them by their Father But he withholds no good thing from them that walk uprightly Therefore let us be sure to look to that and indeavour to find it in our selves before we challenge the Providence of God And yet withall I must add this that this word Vprightly is not to be taken neither in the strictness and rigor of it so as to be free from all kind of Sins or Infirmities whatsoever which is not to be Expected here in this life but Evangelically and in the Sense of the Gospel for a study and Indeavour after Uprightness and Carefulness all we can to walk Holy and unblameably in our Conversations This is the walking Vprightly which the Holy Ghost here intends in this place and which has this Blessing attending upon it Of no good thing withheld from it So much of that viz. The Proposition in the Negative and so also of this whose verse For the Lord God is a Son and shield c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SERMON XXII Psal 94.19 In the Multitude of my Thoughts within me thy Comforts delight my Soul The Blessed and Holy man David as he was a man of manifold Afflictions which he was exercised and tryed withal so also of manifold Comforts and Consolations in those Afflictions as He had deep calling unto deep in regard of his Troubles so he had Height also calling upon Height in regard of his Inlargement The latter is that which we have now at this time before us IN this present Verse before us we have two General Parts especially observable of us First The Malady And Secondly the Remedy The Malady that we have in these words In the multitude of my Thoughts within me The Remedy that we have in these words Thy Comforts delight my Soul We begin in order with the first viz. The Malady In the Multitude of my thoughts within me wherein again we have these four following particulars First The Grief it self and that is Thoughts Secondly The Amplification of this grief and that is Multiplicity a Multitude of thoughts Thirdly The Subject or if ye will the occasion of it and that is David Himself My Thoughts Lastly The intimacy or closeness of it and that is within me For the first The grief or evil it self which did afflict and trouble at this time it is exprest to be thoughts Cogitationes meae Thoughts considered simply in themselves do not contain any matter of grief or evil they are the proper and natural issue and emanations of the Soul which come from it with a great deal of easiness and with a great deal delight but it is the exorbitancy and irregularity of them which is here intended when they do not proceed evenly and fairly as they ought to do but with some kind of interruption And so the word which is here used in the Text seems to import the Hebrew Sagnaphim carrying an affinity with Segnaphim which is derived from a root that signifies properly a bough Now we know that in a bough there are two things especially considerable as pertinent to our present purpose First there 's the perplexity of it And Secondly there 's the agitation Boughes they usually catch and intangle one in another and boughes they are easily shaken and moved up and down by the wind If there be never so little Air or breath that is any time stirring abroad the boughes they doe presently discover it and are made sensible of it So that this expression does serve very well to intimate and set forth unto us the perplexity and inconstancy of Thoughts which David was now troubled withal and whereof he now complains as grievous and offensive to him They were not thoughts in any consideration but thoughts of distraction such thoughts as did bring some grief and trouble with them This the Septuagint Translates it were so fully apprehensive of as that they quite leave out thoughts and render it onely by griefs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 According to the multitude of my sorrows But it is more full and agreeable to the word to put them both together my grievous and sorrowful thoughts such thoughts as in regard of the carriage and ordering of them do bring grief and sorrow with them And here we may by the way observe thus much That God need not go far to punish and afflict men when he pleases He can do it even with their own thoughts no more but so He can gather a Rod of these boughes and make a scourge of these twistings wherewith to lash them and that to purpose If He does but raise a Tempest in the mind and cause these thoughts to bluster and bustle one with another there will be trouble and affliction enough though there were nothing besides It is no matter whether there be any ground or occasion for it nor in the things themselves It is enough that there be so but in the conceit and apprehension God can so improve a fancy a meer toy and imagination it self if that he will indeed fasten it and set it on upon the soul there shall be no quiet nor rest for it It is that which many a poor Creature in the world is too sadly acquainted withall a meer vexing and tormenting it self with its own thoughts and the distempers and prevarications of its own brain Belshazzar his countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him Dan. 5.6 What does this now teach us but from hence to stand in awe of this Great God who is the searcher and tryer of the thoughts and has the ordering and disposing of them who forms the spirit of man within and declares to him what is his thought as he has that property ascribed unto him Amos 4.13 how I say should we tremble and fear before him Here is that which may take men off from security and hope of impunity in regard of their sins Because it may be sometimes they are out of the reach of humane censure and man cannot so easily come at them they may therefore think themselves safe and well enough no but they are not so for all that God can muster their very thoughts against them and raise a force out of their own Consciences if He pleases which will be punishment enough what 's the Hell of Hell it self That worm that never dyes and that fire that never goes out but this perplexity and irregularity and exorbitancy of distracted thoughts And how often is God pleased in a degree thus to torment them before their time to shew them what he will hereafter do more fully And more particularly let us here be advised to have a special regard to our thoughts above any thing else let us not give our selves too much scope and liberty here but restrain them and keep them in awe There are many which think thoughts are free and that they have leave to think what they please without any contradiction no but they are mistaken in so thinking Even the very thought of foolishness is sin as
themselves yet they knew that He can help them and redress all unto them There is a change in the right hand of the most High And that again with a double Amplification and Inlargement of it to us as implyed in the right Hand First He can do it Effectually as the right Hand is an Expression of Ability And Secondly He can do it readily as the right Hand is an Expression of Slight First Powerfully and Effectually he can do it so we have great and Sundry Instances of it how God has delivered his People out of the sadest and most desperate Condition in which they have been and that by his great and Almighty Power He has raised from the Grave He has made the Dead bones to live he has turned the shadow of Death into the Morning as the Scripture Expresses it in Amos 5.8 There 's nothing which has been able to resist him or to stand in his way when he would work deliverance to his People Secondly Readily and Easily and Speedily he can do it so likewise That 's also signified in the right hand which is not onely in a word of Power but a word of Facility that which a man does with his right hand he does it promptly and with a great deal of Ease and therefore we call it Dexterity in our ordinary Language and Expressions Now thus is the Lord as to the Salvation of his Servants and to the relief and Comfort of them he is ready and dextrous at it and can do it with the turn of an hand so expert is he in it The right hand of the Lord can change this Namely the Infirmity of his Condition That 's the First Again Secondly For the Infirmity of his Spirit he can change that also David was now as we have heard under a great Temptation of mind and Spiritual Distemper which was upon Him which was grievous to him and whereof he here Complains now he herein Comforts Himself that God was able to take it away from him Who forgiveth all thy Sins and healeth all thy Diseases not onely Corporal but Spiritual Those Invincible Infirmities and Corruptions which the Servants of God are troubled withall and groan under while they are here in the world in this vayl of Flesh the right hand of God it can scatter them and remove them and take them away from them And it is a very great Comfort to them to think with themselves that it can so as it was here in the Text to the Psalmist in this present Distress and Perplexity and trouble in which he now was He does sustain Himself from Gods Power and the Consideration of what God would do The right hand of the Lord can change all this And that 's the first Reading of the words according to our oldest Translation Now further Secondly For this last here before us that 's this I will Remember the years of the right hand of the most High where the word remember is borrowed from the next-following verse to supply the sense of this as otherwise being not in the Text. Now here the Prophet David fetches a ground of Comfort from Gods Practise as before he did from his Power There from what God could doe Here from what he had done already in former Times and Ages and Generations He was resolved to reflect upon this as a relief to him in his present infirmity This is a very good and ready and expedient course to be taken by the Servants of God in any perplexity To look back upon Gods former dealings either with themselves or others of his people To remember the years of the c. That is to remember and bring to mind the great things which God has done for them in Generations which are past To consider the days of old the years of Ancient times as it is also in the fifth verse of this Psalm Now there were two things especially which David here did reflect upon to this purpose for the satisfying and quieting of his Spirit The one was Gods dealings with his people formerly as to point of seeming Desertion and outward Discouragement and the other was Gods dealings with his people formerly as to seasonable recovery and final acknowledgement To each of these purposes would he remember the years of the right hand of the most High and each of them were a relief unto them First It was a relief to his Spirit and a kind of healing of that present infirmity and distemper which was now upon him to consider how God had done with his people in former Times and Ages as to seeming Desertion This was some kind of help unto him that so he might see that he was no worse dealt with than the Saints of God in all seasons of the world That the same Afflictions were accomplish'd in them which were now in him when men think they are the onely persons that have such and such evils befall them it is a great discouragement to them but when they shall see that it is the common lot of others and has been Gods manner in all Ages this is now some ease to their minds Secondly It was a relief to him likewise to remember Gods dealings of old in regard of mercy That though he has afflicted his Servants for a while yet at last he has refreshed them and appeared graciously for them though he hath torn them yet he hath healed them though he has smitten them yet he has bound them up though he has slain them yet he has received them and raised them up and made them live in his sight Though he has for a time seemed to forsake them and reject them and to take no notice of them yet he has at last in Conclusion looked upon them and returned unto them It is a very great Comfort to consider Gods former dealings in such matters as these Christians they should live upon the Experience of Gods Goodness in days which are past when they have no sense of it for the time which is present And there is very good Ground to do so because God is still the same yesterday and to day and for ever He has the same Love to his people still as ever the same Wisdom to advise them and the same Power to be active for them and he will therefore change their Conditions because he does not change Himself as I intimated once before I the Lord change not therefore ye Sons of Jacob are not Consumed Malach. 3.6 And again It is of the Lords Mercy that we are not Consumed because his Compassions fail not Lam. 3.22 Therefore let us Comfort our selves and one another with such kind of thoughts and words as these are as the Psalmist does here before us Let us never question or doubt of Gods Affection or Faithfulness to his people but be fully perswaded of it and if our present Conditions incline to the discourageing of us let us look back upon Gods dealings which are past and remember the years of
