in more than ordinary exigence we might say through Christ strengthning us we can do all things Lord bless his word unto you SERMON XXXVII Psalm 130. Verse 7 8. Let Israel hope in the Lord for c. YOU heard that these two Verses do contain the second part of the Psalm wherein after that the Psalmist in the first 6 Verses hath been wrestling partly with plunging perplexities represented under the notion of Depths vers 1.2 Partly with the Conscience of guilt verses 3.4 And partly with the delays of comfort and an outgate verses 5.6 After that I say the Psalmist comes to get some issue and outgate whereof he giveth not a direct and express account but any good he hath gotten he presently makes it appear in good news to Israel he hath an exhortation to them to hope in the Lord and hath Motives and Arguments pressing his Exhortation which are taken partly from what is in God to the behove of his Israel For with the Lord there is mercy c. And partly from what he will let forth of this for their good and behove not only is mercy and plenteous redemption with him but he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities For the Exhortation I spoke to it at length And at the last occasion I brake in upon the Motives The Instructions to be gathered from which I reduced to two general Heads 1. Something supposed concerning them that are put to hope and allowed to hope in God And 2. Something proposed concerning such as are called and allowed to hope and as a ground to their hope For the first That which is supposed in the Words it may again be reduced to these two Heads of Doctrine 1. That the man called and allowed to hope in God is one that is acquainted with misery in himself and is put to look out to what is in God or with him to do his turn For with the Lord there is mercy That there is mercy with God implys That the man that is called and allowed to hope in God is in himself miserable and put to look out to God for mercy and so it is one of the blessed and sure characters of a person that is called and allowed to hope in God that he is kept humble not conceity nor dreaming of any good in himself and the nearer he be to the dust he hath the more warrand to hope for the man that spears the right gate to hope is he that Lam. 3.29 Puts his mouth in the dust if so be there may be hope he creeps low in the dust to seek encouragement to hope and the man that is called to live by Faith is opposed to the man whose soul is lifted up in him and consequently to the man whose heart is not upright in him Hab. 2.4 And further the man that is called to hope and allowed to hope in the humbling sense of his misery he is put to look without himself to what is in God or with God for him he is called to hope on the account of mercy in relation to his misery It intimats that the humble sensible man the Israel of God can never be undone so long as God is to the fore and there is enough in him to do his turn though he be miserable and wants that he stands in need of yet if it be in God he shall not want If mercy be in and with God he is made up in the midst of his misery To this I have spoken already and shall not repeat I proceed to the second Observation implyed in that which is supposed concerning the man that is put to hope and warranted to hope in God That not only is he simply miserable and needing mercy but he is under such a bondage of sin and misery as he cannot extricat himself out of it except God interpose He needs not only mercy in God but redemption and plenteous redemption in God to rid him out of these bonds wherein he is fettered and bound and out of which he is not able to deliver himself Although the consideration of sin will come in to be spoken to on the next Observation by it self yet I shall on this touch a little in general both on the bondage of sin and misery under which the Israel of God are supponed to be lying As for sin all men by nature are bound slaves to it they are hurried away with every impetuous blast of temptation that blows upon their corruption but it is the Israel of God that are called and allowed to hope in God that feel this bondage Hence the Apostle Rom. 7.19 saith The good that I would I do not but the evil that I would not that I do And he finds a law in his members warring against the law of his mind leading him captive to the law of sin on which account he crys out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death There is a captivity indeed under sin and he tells the Galatians Chap. 5.17 That the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these two are contrary one to another so that they cannot do the things they would So the Israel of God are under a bondage of sin when they would do good as the same Apostle hath it ill is present with them And for the bondage of their misery the Scripture is so full anent it and the experience of the Saints so amply confirms it that it is needless to stand on particular proofs and instances of it How often are they put to that Psal 107.11 Because they rebelled therefore he brought down their heart with sorrow and labour they fell and there was none to help In the Application of this I shall speak a word first to the wicked and ungodly and then to Gods Israel who are called and allowed to hope in him notwithstanding this bondage they are under For the first to wit the wicked They would from this look on it as a sad character to know little and be as little sensible of their bondage through sin and misery They look on a licentious way of living in sin when they have eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin as it is 2 Pet. 2.14 When sin reigns in their mortal bodies and they obey it in the lusts thereof and they yield their members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin Rom. 6.12 When they give themselves up to work all uncleanness with greediness Ephes 4.19 They look upon that as their liberty and they are never out of bonds except when they are glutting themselves with sin they slâ—ep not except they do ill O! that such knew what a madnes and distraction they are under while they glory in their chains as if a mad-man should glory in his fetters look to it assure thy self thou shalt find sin to be a bondage and need of looking to God for Redemption from it ere thou have a warrand to
