Quality from him or from his Being as the Wisdom of Man is many as one notes are Men but not Wise Men. 6. To Acknowledge God Is to acknowledge his Justice and Holiness Judgment and Justice are the Habitation of his Throne Psal. 97.2 He can do no Man any wrong because he is Justice and Righteousness it self whatsoever God brings upon a Nation or People or particular Person 't is Right or in Righteousness Righteous art thou O Lord when I plead with thee Jer. 12. 1. Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do Right Gen. 18. 25. We may judge of his Justice and Righteousness by considering of the nature of his Law that is Just Holy and Good what is the Law of God but a written Impression of his Holy Nature also the Justice and Righteousness of God is seen in his punishing the Wicked for their Sin but more especially in punishing his own Son when he came to stand in our stead and Law-place as our Sponsor and blessed Surety he spared not his own Son as an act of Justice when he undertakes to pay our Debts or satisfie Divine Justice for our Offences God will render unto every man according to the fruit of their doings he will not lay upon man more than is right Job 34. 23. He hath punished us less than our iniquities deserve Ezra 9. 13. 7. To Acknowledge God Is to acknowledge his Goodness Mercy and Faithfulness his Mercy endureth for ever There is none good but God that is essentially good perfectly good and so there is none Righteous but he he is a God ready to forgive plenteous in Mercy and Goodness who is a God like unto thee pardoning Iniquity Transgression and Sin Mich. 7. There is in God not only pardoning Goodness but protecting preserving redeeming strengthning and comforting Goodness God is infinitely and immutably Good 8. To Acknowledge God Is to own and acknowledge him to be man's chief good and that our only Happiness lies in him not in the Creature but in the Creator not in having great Portions of worldly Goods but in having a special Interest and Portion in God Many say who will shew us any good Psal. 4. 6. What was that good why Corn Oyl and Wine but what saith David Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon us thou hast put more joy into my heart than the time when their corn and wine encreaseth verse 7. 8. Earthly things may be called our goods but not our good they that never tasted how good God is never knew true good That cannot be Man's chief good that cannot answer the necessities of his better part namely his Soul God is a Soul Good a Soul satisfying Good a Soul Inriching Good the Heathens laboured to find out what was the chief Good and finding nothing in this world could satisfie the Soul neither Riches Honours Pleasures nor Knowledge concluded there was some Superiour Being or an Infinite God that must be Man's chiefest Good that cannot be our chief Good that cannot fill our Desires nor make us truly and everlastingly Happy Men may in the fulness of all their Sufficiency be in straits and be miserable who are possessed of never so great Riches Honours and earthly Pleasures that which Sickness and Death may rob us of cannot be our chiefest Good Sirs We never rightly acknowledge God until we know by our own Experience and acknowledge him to be our chiefest and only Happiness 9. To Acknowledge God Is to fear and reverence his dreadful Name and serve him as our God and only Soveraign of our Souls If I be a master where is my fear faith the Lord of Hosts Mal. 1. 6. The whole of Man's Duty is expressed sometimes by fearing of God said Joseph Do thus and live for I fear God He acknowledgeth God this way and himself to be his Servant I fear God I cannot dare not Sin how shall I do this great wickedness and sin against God They that fear not God are Men of no Religion The fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom Pray remember to Acknowledge God is to fear him and dread to offend or displease him 10. To acknowledge God Is to trust in him at all times to make him our Hope and Help to depend upon him for Counsel and Direction in all we go about and submit our Wills to his Will and patiently to take and endure whatsoever he lays upon us To Trust in God Is to have Confidence in God 't is to lean upon God upon his Wisdom upon his Conduct on his Strength Faithfulness and gracious Promises and not to depend upon our own Wisdom see the verse before my Text Trust in the Lord and lean not to thy own Understanding acknowledge him that is Trust in him To Trust in God is also to expect and hope from God and to wait for Counsel indeed it is the Character of a godly Man to trust in God as well as it is his Wisdom and Safety We can as one observes never trust Man too little nor in God too much Curssed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm Jer. 17. 5. but blessed is the Man that Trusteth in the Lord and whose Strength the Lord is 11. To Acknowledge God Is to acknowledge Jesus Christ to be God not God by Office but God by Nature the only wise God the Eternal God Co-equal with the Father Phil. 2. 