thy Word And here you find this grief swelling to such a heighth that it runs over into abundant Tears Rivers of water run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law The words have briefly These Rivers in their channel and course They run down mine eyes in their Spring and Cause to wit his sympathy with God's Law broken by Men in the latter clause of the verse Because they keep not thy Law But both together clearly Teach us That Godly Men are affected with deep sorrow for the Sins of the ungodly More particularly consider 1 The object of this Affection 2 The nature of it 3 The degree or measure of it 4 its Subject The Object is the Transgression of the Law or to take it as in the Text in Concreto Men Transgressors of the Law They keep not thy Law It is true the whole Creation groaneth under the burden of Sin in effects of it as the Apostle speaks but Sin it self is Mans Enemy he being that reasonable Creature to whom the Law was given Now in the general it is matter of grief to a godly mind to consider the universal depravedness of Mans nature That he is a Transgressor from the Womb. That the carnal mind is enmity against God not subject to his Law neither while it remains such can it be Rom. 8. 6. And this grief will go the deeper by remembring from whence he is fallen When he was new come forth of the hands of his Maker that Image of God that he stampt upon him shined bright in his Soul the whole frame of it was regular and comely the inferiour faculties obeying the higher anâ— all of them subject unto God But how soon was he seduced and then what a great change ensued Quantum mutatus ab illo There is ever since such a tumult and confusion in the Soul that it cannot hear the voice of God's Law much less obey and keep it Hence is that complaint of the Psalmist oftener than once They are all gone out of the way and become abominable there is none that doth good no not one Mundus immundus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lies buried in it as the word is used in the inscription of Tombs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Look abroad in the World And what shall ye see but a Sea of wickedness over the Face of the whole which draws from a godly discerning eye that beholds it these Rivers of Tears The greatest part not knowing the true God nor the true Religion and the true way of his worship And for those that do yet how unlike are they to it in their Lives The reformed Churches this way how unreformed in a great part But more particularly to branch this out a little in several sorts of Men This godly grief is a very large Sphere it will extend to remote people remote every way not only in place but in Manners and Religion even to Heathens and gross Idolaters Yea the very sins of Enemies and of such as are profest Enemies to God yet moves the tender-hearted Christian to sorrow and compassion Of whom I now tell you weeping that they are Enemies to the Cross of Christ Philip. 3. 18. Enemies and yet he speaks of them Weeping what he writes concerning them he would have written in Tears if that had been legible Thus you see the extension of this grief But yet out of all question it will be more intensive in particulars of nearer concernment it is the burden of the pious Mans heart that his Law who made the World and gives being to all things should be so little regarded and so much broken through all the World but yet more especially that in his own Church amongst his own people Transgression should abound Sins within the Church are most properly scandals God manifests himself so to speak most sensible of those and therefore the godly Man is so too Whether they be the continual enormities of licentious and profane persons which are by external profession in the face of the visible Church though indeed they be in it but as Spots and Blemishes as the Apostle speaks or whether it be the Apostasie of Hypocrites or which sometimes falls out the gross falls of true Converts All these are the great grief of the Godly The relations of Men either Natural or Civil will add something too this sorrow will be greater than ordinary in a Christian he will melt in a particular tenderness for the Sins of his Kindred Parents or Children Husband or Wife and most of all Ministers for their people How pathetically does this appear in St. Paul 2 Cor. 12. 21. And lest when I come again my God will humble me among you and that I shall bewail many which have Sinned already and have not repented of the uncleanness and forniâ—ation and lasciviousness which they have committed A Man cannot but be more particularly touched with the sins of that Nation and of that City and Congregation and Family whereof he is a Member 2 Pet. 2. 