordingly Our Lord saith Matth. 9. 15. Can the Children of the Bride-Chamber mourn as long as the Bridegroom is with them Is God present or is he gone When God is gone not to lay it to heart argues great stupidness You are worse than that Idolater Iudg. 18. 24. He thought he had reason enough for his Laments and Moans when they had taken away his Images his Gods So if God be gone shall we digest and put up such a loss and never mind to lay it to heart Iob complains of this Chap. 29. 3. That the Candle of the Lord did not shine upon his head as it did of old Surely they that have any respect to God any tenderness left in their hearts will be sensible of Gods going On the other side if we get any thing of God his Grace and favour to our hearts it should be matter of joy and consolation to us Rom. 5. 11. We joy in God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement Jesus Christ hath made the atonement but we have received the atonement when we get any thing of the bloud of Christ upon our own Consciences when we have any sense of reconciliation A little Sun-shine inliveneth the poor Creatures the Birds fall a singing that were melancholy and sad before in cloudy Weather they are cheered and comforted when the Sun shines How should we observe the least glympse of Gods favour if he but shew himself through the Lattice Cant. 2. There is nothing keeps Grace lively and freeth us from a dead and stupid formality so much as this But when men are careless and do not observe Gods accesses and recesses hardness of heart encreaseth upon us presently and God loseth that worship and reverence and invocation and praise that is due from us to him Therefore our eye should still wait upon the Lord and as the eyes of servants are on their mistresses Psal. 123. 3. so should our eye be still on Gods hands and observe what he gives out in every Duty or what of God we observe in this or that Ordinance II. The Children of God that are sensible of this cannot be satisfied with this estate but will be praying and always seeking the evidences of his favour and reconciliation Psal. 80. 3 7 19. three times it is repeated Turn us again O Lord of hosts cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved Their great happiness is to be in favour with God They can dispense with other comforts and can want them with a quiet mind let God do his pleasure there but they cannot dispense with this with the want of his favour and manifested good will to them This is the life of their lives the fountain of their comforts this is the Heaven they have upon Earth without which they cannot joy in themselves Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled What are the Reasons of this 1. Because of the value of this priviledg the favour of God is the greatest blessing It may appear in sundry respects Take but that consideration Psal. 63. 3. Thy loving kindness is better than life The favour of God is the life of our souls and his displeasure is our death A Child of
God values his happiness by Gods friendship not by his worldly prosperity and is miserable by Gods absence and by the causes thereof his sin and offence done to God Nay his loving kindness is not only life but better than life A man may be weary of life it self but never of the love of God Many have complained of life as a burthen and wished for the day of death but none have complained of the love of God as a burthen All the world without this cannot make a man happy What will it profit us if the whole world smile upon us and God frown and be angry with us All the Candles in the World cannot make it Day nay all the Stars shining together cannot dispel the darkness of the Night nor make it Day unless the Sun shines so whatever comforts we have of a higher or lower nature they cannot make it day with a gracious heart unless Gods face shine upon us for he can blast all in an instant A Prisoner is never the more secure though his Fellows and Companions applaud him and tell him his Cause is good and that he shall escape when he that is Judge condemns him Though we have the good word of all the world yet if the Lord speak not peace to our Souls and shine not upon our Consciences what will the good word of the world do 2 Cor. 10. 18. He is approved whom the Lord commendeth A sense of Gods love in Christ is the sweetest thing that ever we felt and is able to sweeten the bitterest Cup that ever Believer drank of Rom. 5. 3. We glory in tribulation It will be a blessed thing when we cannot only bear tribulations but rejoyce in them but how come we to rejoyce in them Why because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us so he goes on If we would know the value of things the best way is to know what is our greatest comfort and our greatest trouble in distress For when we are drunk with worldly prosperity and happiness we are incompetent Judges of the worth of things but when God rebukes a man for sin what 's our greatest trouble then That we may take heed of providing sorrow to our selves another time then we find sin and transgression the greatest burthen when any notable affliction is upon us Iob 36. 