idle times A thrifty person may make much gain and advantage out of these delays So much for what is supponed here that the Saints even in their sincere and serious seeking of God are exercised with delays as to comfort or an out-gate under difficulties Follows in the 2. place that which is proposed That when he is put to wait he doth wait Hence observe That in the case of delays whether for comfort or an out-gate it is the duty of Saints to wait on this will take in all that follows in these two verses and therefore I shall first Explain the import of it and then press the reasonablness equity and advantages of it For the import of this Duty of Waiting a waiter on God when he is delayed he must have these three things shortly 1. He must have somewhat to be the Basis and Ground of his Waiting and that is the Faith of the Saints which prepares the way for the Patience of the Saints and so it follows after in the Text. That a soul that waits on God hopes in the Word of God The meaning of this shortly is That a waiter on God when he is delayed must not judge of God by what is present but having the Word of God so long as God gives him not another Bible and that will never be whatever be his present case he must still look for better If he have a Cloud he must look that it will scatter if he have a Night he must look for a Day on the back of that Night as Isai 8.17 I will wait on the Lord that hides his face from the house of Jacob and I will look for him though he hide his Face at present I will look for better things from him and Mic. 7.7 I will look unto the Lord I will wait on the God of my salvation my God will hear me and therefore rejoyce not over me O mine enemy when I fall I shall arise when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me They must first look to that that they cast not away their Confidence who would have needful Patience Heb. 10.35 And 2 This waiting of the Saints imports that they having believed the word of Promise they must not make haste Isai 28.16 He that believes shall not make baste They must not be hasty And this is properly the Patience of the Saints taking it generally their Patience is the product of Faith The waiting man must attend God's leasure as he must not quarrel though the Jordan of difficulties in his way should overflow all its Banks So he must not mistake though when he is in distress in the City he should be sent out to the field and when he is in distress in the field he should be sent even to Babylon to be delivered Mic. 4.10 That is the next step of a Waiter That when he has believed the Promise he makes no haste But 3. In waiting it is not enough that folks win to hang on because either they have no other shift for help or their Conscience will not suffer them to take another shift but in the mean time O how imbittered broken and crusht in Spirit are they in waiting that is not only a sin in them but a shame to look upon their posture in waiting they wait upon God as if they never had a day to do well in his aught Therefore in the 3. place I say in waiting ye would beware of fretting quarrelling despondency of taking the snuff in your passion and in waiting study patience meekness and calmness of Spirit to do it sweetly This is the perfect work of Patience which Christ commands by his own practice Mat. 11.29 Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and that shall bring rest to your souls There is no waiting on without that that will bring rest and that is the waiting in Psal 37. throughout commended to you in a fretful time which ye may read at your own leisure and ye have a rich Promise Zeph. â— 3 For a stormy time Seek ye the Lord all ye meek of the earth which have wrought his judgements the mark of them which he hath a good turn to do to before the decree bring forth before the day pass as the chaff before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon the rest Seek righteousness seek meekness it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger Whatever be the proper meaning of the place they speak no Heresie who in alluding to it do recommend to seek the imputed Righteousness of Christ to their person and meekness of Spirit in reference to Dispensations who in times of difficulty would carry rightly under delays These are the two notable supports of a Pilgrim the imputed Righteousness of Christ evidenced by inherent Righteousness and meekness and calmness of Spirit and therefore the Promise is made to such It may be ye shal be hid in in the day of the Lords anger The meaning whereof is not only that these who are students of Righteousness and Meekness as indeed they who are such will not be peremptor about events but it imports further that they may take their venture of God of being hid in the day of God's anger when the storm breaks upon others So ye have had a brief view of what is the import of waiting on God under delays there must be Faith as the ground of it not being hasty of the result of Faith and a meek and calm disposition and giving God the timing of what he hath Promised or we expect As for the Arguments pressing the equity and advantage of it the time being gone I shall forbear to enter upon them SERMON XXII Psalm 130. Verse 5. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope I Am now as ye may remember laying before you the Psalmists exercise of waiting on God and having in the morning spoken to what is supposed in these Words That the Saints may be put to wait on Gods delaying to perform his promises I came to that which is proposed that they should wait the import whereof I laid open to you in these three There is the faith of the Saints as the ground of their waiting There is the patience waiting on of the Saints in opposition to their being hasty And there is the meekness and calmness of their spirits in opposition to their fretfulness though they hing on when they are delayed It remains that I insist a little to commend these three unto you As for Faith except that I touch it in the passing it will come better in to be spoken to afterwards and therefore I shall here speak a word for perswading you not to be hasty 2. A word for perswading you to meekness not to fret And 3. I shall shut up both with a general word to perswade you to this waiting For the first that ye may wait
at duty I shall say no more of it but thrice happy they who esteem of duty abstract from all comfortable events yea more it were a good prognostick that good events would not be long withholden if folk were diligent at duty but who are still poring on events I may without breach of charity say that these are the idlest folk and foreslow their own mercy But 2. As duty is the great business so duty acceptable to God is attainable in the worst of times in the lowest of conditions I need not stand on the general how it's Gods mercy to his people that they may well be deprived of comforts or comfortable issues but they are not put out of service they can never want acceptable work to put their hand unto and if they be turned idle from the work of their Calling and Station their idleness is a work with submission to God But that which I am upon is that the difficulties of the Lords servants and people are never so great but duty acceptable to God is attainable My soul waits saith the Psalmist he wan at it I confess times and dispensations may soon fall forth to be such that hypocrites will think duty to be impossible Isa 33.14 The sinners in Zion are afraid fearfulness hath surprized the hypocrites they are afraid out of their wits Who shall dwell with devouring fire c. Who can hold their feet Who can stick by duty in such critical dispensations of providence I confess also things may come to that that Balaam hath speaking of the calamities to come on the world Numb 24.23 Alas who shall live when God doth this Such a time may come that it may be a wonder to consider how folk can stand