8. for that righteous Man dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds The sins of more eminent Persons either in Church or Commonwealth will most affect a prudent Christian because their inclinations and actions import the publick much therefore the Apostle when he had exhorted to Supplications and Prayers for all men he particularly mentions Kings and such as are in Authority And truly when they are abused by Misadvice and corrupt Counsel some of these tears were very well spent if poured forth before God in their behalf for in his hand as that wise King confesseth are their hearts compared to Rivers of Waters let their motion be never so impetuous yet he turns them whither he pleaseth and who knows but these Rivers of Waters these Tears may prevail with the Lord to reduce the violent current of that River a King's heart from the wrong channel But to proceed The second thing to be considered in this affection is the Nature of it 1 It is not a Stoical apathy and affected carelessness much less a delightful partaking with sinful practices 2 Not a proud setting off their own goodness with marking the sin of others as the Pharisee did in the Gospel 3. Not the derision and mocking of the folly of men with that laughing Philosopher it comes nearer to the temper of the other that wept always for it It is not a bitter bilious anger breaking forth into Railings and Reproaches nor an upbraiding Insultation nor is it a vindictive desire of punishment venting it self in Curses and Imprecations which is the rash temper of many but especially of the vulgar sort The Disciples motion to Christ was far different from that way and yet he says to them You know not of what Spirit ye are They thought they had been of Elias his Spirit but he told them they were mistaken and did not know of what a Spirit they were in that
motion Thus heady Zeal often mistakes and flatters it self we find not here a desire of fire to come down from Heaven upon the breakers of the Law but such a grief as would rather bring Water to quench it if it were falling on them Rivers of Waters c. The degree of this sorrow it 's vehement not a light transient dislike but a deep resentment such as causeth not some few sighs or some drops of tears but Rivers It is true The measure and degree of sorrow for Sin whether their own or others are different in divers Persons that are yet true mourners and they are also different in the same Person at divers times not only upon the difference of the cause but even where the cause is equal upon the different influence and working of the Spirit of God Sometimes it pleaseth him to warm and melt the heart more abundantly and so he raises these Rivers in these Eyes to a higher Tide than ordinary Sometimes they remove again but yet this Godly sorrow is always serious and sincere and that 's the other Quality here remarkable in it It is not a Histrionical weeping only in publick for the speech is here directed to God as a more frequent witness of these tears than any other who is always the witness of the sincerity of them even when they cannot be hid from the Eyes of Men for I deny not but they may and should have vent in publick especially at such times as are set a part for solemn Mourning and Humiliation yet even then usually these streams run deepest where they 're stillest and most quietly conveyed but howsoever sure they would not be fewer and less frequent alone than in company for that 's a little subject to suspition Jer. 9. 1. Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people And 13. 17. But if ye will not hear it my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride and mine eye shall weep sore and run down with tears because the Lord's flock is carried away captive The Subject of this affection is not the Ungodly themselves that are profest transgressors of this Law they rather make a sport of sin as Solomon speaks they play and make themselves merry with it as the Philistines did with Sampson till it bâ—ing the House down about their ears But the Godly are they that are affected with this sorrow such as are careful observers of the Law themselves and mourn first for their own breaches for these are the only fit mourners for the transgression of others Now to enquire a little into the cause of this Why the breaking of God's Law should cause such sorrow in the Godly as here breaketh forth into abundant of Tears we shall find it very reasonable if we consider 1. The Nature of Sin which is the transgression or breach of the Law as the Apostle defines it 2. The Nature of this Sorrow and these Tears 3. The Nature of the Godly 1. Sin is the greatest Evil in the World yea truly in comparison it alone is worth the Name of Evil and therefore may justly challenge Sorrow and the greatest Sorrow the greatest of Evils it is both formally in that it alone is the defilement and deformity of the Soul and casually being the root from whence all other Evils spring the fruitful Womb that conceives and brings forth all those miseries that either Man feels or hath cause to fear Whence are all those personal Evils incident to Men in their Estates or in their Bodies or Minds outward Turmoils and Diseases and inward Discontents and Death it self in all the kinds of it Are they not all the fruits of that bitter root Whence arise these publick miseries of Nations and Kingdoms but from the Epidemick National Sins of the People as the deserving and procuring cause at God's Hand And withal oftentimes from the ambitious and wicked practices of some particular Men as the working and effecting Causes so that every