6. Who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God though a distinct Subsistence or Person from the Father yet one in Essence subsisting in the form of God imports not Christ's Appearance in exerting of God's Power but his actual Existence in the Divine Nature To the only wise God our Saviour be glory and majesty dominion and power Jude 25. We are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God and eternal life Joh. 5. 20. This it is to acknowledge God viz. To own Christ to be God ye believe in God believe also in me i. e. Ye acknowledge the Father is God acknowledge the Son also to be the same God it would be Idolatry to give Divine Adoration to Christ if he was not the true Eternal God Moreover it would justifie the Blasphemy of the Jews who charged him to be a Deceiver and a Blasphemer who because he was as they thought no more than a meer Man made himself equal with God not to acknowledge Christ to be God is not truly and fully to acknowledge God because Christ is God we ought not only to acknowledge the Being of God but also his manner of Being or the three Persons in the God-head 12. To Acknowledge God Is to acknowledge all the good things we receive to come from him whether Temporal or Spiritual even Life and all the comforts of Life Wisdom Knowledge Riches Honours Friends Peace Health Relations Prosperity And also 't is to acknowledge all
of the years whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the Prophet that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem And I set my face unto the Lord God to seek by Prayer and Supplications with Fasting and Sackcloth and Ashes verse 3. Brethren Thus it is with us we understand by Books i.e. by the Book of Daniel the Revelations of St. John and by the Writings of good Men that the number of the years of our spiritual Captivity under mistical Babylon is near expired and that glorious things are near and therefore we should now in an extraordinary manner cry to God and acknowledge his Power and Wisdom and Faithfulness O look up the Vision will suddenly speak Thirdly How we should acknowledge God or after what manner he found in this Duty 1. In the Sense of our Sins and Sins of the Lord's People of the whole Nation yea with a through sight sense of Sin and with self abhorrence for the same Thus did Samuel acknowledge God and poured out Water before the Lord at Mizpah 1 Sam. 7. 6. and thus did Daniel he confessed his Sins and the Sins of the People VVe have sinned and have committed Iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled even by departing from thy Precepts and from thy Judgments Dan. 9. 5. Neither have we hearkned unto the Prophets which have spoken in thy Name to our Kings and Princes and our Fathers and to all the People O what Sins are we guilty of and this vile Nation guilty of whom God hath been so good and gracious unto and saved with an high Hand and deliver'd when some time ago all was a going that is dear to us 2. With all Humility and brokenness of Heart we should acknowledge that whatsoever is come upon us is in Justice and Righteousness we must say with Daniel O Lord Righteousness belongeth unto thee but unto us Confusion of Faces as at this day to the men of Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem to all Israel that are near and far off c. because of our Trespasses O Lord to us belongeth Confusion to our Kings and to our Princes and to our Fathers because we have sinned How low should we lie every one of us and labour to find out the plague of his own Heart and to smite on our Breasts and say What have I done we must say It is of the Lord's Mercy we are not consumed that we are yet a People and England a Nation not yet utterly forsaken of God In our acknowledging of God we should humble our selves and pray and not only so but turn every one from his evil way so will God hear from Heaven and will forgive our Sins and heal our Land 2 Chron. 7. 14. 3. We should acknowledge God with a sense of our Weakness Ignorance and short sightedness and not trust to our own Understanding See the Context Trust in the Lord with all thine Heart and lean not to thine own Understanding Prov. 3. 5. Let not Men think their Wisdom is sufficient to act and accomplish those great Designs that they take in Hand because they are so acute and have such clear natural Parts or acquired Parts Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom nor the strong man glory in his strength Let not the Learned Man boast of his great Learning but let all know True Wisdom is from God 't is he must guide us in Judgment Brethren 't is a good sign God will not leave us in that he hath put it into the Heart of our Parliament to acknowledge God and seek to him a right way At this difficult hour it argues that they see need to ask Counsel of him and would acknowledge him from whom Wisdom to manage the great Affairs of Nations cometh and would not lean to their own Understanding God is the great Governour of the World 4. We should acknowledge God in Christ come to him only and look to him alone in a Mediator if we do not wholly acknowledge him in the Name of Jesus Christ all we do will be in vain for out of Christ he is a God of Wrath and Fury yea a flaming and devouring Fire but in Christ he is pacified and reconciled to all that so come to him Samuel well knew this and therefore he took a sucking Lamb and offered it for a Burnt-Offering wholly unto the Lord 1 Sam. 7. 