Temper and Disposition All his thoughts then are how to get opportunity for his Lusts and the accomplishments of them his Pride his Covetousness his Ambition his Malice his Uncleanness and such as these Oh! but when God has once touched him and changed his heart by his Grace and brought him home to the knowledge of himself he is now another man and of another spirit and accordingly has other thoughts and projects and designs and contrivances with him for to honour and glorifie God how to be useful and serviceable to men how to save himself and others to be diligent in his Calling to be fruitful in his Opportunities to be strengthned in his Inward Man and to be preserved for every good Work which is required of him When a man once comes to be a Christian the very Stream of his Soul is turned into another Channel and being a New Creature he has now a New Heart and so New Decrees And that in a better sense than the World commonly has whereby he may likewise somewhat judge of himself in his Solitariness in his Retiredness in his Withdrawings when he is alone by himself That is a Second Account of it why Devices are said to be in the Heart to wit as their Original Thirdly They may be said also to be so as to Affection and the Entertainment of them That is the Womb which receives and cherishes them Conceptions they are with delight And so are men's Devices and Contrivances they are for the most part very pleasing and satisfactory to them and they take much contentment in them Men are usually very much taken and in love with their own Devices though never so fond and irregular which because their heart is in them are therefore said to be in their heart as things which they applaud themselves for and do reckon and account themselves by above other men Lastly They are here said to be in the heart Restrainedly and by way of Determination in oppsition to Act and Execution as to which they do not often times reach Men's Decrees as we shall see afterwards they are in their hearts and that is all as being frustrated and prevented of the performance and accomplishment of them In their hearts but not in their hands according to that of Eliphaz in Job 5.12 13. He disappointeth the devices of the crafty so that their hands cannot perform their enterprises He taketh the wise in their own craftiness and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong But of this more by and by So much for that viz. The Subject of these Devices in particular In Man's heart And now upon the Whole Matter The Consideration of the Point it self in the full sense and explication of it That is Man's heart is thus full of Devices and that even in the worst Construction and Interpretation of vain and foolish and absurd and sinful Cogitations both in matter of Opinion and Apprehension as also in matter of Design and Contrivance Of Man of Every Man of the best Man that is some way or other This is first of all Ground of very deep and serious Abasement and Humiliation to the Sons of Men Especially considering how the Case some time was with them before this Fall That place of the Father can never be often enough repeated by us as so pat and fit to our purpose God makes men righteous but they err It is a great piece of Reproach which now lies upon the Nature of Man that it should be thus corrupted in this principal part of it The Thoughts are those whereby he most resembles God himself and has opportunity of Communion with him yet these they are now tainted in him The very instruments of the churl are evil Kele Kilai as the Prophet Isaiah speaks and he deviseth wicked devices as he there expresses it Isa 32.7 This is a Lamentation and shall be a Lamentation The Generality of People in the World make nothing of Thoughts and Devices think and say that these are free and that they may do with them what they list because they are not so open and exposed to the view of Man Yea but God searches the heart and tries the reins declares to man what is his thought and knows the very secret purposes and intentions of the Soul which he will one day call to a reckoning and account about them The very thought of foolishness is sin as Solomon tell us and so to be esteemed by us A corrupt Judgment a luxurious Fancy an unmortified and unsavoury Spirit are such things as are looked at by God as having great Guiltiness in them although not presently breaking forth into Actual Abominations Look as in matter of Goodness God accepts of the Will for the Deed and regards the very Desires of his Servants towards that which is their duty though they may be kindred and prevented of performance As David when he would build God an House though he had not an opportunity for it yet the Lord tells him this that he did well that it was in his heart Even so on the contrary in evil God accounts of the purpose for the Commission when there is but some outwatd restraint upon the Person And an evil heart is to him an evil life being that which does naturally lead and tend unto it They bacame vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened and so God gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonour their own bodies between themselves Rom. 1.21 24. And that we walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their minds Ephes 4.17 Therefore in the next place being perswaded of the evil of it let us be careful to look to it O ye sons of men how long will ye love vanity as the Psalmist expostulates Psal 4.2 Or as the Prophet speaks to Jerusalem Jer. 4.14 Wash thy heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee Take heed of Sin in the Fancy in the Speculation in the Contrivance in the Purpose and desire no more but so which even so has enough to condemn thee Which as it is Counsel fit for every one so it is proper for none more than for such especially whose Business and chiefest Excellency and Perfection has in their thoughts above any other men besides These it concerns more principally to take heed and to have regard hereunto as most belonging unto them And to set home this Point the more effectually consider but thus much That as here lies the Sin so often times also the Punishment which is the greatest Punishment of all When men allow themselves in sinful thoughts and contrivances and imaginations God needs go no futher than those very thoughts and contrivances themselves wherewith to afflict them and to execute Judgment upon them And so now I have done with the first General Part of the Text which is the Conclusion or asserted Proposition in these words
cannot do they cannot do good Take a man that lives in a vile and sinful course and his heart is off from all good whatsoever he has no mind not list unto it cannot pray cannot read cannot hear cannot communicate cannot sanctifie a Sabbath cannot perform any duty of Piety or Religion which is required of him but is very backward and averse thereunto Or if it may be he may come off to the bare work and outward performance yet his heart is altogether flat and dead in it he has no life no spirit at all in him nor favour or spiritual rellish of that which he goes about but is as 't were out of his Element Nay further let it be one who has some beginnings of Grace in him and who is in some manner changed by the Spirit of God yet so far forth as he has any sin which is prevailing and domineering in him so far forth will his heart and Soul be much averse and indisposed to any goodness and he will find a great deal of difficulty in himself as to the managing of it Ye know how it was with David a man as I said before after Gods own heart whilst he lay still in those great sins whereof he was guilty how his heart was from hence out of frame and temper as to that which was good and therefore when he begins to recover and to come to himself he prays to God for a clean heart and a new spirit to be bestowed upon him and then he could teach transgressors the ways of God which before he could not do in that manner as he ought As Paul says of himself The good which he would do he could not do And as he tells the Galatians Ye cannot do the things that ye would that is indeed that ye ought This is the great thraldom and slavery which sin brings men into Men may do that which is good materially though evil but not good formally Secondly There is precipitancy to evil that 's another thing here considerable and is impli'd though it be not exprest as we may see if we make up the comparison in its full force for the strength of the sense runs thus As the Ethiopian cannot change his skin but as he is black so will he be black still and never but black And as the Leopard cannot alter his spots but as he is spotted so will he be spotted still and never be otherwise In like manner is the case with such a person as is accustomed to do evil so he does and so he will do continually and never give over A man that 's rooted and confirm'd in sin by daily and constant practise it is an hard matter ever to wean him or to pull him from it he has upon the point taken up his course which he will hold on and persist in to the end His heart is fully set in him to do evil as ye shall find that expression used by the Preacher Eccles 8.11 The ground of this prevalency of Custom is the fixedness and setledness of it it being as it were a second Nature which is sure and constant to its Principles Naturalia non mutantur Those things which are natural are unchangeable and this custom seems to be and therefore compared to those things which what they are they are by a Natural impression upon them as it is with the fore-mentioned resemblances which we spake of before Custom in sin it breeds an habit and that is such as it is not easily removed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but is as radicated as Nature it self The use which we may make of all this to our selves is briefly this First take heed of any thing to do with sin at first What Solomon says of strife it holds good as to any other miscarriage The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water therefore leave off contention before it be medled with Prov. 17.14 The same we may say to this purpose concerning sin Principiâ—s obsta stop it in the very beginning and the first entrance upon it of all if we do not we know not where we shall make an end after we have begun but are in danger of proceeding from one degree of wickedness to another from lust to consent from consent to act from act to custom and from custom to hardness of heart which being brought to the perfection of it as the Great Transgression of all proves unpardonable It is a good and safe course for a Christian not to think slightly of any sin at all though never so little for lesser sins make way for greater and beginnings make way for proceedings in such persons as dare to venture upon them Take heed brethren says the Apostle lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin in Heb. 3.13 and it is good counsel for sin will harden where at any time our hearts are enclined and carried unto it yea and it will entice too and bring the sinner from snare to snare till it has quite undone him and overwhelm'd him in absolute destruction There are many people which are ready to think when they make bold with such and such evil practises as the occasions which tend unto them that they will certainly go no further Alas when they are once got into the briars they do not know how to get out or to expedite themselves but like those which run down the hill they are at the bottom before they are aware We see it again in the example of David who when he had once begun he had almost never done but was miserably perplexed Again secondly If any should perhaps by chance fall into sin at the first yet as near as they can let them not stay and abide in it still but hasten out of it as soon as may be Shall we continue in sin says the Apostle God forbid No but as those which are out of their way and perceive and know themselves to be so they get into it as soon as can be because every step which they take otherwise leads them so much the further from home than they were before Even so should it be here with us as to the ways of Godliness and Religion where we find our feet any thing to slip and turn away be careful presently to rectifie them and bring them into rights again Lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees and make straight paths for your feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way but let it rather be healed Heb. 12.13 Again further thirdly Take heed of Relapses and falling back to sin again If sin be such a Tyrant as it is and especially a slave in sin let then those which are in any measure delivered and freed from the Tyranny of it take heed of coming within the compass and snares of it again For who being set at liberty from imprisonment or captivity or any great bondage would willingly return to it again and undergo the