way if we follow these evils home to their original we shall find it to be Sin or the breaking of God's Law Ungodly men though they meddle not with publick affairs at all yea though they be faithful and honest in meddling with them yet by reason of their Impious Lives are Traytors to their Nation they are truly the Incendiaries of States and Kingdoms And these Mourners though they can do no more are the Loyallest and serviceable Subjects bringing tears to quench the fire of Wrath Rivers of Waters And therefore sorrow and tears are not only most due to sin as the greatest of evils but they 're best bestowed upon it if they can do any thing to its redress because that is both the surest and most compendious way to remedy all the rest sin being the source and spring of them all This is the reason why Jeremiah 9. ver 1. when he would weep for the slain of his people is straightway led from that to bâ—wail the sin of his people ver 2 3 c. And in his Book of Tears and Lamentations he often reduces all these sad evils to Sin as causing them particularly chap. 5. 16. The Crown is fallen from our Head Woe unto us that we have sinned He turns the complaint more to the Sin than to the Affliction Secondly Consider the Nature of these Tears Tears spent for worldly Câ—osses are all lost They run all to waste they are Lachryâ—nae inanes empty fruitless things but tears shed for the breach of God's Law are the means to quench God's Wrath. The Pravers and Tears of some few may avert the punishment of many yea of a whole Land and if not so yet are they not lost the Mourners themselves have always benefit by them as you have it in that known place Ezek. 9. They that mourned for the common Abominations were marked and the common Desolation took not hold on them This mourning for other Mens wickedness both testifies and preserves the Godly man's Innocence I say it preserves it as well as testifies it it keeps them from the Contagion of that bad Air they live in for without this Sin would soon grow familiar It is good for men to keep up and maintain in their Souls a dislike of Sin for when once it ceaseth to be displeasing to a Man it will ere long begin to be pleasing to him If we consider the Nature of the Godly we shall see this mourning suit with it exceedingly both in regard of his relation to God and to man God is his Father and therefore it cannot but grieve him much to see him offended and dishonored Love to God and consequently to his Law and love to Men and desire of their good is the spring of these Rivers A Godly man is tender of Gods Glory and of his Law every stroke that it receives striketh his heart and he hath bowels
And never cease in this work for still there is â—eed of more purging one dayes work in this disposes for and engages to a further to the next for as sin is purged out Light comes in and more clear discoveries are made of remaining pollutions So then still there must be progress less of the World and more of God in the heart every day Oh this is a sweet course of Life what gain what preferment to be compared to it And in this 't is good to have our ambition growing the higher we rise to aspire still the higher looking farther than before even toward the perfection of holiness it is not much we can here attain to but sure 't is commonly far less than we might we improve not our condition and advantages as we might do the world is busie driving forewards their designs Men of spirit are animated both by better and worse success if any thing miscarry it sets them on the more eagerly to make it up in the right management of some other design and when they prosper in one thing that enables and incourages them to attempt further shall all things seem worth our pains are only Grace and Glory so cheap in our account that the least diligence of all goes that way Oh! strange delusion Now our cleansing is to be managed by all holy means Word and Sacrament more wisely and spiritually used than commonly with us and private Prayer that purifies and elevates the Soul takes it up into the Mount and makes it shine and particularly supplicating for the Spirit of holiness and victory over sin is not in vain it obtains its desires of God the Soul becoming that which it is fixedly set upon Holy resolution Christians much wanting in this faint and loose in their purposes The consideration of Divine Truths the mysteries of the Kingdom the hope of Christians yea rich and great Promises that is particularly here the motive these are all the means holy means they are as their end is the perfection of holiness Having these Promises Now consider whether it is better to be the Slaves of Satan or the Sons of God measure delight in God with the low base pleasures of sense Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God these gradually go on together and are perfected together Why then is there such an invincible love of sin in the hearts of Men at least why so little love of holiness and endeavour after it so mean thoughts of it as a thing either indecent or unpleasant when 't is the only noble and the only delightful thing in the World the Soul by other things is drawn below it self but