9. and what will be your greatest comfort then for then your comforts are put to the proof One evidence of an interest in Christ a little sense of the love of God how precious is it Psal. 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. His thoughts were intangled and interwoven one with another as Branches of a crooked Tree for so the word signifies there when his thoughts were thus intricate and perplext then thy comforts delight my soul. O then what should we labour for but to be most clear in this that God loves us This will be our greatest comfort and rejoycing in all conditions 'T is good for us in prosperity then our comforts are sweet and in adversity and deep affliction to see God is not angry with us Though we feel some smart of his afflicting hand yet his heart is with us 2. They deal with God as worldly men do with sensible things for as others live by sense so they by faith Now worldly men are cheered with the good will of men and troubled with the displeasure of men upon whom they depend The down-look of Ahasuerus confounded Haman and put him to great trouble He was afraid Esth. 7. 8. Absolom professes 'twere better for him to be banished than to live in Ierusalem and not see the Kings face 2 Sam. 14. 32. Surely it is death to Gods Children to want his face and favour upon whom they depend Their business lies mainly with God and their dependance and hope and comfort is in God they live by faith Poor Worldings walk by sense therefore their souls run out upon other comforts in the smiling face of some great Potentate or some friend of the World this is their life peace and joy But they that live by faith see him that is invisible and value their happiness by his favour and misery by his displeasure 3. The Children of God have tasted the sweetness of it therefore they know it by experience The best demonstration of any thing is from sense Description cannot give me such a demonstration as when I taste and feel it my self 1 Pet. 2. 3. If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious They have an experimental feeling of that which others know only by guess and hear-say Carnal men know no other good but that of the Creature The Spouse did so languish after her Beloved being sick of love when her desires were disappointed it made her faint Cant. 5. 6. They that have not seen and known him know not what to make of those spiritual and lively affections that carry us out after the favour of God with such earnestness and importunity but they that have tasted and know what their Beloved is their hearts are more excited and stirred up towards him Iohn 4. 10. If thou knewest the gift of God c. You would more admire the favour of God if you knew it especially by experience you would find it is a better good than ever you have yet tasted Use. Is this our temper and frame of our hearts Can we live contentedly and satisfiedly with the light of his Countenance A Child of God may be without the light of his Countenance but cannot live contentedly without it Are we troubled about it ever seeking after it Surely this is the disposition of the Children of God they are ever seeking after the favour of God I shall press to this by this Argument 1. God bespeaks it from you Psal. 27. 8. Thou saidest Seek ye my face There 's a Dialogue between God and a gracious heart The Lord saith Seek he saith it in his Word and speaks by the injection of holy thoughts by the inspiration of his Grace and the renewed heart like a quick Echo takes hold of this Lord thy face will I seek Psal. 106. 4. You should ever be seeking after God in his Ordinances seek his favour and face 2. The new Nature enclines and carries the soul to God it came from God and carries the soul to God again The Spirit of the World doth wholly encline us to the World They that are after the Flesh do mind the things of the Flesh and the Spirit of God doth encline us to God and therefore the people of God will value his favour above all things else David speaks in his own name and in the name of all that were like-minded with himself he speaks of all the Children of God in opposition to the many the brutish ones that were for sensual satisfaction Psal. 4. 6. Many say Who will shew us any good But
the World little in regard of outward interest and so lye open and liable to offences little in regard of their spiritual growth and so apt to take offence yet they are dear to the great God who is their Patron and will take their quarrel into his own hands And it will be a thousand times better they had been the persecuted ones than to be persecutors Thirdly With respect to the double faculty the devil seeketh to work upon which is our irrascible or concupiscible faculty our eschewing or pursuing power the flesh with its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 5. 24. 'T is passions and lusts what we render affections and these are suited to the Temptations that most Men are usually overcome by such are the Terrours and Allurements of the World the Terrours of the World that works upon our Passions the Allurements of the World that works upon our Lusts. First The Terrours of the World are apt to draw men to dislike God and distaste the way of Godliness Certainly By these the Devil seeketh to get us into his Power and Reach Therefore 't is said 1 Pet. 5. 