how they can fend when storms are so boisterous and thick and temptations and snares so many And I shall add further that which our Lord hath Mat. 24.22 Vnless these days should be shortned no flesh should be saved he means both that none should be saved from cutting off by judgment and none but they should be in peril to be eternally lost by seduction but for the elects sake these days shall be shortned outward trouble and seducing snares may be so many and impetuous that if God put not some Bridle upon them no flesh should be saved But yet when I have said all this I must resume the point that in the worst of times duty acceptable to God is attainable through his strength A sincere man depending on God may win to say I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait This I mark to give a check partly to the discouragements of Gods own people who in sad times lose heart and hand I confess I may say to the discouragement of this generation that which Jeremiah hath Chap. 12.5 If thou hast run with footmen and they have wearied thee how then canst thou contend with horses and if in the land of peace wherein thou trustedst they wearied thee how then wilt thou do in the swellings of Jordan If any ordinary difficulties scarr this generation from duty what would they have done if they had met with the difficulties that many before the Throne met with But be as it will it 's thy great sin as discouraged to ly down and die as if there were no work for thee The Psalmist here in his practice hath witnessed that in the saddest of difficulties duty acceptable to God is attainable if duty be set about in Gods strength though humbling it may prove it shall not be impossible if thou believe all things shall be possible partly to leave a sad check at their door who upon difficulties and the impetuousness of snares and temptations take a dispensation to themselves to go wrong to leave Gods way and joyn in evil courses How many are there that in difficult and snaring times for all that the Bible hath said against such and such sins and sinful courses yet take them by the end and say there is no hope and it 's for no purpose for men to essay to keep their integrity or think to hold off and not imbrace such a course The storm blows so hard but you that take a dispensation to your selves so to do in difficulties know that there will be witnesses found to testify against you that in the worst of times duty acceptable to God is attainable But the 3d thing I proposed to be spoken to is That as duty is attainable so a man may know he hath attained it he may win not only to wait for the Lord and with his soul to wait but to know and avow it that with his soul he doth wait This if I might insist on it would again branch it self out in two or three things 1. In order to this knowledge it is necessary that folk be at self examination asking what they are doing Ye may take many woful counsels with your selves having sorrow in your heart daily it may be and yet not come speed but were ye enquiring What work am I at and examining it that were a ground of a right walk to be serious in that It 's the Lords complaint Jer. 8.6 No man repented him of his wickedness saying What have I done Every one turneth unto his course as the horse rusheth into the battel And 2. When we set about this Examination we should know that we have need of the spirit of God to go along with us and assist us in it we have need of that spirit which is of God that we may know the things that are freely given us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 We have so much presumption and security on the one hand when we are at ease ready to cheat us and on the other hand when we are in trouble so much discouragement to amaze and break us that in both conditions self-examination would desire a manuduction a leading by the hand by the Spirit of God that they get not a back-set in either And 3. Tender walkers examining and assisted by the Spirit of God may come to know they are in duty acceptable to God and their integrity in it to say their soul waiteth I am at my duty and am acceptable to God in it It may be sad that trouble should discover so much guilt and so many imperfections in our best things yet still no dispensation of providence or delay should take away the testimony of our integrity and that we are waiting upon him in his way what-ever providence be an enemy to it is never an enemy to integrity There is a weakness hinted at in that word Psal 69.4 though few be obnoxious to it Then I restored that which I took not away Some may be ready to father that on themselves whereof they are not guilty but the people of God Psal 44.17 hold fast and avow their integrity in a sad time All this is come upon us say they yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant c.
And Job 23.10 when he cannot get a sight of God on the right or left hand yet saith he He knows the way that I take when he trys me I shall come forth like gold c. What I would say from this is to leave a check at their door whom the dispensations of providence dings from all their confidence if God delay the Psalmist he will avow that he waits but so silly are we that there is nothing the storm blows against but we are ready to question it whereas if we see it be fair before the wind we question it not at all so silly spirits are we and so full of byasses O! lament this and know that duty is knowable and avowable in the saddest of dispensations for the Psalmist can say I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait And 4. As duty is attainable and knowable so it is very comfortable to a man to know it It 's good news to this tost Psalmist that he dare say I wait my soul doth wait it 's good news for the present Read often believe and improve that word Eccles 8.12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times and his days be prolonged yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God because he feareth before God The very present reward the Eccho of a good Conscience is sweet and comfortable that the people of God can say Our hearts are not turned back nor our steps declined from thy way though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons and covered us with the shadow of death Psal 44.18 O! How sweet an Eccho hath that in a mans bosome and a man that in a sad condition will not be made up in the testimony of a good Conscience it is righteousness with God to smite him with a rod dipped in his own guilt Look to it and make it your study to have this ground of comfort when others fail It 's good when a man can say I am sore broken yet my heart is not turned back I am in the deeps yet my soul waits I cannot win at him yet my feet have held his steps his way have I kept and not declined and as this is sweet and comfortable for the present so will it be found for the time to come when the waiter on God in duty shall be made to say and sing as it is Isa 25.9 Lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation I shall say no more but when all costs are reckoned it shall be found that a doer of duty waiting for