and Points of Religion especially such as do more concern Christ himself And not only to be acquainted with them but also changed into them which is a further thing here considerable of us to make up to us this forming of Christ so as all the several Doctrines of Christianity they may have a work upon our Hearts and Affections answerable and suitable to the nature of the Doctrines themselves Thus Rom. 6.17 Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered unto you In the Greek it is into which ye were delivered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This was the commendation of the Romans that as the Evangelical Doctrine was delivered to them so they also were delivered to it that is changed and transformed into the nature and condition of it and closing and complying with it This is the duty of all others besides We should not only hear the word to hear it and notionally to discourse of it but we should hear it that we may obey it and practically conform our selves unto it That 's the first Explication of this forming of Christ in us as it does relate to the Doctrine of Christ The second is as it does relate to the Spirit of Christ Till Christ be formed in you that is till ye are made conformable to Christ having the same mind and spirit in you which was first in him This is another thing which the Scripture urges upon us and makes mention of to us as Rom. 8.29 For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son Christians they must be conformed to Christ and made like unto him this is to have him formed in them Now this conformity it is of two sorts as the Scripture exhibits it First A conformity of disposition and secondly Of conversation First Of Disposition That we be like affected as he was Let the same mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus Phil. 2.5 So 1 Cor. 2. ult We have the word of Christ Christ he is to have an influence upon the framing and fashioning of our spirits And that again in two Particulars First In a conformity to his Death and secondly in a conformity to his Resurrection In a conformity to his Death so we have it in Phil. 3.10 That I may know him and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death How are we made conformable to his Death when as namely his Death proves effectual to the killing of sin in us and the mortifying of corrupt affections in our hearts Thus also Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin for he that is dead is freed from sin Then for the conformity to his Resurrection that is when we do partake of a quickening power from Christ to enliven us in all holy performances Thus Rom. 6.4 5. Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into death that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death we shall be also in the likeness of his Resurrection So much of the first conformity to Christ viz. the conformity of Disposition The 2d is the conformity of conversation to others when as we walk as Christ also walked 1 Joh. 2.6 And Christ is formed in our course that is made conspicuous to others from our carriage and behaviour What the carriage and behaviour of Christ was we have at large laid down to us in the Gospel which is the History of his whole Life declaring how he still went about doing good where ever he came how full he was of meekness and sweetness and gentleness and compassion and yet with it an holy zeal also against sin and sinful persons Now what 's the result of all to us as we should improve it but that accordingly in our several opportunities we should conform unto it that as he became like to us so we also should be made like unto him If we would know how this may be done by us I know no better way for it than by looking upon Christ as he is there represented unto us We know what a force there is in sight to work upon the imagination as in cattel when they conceived upon the beholding of the party coloured rods and had lambs suitable thereunto But there 's a stronger power in the eye of faith beholding Christ as he is propounded in the Gospel to change us and to make us like unto him Therefore says the Apostle elsewhere We all beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 The sight of Christ in the Gospel is transforming and has a power to change and assimilate those that exercise it suitably unto it This is the forming of Christ in us in reference to his Spirit which is that that is chiefly here intended in this Text. Now the Use and Improvement which we are to make of all this to our selves is to labour to find that this be so indeed with us that is that Christ be truly formed in us that we partake of his blessed Image upon us and his living Spirit in us are one with him and incorporated into him as considering that nothing less will serve our turn this is absolutely necessary for us as to all purposes and conditions whatsoever without this we can do nothing which is spiritual or in a spiritual manner we cannot please God or be accepted of him at another day He will no further own us than as he sees Christ instampt upon us Therefore let us look to this above any thing else let us not rest our selves in a bare outward profession and form of Religion which has no life nor power at all in it but let us endeavour that the life of Jesus may be manifested in us and his Spirit wrought into us or else there 's nothing in Religion will do us any good We may talk and discourse of Christs Birth and Death and Resurrection and such great Mysteries as these but alas they will be all nothing to us unless we for our particulars have a share and interest in his Person What is it for Christ to be born into the world except he be born in us to be conceived and formed and fashioned in the womb of his mother except he be also formed and fashioned in our hearts and we our selves made conformable to him as we have hitherto shewn This is that which we should principally look to Not as if there were no other forming of him but only this as some would go about to perswade us but this is chiefly to be minded by us ut quod in Christo factum est per naturam in nobis
because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek c. And we see it fulfill'd in Luk. 4.18 so Ephes 2.17 He came and preached peace to them that were a far off and to them that were near that no man may think meanly or scornfully of this work of Preaching and publishing of the Gospel it was the work and business and employment even of Christ himself in his own person But secondly He did it also and still does in his servants who were sent and appointed by him Thus 1 Pet. 1.10 11. Of which salvation the Prophets have inquired and searched diligently who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testified before-hand the sufferings of Christ c. And so St. Paul in 2 Cor. 13.3 Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me c. It is Christ that speaks to us in his Ministers who have his Spirit given them to this purpose Thus is Christ a witness by way of Discovery and Revelation which is the first Explication Secondly By way of assurance and confirmation not only so far forth as he reveals to us those things which we knew not but also as he does further settle us in these things which we know in part already he is a witness in this respect likewise And that by virtue of his Spirit that dwelleth in us God hath revealed these things to us by his Spirit For the Spirit searcheth all things even the deep things of God And as he reveals them so also he confirms them and gives us a further assurance of them as it is also intimated to us 2 Cor. 2.10 Now there are two things which Christ by his Spirit doth thus witness to all those that are members of him First The Truths and Doctrines of Christianity and Religion it self And secondly Their own spiritual condition and state in Grace as having such truths belonging to them First For the Truths and Doctrines of Religion Christ is a witness in regard of these namely so far forth as he does illustrate them and shine upon them and open our minds and understandings for the conceiving and apprehending of them As it is said of the Disciples in the general in Luk. 24.45 He opened their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures The Spirit of Christ in his children witnesses Divine Truths not only to their heads but to their hearts and gives them a further savour and rellish of those things which they know in part already which is the great difference betwixt them and other men Take common and ordinary persons who have no work of Grace at all in them and they have many times a great deal of knowledg in the Doctrines and Points of Religion so far as belongs to the brain and are able to discourse it may be pretty largely and plausibly of them But now a good Christian indeed he has another kind of knowledg of them He sees spiritual Truths by a spiritual light that which others discourse of he feels and has his heart transformed and changed into the nature of them Thus he knows the Scripture and written Word to be the Word of God not only from the testimony of the Church but from the testimony of the Spirit and as finding in his own soul the workings and impressions of it as Austin sometimes professes it for his own particular This is that accordingly which we should labour to find in our selves as being that which will be of greatest use and benefit to us and most likely to hold out with us It is the best and readiest way to perseverance and continuance and abidance in the truth when it is thus wrought and riveted into us When the Doctrines of Religion are meerly notional and speculative as swiming and floating in the understanding men do more easily let them go and part with them but when Christ by his Spirit does seal them and engrave them upon the heart then they are sure and certain and we shall constantly hold them out even to the end Again for a further explication of this Point as Christ may be said to be a witness of the Truths of Religion by his Spirit so also by his life and his whole conversation Joh. 18.27 For this end says he was I born and for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witness to the truth Christs actions they gave a testimony to his Doctrine and to the truth and reality of it That which was done by him it was a manifestation of that which was said which is indeed the best witness of truth that can be given unto it And it teaches us the same likewise in some kind of conformity unto him We ought thus far to be fellow-helpers to the truth and promoters of it all that may be And so as by doing so by suffering likewise Christ was a witness to the truth also thus and enables all his servants where they are called unto it to be so likewise He is in a sense the first Martyr and all others take it from him that have any ability to be so That 's the first Branch of this witness as to the matter of it as extending to the Truths of Christianity The second is as to Christians own condition and state of Grace Christ is a witness likewise thus as he witnesses by his spirit to their spirits that they are his children Rom. 8.16 Thus 1 Joh. 5.10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself that is wrought and imprinted upon his heart by the Spirit of Christ which dwelleth in him and certifies him in this particular and that against all false witnesses and objections to the contrary When Satan or a mans own misgiving heart shall be ready sometimes to accuse him and fly in his face here 's the witness and testimony of Christ himself which will carry all down before it And so again when a man 's own heart acquits him and speaks comfortably to him here 's the witness of Christ also to confirm it and to add strength unto it which is the chiefest of all As Peter sometime to Christ Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee Christ is not only a Judg but a Witness and accordingly we may appeal unto him for the clearing and justifying of us upon any occasion as this Disciple here does and he will be ready accordingly to give in witness to us and for us as it is proper unto him my witness is in heaven and my record on high Job 16.19 Yea and to give witness in us too within our own breasts Christ he can speak peace to the Conscience and make it speak peace to it self which no other witness can do besides He can so enlighten and over-power the Conscience as thereby to enable it to give a right judgment of it self which oftentimes