9. Whom resist stedfast in the Faith knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your Brethren that are in the World Satans Temptations are conveyed to the Godly thorough Afflictions hoping by these to prevail with them to make them quitt the Truth and their duty to Christ and grow weary of the ways of God and it doth the more prevail when they think they are the only sufferers This should not be for the drift of Christianity 't is to take us off from the hopes and fears of the World and a full third part of the Scriptures serveth to comfort us in Tribulations and Afflictions for the Gospels sake and if we were not exposed to troubles these would be as unsuitable and needless as bladders and arts of swimming were to a man that standeth on dry land and never meaneth to go into the deep Waters But yet they are an usual stumbling block to those that have not overcome the sensual inclination and are not dead to a worldy interest 2. The Allurements of the World or the baits of sence present things have a strange infatuation upon us 2 Tim. 4. 10. And Demas hath forsaken us having loved the present World The troubles of the World are not so dangerous as the snares of the World though many be discouraged by troubles yet many times others are gained by the Patience Courage and Constancy of Gods Servants in Persecutions The offence may be more easily disproved as not justifiable for men may have a secret liking of the Truth and a purpose to own it in better times but by the baits of sence men are inveigled and tempted to dislike Religion it self as contradicting their Lusts and nourish a base Opinion of it in their hearts in Troubles and Persecutions there is not a dislike of Religion it self but of the hard Terms upon which it must be received and cherished And besides the mischief is greater they that cast off the Profession and Practice of Godliness upon some great Earthly hopes involve themselves in a more hainous sin then they that shrink from it out of some great fear for those things we fear as Afflictions Torments and Death they are in themselves destructive of our Felicity and therefore it cannot be said how much nature abhorreth them But those things which we hope for and desire are such that nature may easily and without great inconveniency be without them As great Riches Splendour of Life Noble Affinities and Marriages for these things are not absolutely necessary to the Worldly life but only conduce to the greater coveniency and felicity thereof Not our Worldly Being but our well-being is concerned in them Our being may be kept up and supported in a far meaner Condition thence It is that great dangers when they are at hand and difficulties sustained and the fear of them doth often sway us against the Conscience of our Duty but if we lose our great Worldly hopes or be cut short in our Condition and Worldly expectations 't is no great matter Wise and Gracious men may easily bear it with a quiet and well-composed Mind The sin of those that stumble at great and worldly hopes is questionless the greater Transgression for they are only inticed and drawn away by their Pleasures and Lusts which all good Christians are obliged to deaden and mortifie But though to fall out of Fear be not so hainous a sin yet a great and hainous sin it is for Grace should govern Fear as well as hope If the Coertion and bridling of it be difficult it doth not excuse a toto but a tanto only and 't is hard to set a Christian in joynt again that is faln by Fear witness those Terrors that do haunt men when once they are gotten into the snare As Peter went out and wept bitterly it cost him much sorrow at heart Christ is fain to direct a special message to him by name Mark 16. 7. Though it doth not exclude all hopes of Repentance and Pardon yet it needeth great Mercy on Gods part and Repentance on ours Indeed the Church is bound to consider mens weaknesses and to judge of the fault according to the violent shock and incursion of the Temptation because we know not our own strength and how soon we may be surprized in like kind and need indulgence our selves Gal. 6. 1. But God is not in our Condition nor obliged to recover all that lapse in this kind and therefore useth his Mercy according to his own pleasure Sometimes he recovereth them and sometimes not but for the other Temptations what excuse is it capable of Heb. 12. 16 17. Secondly Let us consider how a Believer is preserved Unsound Professors are turned by Scandal from the wayes of Godliness which they seemed to walk in but for the sincere Believer there may be many stumbling blocks laid in his way but he falleth not at them escapeth those hainous sins into which others fall through his love to Gods Commandments Observe here three things 1. 'T is not Light but Love that keepeth them from stumbling the light of saving knowledge is a great matter for it sheweth us a sure rule to walk by and sure Promises to build upon but love must joyn with it to assist us that we may escape those snares for many fail because they receive not the Truth in the love of it 2 Thes. 2. 10. Till light be turned into love it hath not such a powerful influence upon us Certainly a man is better held by the Heart than by the Head Rom. 8. 39. Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. The love of God is not principally taken there in a passive sense for the love wherewith we are beloved of God but in an active sense for the love wherewith we love God For Affliction and