God shall be no loser but a great gainer and it shall never be grief of heart to him that he made it his work to wait on him in his way when others declined As I closed the last day with that word Blessed are all they that wait for him so do I this day whatever he do to them whatever delays or difficulties they meet with they shall find that it will be found a rich mercy to be found waiting for God and upon God in their duty keeping his way and not declining therefrom I say no more but the Lord bless his Word that ye have been hearing for Christs sake SERMON XXV Psalm 130. Verse 5. And in his Word do I hope I Told you that as the two former Verses speak to one of the excellent Priviledges of the godly man to wit the remission of sins So the 5 and 6. speak to a most necessary though a most difficult task of the godly man to wait for God that godly men give a proof of their subjection to him and faith in him by their waiting for him notwithstanding they meet with so many delays and disappointments Somewhat hath been spoken to three principal Heads of Doctrine in these Verses 1. The Psalmists exercise he is a waiting man he is put to wait and he doth wait where ye heard that if God delay the Saints and put them to wait it is their duty to wait not only not to be hasty but if they hing on they would look their waiting be not poisoned with freâ—fulness passion and bitterness but seasoned and adorned with meekness and patience I spoke 2. to the object of his exercise I wait for the Lord where ye heard that the eyes of the waiâ—ing man must be taken off all things and set on God not only when all second causes forsake him but when these things that seemed to promise relief seem to be against him he must notwithstanding wait on God and keep his way and have all his expectation in God or God himself must be his expectation and he will be no loser by this if God himself be his great expectation he will easily make up the want of all other things In the third place I spoke to his affection in waiting my soul doth wait where beside that general that we should be able to give an account what we are doing in difficulties when we are exercised with delays Ye heard that true waiting lyes in the midst betwixt bitterness passion haste fretfulness on the one hand and stupidity and indifferency on the other hand The right waiter for God as he is not fretful and passionat so neither is he sleeping and careless he so waits as his soul doth wait his affections are aloft prizing and looking out for these things he is waiting for Now in the 4. place I proceed to consider his support in waiting What made him thus wait affectionatly confidently and patiently He Answers and in his word do I hope He hoped in the word of God and therefore he waits for God It 's not to great purpose to trouble you here with an exact distinction betwixt Faith and Hope Faith looks to the promise and gives a present subsistence to the thing promised as the word is Heb. 11.1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Hope looks to the performance of the good things promised Faith closes with the promise as true and is comforted in that which is contained in it Hope looks out till God come and make out what Faith sees and closes with in the word of promise In this place Faith and Hope may be taken promiscuously or indifferently in his word do I hope that is I wait till God make out to me that he hath promised in his Word or take it a little more distinctly in his word do I hope It will import that having closed by Faith with the good things in the word of promise he looks out for the accomplishment of them so that he hath not only Faith bene believing and closing with the Word but he hath hope looking out till God make his Word good to him I might here take notice of this that waiting on God though a man had no other evidence is ground of hope when a man is in a difficulty and sore put at and
the Scriptures without the Testimony of the Church as well as they But I shall add 3dly If any should ask who gave them that warrand to determine concerning the Authority of the Scriptures If they should say to a Pagan that is the Word of God I say it and I have authority to declare it If the Pagan should say where is your evidence that ye have that authority if they cannot adduce any may not he justly alledge that they bear Witness of themselves All the evidence they afford to any is that the Church of Rome is infallible and when they are put to that they adduce these passages Mat. 16.18 Thou art Peter c. Luke 22.32 Joh. 21.15 well say I have these Testimonies Divine Authority to perswade men concerning the infallibility of the Church of Rome and must men believe that antecedently to their receiving their testimony concerning the Scriptures If so then not only themselves who testify but others who are to receive their testimony must be perswaded of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures antecedently to that testimony In a word when they would prove their Authority they run to the Scriptures and in proving the Authority of the Scriptures they recurr to their own testimony and so run in a circle I might add a 4th thing to discuss their Authority from their own principles for the clearing of which I shall hint at three words I hope they will grant that they who testify concerning the Divine Authority of the Scriptures must be Christians not Pagans Church-Officers not Laicks Now by their principles how can they satisfie the Christian world that their Pope is not an un-baptized Pagan or a meer privat person I shall not found my doubt upon Pope Leo the Tenth his Creed that said The Fable concerning Christ had been a gainful Fable but upon their making the real administration of the Sacraments to depend upon the real intention of the Priest that administrats them And so I reason it is impossible morally to know that the present Pope is a baptized Christian or a Church officer in regard we cannot know what were the intentions of him that baptized or ordained â—im and what a blind is it to cause the authority of the Scriptures depend upon such an uncertainty 2. Consider again their sin of Simony we find their Histories full especially in these dark times some while bâ—fore the Reformation of their Symoniacal Popes who by budds and bribes and one by faigning a Voice from Heaven to out his Predecessor did advance themselves into the Chaiâ— Now by their own Cannon Law Symony makes void the Election and nullifies all the Acts following thereon Now suppose a Pope get into the Châ—ir by Symoâ—y and â—â—eats Cardinals who elect his successor their Act his Election are null and it is impossible they can be capable of any Ecclesiastical Act particularly for testifying concerning the authority of the Scriptures 3. I would know how the Christian world should know the Popes declaring concerning the authority of the Scriptures since very few have access to him except we take the Testimony of humane Writings or some wandring Priest with his Papal Bulls and Lead affixt to them Shall we give credit to these Bulls carried by his Priests