injoyment of them It is not we that so much stay upon God as he rather stayes for us which makes him to defer and prolong his blessings of us whether in Peace or Health or Plenty or whatever I might name of Personal blessings or National we must wait Gods leasure for them whose time is alwayes the best and that He may bless us indeed desires to bless us in season and that 's the second Explanation Thirdly God blesseth indeed when he blesses affectionately when he bestows any mercy upon any man in love and out of respect unto him Blessings are not alwayes to be judged of according to the nature of the things themselves but according to the fountain from whence they are derived not from the matter in which they are founded but from the spirit and minde which bestows them If God should give a man never so great a multitude of these outward comforts here below which simply consider'd are blessings and so are counted and so are called yet if he should not give them in love and affection to him they would not be Blessings indeed whatever apprehensions there might be of them No it is the love and favour of God that makes Comforts to be Comfortable and Blessings to be Blessings indeed and nothing else does it but that It is said concerning the Israelites That God gave them a king in his anger and took him away in his wrath in Hos 13.11 And again when they desired flesh to be given them for their lust while the meat was in their mouths ere it was yet chewed the wrath of God fell upon them and he smote them with a very great Plague They thought themselves it may be happy people that they could no sooner ask then have and be satisfied in that which they desired as soon as they call'd for it yea but this satisfying was a greater evil unto them They had indeed sweet meat but they had sowre sawce mingled with it They had Quails but they had them with a vengeance and in the circumstances in which they had them had been better to want them This is that which we should especially have an eye unto in all the Blessings which we desire which at any time are cast upon us to see them coming to us as consequents of Gods Gracious Covenant with us and free love and mercy in Christ who is the son of his love if we have them not thus it may be we had better to want them and to be destitute of them We may have the Name of Blessings and we may have the shaddow of Blessings and we may have the shew of Blessings but we shall not have Blessings in the truth and reality of them we should not have Blessings indeed as Jabez here desired for himself these are such as are made up of the sweetness of Gods Love and Affection as Ingredients with them c. But when is any mercy in this sense to be interpreted so A blessing indeed as proceeding from Gods Love and Affection Briefly and in a word thus First when together with the Blessing a man has the sweetness and comfort of the Blessing God may give a man perhaps the thing and yet suspend the Comfort of it from him and many times does so that he shall find no sweetness nor take no joy at all in it but in the midst of the injoyment of it shall prove very dry and empty and insipid and unsatisfactory to him look as it is on the other-side in the want and deprivation of any Blessing God can give a man the Comfort when it may be he denyes him the thing so likewise again here as to the enjoyment and fruition of any comfort God can let a man to injoy it and yet not suffer him to joy in it This is a very sad condition and an argument of Gods anger and displeasure But then 't is dispenc'd in love when the comfort goes together with the Blessing Secondly When God gives a man a blessing and gives him an heart to use the Blessing and to improve both to his own advantage and the good and comfort of others This is a fruit of Gods Affection and so consequently a Blessing indeed Thus in Ecclesiast 5.18 19. and Eccles 2.24 In both which places and the like the Preacher tells us that there is nothing beter then for a man to take his portion and to rejoyce in his labour And this he likewise tells us That it is the gift of God It is God which gives a man this which is as much as the thing it self which he bestows upon us This is true whether we take it of Riches and Great Estates or of Parts and great Abilities for Imployment The comfort of these things is not the Injoyment but the improvement when we labour to do all the good with them that possibly we can both to the Glory of him that gives them and the furtherance of our comfortable account at another day Thirdly when God gives a man Blessing and gives it him as a fruit of Prayer and calling upon God Then it is a Blessing of Affection and then 't is indeed a Blessing namely in regard of the Conveyance and Derivation It pleases God sometimes to cast Blessings upon us unaskt and unlooked for and unexpected by us to prevent us in our Petitionings of him These 't is true they may be blessings and so to be acknowledged by us oh but when they come by Prayers and as the results of our approaches to Him here they are many blessings in one Here 's the Blessing of Converse and Communion with God himself in His Ordinance Here 's an Honour and Respect which is put upon the Ordinance of Prayer it self Here 's an Incouragement to dependance upon God against another time These and the like advantages are in it which doe make it every way a Blessing and of very great extent Fourthly when God gives a man a blessing and makes him better by the blessing then 't is a blessing of love and so a blessing indeed Every thing is so much a blessing as it draws us the nearer to Him who is the Fountain of blessing and makes us to acknowledge Him in it when it does not it hath the contrary in it Therefore we should be sure to look to this in all the comforts which we desire or enjoy take heed we be not the worse but the better for them It is said of Riches that in some persons they are kept to the hurt of the owners of them Eccles 5.13 and so it may be said of many other comforts besides Wit and Parts and Beauty and Strength and Honour and Pleasure and the like There are some which are so much the worse for the injoyment of these comforts more vain and proud and secure and presumptuous and uncapable of serious admonition their hearts are many times harden'd and puff'd up with such things as these are and occasionally from their own corruption though
them must needs be granted to be a very great Mercy to those who are partakers of it Oh it is a great Mercy to be kept from sinful allurements especially considering what propensities and inclinations are in our selves to the closing with them we have a Nature in us which is like dry Tinder to these Sparks that presently takes And therefore to be prevented from the occasion is so much the greater Advantage What may we think by the way of those that run to them to meet them which put themselves voluntarily upon wicked and ungodly Company and so fetch as it were Egypt into Canaan as I may so express it surely such as these as they are not sensible of the Evil of Temptation so neither are they apprehensive of the Mercy in deliverance from it Secondly As there 's Pollution in these things in regard of Nature so there is offensiveness in regard of Grace Evil Examples and Temptations if they do not pollute and defile us yet they cannot but offend and grieve us so far as we are in part already naught so they corrupt us and expose us more to Sin and so far as we are on the otherside good so they trouble us and expose us more to Grief prove wearisome and tedious to us Thus it was with Lot in Sodom His righteous Soul was vext from day to day while he dwelt amongst them in seeing and hearing their unlawful deeds And so the people in their Babylonish Captivity they were cut to the Heart with the wickedness of the Enemy insomuch as they could not dispose them to special Services in the praysing of God now to be set at liberty from such a Bond age as this is and to have such a pressure taken off from our Spirits is a very great Happiness Thirdly there is also danger in them to in regard of the Consequents Danger both to Body and Soul To be Educated and brought up in Idolatry and superstitious practises in Ignorance and Unacquaintance with God this is a Misery which leads to a further Misery for time to come and we cannot fathom the Dephs of it Therefore let us pitty those that sit in Darkness and the shadow of Death as the Prophet speaks They are wretched and miserable places whatsoever they are else for other matters being under the Kingdom and Septre of Satan who like Pharaoh tyrannizes over them They are Miry-places and Marshes which shall not be healed but given to Salt Ezek. 47.11 And for our selves let us bless God that he has thus graciously dealt with us to cast us upon the opportunities of Knowledge and to bring us twice out of Egypt with in Paganish Idolatry and Popish as we shall have occasion to speak more anon So much of the first Explication as to the Terms of their Deliverance in General And that is out of the land of Egypt The Second is as it is laid down in particular and that is the Iron-furnace This is that which we find mentioned in some other places of Scripture besides As 1 Kings 8.51 For they be thy People and thine Inheritance which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt from the midst of the Furnace of Iron So Jer. 11.4 Which I commanded your Fathers when I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt from the Iron-furnace In each place one and the same phrase There 's a double Metaphor in it which is observable of us First A Metaphor upon Affliction in General which is compared to a Furnace Secondly A Metaphor upon this Affliction of the Israelites in particular and that is a Furnace of Iron First Here 's Affliction in General compared to a Furnace Thus Esay 48.10 I have chosen thee in the Furnace of Affliction Thus it is call'd not onely for the Scorching of it but likewise for the End and Vse of it What 's the use of a Furnace why it is to make the Mettle which is cast into it so much the brighter and better it is to purge the dross from the Gold and to make it pure And so are Afflictions to the people of God They are the Fyery-tryal to try them as it is 1 Pet. 4.12 And they are a Furnace to purge away the Dross That is the Metaphor under Affliction Then Secondly For this Affliction in particular which now happened to Israel it is called the Iron-Furnace Both in the Letter and in the Moral In the Letter First Because those Furnaces which they wrought in they were such as in which Iron was melted And so from the work they were imployd in Furnaces of Iron But then Secondly Of Iron in the Moral First An hard and laborious imployment Iron it is an Emblem of Severity Agrievous yoak a yak of Iron Dent. 24.48 Adestructive Rod a Rod of Iron Psal 2.9 Devouring-teeth Teeth of Iron Dan. 7.19 So here a sharp and sore Affliction and Persecution A Furnace of Iron Then Secondly As from the sharpness of it so from the Continuance of it likewise as Fire when it gets into Iron it is there lasting and abiding so was it here with the Captivity of these People it was long and lasting upon them They sat in Darkness and the shadow of death being bound in Affliction and Iron as it is Psal 107.20 That which we may observe from hence is the state and Condition of the Church of God here in this World and those which are the Members of it and that is a state of Affliction and Persecution God casts them into the Furnace And God lays them in the Iron the Iron enters into their Souls as some Translations have it Psal 105. vers 18. It was thus with the Church of the Jewes and it is thus also with the Church of the Christians to this present day even Christ Himself was in Egypt and His infancy was in the Furnace of Iron I have call'd my son says he out of Egypt Matth. 2.15 And the members are made conformable to the Head The use which we are to make of this Observation to our selves is therefore first not to wonder at it or to think much of it but to look for it and expect it as the Apostle Peter gives advice in the place before alledged in 1 Pet. 4.12 Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery Tryal which is to try you as if some strange thing happen'd unto you For it seems it is no such matter We see here how the very beginnings of the Church were laid in Affliction that accordingly we might think what would be the following condition of it And the Lord in his wisdom sees it fitting and necessary to be so that so we may not blame His Providence in this respect or think hardly of him For He does but as an Artificer with his work The Refiner puts the Gold into the Furnace and the potter puts the clay into the fire and both of them to very good purpose and so doth God And he is pleased in Scripture to take both these expressions