1. Draws the heart from earth to heaven 2. Enlivens the heart in duty 3. Engages the heart against sin p. 787. 1037. Grounded on Gods word p. 927 Hope puts the soul upon diligence in prayer p. 927 1040 Humble carriage becomes us when we have most mercy p. 840 Humbling considerations under mercy p. 840 Humiliation caused by the consideration of the multititude of vain thoughts p. 761 Humiliation under Gods hand gives ground of hope p. 158 Humility caused by the fear of Gods judgments p. 811 Hypocrite appears best when he 's taken in pieces the sincere Christian when he 's taken all together p. 5 Hypocrites zealous about lesser slighty in great matters p. 33 Hypocrites discover'd by scandals p. 1032 Hypocrisie to serve God with the body not soul p. 1045 Hypocrisie to go from sin to sin from duty to sin from sin to duty c. p. 35 Hypocrisie to let God carry the name of our praises when we sacrifice to our selves p. 43. To be speaking of good things without hearts affected with their goodness p. 76. 89. Hypocrisie hateful to God p. 799 I. Idle words weigh heavy in Gods ballance p. 39 None of Gods servants must be idle p. 850 Idle discourses sinful p. 1065 1066 Iealous God exceeding jealous in matters of Worship p. 39. 852 Iewels Gods jewels are the worlds filth p. 141 Illumination by the word p. 629 Illumination of God necessary to a right understanding of Gods word p. 107. 853. A great mercy why p. 1057. A double work of God in Illumination p. 107 Several Uses of Divine Illumination p. 109 110. 852. 235 236. Worth of it in four things p 1059 1060 Imitation of God in his goodness p. 476 Immortality of the soul p. 890 Immoderate sorrow checked from the consideration of Gods justice and faithfulness in afflicting p 510 511 Immutability of Gods word emblems of it and reasons of it p. 574 890 A ground of comfort to Gods people p. 958 A reason of the immutability of our obedience p. 341 Impartiality of God in punishing and rewarding p 39 40. 810 Impatience in waiting for returns of prayer argues 1. Disobedience 2. Weak faith 3. Want of love 4. Want of patience p. 913 Impatience under delays whence p. 550. 913 From an opinion of our own merit p. 937 Impatience makes afflictions sharp and tedious p. 555 It is fed from a double spring p. 967 It causeth fainting under afflictions p 592 Importunity in prayer has great effects p. 911 Impotency of the Creature takes not away Gods right p. 28 Commands of God convince us of our impotency p. 29 We can do evil not good by our own power p. 247 Improvement of afflictions p. 557. By the word p. 592 Imprinting the word on the soul how discovered p. 890 Impudence to sin and not be ashamed p. 37 Inability to return and proneness to err the characters of fallen man p. 1101 Inclination to present things undoeth us p. 337 Inclination of the heart to Gods statutes what it is not what it is p. 752 753. 247 1. Negatively 1. It is not a simple approbation of the word 2. Nor a bare desire or wish 3. Nor a hypocritical will to the word 2. Affirmatively 1. It is a determination of the judgment for God 2. The will powerfully swayed to the word 3. Seconded with endeavours after new obedience p. 752 753 Inclination of the heart either from the world or to Gods testimonies is of the Lords grace p. 248 249 How God inclines the heart and how man p. 251 252 Indifferency in Religion reproved p. 206 Indirect means not to be used for relief p. 555 Indisposition of soul a Case whether we are to set upon duty under indispositions and deadness of soul resolved in eight Propositions p. 160 161 Indwelling of sin p. 18 19 Infinitely good God alone is so p. 384 Influence of Gods grace is not the warrant but the help of the soul in duties p. 160 We need continual influences of grace p. 979 Infirmities great sins may be but infirmities and smaller sins may be damnable transgressions how p. 19. 1107. Christ bears our infirmities p. 1107 How to distinguish between sins of infirmity and willful breaches of our Covenant p. 703 836 Infirmities unavoidable by the best p. 1102 They are to be watched against and repented of p. 1107 Ingenuous and open dealing with God procures audience p. 166 Ingratitude not to repent how that is p. 409 Inheritance of believers full sure lasting p. 744 745 Vid. Heritage Iniquity what it is to do iniquity who are they that do iniquity in God account p. 17 18 Iniquity comes to its height 1. when general 2. impudent 3. incorrigible 4. against nature c. p. 858 859 Injudiciousness either total or partial p 452 Injustice to God not to turn to him Now p. 409 Innocency gives holy boldness in prayer p. 36 136. 