by holiness it is raised above it self and made Divine Pleasures of sin for a season the pleasure of a moment exchanged for those of Eternity But even in the mean time in this season the Soul is fed with Communion with God one hour of which is more worth than the longest Life of the highest of the Worlds delights SERMON XV. Psal. CXIX 32. I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart TO desire ease and happiness under a general representation of it is a thing of more easie and general perswasion There is somewhat in Nature to help the argument but to find beauty in and be taken with the very way of holiness that leads to it is more rare and depends on a higher principle Self-love inclines a man to desire the rest of Love but to love and desire the labour of Love is love of a higher and purer strain To delight and be chearful in obedience argues much love as the spring of it that is the thing the holy Psalmist doth so plentifully express in this Psalm and he is still desiring more of that sweet and lively affection that might make him yet more abundant in action Thus here I will run c. He presents his desire and purpose together the more of this Grace thou bestowest on me the more service shall I be able to do thee This is the top of his ambition while others are seeking to enlarge their Barns their Lands or Estates or Titles Kings to enlarge their Territories or Authority to incroach on Neighbouring Kingdoms or be more absolute in their own instead of all such Enlargements this is David's great desire An enlarged heart to run the way of Gods Commandments And these other how big soever they sound are poor narrow desires this one is larger and higher than them all and gives evidence of a heart already large but as it is miserably in those 't is happy in this much would still have more Let others seek more Money or more Honour Oh the blessed choice of that Soul that is still seeking more Love to God more affection and more ability to do him service that counts all days and hours for lost that are not employed to this improvement that hears the Word in publick and reads it in private for this purpose to kindle this love or to blow the sparkable if any there be already in the heart to raise it to a clear flame and from a little flame to make it burn yet hotter and purer and rise higher But above all means is often presenting this in Prayer to him on whose influence all depends in whose hand our hearts are much more than in our own it follows him with this desire and works on him by his own interest though there can be really no accession of gain to him by our services yet he is pleased so to account with us as if there were therefore we may urge this Lord give more and receive more I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart We have here in the words a required disposition and a suitable resolution The disposition relates to the resolution as the means of fulfilling it and the resolution relates to the disposition both as the end of desiring it and as the motive of obtaining it The resolution occurs first in the words I will run c. The way resolved on is that of Gods Commandments not the road of the polluted World not the crooked ways of his own heart but the High way the Royal way the straight way of the Kingdom and that in the Notion of Subjection and Obedience the way of thy Commandments This man naturally struggles against and repines at to be limited and bounded by a Law is a restraint and a vain man could possibly find in his heart to do many of the same things that are commanded but he would not be ty'd would have his liberty and do 't of his own choice This is the enmity of the carnal mind against God as the Apostle expresses it it is not subject to the Law of God neither can it be it breaks these Bonds and casts away the Cords of his Authority This is Sin the transgression of a Law and this made the first Sin so great though in a
certainly while men do not think thus their hearts have very slight impressions of the truth of these things I fear the most of us scarce believe this condemnation to come at least very shallowly and so they cannot much consider the deliverance from it provided to us in Jesus Christ. I cannot see how 't is possible for a heart perswaded of these to be very careful about any thing beside you that eat and drink and labour and trade and bestow all your time either in the pains or the pleasures of this Earth what think you of Eternity Is it a light thing for you to perish for ever After a few days vainly spent to fall under the Wrath of God for ever Oh! that you would be perswaded to think on these things And you that have an interest in this free and blessed estate why are your Spirits so cold So infrequent in the thoughts of it Why are you not rejoicing in the Lord Glading your selves in secret when you remember this Go the World as it will my Sin is forgiven me mistake me accuse me who so will my God hath acquitted me in his Christ and he loves me and lives to intercede for me Methinks I hear some say Ay they that could say that might be merry indeed but alas I have no such assurance Who can lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect That 's true but here is the great point of so hard a resolution am I one of these That the Apostle doth thus specifie the owners of this Consolation by this high and hidden Character of their Election is not to render it doubtful and dark for his main aim on the contrary is both to extend it as far as it can go and to make it as clear as may be to all that have interest in it but he designs them by the Primitive Act of Love fixing on them so as it is now manifested to them in the subsequent effects that flow from the Elect called and sanctified and conformed to Jesus Christ both by his Spirit within them and the Sufferings that without arise against them in the World such as being the Sons of God are led by the Spirit of God and walk not after the flesh but after the spirit And these things indeed considered as their Characters the stamp of God on them the impressions of their Election to life do check the vain confidence of all Carnal Ungodly Professors of the Name of Christ and tell them that their pretended Title to him is a meer Delusion certainly whosoever lies in the love of Sin and takes the Flesh for his guide that accursed blind guide is leading him into the Pit What gross folly and impudence is it for any man walking in the Lusts of his own heart to fancy and aver himself to be a Partner of that Redemption whereof so great a pâ—â—t is to deliver us from the power of our Iniquities to renew our hearts and re-unite them to God and possess them with his love The great Evidence of thy Election is Love Thy love to him gives certain testimony of his precedeing Eternal Love to thee so are they here designed they that love God thy chusing him is the effect and evidence of his chusing thee Now this is not laborious that needs to be disputed amidst all thy frailties feel the pulse of thine affection which way beats it and ask thy heart whether thou love him or not in this thou hast the Character of thy Election Know you not that the redeemed of Christ and he are one they live one life Christ lives in them and if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his as the Apostle declares in this Chapter So then this we are plainly to tell you and consider it you that will not let go your Sins to lay hold on Christ have as yet no share in him But on the other side The truth is that when Souls are once set upon this search they commonly wind the Notion too high and subtilize too much in the Dispute and so entangle and perplex themselves and drive themselves further off from that comfort that they are seeking after such measures and marks of Grace they set to themselves for their Rule and Standard and unless they find those without all Controversie in themselves they will not believe that they have an interest in Christ and this blessed and safe estate in him To such I would only say Are you in a willing league with any known sin Yea would you willingly if you might be saved in that way give up your self to Voluptuousness and Ungodliness and not at all desire to follow Jesus Christ in the way of Holiness Then truly I have not any thing as yet to say for your Comfort only there is a Salvation provided and the door is yet open and your heart may be changed But on the other side are the desires of thy Soul after Christ whole Christ to be Righteousness and withal Sanctification to thee Wouldst thou willingly give up thy self to be ruled by him and have him thy King Handst thou rather chuse to suffer the greatest Affliction for his sake to Honour him than commit the least Sin to displâ—ase him Doth thy Heart go out after him when thou heaâ—est him spoke of Dost thou account him thy Tâ—easure so that all the World sounds but as an empty Shell to thee when he is named Says thy Soul within thee Oh! that he were mine And oh that I were his that I could please him and live to him Then do not toss thy Spirit and jangle and spin out thy thoughts in fruitless endless doubtings but close with this as thy Portion and be of good Comfort thy sins are or will be forgiven thee I add yet further if thou sayest yet that thou findest none of all this yet I say there is warrant for thee to believe and lay hold on this Righteousness here held forth to the end that thou mayest then find those things in thee and find comfort in them Thou art convinc'd of Ungodliness than believe on him that justifies the Ungodly thou art Condemned yet Christ is dead and risen fly to him as such as the Lamb slain he that was dead and is alive and then say who is he that Condemneth It is Christ that died or rather that is risen Who shall Accuse 'T is true they may clamour and make a noise both Satan and thy Conscience but how can they fasten any Accusation on thee If they dare Accuse yet they cannot Condemn when the Judg hath acquitted thee and declared thee free who is greater than all and hath the absolute power of the Sentence all Charges and Libels come too late after he hath once pronounc'd a Soul Righteous And who shall Condemn it is Christ that died if the Sentence of the Law be brought forth Yet here 's the answer It ought not to be twice satisfied now once it is in Christ he