because they have the ordinar Characters of Papal Bulls and shall â—e not for all the Divine Characters that are found in the Scriptures creâ—â—t them to be the Word of God From all which ye would learn to look upon the Romish Religion as a Religion wherein ye have no ground of certainâ—y to go on and so that there is no Faith in the Romish Religion but that which is ultimatly a humane Faith for if they give us Scripture how know 〈◊〉 that it is Scripture They tell us their Church says so 〈◊〉 know we the certainty of the Churches Testimony 〈◊〉 Pope says so and for that we have but the testimony of his humane Writings and of his Priests Bulls and suppose we should go to Rome we should not get easie access to him and though we should get access to him we know not what he is whether a baptized Christian or an unbaptized Pagan and the Priest that baptized him had not the due intention so that ultimatly all the Faith in the Romish Religion result into an humane report but if the Lord will I shall in the afternoon let you see other evidences of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures that we shall not need to go to Rome for their Testimony Take the Bible seek that Spirit that dictated the Bible look on the Scripture as a true History look oâ— it with that credit ye look on Titus Livius Quintus Curtius Buchannan or any other humane writing and they will prove their own Divinity This I say if the Lord will I shall follow forth more distinctly in the afternoon and therefore I leave it and speak a word to profane Cavillers at the Scriptures authority There is a word Christ hath in assorting the Divine Authority of Hâ— Doctrine which ye would notice Job 7.10 My doctrine is not mine but his that sent me if any man will do his will be shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self The meaning whereof is not that folks must first obey ere they know the Divinity of his Doctrine nor is it that the Word needs the charity of well disposed persons but this is it that he must be in a good frame that would take up the Divine Authority of the Word I mark it for this end because there are so many Atheists Anti-scripturists mockers of Scripture denyers of the Being of Spirits immortality of the Soul and of Rewards and Punishments after this Life and it is to little or no purpose to discourse to them of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures It is with them as with that man who said non persuadebis etiamsi persuaseris although thou convince me thou shalt not perswade me they have done with their part of happiness if the Scriptures be of Divine Authority and therefore they will not be perswaded that it is so for these I shall leave them to these two words one is Psal 9.16 The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth They that will not see God in his Bible shall see and find him in the execution of his Judgments upon them The other word is Zech. 1. when verse 4. he has spoken of their Fathers who when they were bidden turn would not hear nor hearken he says verse 6. But my words and my statutes did they not take hold of your fathers and they returned and said as the Lord of Hosts thought to do unto us according to our ways and according to our doings so hath he dealt with us I leave these malitious and desperat men who are hardned in their impiety to have the Scripture verified on them but a man that does the will of God that walks humbly
wroth Why The spirit should fail before me and the souls that I have made I could soon destroy them but that I may not do and therefore will not contend for ever c. And 6. The riches and fulness of his mercy may be read in this that when he lets out bowels of mercy there will be no mercy which the Creature needs will be withheld from them When Ishmael hath slain Gedaliah whom the King of Babylon had made the Jews Governour and they are afraid of the Chaldeans Be not afraid of the King of Babylon saith he for I am with you to save and deliver you and I will shew mercy to you that he may have mercy on you Jer. 42.11 12. Fear not if ye partake of my mercy I will make the Chaldeans compassionat you So Psal 106 44. He regarded their affliction when he heard their cry and he remembred his Covenant and repented according to the multitude of his mercies What follows he made them also to be pitied of all that carried them captives He needs no other instruments of compassion to his people nor bitter enemies when he will have compassion on them So Solomon prays Give them compassion before them that carry them captive 1 King 8.50 And Hezekiah when he is to keep the Passover tells the people If they turn again to the Lord their brethren and children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive 2 Chron. 30.9 Gods compassion can soon bring the compassion of men in so far as he sees it needful Thus ye see in a few hints how rich and full the mercy of God is In a word it 's a mercy for all the needs and pressures of his people a Plaister broad enough to cover and effectual enough to cure all their griefs and sores For the use of this great truth That with the Lord there is mercy I shall briefly touch on five inferences from it and leave it And 1. If this mercy of God be relative to mans misery if it be good news manifested to the Creature on the account of its misery then those who are partakers of this mercy would have much sense of their misery mercy will not relish to any but to the man sensible of his misery a pardon will signify nothing but to a Rebel that is sensible of his Rebellion And here all that I have spoken of the riches freeness fulness c. of this mercy if ye read it right will be the first Lesson ye will learn from it all this is not proclaimed for a complement but because it 's needed by the miserable And consequently thou must infer If I have a right to you mercy it must not be ordinary thoughts of my misery that I must have there must be deeps of misery in me to call for deeps of mercy in God If we thus fence the point we need not fear that it be a sleeping Pillow to the secure look what misery is in thee to close with every thing in mercy If mercy be free look what ill-deserving is in thee if pardoning-mercy be in God look what sense of unpardoned guilt is in thee if multitudes of mercies be in God what sense of multitude of miseries is in thee They that have a right to mercy must tryst it in the dust in the very pit of misery 2. From this that there is mercy with God there is ground of assurance offered and afforded to the miserable that their irrecoverable case by the Covenant of Works is not now desperat O! the blessed intimation of that Attribute to fallen man that with God there is mercy How good news was it and should it be What had been the case of Adam and all his posterity after the Covenant of Works was broken had it not been for this blest Attribute that interposed But now because there is mercy with God irrecoverable distresses are not desperate Somewhat ye heard of this from vers 2 and 4. What a deplorable case had all been in if there had been no more to be lookt for but that vers 