523 Innocency till it be lost a Christiâ—…n is not overcome p. 416 Innocency may be pleaded against men not God p 8â—…3 Innocent persons may be sore oppressed c. p 818 Inordinate desires of having more wealth than the Lord allows in a fair way of Providence is a main branch of covetousness p. 254 It is a natural evil the effects of it p. 257 258 259 Instruments of troubles too much eyed provoke God to anger p. 414 Whoever is the instrument God is the principal in all our afflictions p. 158 Insulting enemies not to be insulted over when Gods judgments fall upon them p. 810 Insulting over others in affliction reproved p. 812 Integrity and sincerity the whole heart p. 15 Integrity of parts p. 59 Inticements to sin what use may be made of them p. 738 Intimacy with few friendship with all that are godly p. 434 It must be improved for edification p. 434 Interest of God in the world lyes 1. In his Truth 2. His Worship 3. His Servants p. 851 852 Interest of God oftentimes stands alone yet God can carry it on though all the world be against it p. 143 Interest of God must be uppermost in the soul in prayer p. 903 Interest of a Christian is to keep in with God p. 152. 645 Interest in â—…d necessary that he be our portion p. 384 Interest in 〈◊〉 hearts of Gods people a rare mercy p. 504 Iourney to Heaven bespeaks provision against all weather Intermission of duty loseth ground p. 340 Interposition of God lawful to be desired in dangers Reasons p. 821 822 Only so far as may be for our good p. 823 Ioy of heart arising from a believers heritage 1. From the portion it self 2. From the disposition of a believers heart 3. From the dispensation of God p. 749 750. It is communicative p. 50 Ioy in Gods word must be mixt with reverence p. 100 Ioy in Gods word is 1. real 2. cordial 3. great 4. pure 5. it ends well 6. perverts not the heart 7. Overcomes sense of affliction p. 149 150 It 's
our selves to spiritual Exercises in secret 2. This was a spiritual Duty transacted in the heart by his thoughts The darkness of the Night doth not hinder the delight of the Soul It is Day within though Night without when a Child of God shall see God and be seen of him though the Sun shineth not upon the World it is enough their hearts are inlightned with God's Spirit 3. It was a Duty done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unseasonably to a vulgar eye when others were buried in sleep David would awaken sometimes to remember God It is their Solace and spiritual Affections and heroical Grace must not be limited to the ordinary dull way of expressing Duty to God They have special Affections and special Dispensations Psal. 63. 6. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness when I remember thee on my bed and meditate of thee in the night watches 4. It is not unseasonable In the Night without distraction we can more freely command our thoughts for the Senses being exercised scatter the Mind to several Objects Iob 35. 10. None saith where is God my maker who giveth songs in the night that is matter of rejoycing and comfort to poor oppressed Creatures so Psal. 42. 8. I will sing of his loving-kindness in the day-time and in the night his song shall be with me Day and Night he was filled with a sense of God's Love The Reasons are 1. They are fitted for it having knowledge and a deep impression of the majesty of God upon their hearts My reins instruct me in the night-season Psal. 16. 7. These things that make a deep impression in the Day the thoughts will return upon in the Night now God and his Word are impressed upon them 2. They delight in it Psal. 104. 34. My meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord. They delight themselves in beholding the face of God though not by immediate Vision yet by Meditation They are so affected with thoughts of his Excellency Goodness Kindness that it is their solace to draw their hearts off from all Things and Persons in the World to that Divine Object 3. They profit by it 1. As to Comfort it easeth us of many sorrowfull troublesome and weary thoughts we must fetch our Comforts from God the Divine Nature is the first Fountain of them therefore called the God of all Comfort 2 Cor. 1. 3. 2. As to Duty and Obedience the Reasons of our Duty and Subjection are most enforced from the nature of God therefore the more we remember the nature of God the more we are quickned to Obedience there we see his infinite Power supreme Authority exact Holiness tender Love let the potsheards of the earth contend with one another Isa. 45. 9. Our business is to keep God our friend he hath two properties that make him most comfortable or most terrible according as he is at peace or war with us Eternity and Omnipotency Use. Let us take more occasions to think of God and that with admiration many take no more notice of him than if he were not at all but let us take all occasions Psal. 4. 