9. This Lamb no doubt tipified Christ Jesus in and by whose Sacrifice only he forsaw God was appeased and his Justice satisfied and the guilt of the Sins of God's Israel removed Christ is the only way to the Father No man cometh to the Father but by me saith our blessed Lord John 14. 6. This Brethren and none but this is the right way Sinners are only to draw near to God by Christ this way is prepared for them cast up for them this is that new and living way And Saints have no other way to come to God nor to acknowledge God to be their God but only in Christ. O Acknowledge God thus God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself 2 Cor. 5. 19. God in Christ is strong to save strong to help strong to deliver Christ is the power of God and and the wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1. 18. The glory of his Power Mercy Wisdom Justice and Goodness are all united and shine forth to save Sinners in Christ and to save Nations who look to him and acknowledg'd him in Christ. Almighty Power was seen in creating of the World and his Power in conjunction with his Justice was seen in casting the Angels that sinned out of Heaven and Man out of Paradice and Divine Power as it was joyned with Divine Mercy shone forth in saving and delivering Israel at the Red Sea but in Christ the glory of his Power Mercy and Justice and all other of his glorious Attributes are united together in sweet Harmony to save and help all that by Christ come to him nothing can hinder our Help and Succour if we acknowledge and come to him in Jesus Christ. We should acknowledge God manifested in the Flesh 1 Tim. 3. 16. not only that Christ is God as I before hinted but the reason why he took unto him our Nature and what things he hath wrought out for us how the glory of God shines forth in him We never acknowledge God in the Top Glory of his Wisdom Mercy Love Power Justice and Goodness unless we acknowledge him in Christ nor can we know him any other way to be our God nor come to him nor expect any Help Relief Pardon or Peace from him We must acknwledge what Christ is made of God the Father unto us even Wisdom and Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption He is our Life our Light our Righteousness our Strength our Peace our Food our Guide our King to Rule us our Priest to Attone for our Sins and to Intercede for us and our Prophet to Teach us
little before Shall a Heathen or men strangers to God outdo such that are called Christians Potiphar saw and was convinced nay and did acknowledge that the Lord was with Joseph and prospered all things his hand 7. It robs God of that Sacred Homage and Worship which is due to him from all his Creatures and so overthrows the foundation of all Religion For by acknowleding God in all we do we shew we own that Divine Worship Fear and Trust that is due to him but they who do it not seem to disclaim or disown Gods chiefest Glory viz. That Divine adoration that belongs to him alone and which appears not only to be his right from Revelation but from Natural Light for 't is a Branch of Natural Religion to acknowledge and trust in God and to seek to him for all things we want and to praise him for all things we have or do receive He that is the only object of our Divine Worship is he that governs all things and from whom all good comes and delivers us from whatsoever is evil or hurtful to us But they that do not acknowledge God will neither pray to him for what they need nor praise him for what they receive therefore it destroys all true trust in God fear of God and love to God not to acknowledge him and it shews such do in effect deny God's governing the World who Acknowledge him not or Pray not to him The Lord looked down from Heaven to see if there were any did understand or seek God He takes notice who they be that Acknowledge his Authority over them or who understands this and so Fear him and Calls upon him and Trust in him But alas the Wicked say Are not our tongues our own and who is Lord over us They think their wisdom is from themselves to Contrive to Project and their Tongues their own to speak and utter what their hearts conceive and their Hands their own to effect what their hearts contrive and their tongues express Quest. Who are they that do not truly Acknowledge God Answ. 1. Such that never or but seldom think of God David speaking of the Wicked saith God is not in all their Thoughts or in none of their Thoughts they think not of God 2. Such who never consult with God in his word about what they Undertake that do not enquire whether what they are about to do be Just and Agreeable with the word and will of God nor seek for a Blessing upon what they are about to do 3. Such who Pray not to God or least wise do not Pray in Faith or Believingly 4. Such that depend upon their own wisdom or trust in their own Strength