portion in Him Now this is the condition of all Believers God hath made over himself unto them for theirs and whatever is His. All His Attributes they work for their Good His Wisdom to counsel them His Power to defend them His Justice to avenge them His Truth to make good all His promises of good unto them We should not take these things onely as Expressions but be perswaded that there is some Reality in them and accordingly strengthen our Hearts in the Belief and Expectation of them and dependance upon them When God does once Enter into Covenant with us and make us his People there is not onely a bare Relation betwixt us but a Relation with some Advantage As this People here of Israel after that God took them into his own propriety he made them the owners of very large Possessions Deut. 11.24 Every place whereon the soles of your Feet shall tread shall be yours from the Wilderness to the uttermost Sea c. That 's then the first Explication for God himself to be the Inheritance of his People The Second is for them to be his This is another thing which the Scripture makes mention of Psal 33.12 Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord and the People which he hath chosen for his own Inheritance So Deut. 30.9 The Lord's portion is his People Jacob is the lot of his Inheritance So Psal 28.9 Save thy people and bless thine Heritage c. For the better opening of this point unto us we must know that an Inheritance it does contain three things in it First Some good and Advantage Secondly Peculiarity and Propriety of Interest And Thirdly Succession and Derivation of it to Posterity now accordingly to all these Notions of it does God make choice of his People to be an Inheritance to Himself First As those which have some kind of Good and Usefulness in them Thus to speak strictly they have not nor they have it not of themselves any further then as he bestows it upon them which he is pleased to do He bestows Goodness upon them and then inherits that Goodness which is in them They are by Nature a barren piece of Ground fit for no use or Service at all but he does Cultivate and Manure them and thereby brings them into some good order and frame when he changes our Natures puts his Spirit into our Hearts Rules and Reigns in us he then makes us his Inheritance This is the difference betwixt Gods people and other men which are Enemies or Strangers to him they are for the most part Useless and Unprofitable having no Spiritual rellish or Savour in them but his people are Serviceable and Advantagious Secondly In an Inheritance there is Peculiarity and Propriety of Interest and so is there in God towards his People They are not onely his Treasure but his peculiar Treasure Seguleh as the Scripture still stiles them So his as no bodyes else besides Ps 135.4 The Lord hath chosen Jacob to himself and Israel for his Inheritance And Psal 114.2 When Jacob came out of Egypt Judah was his Sanctuary and Israel was his Dominion So Tit. 2.14 He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works This is the Condition of the Church This therefore First of all Teaches us what we ourselves should be Namely such as are wholly devoted and consecrated to him we are not our own but Gods redeemed by him and bought with a price therefore we should Glorify God both in our Bodies and our Spirits which are his as the Apostle infers 1 Cor. 6.20 We should not now give ourselves liberty in any sinful and unwarrantable Courses considering whose we are Sin against God it is not onely Disobedience but Sacriledge and an invasion upon anothers right and so the Scripture still urges Obedience to us upon this Consideration as 1 Pet. 2.9 Ye are a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar People that ye should shew forth the praises of him that hath called you out of Darkness into his marvelous Light We are the Inheritance of God therefore we should not suffer Satan to get possession of us nor any Evil to prevail upon us Secondly Here 's matter of Comfort to the true Church and People of God that being his Inheritance he will therefore take care of them and protect them and keep them from Evil we see how careful Naboth was of his Inheritance God forbid says he that I should part with that he chose rather to part with his Life then to part with that and how tender then will God be of his Even a great deale more It is comfort to the whole Church in General And it is Comfort to the Jews in particular that God will in time again reduce them and call them home to Himself and recover his own Inheritance God hath not cast away his People which he fore-knew as the Apostle speaks to this purpose Rom. 11.2 And that is the Second Notion in an Inheritance to wit Propriety and Peculiarity of Interest The Third is Succession and Derivation of it to Posterity and so a people of Inheritance is a continued People from one time to another This is that which God takes care of to have Populum Hereditarium a People hereditary from one Age and Generation to another and it is very Comfortable where ever it is so when Religion goes in a line from the Father to the Children and so downward to Succeeding times Here Paul takes notice of the Grace in Timothy Which dwelt first in thy Grand-Mother Lois and in thy Mothers Eunice and I am perswaded that in thee also This is very sweet and pleasing whensoever it is so and is intimated here in this Text. It is that which those which are Christians should in a special manner take care of I gave you a touch of it the last Sabbath from hence forth and for ever Psal 125.2 I desire now further Brethren to inforce it and to set it home upon you as a Duty which is belonging to you to take care of it Especially we should all in our several opportunities indeavour the Continuance of the Church in succeeding time That God may have to himself a Portion and People of Inheritance even when we are in our Graves This is done first of all by being good in our own Generation Wicked and Erroneous persons which advance Errour and Lust in their time they do what they can even to Extinguish the Church of Christ and to destroy this Royal seed and to put God as it were out of the World It is those which are Good onely that preserve him and keep up the memory of him which we therefore should do Secondly By taking care of others and Educating them in his Fear I know Abraham says God that he will teach his Children after him so should we likewise do that so we may preserve unto
and given up to besides that natural Darkness which is in all unregenerat Persons yea and regenerate likewise by Natural There is a Super natural and Judicial which some especially in the just Judgement of God have inflicted upon them Thus Rom. 1.28 It is said of the wicked Gentiles That as they did not like to retain God in their Knowledg God gave them up to a reprobate Sense or mind void of Judgment to do those things which are not Convenient Thus in all these respects are wicked men in Darkness Darkness it is the privation of light And so it is in such kind of Persons now we must know what Light this is Namely the Light of the Spirit As for the common Light of Nature the Light dime Light of Reason that even Natural men may have and in some Competent measure as the Heathen Philosophers had many of them in great Abundance But this Light of Grace and of the Spirit it is such as they are not acquainted with nor know not what it is This accordingly gives us an account of so many Stumblings and Miscarriages as there are in the World Here 's an account of the Diversity of Errours and false Opinions in matters of Judgment And here 's an account also of the Diversity of Outrages and Wickedness in matters of Practise whence there are so many Abomintions as do continually raigne amongst us it is from hence that men are in Darkness There is a mist of Spiritual Blindness which hath Surprised them and Over-spread them and therefore it is that they fall into such Miscarriages as these are And this for the Darkness of the way that Darkness which wicked men are incompast with here in this present life The Second is the Darkness of the End That Darkness which they are subject unto in another World This is of two sorts either the Darkness of Death or Judgment First Of Death that is common to all both good and bad And it is represented in Scripture to us under the notion of Darkness Thus in Job 10.21.22 Before I go whence I shall not return Even to the Land of Darkness and the shadow of Death A Land of Darkness as Darkness it self and of the shadow of Death without any order and Where the Light is as Darkness Thus it is spoken of the Grave and the condition of Bodies lying there So Job 17.13 If I wait the Grave is mine House I have made my Bed in the Darkness And so likewise in Eccles 11.8 The days of Darkness they shall be many It is spoken still of abode in the Grave this is common to all viz. The Darkness of Death The Second Is the Darkness of Judgment and Hell it self which is call'd in Scripture Vtter Darkness This is that which is especially proper to the Wicked Bind him hand and foot and cast him into utter Darkness sayes Christ Matth. 22.13 And Psal 9.17 The Wicked shall be turned into Hell and all the Nations that forget God This is that which is made to be their Portion And so much for the First particular viz. The state of Darkness which the Wicked and Vngodly of the World are Exposed unto The Second is the state of Silence in order to this Darkness They shall be silent in Darkness Thus it may admit of a various Emphasis which is involv'd in it we may reduce it to these following Particulars First That Grief and Horrour and perplexity of mind which shall seize upon them in this Condition Silence it is an attendant upon Grief and Astonishment in the Extremities of it Curae leves loquunter ingentes stupent so that where Grief is any thing moderate there it expresses it self in speech where 't is Excessive there 't is stupifying and Obstructive Vox faessi hucibus A mans words there stick in his Teeth and therefore great Grief is exprest to us in Scripture by Silence in sundry places thus Esay 15.1 The burden of Moab Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste and brought to silence because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste and brought to silence Brought to silence that is Cut off and destroyed as the word Nidhmah also signifies Destruction it is signified by Silence So Jer. 8.14 Why do ye sit still Assemble your selves and let us enter into the defenced Cities and be silent there for the Lord our God hath put us to silence and given us waters of Gall to drink because we have sinned against the Lord. Hath put us to silence that is hath brought us into a distracted Condition so that we know not what to do or say So Jer. 47.5 Baldness is come upon Gaza Ashkelon is silent and Cut off Where Baldness and Silence are put for Sadness and Grief in the Philistians Again Lament 2.10 The elders of the Daughters of Sion set upon the Ground and kept silence Namely so far overcome with Grief as unable by speech to abate it And Job's Friends in simpathy with him in his great Grief thus sat down and spake not a word unto him in seaven days c. This shall be the Condition of Wicked men former or later they shall be full of Horrour and Grief unexpressible They that now are full of Jocunness and Joviality and Clamour and make a noise in the World there is a time a coming when they shall be filled with Anguish and perplexity of Spirit which they shall not know how to help in themselves Secondly Silence it is a note of Conviction They shall be silent that is they shall have nothing to say for themselves Wicked men as they shall be full of Grief so likewise of Confusion When God shall charge them with such and such Sins and Abominations whereof they are guilty they shall have nothing here to answer him Either by way of Apology for themselves or Censure of his proceedings against them That every mouth may be stopped and all the World become guilty before God as it is in Rom. 3.19 Thus it was with him in the Gospel Which came to the Marriage-Supper not having on him his Wedding-Garment when the King aâ—kt him how he came thither it is said he was speechless Matth. 22.12 That is he knew not what to say for himself God will one day non-plus and Convince and Confound all impenitent Sinners They shall be in Darkness that is in Extremity of Misery and silent in it that is Convinced and perswaded of Gods design in his proceedings Thirdly It is a note of Abode and of Continuance in this miserable Condition They shall be kept and bound up in it As the Egyptian Darkness it was such as wherewith they were fastened and contained in their places as not knowing how to stir out of them They saw not one another neither rose any from his place for three Days And Wisd 17. vers 17. There is an Expression sutable where t is said They were all bound with one Chain of Darkness Sutable whereunto is that of Jude 1.6