4. Commune with your own hearts upon your bed All the time we can spare from our necessary civil and natural actions should be employed in calling to mind what we have seen or heard or felt of God A lothness and backwardness to this Duty is an ill sign SERMON LXIII PSAL. CXIX 56. This I had because I kept thy Precepts IN this Psalm the dependence of the Verses is neither to be neglected nor too curiously sought after many of the Sentences have no other connexion than Pearls upon the same String though some are as Links in the same Chain fastened one to the other by an apt Method and Order The Design of the Pen-man was to cast all his Experiences into the Order of the Hebrew Alphabet and as there are in the Hebrew Twenty two Letters so Twenty two Parts or Octonaries each Octonary beginneth with the same Letter This Sentence which I have read seemeth to be independent upon the precedent Verse and is the sudden effusion or eruption of a gracious heart ingaged in the Meditation of the Fruit of Obedience This I had because I kept thy Precepts In the Words you have 1. David's Assertion of his Integrity I have kept thy Precepts 2. The Gain of this Course indefinitely proposed This I had 3. The Link between both in the Causal Particle Because David doth not here tell you what he had but this and that this Hope this Comfort this Quickening this Deliverance all this I had that is whatever is good and comfortable the Feminine Pronoun Zeth is put Neutrally the Hebrew wanting the Neuter Gender The Points are two First He that continueth faithfull in a course of Obedience will find at length that it will turn to a good account Secondly That it is of great use to observe what good cometh to us by keeping close to God's ways For the First Point He that continueth faithfull in a course of Obedience will find at length that it will turn to a good account Here three things are to be explained 1. What 't is to keep God's Precepts 2. What is the good that accrueth to us thereby 3. The connexion between both these or the reasons and grounds upon which we may expect this good 1. Let us enquire what 't is to keep God's Precepts The phrase is often used in Scripture implying a diligent Observance of it and Obedience thereunto The term keep relateth to a Charge or Trust committed to us look as on our part we charge Christ with our Souls 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know that he is able to keep that I have committed to him so Christ chargeth us with his Word that we may be chary and tender of it we charge him with our Souls that he may sanctifie and save them in his own day so he chargeth us with his Precepts that we may lay them up in our hearts and observe them in our practice As we would have Christ to be faithfull to his Trust so should we be in ours and that even to a tittle Iam. 2. 10. Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all Now there is a twosold keeping of God's Precepts Legal and Evangelical 1. The Legal keeping that is when we keep and perform the Commandments so exactly as is answerable to the rigour of the Law what is that the Law requires perfect and absolute Obedience without the least failing in any one Point Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is he that continueth not in all things that is written in the book of the Law to doe them The least offence according to that Covenant layeth us open to the Curse As for one Sin once committed the Angels were turned out of Heaven and Adam out of Paradise in this sense there is no Hope for us 2. There is an Evangelical keeping God's
that scoff at the Mourners in Zion they count it melancholy and mopishness to be so often and seriously humbling themselves before the Lord. The world deals perversely with the people of God they provoke their sorrow and then upbraid them with it You should bear them company mourn with them pine in consort with those Doves of the Valleys Better be a Mourner than a Mocker and Scoffer Others there are that yet can make a shift to hold out some profession of Religion yet can delight in the company of prophane carnal persons Would a man willingly put himself upon occasions of grief Are you like Lot whose soul was vexed day by day Do but consider how much your temper differs from theirs David saith Psal. 119. 115. Depart from me ye evil Doers Others there are that by censures and bitter invectives seek to make the Sinner rather than the sin more odious This is to exercise malice and pride not Christian affection We should not censure but mourn Tears flow from charity censures from pride and by this means you lose a duty for a sin which is a sad exchange Others again are apt to laugh at them and to make sport with the sins of others but do not mourn This is a vile abuse and yet we are many times guilty of it Men laugh at drunkenness and make the slips of others matter of boasting and vain talk This should rather set our hearts a bleeding and mourning He were a monster rather than a man that could see a man take a fall even to the breaking of his back or neck and turn it into a jest or a man wound himself and he make a sport of it And shall we be more kind to the bodies than to the souls of men Oh consider the danger of these practices as much as in him lyeth he hath put himself into Hell and wilt thou laugh at it Use 2. Is Tryal Are we so tenderly affected I know every one is not of a like tender constitution and cannot weep rivers of tears but tell me or rather tell God I cite thy Conscience to make answer to God When thou didst ever go aside into thy Closet or some secret place to lay to heart the dishonour done to God or the affronts put upon his Grace Do not tell me thou hast declaimed against the sin of the times that thou hast not cried up a confederacy with them that cry up a confederacy against God There may be somewhat of faction and interest and obstinacy in those things but when hast thou mourned and wept