or rely upon an arm of flesh Some trust in Horses and some in Chariots But what said David I will not trust in my own Bow neither shall my Sword save me Ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon Horses 5. Such who in all they do do not chiefly seek the Honour of God the Interest of God and the Welfair of his People but in their Prayers rather eye their own interest their own peace safety and profit or their own glory These do not truly Acknowledge God 6. Such who do not Acknowledge that all the good things they receive to come from God but ascribe it to their care wisdom and industry or secondary causes as I heard of a wicked Man who had a plentiful crop of Corn and a neighbour observing it bid him Praise God for it Praise God said he praise my dung-cart or to that purpose Such men be sure Acknowledge not God 7. Remember That such who do not live by Faith on God's Promises and Providences through Jesus Christ or do not come to God in Christ for all Spiritual and Temporal Blessings or that Trust not in him at all times and for all things but either murâ—â—er against God or despair of his Mercy in the Lord Jesus or whosoever do not give God the glory of his Wisdom Mercy Justice Power Love and Faithfulness as they shine forth in Christ do not truly Acknowledge God Exhortation LEt me Exhort you all these things being so to Acknowledge God whosoever you be whether High or Low Rich or Poor Young or Old the King on the Throne must Acknowledge God as well as him that grinds at the Mill 't is both the duty of the Prince and of the Peasant there are none so high but he can bring down nor none so low but he can raise up 2. Pray to him in Faith for Prayer is one way to Acknowledge him And as for Motives 1. Consider That Prayer is the Duty of all Men though God will not hear Sinners yet Peter put Simon Magus upon Prayer Pray that the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee This shew the need of Grace of Faith and a Changed Heart if wicked men Pray not they Sin yet their Prayers cannot please God 2. You know that God will hear a godly mans prayer if he prays in Faith and for such things that are agreeable to his will but let him come in Christs Name Ask and ye shall Receive that your Joy may be full 3. Prayer hath obtained great Blessings of God nay it hath done Wonderful Things I mean the Prayer of Faith and of Faithful Persons It hath opend and shut Heaven Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the Earth by the space of Three Years and Six Months and he prayed again and the Heavens gave Rain and the Earth brought forth Prayer hath quenched the violence of Fire and stopt the mouths of Lyons Faith and Prayer divided the Red Sea that Israel went through it on dry ground It hath put to flight the Armies of Aliens 4. Prayer is Gods Ordinance 't is his way wherein we ought to meet him 5. It hath his Promises his word that is setled in Heaven his promise is as firm as Heaven it self 6. Prayer Honours God many ways 1. Hereby we Acknowledge his Omnisciency that he knows us and our wants and necessities 2. Prayer Honours God in that by Prayer we acknowledge his Omnipotence that he is able to help us let our condition be what it will and in that he can confound our Enemies 3. In respect of our dependance upon God for in Prayer we Acknowledge we do not know what to do but our eyes are up to him and our Trust is in him 4. In Prayer we Acknowledge his Authority over us and his Love and Faithfulness towards us But Brethren know that it is the Prayer of the New Creature that prevaileth that pleaseth and honoureth him 't is the voice of the New Born Spiritual Babe that is sweet to him yea 'ts the voice of his own Spirit that he hears and which brings honour to him Moreover know that 't is through Christs Intercession only that our
Prayers are heard Christ offers up all the Prayers of his own People with his own Incense and when he offerred up their Prayers with his Incense their were Voices Lightnings and Thunder 1. Joyn Confession of Sins with your Supplications O find out every one of you the Plague of his own heart and lie low at the Foot of God confess your own Sins and the Sins of the Nation and the Sins of God's People thus you have heard Daniel did Brethren to Confession of Sin add also deep Humiliation this must be joyned with our Prayers and Confessions nay and Reformation of Life also every one must turn from his evil way See 2 Chron. 7. 