3. If thou Lord mark iniquities O Lord who should stand But a gracious answer is added vers 4. But there is forgivenness or mercy with thee and how this is prest upon the account of Gods mercy ye have an account given Jer. 55.67 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call on him while he is near let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous his thoughts and let him return to the Lord Why For he will have mercy on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon That there is mercy in God abundantly to pardon is an intimation to the man that is in an irrecoverable condition to look again to God And in that 2d of Joel after that the Lord hath uttered a sore and terrible Judgment and hath told verse â—1 That he will utter his voice before his Army for his Camp is very great and strong is he that executes his word and in the by if the Lord hath a Nation to punish he needs not raise and bring in an uncouth Nation to punish them he can cause Grashoppers or Locusts do his turn after all that Verse 12 13. He bids them turn to him with all their heart with fasting weeping and mourning for he is gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil When the Lord is setting forth and inflicting an apparent and remediless stroak this yet invites to repentance That he is gracious and merciful and therefore as on the one hand thou that slights this offered mercy and makes it a pillow to security who when thou hears tell there is mercy with God makes no use of it but rather abuses it to go on in sin O the Justice of God in the day of thy accompts will be a sad sight in comparison of mercy or justice execute on slighters of mercy will be dreadful Justice then it will be Hills and mountains fall on us and bide us from the face of the Lamb What There is little terror in a Lambs Face yea but the fight of the Lambs face in the day of compt and reckoning that he that offered mercy was a Lamb that mercy was with him will be most dreadful think on it slighters of the Gospel sit-fasts never-do-wells abusers of mercy or ye that would take mercy in the accomplishment but never give mercy employment who follow your abominations if not openly yet secretly better for you that ye had sitten all your time at the foot of Sinai than at the foot of mercy in Zion This is often told you but little laid to heart and the ofter it be told many the less it is laid to heart but the day will come when many will get Hell affrighting memories wherein ye will remember that which drops at your feet and is not noticed or is stept over and not regarded So on the other hand thou who on the account of
hopelesness in thy condition runs away from God take heed what thou dost thou looks on thy case as incurable and what will thou do with it If thou run away where will thou go next Thy case must either break thee or thou will grow stupid under it and besides if thou run away thou reproaches the mercy of God so far as thou can while thou runs from him with any condition how desperat and irrecoverable so ever and will thou bring up an ill report on his mercy as if there were no cure in it for thy case When thou should rather sing as David Psal 13.5 In opposition to every hopeless like case But I have trusted in thy mercy my heart shall rejoyce in thy salvation O then take heed that thou reproach not nor bring not up an ill report on this rich full mercy in God by running from it whatever thy condition be 3. Come here all ye that are making mercy your refuge under all your pressures miseries troubles temptations desertion or whatever ail you that know no other door to knock at but mercy in God ye have no song but that one which David had Psal 13. before cited and that I can never often enough repeat though God seem to forget him for ever and hide his face for ever from him though when he takes counsel in his soul he hath sorrow in his heart daily though his enemies had exalted themselves and said they had prevailed over him and reâ—oyced and the sleep of death seems to approach he hath nothing to all that But I have trusted in thy mercy Take a look how richly thou art made up that trusts in this mercy Remember the song that follows in that Psalm â—nd thou will not find it an heartless shift My heart says â—e shall rejoice in thy salvation I will sing to the Lord because â—e hath dealt bountifully with me And the Psalmist sings Psal 31.7 I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy Why For thou hast considered my trouble thou hast known my soul in adversity I got acquaintance with thee in adversity which otherwise I had not been capable of therefore I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy and consider that sweet song Psal 136.23 Who remembred us in our low estate Why for his mercy endureth for ever or as Hezekiah hath it Isai 38.27 He loved my soul from the pit of corruption That is the word in the Original His love and mercy have an Adamantine vertue to draw a soul out of the pit of corruption when he remembers us in our low estate consider thou that hast made mercy thy refuge how sweetly it can kep a deep distress Psal 69.15 Let not the water flood overflow me hear me O Lord for thy loving kindness is good turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies And Psal 86.14 O God the proud are risen up against me and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul but thou O Lord art a God full of compassion gracious long suffering and plenteous in mercy and truth O turn unto me and have mercy on me Consider what a good account of very hopeless tryals mercy will give Jam. 5.11 Ye have heard of Jobs patience and have seen the end of the Lord and what was the end of the Lord even this That the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy O but they are sad difficulties which tender mercy and pity in God will not afford relief unto and therefore think not your self in a poor plight who have mercy for your refuge who have no song to sing But I have trusted c. 4. When ye have closed with and are made up by this mercy look how ye improve it and do not abuse it I confess the want of the faith of mercy in a strait is an estranging thing Zech. 11.8 My soul loathed them and their soul also abhorred me but when thou grips to mercy see what influence it hath on thy heart for warming it for putting it in a sweet and tender frame on thy part may I say it I defie folk to abuse mercy taken by the right handle O the alluring melting constraining perswading power that is in mercy rightly closed with and O that folk could win to this gate of making use of mercy Rom. 11.1 The Apostle in pressing holiness saith I beseech you brethren by the mercy of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice c. And I may allude to that Phil. 2.1 If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels of mercy fulfil ye my joy If folk knew what overcoming mercy means they would let it be seen in a tender walk Thou talks of mercy yet thou art not overcome with it thou art not melted nor made more tender by it what a cheater of thy self and abuser of mercy art thou Remember