sore in secret places Do not tell me that thou hast joyned in publick Fasts Hasty and transient sighs do not wound the heart Hast thou ever done it in secret or hast thou often done it It may be thou hast resented injuries and spread them before God and so there is a spirit of self-love and revenge that breaths into thy prayers Men will be hot in their own cause but what hast thou done in this Duty 'T is a plain question and therefore I hope it will have the more force upon the Conscience True zeal for injuries done to God would ease it self by tears rather than anger True Penitents will not satisfie themselves only with publick humiliation to which Law custome and example may draw them but will make conscience of this Duty in their Families yea in secret where no eye seeth them but Gods mourn apart Zech. 12. 12 13 14. and bring home publick provocations to their own doors Ier. 11. 17. Use 3. Is to exhort you to get this practice and to get this disposition of the Saints 1. There is a great deal of need to practise it now whether we look upon the sins or dangers of the Nation the sins such horrid blasphemies and reproaches cast upon Gods Servants his Ways Truths Doctrines according to godliness I think in the wisest judgment that a man can make never was there such a dangerous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and temper of any Nation as of ours at this time Never were sins boiled up to such an height and consistency as now such snarling at reformation that was hopefully begun Now sin walketh in the Streets with a bold face drunkenness swearing and prophaneness seem to triumph and with the more pretence because the stricter sort have so much dishonoured God and Religion Church-affairs are much out of order And for our dangers we hear again of wars and rumours of wars and God knoweth what may be the issue and effect of them Acts 13. 41. Behold ye despisers and wonder and perish for I work a work in your days a work which ye will in no wise believe though a man should tell you of them The danger of a Nation doth not lye in outward probabilities so much as in the threatnings of the word He alludeth to the horrible devastation of Iudea by the Chaldeans and applyeth it to the despising of the Gospel Would any believe that the Temple and City should be destroyed and the people of God carried captive that not one should remain yet this came In the time of Noah when they abounded in all things who would have thought of a Flood Many would say as that Nobleman If the Windows of Heaven were opened how could this be Who would have believed the horrible dissolution by the Romans or thirty years agone that which is now faln out in Germany Never think that our Armies and Forces are so strong as to withstand the threatnings of the Gospel for our horrible contempt God may blow upon all these props in an instant Therefore weep and mourn for the pride and rebellion of the Daughter of your people So for our private place What sins are there among us Some have withstood the ways of God though they have had convictions yet held out against them Some are prophane many defects in all Orders Paul was mightily troubled because the Church of Corinth was so much out of order he bewailed it with many tears 2 Cor. 2. 4. Out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears So may I speak and you think of these things 't is time to mourn By way of motive consider First This is the best way to enter our protestation and dissent against the iniquity of the times When we cannot help a thing 't is good to retract it and commit it by tears to God for then it shall not be laid to our charge When the Corinthians mourned for incest committed among them and sorrowed with a godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7. 13. Ye are verily clear in this matter many of them did not only not approve but abhor that foul act before but they were not clear till they mourned and purged the Church from the imputation So you are not clear till you have done this Duty Secondly God may take occasion to punish you from their sins We are all Fuel fit for the burning Gods dispensation is not unrighteous as
to you but that may be the occasion Zacb. 10. 3. My anger was kindled against the Shepherds and I punished the Goats So Prov. 28. 2. For the transgression of a people many are the rulers thereof The peoples sins may make great changes and alterations of Government Thirdly You are one Body with them Nations are one political Body Churches one political Body In Gods Plea about Sodom with Abraham ten righteous persons have an influence to save or ruine it The sins of one Generation may be the cause of another It 's said God turned not from the fierceness of his anger that was kindled against Iudah because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal Manasseh was dead thirty or forty years before Manasseh had repented and Iosiah was a great Reformer none like him You see God may punish their sins many years after nay in the process of vengeance the whole lump is involved as being one body So all Israel were troubled for one Achan Do not tax Gods dispensation of severity and rigour for 't is the condescension and art of Divine mercy by this means to prevent publick ruine and you are involved in their portion that every man in his place may study the prevention of sin and ruine So Churches are one lesser Body one root of bitterness defileth many Heb. 12. 