to disquiet where mens Hearts and Consciences shall tell them that they have been wanting and failing in those performances which the Lord has expected from them this will go near to sadden and trouble them and deprive them of that inward comfort which they should otherwise have Especially if we shall add hereunto where these have been the motions and suggestions of Gods Spirit inclining and provoking thereunto then the neglect is so much the greater and consequently the disquietness will be the more It 's bad enough for us to Sin against a bare command and to neglect our Duty there where God has given us a General rule for the performance of it but now further to sin against an Excitement and Motion and invitation of Gods Spirit this has a further aggravation in it Fourthly For the getting and preserving of this peace whereof we speak there must be a daily and continual renewing of our Covenant made with God Often reckoning we use to say makes long Friends and so certainly t is here in this particular The way to keep up our peace with God is frequently to make up the Breaches and divisions which may fall between us by speedy Humiliation and Repentance and turning to Him We should not let the Sun to go down upon any difference betwixt God and us but out of hand close it up and that as soon as we discern it and apprehend it and are made sensible of it Take heed that the Heart do not ranckle or fester under the guilt of any Sin or neglect which at any time may lie upon it These and the like Courses are to be taken for the procuring and preserving of a Quietness and Peaceableness in us and we shall put these Directions in Practise that we may procure and preserve it so indeed It is a pictiful thing to consider what strangers many people are to this Business we speak off how few there are which know what belongs to true Peace such a peace as is of Gods giving which passes all understanding which the World is not able to give and which will afford a man comfort which all the world cannot take away The most sort of persons that are regard it not attend it not consider it not we are all for an outward peace and I do not speak against it I would we had it upon good Conditions but who is there almost that looks after inward peace and Tranquillity of Conscience which consists in forgiveness of Sin Reconciliation with God and the assurance of his love and favour made over and confirm'd to the Soul Alas these are things which people may talk off and these are things which people may hear off but most people know not what they mean nor what belongs unto them And this may be the first Application Secondly Seeing this is so That no condition shall be troublesome to that person which is in favour and peace with God We see then here Beloved the happy estate of the children of God in the midst of all those outward prejudices and disparagements which they lye under Happy are the People which are in such a case yea happy are the people whose God is the Lord. We see here who are in the best condition in these sad and distracting times It is not those which have the greatest abundance of these outward comforts and injoyments but which have most of this inward peace It is not he which hath the most Wealth but he that hath the most Grace He is the freest from trouble who has the greatest quietness given him from God even there where he has least from men our happiness it is not so much from without us If we have calm and quiet spirits we may make a shift to do well enough even in troubled and perplext estates And this is the blessed condition of the children of God which should make us so much the more in love with the Generation of Gods people and with Godliness and Religion Her wayes are wayes of pleasantness and all her pathes are peace as it is said of spiritual wisdom Prov. 3.17 Beloved there is not that esteem of Religion and the estate of a Christian as indeed it is fitting there should be Men do not apprehend or consider what a noble Condition it is nor improve it to that height of Comfort and Contentation as it were possible for them and that 's the reason that there are so low thoughts many times of those which are the professors and true imbracers of it whereas indeed upon the proof and experiment there is nothing of so comfortable a Consideration as this is not onely in reference to Heaven and the Comforts of a better life but also in reference to the World and our being and abode here in our Pilgrimage upon Earth Godliness it has not onely the comforts of the End but likewise of the Way It has it's reward and Happiness in it so far forth as it carryes us on with comfort through all the troubles of this present Life When he gives Quietness who then can make Trouble We may understand it by taking trouble in a temporal signification When the Lord gives inward Quietness a man shall suffer no great inconvenience from outward trouble No condition in regard of the world shall come amiss unto him And that 's the First Explication Secondly We may also take it thus When he gives Quietness none then can make trouble That is Where God gives Spiritual peace and Tranquillity of Conscience none shall then be able to cause any disturbance or perplexity in it none can possibly take away the peace of that Soul which is at peace with God This we have plainly signified to us in Rom. 8.33.34 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth who is he that Condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even c. This we may see made good in all the several particulars which we may conceive as any way capable to cause disturbance First Not Satan He shall not be able to make trouble where God will give peace Satan is a mighty stickler to disturb the peace of Gods people and to weaken their confidence and assurance of his love and he takes all advantages and opportunities that may be to this purpose especially in the hour of Death and the day of Tryal c. A foul pudder he makes oftentimes in this regard but yet where God will acquit and give quietness all is in vain Christ has spoyled Principalities and Powers Colos 2.15 And he has destroyed the Devil himself Heb. 2.14.15 The Accuser of our Brethren is cast down which accused them before our God Day and Night and they have overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. Rev. 12.10.11 The blood of Christ sprinkled upon the Conscience discharges from the accusations of Satan neither is he able to do any hurt where the Lord will obsolve As for
instance we may see in Job whom when the Devil labor'd to traduce and slander he could do no mischief against him forasmuch as the Lord himself had acquitted him and set him free Hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in all the Earth a perfect and an upright man c. Job 1.8 Secondly Men shall not be able to disturb nor cause trouble neither though they may indeavour bereunto And for instance here Job's friends they laid heavy charges against him as an Hypocrite and a desembler and I know not what but yet for all that they could not quite shake him of from his Confidence he appeals to God in these their censures of him Job 16.19.20 My witness is in Heaven and my record is on High my friends scorn me but mine Eyes powreth out tears unto God Job he had comfort in God even then when his friends spake against him and past hard sentences upon him And we see afterwards how the Lord acquitted him even to the shame of those his false accusers And thus will he likewise do upon occasion with others of his servants All the unreasonable suspicions and all the uncharitable opinions and all the hard censures which are at any time cast upon them shall not be able to prevail against them where God acquits a man it is no matter who speaks against him When he gives quietness none then can make trouble Thirdly Not a mans own misgiving and scrupulous Conscience that shall not cause trouble neither Where God himself will vouchsafe peace the Children of God sometimes through that weakness and infirmity which is in them are now and then false accusers of themselves and are ready to judge themselves to be in a worse Condition then they are as the generality and greatest sort of People offend in a way of self Presumption so there are some though not so many which also offend in a way of self suspition which lay hard inditements against themselves and their own Souls as Hypocrites as reprobates as such as have no truth or reality of Grace in them But now where God is pleased at any time to come in with a message and Testimony of Reconcilement all these doubts and fears and misgivings do presently vanish away When God will give quietness a man shall be freed from trouble from himself and his own Spirits If our Heart condemn us falsely God is greater then our Hearts and knows all things as it is said in another case Fourthly Not the Law of God that shall not cause trouble neither where it pleases God to give us his peace the Law that accuses and denounces also Joh. 5.45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father there is one that accuseth you even Moses in whom you trust Moses that is the Law written by Moses c. And how does that pronounce sentence See in Galat. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them Here is the hard rigor of the Law But his now shall be able to do no hurt where God himself will give peace forasmuch as Christ hath freed them from the condemning Power of it Galat. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us He hath not freed us from the Authority of the Law that power which it hath over us to command us and to be a rule unto us but he hath freed us from the rigor of the Law that power which it would have over us to condemn us and to inflict punishment upon us Christ hath so freed and exempted us from the Law by dying for us as that it shall be no longer troublesome to us in this sense and consideration There is no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 Thus in all these several particulars is that Soul sure to be free from trouble which has once made its peace with God Neither Satan nor the World nor their own Conscience nor the Law of God it self shall be able to molest them that is so as any thing to prevayle or get the mastery of them So that we must still remember as an Explication of this present point that we take this trouble here as a trouble of Efficacy and Success not for a trouble of indeavour These may now go about to trouble such as those which are at peace with God but they shall not prevail against them no not the very gates of Hell it self The Ground of this truth is this namely because God is in those relations as must needs assure those of peace and Satisfaction whom he is at peace withall and that may be further declared in these particulars First It is he who is the Plantiff and the Party wronged and which enters the Action If any one should make a Christian trouble in regard of his Spiritual Estate it must be such an one whom a Christian has wronged and offended and trespassed against if he be satisfied and well-pleased who has any thing more to say against him why now this is the case here when God gives Spiritual quietness none is there able to make trouble Because the party offended is satisfied and he to whom the injury was done is now contented to take it up as you know Christ said in the Gospel to that woman which the Pharisees brought to him having taken her in the fact Joh 8 10.11 Woman sayes He where are those thine accusers Hath no man condemn'd thee She said No man Lord. And Jesus said unto her neither do I condemn thee go and sin no more When Christ himself did not condemn her none was able to lay any thing to her Because if any one had to do in forgiving her or accusing her it was he most of all who was God against whom she had sinned till she had received absolution from him she could not go away in quiet and when she had so it was no great matter what any other might say against her If God himself speak peace all is well in this regard and upon this consideration because he is the party most concern'd in the trespass it self Therefore David speaking of himself in Psal 51.4 He speaks after this manner Against thee thee onely have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and clear when thou judgest David had sinned against others also against Bathsheba and Vrijah against the rest of the people of God whom he had scandalized by his ill example But he sayes he had sin'd onely against God so as to call him to an account for this transgression at Gods tribunal and in his own Conscience He had sinned against God chiefly and he had sinned against God principally and he had sinned against God so as from him to beg and expect the perfect pardon and forgiveness of his sins this belong'd to God alone forasmuch as he was
present Famine and as to the giving of this following Plenty It was because he did not remember and call to mind the like former Dispensations The manna rain'd down from Heaven the Meal not wasted in the Barrel the Oyl multiplyed in the Cruse If he had thought but of these he would not have stuck so much at this nor called in question God's Power about it whom he would have easily thought could have done one as well as the other Therefore does our Blessed Saviour upon this score also check his Disciples when they were troubled amongst themselves concerning their want of bread after the experience of the Miracles already wrought in that particular Math. 16.8 9. Oh ye of little faith why reason ye among your selves because ye have brought no bread so Mar. 8.18 Do ye not yet understand neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets ye took up nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many baskets also ye took up He rubs up their memories that thereby he might quicken their faith as implying that their want of this latter proceeded from their defect of the Former Thirdly This questioning of Gods power as concerning the Variations of Providence it does proceed in men oftentimes from too much fixedness upon their present condition whether it be good or evil If their condition be good it proceeds from a spirit of presumption and carnal security If their condition be evil it proceeds from a spirit of Despair and carnal despondency Those which are under either of these distempers they are apt to limit and doubt of Gods power as to the changing or altering of their conditions First Take it in Good and matter of prosperity in the Distempers of a Presumptuous spirit and ye shall see it there David When he was in his prosperity he said he should never be moved God had made his mountain so strong in Psal 30.6 7. And so it is with many more besides and a great deal worse who have the like thoughts with themselves In health that they shall never know sickness in abundance that they shal never have want In Society that they shall never know desolation There are a great many people in the world which are sometimes so besotted and intoxicated with this present welfare and worldly prosperity as that they do verily believe that God Himself is not able to divert it or to obstruct it to them Nay it were well if some did not almost say so in plain terms and so fully come home to this instance here before us So again Take it as to matter of Adversity and Affliction and ye shall see it there also out of the principles of Despair and carnal despondency Men do from thence also question Gods power and providence towards them and think it is impossible that he should ever better their condition to them In times of straitness and famine that they should never see plenty more as it was here in the Text this is that conceit and imagination which does fasten upon them As they confine God to their Prosperous condition that he should not be able to remove that so they confine him also to their Afflicted condition that he should not be able to relieve their need This is that which the Psalmist does again take notice of in himself though at last he recovers out of it Psal 77.10 When he was for a time in a sad condition he began to think he should be so continually and that there was no remedy for him Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more Hath God forgotten to be Gracious c. But then he seasonably corrects himself in it Then I said this is mine infirmity c. Thus this too much fixedness and settledness upon mens present condition whether in good or evil it makes them doubt of and suspect and call in question even the Power of God that he shall be able to do no more than what they fancy or imagine to themselves from either of these distempers to wit of security or despair presumption and carnal discouragement And that 's the first branch of this infidelity here mentioned in the Text namely as to the questioning of the power of God for the possibility of the thing it self The second is as to the questioning of the truth of God for the certainty and infallibility of the Message There is this also observable in it to make it more remarkable To have question'd whether God could have wrought such a thing as this is it had been bad enough though there had been nothing said of it But now when the Lord himself had absolutely and expressely declared it that indeed it should be so now to question whether it could be so or no was a further inlargement of the sinfulness and wickedness of it This was to make the God of Truth to be the Authour of falshood and to give the lye as it were to his word And this is another piece of Desperateness which is further observable in the Nature of Man not to receive or give entertainment to Gods most serious and solemn Protestations or intimations whether of evil or good Not to believe the Threatnings of God in matter of Judgement but to question whether God will be so severe as indeed he denounces nor yet to believe Gods Promises in matter of Mercy but to question whether he will indeed be so gracious as he signifies and pretends Thus is the Truth of God call'd in Question as well as his Power Thus it is more particularly and especially in the mouthes of his Servants who are his Ministers and Messengers to this purpose Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed as the Prophet himself complains Isa 53.1 And all the day long have I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and a gainsaying people Rom. 10.21 There is that stubborness and peivishness abiding in mens hearts that they will not receive the word of God in the love and imbracement of it but rather oppose and set themselves against it though in it self never so acceptable and worthy to be received Even the Promises of Mercy they have no other then the returns of Rebellion and contradiction against them as the Jewes which were Auditors of St. Paul contradicting and blaspheming Act. 13.45 The true ground and reason of all is that pride which is naturally in mens hearts and especially when it is further prenoted by outward advantages This makes men to scorn the word of God and to think themselves above it specially when it is conveyed by the Ministery of meaner persons The Prophet is a fool and the spiritual man's mad with such Persons as these are Disobedience and unbelief and rebellion it is the fruit of Pride Therefore let us as much as may be bewail this cursed root in us and labour to have it rooted out of us let us take heed of
upon all occasions where there is less comfort from the Creature there is the greatest supply from Him he makes up the want and deprivation of other friends A Father of the Fatherless and a Judge of the Widdow is God in his holy Habitation Psal 68.5 He is a Father of others and he is a Judg of others but a Judg and Father to these in a more especial and peculiar manner There is none commonly which are better provided for then those oftentimes which are in such Conditions as these are And the Reason of it is because hereby God has the greater Honour and Glory both of his Power and Goodness He is more seen in such passages and dispensations of Providence as these and accordingly more to be acknowledged The Improvement whereof to our selves is to teach us to take notice of it both for our thankfulness and comfort It is a great Supportment to us in any low and sad Estate which at any time may befall unto us to consider and remember this truth that care which God has even of Infants and little Children in their helpless Condition And it may be carryed not onely to our selves for our own particular Person but also by way of inlargement to the whole Church and People of God as the Prophet Esay seems to express it in the name of God Himself Esay 46.3.4 Harken unto me O House of Jacob and all the remnant of the house of Israel which are born by me from the Belly which are carryed from the Womb. And even to your old age I am he and even to your Hoary hairs will I carry you I have made and I will bear even I will carry and will deliver you The Lord he takes upon him to be to his Church as a tender Nurse or Mother which bears her Children upon in her arms and according to these Expressions does he often deliver Himself As Exod. 10.4 I bear you on Eagles wings and brought you to my self So Deut. 32 11. As an Eagle stirreth up her Nest fluttereth over her young spreadeth abroad her wings taketh them and beareth them upon her wings So did the Lord do with his People c. And Deut. 1.31 The Lord thy God beareth thee as a man doth bear his Son And Act 13.18 He suffered their manners in the Wilderness Some take it as a Nurse beareth or feedeth her Child so did the Lord bear and feed his Church Again we have an expression much like this in Hos 11.1.3 When Israel was a Child then I loved him and called my Son out of Egypt I taught Epharim also to go taking them by their armes but they knew not that I healed them Thus does the Lord take care of his People in the worst Estate All which comes to this purpose to stir up our Faith and Confidence in God even for the good of his Church and people still in these sad and Calamitous times which are at present upon us And thus as David was cast upon God from the womb by the helplesness of his Condition Secondly By the faith of his Parents they resign'd him and gave him up to God to his care and defence and protection from their very first injoyment of them which shewes here the like duty to be practised by all other Parents whatsoever even to commit their children to God from the very first moment that God bestowes them upon them There are two things which are here exhibited and presenred unto us from this particular as a duty which lyes upon Parents in this regard First the Duty it self viz. To cast their children upon God and his fatherly providence And Secondly to do it early and betimes even from the womb it self Thus sayes David here upon thee was I cast from the womb First I say they must cast them upon and commit them to him which I do not speak to this purpose as that themselves should cast away all care and regard of them but that in the use of all lawful means they should devolve the chief care upon him to whom it chiefly belongs As God casts children upon Parents by giving children to them so they should cast them back again to him by commending them to his Custody and direction Secondly They must do it also betimes do it from the womb from the very first injoyment of them There are many which it may be will