the abuse of outward mercies will make a sad dittay Ezra 9. If after all these we break his commands But ah what shall be said when folk pretend to special mercy and abuse it But 5. Among other Uses that ought to be made of believed and closed with mercy this is one That we learn to be merciful Luke 6.36 We must be merciful as is our heavenly Father even in loving enemies c. Ye heard in the morning from Mat. 5.7 That it is the merciful that obtain mercy And that Parable of the man that had much forgiven him and would not forgive his fellow servant but cast him in prison Mat. 18.23 It was a sad evidence that he was not pardoned himself In a word thou who art much in mercies common it will make thee of a merciful meek temper which is that pressed Tit. 3.2 That we should speak evil of no man be no brawlers c. but gentle shewing meekness to all men seeing we our selves were sometime disobedient deceived serving divers lusts But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost A boisterous malitious unmerciful temper in any is but a poor Evidence that such live under the drop of the multitude of the tender mercies that are with God But the time being ended I leave this great Point and you to the rich blessing of this merciful God To whom be glory SERMON XLI Psalm 130. Verse 7 For with the Lord there is mercy THe Songs of the people of God while they are within time are made up of very mixed Notes yet in this they are sweet that their over-word or last word is still the best of it Poor and needy are they and may they be yet they are thought upon by God Troubled they may be but not distrest perplext but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but
sin but he sets them on work to purge out all sin and in due time he will redeem them from the reliques and remainders of sin every thing that hath the relique or remainder of iniquity in it he will redeem them from it in due time And 4. Ye would consider the object of this mercy who they are that he will redeem from all iniquity they are his people Israel the object of God's power and mercy in redeeming in his being a propitiation for sin in redeeming from the power and guilt of sin are Israel and they only That as Adam when he fell drew all his seed along into perdition with himself So Christ the second Adam will redeem all his seed which is the true import of that comparison institute betwixt the first Adam and the second Rom. 5. and not to prove an universal redemption for then as all fell in Adam so all should be actually redeemed and liberat by Christ but the meaning is That as in Adam all his seed fell with him so by Christ all his seed are redeemed and as in Adam all fell not Christ was excepted so by Christ all are not redeemed his seed only are recovered This is a Point I need not enter to debate It is too evident many are not redeemed by Christ for many have not the outward means that make offer of redemption by Christ many never heard tell of Christ and if Christ had payed a price for all it were not agreeable to Justice that so many should be put to suffer punishment in hell It is clear also from that that Christ would not pray for the world Joh. 17.9 And he did not die for them for whom he would not pray and he doth not sanctifie himself for all therefore he redeems not all and yet this needs be no impediment to them to look to him for Redemption who find their need of him their fleeing to him for refuge and gripping to him for satisfaction opens up the council of God that they are among the given ones to be redeemed by Christ only remember that as none of God's Israel are secluded from this redemption how worthless soever they be Though they may be secluded from these gifts and measures of graces afforded to others yet not from this redemption from all iniquity That is the common-good of all that 's the nail fastned in the sure place on which all the vessels of greater and smaller quantity are hung so on the other hand it is to Israel alone and to none other that this redemption is ensured Having thus explained the Point it remains That we should draw some Uses from it and put a close to the Psalm and there are four or five words of inference that I would give you from what hath been said 1. See here what is the great concerning business the chief Interest and exercise of the true Israel of God It is the matter of iniquity what to do with it how to be rid of it and delivered from it therefore after all the former encouragements to hope in God That with him is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption this comes in as the reserve that he shall redeem Israel from all his Iniquities To tell that the great exercise of a true Israelite will be about iniquity the conscience of sin and guilt what to do with that how to get the conscience pacified in reference to it this exercise is a great stranger in the visible Church there may be much trouble of mind where the conscience is dormient and sleeping There may be much vexation and fashâ—ie about trouble and cross dispensations of providence when guilt is little minded but ye would look to it I shall not say they are not Israelites that fall into this error but surely it looks not like a true Israelite where sin is not made the main exercise where daily searching out of sin and endeavours to have the conscience purified and purged from guilt is not folks great task And I shall add that exercise about sin and guilt would give a more comfortable account about trouble If we were studying to have this Text made out to us He shall redeem Israel out of all his iniquities we should find that of Psal 25. Redeem Israel O God out of all his troubles also made out to us redemption from iniquity would bod well were a good prognostick of redemption from trouble for as ye heard from Isai 10.12 Trouble hath a work on Mount Zion and if ye would know what that is see 27.9 By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin when he maketh all the stones of the Altar as chalk stones c. Were trouble getting its work it should have the less ado when it had gotten its errand and therefore ye that are fasht and vexed folks with the Cross tost with many troubles shall I say to you that ye run long on little ground and to little purpose if ye had more ado about sin ye should have less ado about trouble or your exercise about it should soon be discust Therefore look on it as a mark of a true Israelite that whatever exercise he have sin is the greatest exercise 2. Whereas folk may seem to have some exercise about sin but all that it amounts to is to take with sin and grip to pardoning mercy and this is very common in the visible Church to name sin and to name pardon and upon the naming of sin to make a present Plaister of pardon and there is an end To obviat this mistake take this word That the pardon of sin and purging out of sin must go together hand in hand But in this mistake me not I would hurt none nor have I commission to hurt any Ye may remember that when I was on the 4th Verse I told you that the filthiness of sin remains after the pardon of sin but remember also that I then told you God strikes at the guilt and power of sin both at once that where Christ comes with the merit of his death he comes also with the power of his death he lays the Axe to the root of the Tree but I would not be mistaken in this either the pardoned sinner gets not the power of sin presently subdued yea when he is pardoned the power of sin may fash him more than before and when sin is in the dead-throws it may vex him most with strugling Many a sad bout may pardoned sinners have alongst their life with their predominants but where-ever God pardons sin he sets folks to be in necks with sin and to have the dominion and power of sin subdued that sin reign not in their mortal bodies they and sin will not dwell in peace in one house they will not be taken alive captive without a scart they oppose it and protest against the prevailing of it they sin not with full consent And O! but this