15. not only by the contagion of the sin but also by imputation of guilt So at Corinth 1 Cor. 5. 6. A little leven leveneth the whole lump So also in Housholds and Families which are one lesser Body Fourthly Many of their sins may be thine 'T is a good prayer though it be a harsh expression to desire God to be delivered from our other mens sins Ab alieno libera me Domine They have sinned the more because thou hast been wanting as a Magistrate as a Minister as a Neighbour a Fellow-member as a private Christian. As a Magistrate A negligent Prince all the sin is put upon him Eli was an High Priest and was a Judg in that case and therefore though he were innocent God saith he would cut off his house for the iniquity of his Sons 1 Sam. 3. 17. Because his sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not When Magistrates suffer all things to run at randome in Religion instead of Gods Ministers they prove the Devils Agents though they be holy for their persons yet there is a great guilt lyeth upon them So for Ministers We are to watch as those that must give an account Heb. 13. 17. I will require him at thy hands c. He may be a good man yet not a good Minister when he is not so diligent in inspection so faithful to his trust as he should be so frequent in exhortation prayer mourning care of the flock much hurt cometh by our connivence So for private Christians they are bound to watch over one another It may be you do not look after them Heb. 3. 13. You suffer hardness to grow upon them and would not warn them Ye are Witnesses from God to the people of Israel You may be guilty of much evil example and unwary carriage Heb. 11. 7. By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet prepared an Ark to the saving of his house by the which he condemned the world and became Heir of the righteousness that is by faith And Ezek. 16. 51 52. Thou hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done Thou also which hast judged thy sisters bear thine own shame for the sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they they are more righteous than thou yea be thou confounded also and bear thy shame in that thou hast justified thy sisters You either justifie or condemn the world So that in effect they may be your sins you are sensual vain We easily catch a Disease from one another but do not get health Nature is more susceptible of evil than of Grace Fifthly By seeing of their sins Conscience may awaken and thou mayest remember thy own as Pharaoh's Butler said I remember my faults this day Their lives are but a Glass of the deformity of our Natures There are many Iudas's many Cains in thy nature I was in times past as bad as any as bold with sin and as notorious a Sinner Every sin therefore should be a fresh bleeding wound in our own souls They are but the picture of thy natural face Tit. 3. 3. We in times past were foolish disobedient deceiving and being deceived Thou seest them given up to vain pleasure remember how it was with thee before Conversion and let this humble thee Sixthly If all this do not work consider the holy Angels that are no way interested but as it conduceth to Gods Glory that do not communicate with us in nature and blood how they rejoyce at the welfare of man As when the World was made Iob 38. 7. When the Morning Stars sang together and all the Sons of God shouted for joy So when Christ came and assumed humane Nature at his birth Luke 2. 14. Suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men And when the Creature repenteth Luke 15. 7. I say unto you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one Sinner that repenteth more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance So should we mourn over them to God who are our Flesh our Neighbours united in the bonds of Duty and Neighbourhood it may be Church Relation Seventhly I might tell of the fruits of mourning The greater party of Mourners the more hope of preservation We have complained of drought we have dry Bottles Judgments are kept off as long as there is a sighing party you are preserved Ezek 9. 4. as Lot out of Sodom But if the righteous God see not this fit and a godly man may be swept away as two dry Sticks burn a green one yet you shall laugh when others mourn in Heaven there will be joy enough This is the Valley of tears Wicked men though now they are dry Wood yet they are fit Fuel for Hell Consider of these things 'T is a difficult work to soften the heart and you have need of all the help that may be First Consider the compassion of Christ to thee If he had not mourned and sighed in the Garden and sweat drops of blood where had thy soul been Thou wert in thy blood when free Grace went a sighing after thee in the Ministry of the Word Ezek. 16. 6. I said unto thee when thou wert in thy blood Live yea I said unto thee when thou wert in thy blood Live These are intending Considerations 1 Tim. 1. 13. Who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If I had not been all to be bowelled and all to be mercied