14. If my People that are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their Evil Ways then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their Sins and will be al their Land If we regard Iniquity in our hearts God will not hear our Prayers 'T is true a National Humiliation and Reformation may prevent National Judgments as in the case of Nineveb O that we could see but such an Humiliation as was among them among us in England for the Sins of this Nation are grievous in the Sight of God being attended with such Lamentable Aggravations we are a People of exceeding great Mercies but O! the Wickedness of these Days God is therefore angry with us the Inhabitants of England may see their Sins in their Punishment Doth not God touch us in our Trade and Coyn Is it not because those two things have been as it were the Idols of England or of Multitudes among us Sirs Let us look higher than to secondary Causes of these present distresses that are upon us and acknowledge God to be just in permitting these Evils to come upon the Land If we cannot find out the Cause of our Distempers how shall we find out a Cure I am afraid least this Pretended Fast should be but as a Mock-Fast or a day of Humiliation in shew only and not in heart if we see all persons reforming their ways we shall have ground to hope better things If Magistrates do their part not only in making good Laws against Vice and Prophaneness but in seeing those Laws put into due execution and they themselves and every man to turn from his evil ways and from the violence that is in his hand then may Gods Wrath and Anger cease but if not his judgment will break forth upon us Brethren God is a jealous God and will not be mocked what men sow they shall reap 'T is said of Niniveh ' And God saw their Works that they turned from their evil way and God repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them and did it not It was not their words but their works that God looked at 't is not what we speak but what we do that will prevail with the Allmighty 1. Terror and wo to them that cast off all fear of God and acknowledge him not or do it not in truth and sincerity Thou casteth off fear and restrainest prayer before God Some men look upon it vain and uproficable to pray to God or to acknowledge him What profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances and have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts But what will these men do in the day of Wrath Judgments shall bow them and break them if Mercies will not melt them 2. Those that refuse to acknowledge God or who follow not his Direction and walk not in his Ways nor hearken not to his Voice nor wait for his Counsel he will in Wrath and Judgment leave and give them up to their own hearts lusts and to walk in their own counsel as he did Israel of old My people would not bearken to my voice and Israel would have none of me so I gave them up to their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own counsel God may iustly withdraw all his directing influences from such and blind their Eyes who through Pride think they have Wisdom enough to manage their own Affairs and direct their own Paths God's counsel is to men to forsake their sinful ways to embrace his Son or believe in Christ and trust in him alone and rest on his word and cry to him in their trouble but when they refuse to do this he oftentimes utterly leaves them and then they fall and bring ruin on themselves and others whose counsellers they pretend to be or chosen to be The truth is while the Nation continueth in its Rebellion against God and all Prophaneness aboundeth to such a degree as to this day it dothe what can we expect but Wrath and fearful Judgments What signifies a few formal Prayers whilst men hold fast their sins Are such Laws made and executed to check and restrain the cursed enormities of the ungodly That may tend as an effectual way to accomplish such a Reformation that God calls for Alas whilst every Mans Hand at Sea and Land is up against God fighting against him can we expect he should appear to fight for us O what horrid Pride Uncleanness Oaths and Blasphemy and all Prophaneness do we see and hear of every day 'T is a wonder the Earth opens not its Mouth to swallow them up at Land as it did them at Jemeca and that the Sea doth not swallow up our Ships and those in them they having such a wait and load in them Sin is a heavy burthen and our sins are so heavy they are enough to sink as one observes seventeen Kingdoms Moreover what Errors and detestable Heresies do abound among us And also what Divisions Discord and Animosities are there among Professors One set against another little Love and Charity being now to be found in the Earth Much Preaching but little Practise Are not many Professors as Proud Covetous Carnal and Loose as others O where is the Life and Power of Religion What can we look for whilst things are thus but some fearful calamity and dissolution But to proceed to a Use of Comfort and Consolation to such who do in uprightness acknowledge God Observe the Motive or Encouragement that is laid down in the later part of my Text and he shall direct thy Paths I cannot now speak to this part of the words as I might for want of time but certainly here is great ground of Comfort to all godly Christians yea to all that rightly acknowledge God For 1. He will shew us the right way that we might saith Ezra seek a right way none but God can lead us into a right way every mans way may seem right in his own Eyes but no mans way is right but such as God teaches and directs 2. Let our Straits and Distresses be never so great nay beyond the wisdom of Man to find out a Remidy yet God can soon direct us and all that seek to him in a way for present Relief nothing is