is needful to have the renovation of the Disposition to be a Seal of the pardon of sin that when thou hast gripped pardon thou may know by this that thou art not delivered because it sends thee back to get sin subdued and mortified with greater eagerness and bensil of spirit that if the pardon of sin take not away the filthiness of sin yet it sets thee in a stated war with it and opposition unto it that thou and it shall never be friends and God then evidences the pardoning of thy sin when he helps thee to subdue sin And it is no wonder that folk have a cold Coal to blow at when they are under a temptation that they are not pardoned and have nothing to witness that they have any thing like the renovation of their disposition though in that case God forbid that I should forbid such to run to Christ for pardon but in running to him for pardon of sin through the merit of his death and in gripping to pardon carry alongst the vertue of his death for the subduing of sin 3. This leads me to a 3d word of Inference many of you may say ye are put to a hard task when ye are put seek redemption from iniquity from the power of sin as well as from the guilt of sin And I grant it is a hard task indeed and they that essay it in earnest will find it an insuperable task Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots Then may they also do good that are accustomed to do evil Twin them of their life as soon as twin them of their Delilah or take their darling-sin out of their bosome What shall they then do with it This point tells that God can and will redeem Israel from all their iniquities I would in order to this have you looking two ways on Gods interposing to subdue iniquity one is that ye would never look on the subjugation or subduing of sin as leill come wherein ye are not put to employ God There be many evils that ye are not tempted to or if tempted to them ye get them easily under foot ye are never sent to God to subdue them Ye have reason to suspect ye have never been tryed enough with these evils if in earnest ye be tried with evils ye will be sent to God for the mortification of them otherwise any mortification ye get of ills without him it will fail you when ye have most ado with it and ye will find that Satan is not cast out but gone out and will return and surprise you for ye must be put to God for a right redemption from iniquity And 2. on the other hand I would have you looking on no iniquity even that which most enslaves you as on an iniquity that he cannot subdue or were not willing to subdue if he were seriously employed ye have his word for it Mic. 7. where when he hath said v. 18. He is a God that pardons iniquity and passes by transgression He adds v. 19. that he will have compassion and subdue our iniquities He can break in pieces the Gates of Brass and cut in sunder the bars of Iron To allude to that Psal 107.16 and Isai 45.29 He can burst all these bonds under which a sinner is shut up in slavery and servitude and deliver him from those base lusts that carried him captive and held him in bondage How deeply was Paul engaged in persecution How mad was he in pursuance of that woful Trade Yet when God interposed he made him stand unholden What Monsters were these 1 Cor. 6.8 9. Fornicators idolaters adulterous thieves covetous drunkards effeminat c. Yet v. 11. he tells them Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God As upon the one hand I would not only have these that are puddled with their corruptions that all their purposes and resolutions to reform misgive them looking upon it as a cause of their ill success that Christ is little employed but also I would have them looking on no prevailing predominant evil as impossible to his power to subdue it So on the other hand O that this might speak a word to profligat profane persons that cannot sleep except they do ill that cannot go to bed unless they be full as beasts that rake the life from them rather than twin them and their lusts they are so habituat to excess and riot they cannot forbear it Thinks thou that an excuse that thou cannot help it What an excuse would it be for a Thief arraigned at the Bar to say he must be forgiven for he cannot hold up his hands No more will it excuse thee for drunkenness lasciviousness c. To say Thou cannot help it it 's an aggravation of thy crime and no excuse But here I would leave it at the door of all profligat wretches as a witness against them that God is able to redeem from all these iniquities if they will come to him God is able to cast out all these Devils that enslave thee That deaf Devil that will not let thee hear what God speaks to thee That dumb Devil that will not suffer thee to pray to him That filthy swinish Devil that will never suffer thee to be out of the mire of some abomination I here leave it I say at the door of such Monsters that there is power in God if they will employ him to redeem them from all their iniquities But here it sticks the power of God is little employed to redeem from the power of sin because the Conscience is little touched with the guilt of sin O! pray to God that your Conseiences may be awak'd that ye may cry What shall we do to be saved That sin may be a burden to you as it will be when the Conscience is touched and if ye will not pray know that God can do that when you little dream of it as ye may see in Cain Judas Achitophel who could not keep their Consciences asleep to tell that folk have not Consciences at their command but if the Conscience be touch'd with guilt know there is power in God to redeem from iniquities 4. A fourth word of Inference is That if God as ye heard in the Explication do redeem from all iniquities then not only must ye endeavour the pardon of sin and the mortification of sin but that the mortification of sin be universal ye must spare a Zoar a Delilah a bosom sin or idol but seek that all sin may be subdued the man that is rightly engaged against sin it will not satisfie him that he hath got the wings of sin clipped and made it to couch that it break not out but he must be at war with it so long as there is a tapoun of sin as ye use to speak under ground it must be his exercise to be about the mortification of