do it afterwards be content to cast them upon him when they have sufficiently provided for themseles but this is commended to us the doing it from their first beiginning This committing of your children to God is the safest provision for them that possibly you can make it is better then to comit them to the dearest friends that they may have in the world It is better then to commit them to the greatest estates that ye can purchase for them It 's better then to commit them to the greatest skill or ability which we can conveigh unto them all is nothing to this the casting of them upon God himself And so ye have also the third particular here mentioned The blessings of the Cradle Vpon thee c. The fourth and last is the blessing of the Covenant Thou art my God from my mothers belly where again are two particulars more First The blessing it self Thou art my God Secondly The extent of this Blessing from my mothers womb First The Blessing it self Thou art my God This hath more in it then all the rest besides and comprehends the other under it and something more Here 's the blessings of the first birth and the blessings of the New-birth And there are two things more again in it First Here 's an implication of interest Thou art my God that ownest me and I thee And Secondly here 's an Implication of Activity Thou art my God which standest to me and art careful for me First Here 's an Implication of Interest Thou art my God That is there is a Gracious Covenant drawn betwixt me and thee This we may observe as pertinent and belonging to every true Believer God makes over himself to him and he makes over himself to God They are mutually one another Thou art my God Only for the right understanding of it we must know in what order and method God begins with us and then we follow him God first chooses us and then we choose Him God first loves us and then we love him God first gives himself to us and then drawes our hearts and spirits in this gift to give our selves to him This is a great mercy and much to be acknowledged by us though we had nothing else in the world For God to be our God it is more then for all the Kingdomes of the Earth to be intayl'd upon us David in this one expression he includes every thing else which had been possible for him to have thought on and call'd to mind He could not well have said less and he could not possibly have said more If God be
his God so long both are implyed in this Thou art my God from my Mothers Belly First He here blesses God for being his God so Early My God from my Mothers Belly That is as soon as I had any being in the World He might have if he had pleased fetch 't it higher if we speak of Gods Decree in Election and have said from the beginning of the World Yea before the Foundations of the World were ever laid As Psal 90.2 But he speaks here rather of the Execution and Manifestation of this his Decree God is then our God properly when he manifests Himself to be our God by some special work of Grace in our Souls and by giving Himself unto us And so he is pleased to do to divers in the very first dawnings of nature in them The Prophet Jeremiah he was Sanctifyed in the womb Jer. 1.5 Before I formed thee in thee Belly I knew thee and before thou camest forth out of the Womb I Sanctifyed thee and I ordained thee a Prophet unto the Nations And so likewise John the Baptist he had the same Grace and Favour also Timothy It is said that from a Child he had known the Holy Scriptures which were able to make him wise to Salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 And Obadiah 1 Kings 18.12 I thy Servant do fear the Lord from my Youth This is the goodness of God to many persons to be early in his beginning of Grace which he works in them Thus there can be no other ground or reason assigned of it but onely his own free-Grace and good Pleasure and will towards them who as he is free in the thing it self so also in the time of Dispensation And there is a double use which we may make of this Observation First To inform and satisfy us as concerning the time of Conversion and beginning of the work of Grace which is a Question which does many times trouble and perplex many a Soul to know the distinct reason when God first brought him home to Himself For this It is not in all kind of Persons discernable by them Eccl. 11.5 As thou knowest not which is the way of the Spirit nor how the bones do grow in the Womb of her that is with Child so thou knowest not the work of God who maketh all Indeed for those who have a great part of their time lived profanely or a meer civil life in them because the change is more Eminent the time is more Conspicuous too but for those whom it hath pleased God to Sanctify in their Infancy and tender years and to carry them on sweetly imperceptibly in the tract of a godly and Religious Education all their Life in these it is not so easily distinguished neither should it trouble them when it is not If the time be up it is no matter when it is first begun It is not the change of a mans Course but the change of his Nature which is here required And that is done in those to whom God is a God from the womb Their Nature is changed in them though their Course it may be has been the same all their days to wit godly and Religious nay it is so far from being a Cause of trouble as that indeed it is rather an argument of greater comfort to them that God has loved them so soon Secondly Another use is Ingagement to all such in a special manner to love God so much the more And so much for that He blesses God for being his God so Early Secondly He Blesses God for being his God so long This is also implyed in this Expression Thou art my God from c. That is thou art my God still from whence we may note thus much That those whom God is a God too once he is a God too them always Those whom he takes into his Care and Tuition and Custody at first those he also preserves to the End There is no time wherein he Ceases to be a God unto them And therefore t is here without any sign of time Eliattah Thou my God that hast been and art and wilt be through all Generations This God is our God for ever and ever Psal 48.14 So Psal 71.6 By thee have I been holden up from the Womb c. The Ground of this in God is First His Vnchangeable Nature who is Yesterday and to Day and the same for ever If God were Alterable and subject to Varying he should then love us one Day and hate us the next to it For I am the Lord I change not Therefore ye Sons of Jacob are not consumed Secondly His Free-Grace who shews Mercy where he will If Gods Goodness were founded in us then he should Change and Vary as we do but this it is not There is nothing moves Him to be our God but onely because he will be so Thirdly His Exactness in all he does who loves to finish there where he has begun Ye know how it is with Exact men when they have begun a thing they love to perfect it and so here This should stir us up to the Observation and Acknowledgment of Gods goodness in this particular He has the perfection of all Love in him for he begins betimes and he Continues long and what could we desire more There are many which are good friends at last but they are a great while a comming on and before they can be perswaded to it There are others which are good for a while but they quickly give over But now the Lord he fails us in neither He is our God from our Mothers Womb. Even all our following and succeeding days And this it should teach us proportionably in the Second place to keep close to Him and as he continues constant to us so for us also to persevere to Him and to walk in the Constant ways of thankfulness and Obedience to Him And thus have I after somewhat long Travel brought this Child with Gods gracious Assistance at length to the Birth And have shown you here the several particulars in which David tenders his Acknowledgment and Sacrifice of Thansgiving to God For the Blessings of the Womb for the Blessing of the Breast for the Blessing of the Cradle and for the Blessings of the Covenant That is for common Mercies for ancient Mercies and for primitive Mercies and for constant Mercies Consider what I have said And the Lord give you understanding in all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SERMON XVI Psal 10.13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God He hath said in his heart thou wilt not require it Their cannot be a better Evidence of a Good and a Gracious heart then to be tender and sensible of Gods Dishonour and having first of all sufficiently bewayled its own Distempers and Infirmities to lay to heart the Enormities and Miscarriages of other men Like Righteous Lot whose Soul was vexed with the filthy Conversation of the wicked while he dwelt amongst them seeing and hearing their unlawful deeds as the
the ground or occasion of making this Question For he hath said in his heart Thou wilt not require it which words may be here looked upon by us two manner of wayes either in the Absolute sense or in their Relative According to the Absolute sense and notion of them so they are a Declaration of the temper of wicked men They say in their hearts thou wilt not require according to the Relative sence and notion of them for they seem to be either a Proof or an Account of what was said before concerning such persons as to their contemning of God This is a Proof that they do so and this a reason also why they do so They say in their heart Thou wilt require it First Take it in the absolute sense The wicked hath said in his heart thou wilt not require it Wherein again two things more First The Speech it self which is uttered Secondly The way or manner of uttering it the speech it self which is uttered is Thou shalt not require it The way or manner of uttering it that is not with the mouth but in the mind He hath said in his heart c. First For the speech it self Thou wilt not require it This is that which wicked men think and say of God that he will not require their wickedness and Contempt of him when it is said That he will not require it there is two things implyed in this Expression First That he will not regard it And Secondly That he will not revenge it Each of these are intended in this Requiry First He will not require it that is he will not regard it so our former English Translations renders it whereby wicked men would take off from God all attending or observing of their Wickedness as if he minded it or heeded it not but let them alone without any regard at all of them He will not require it that is he will not inquire into it as the Hebrew word Darash which is here used does also import They think that God sits in Heaven but takes no notice of the Iniquities of Evil men here upon Earth This is very proper and natural to them it s our Translation also carries it in the Text. He saith in his heart Tush thou God carest not for us and so in vers 11. He hath said in his heart God hath forgotten it he hideth his face he will never see it and so Psal 94.7 They say the Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard it This is that which wicked men perswades themselves that God mindes not their wicked ways and that he will not discover or find out them in it but rather pass by them as they said in Ezekiel The Lord hath forsaken the Earth the Lord seeth us not Ezek. 8.12 But Secondly He will not require it that is he will not revenge it This is another thus included and which such perswade themselves of that let them be as wicked as they will be yet they shall never be called to an account for their wickedness nor answer for it He will not require it that is he will not requite it this is that which they perswade themselves off among other things As we read of that presumptuous Person which is mentioned in Deuteronomy When he said he should have peace though he walked after the Imagination of his own evil Heart Thus does many others say with him they please themselves in the hopes of freedom from Punishment notwithstanding all their Provocations and that though they be never so wicked yet God will be indulgent to them This proceeds from that Settlement which Sin hath in their Hearts and that inordinate self-love which is in them they think it to be so as they desire it and would indeed have it so Those who are in love with Sin they would faine decline Punishment and hope to be free from it upon that Consideration Sin infatuates them and blindes their minds in this particular insomuch as they cannot discern that danger in which they are nor that vengeance which hangs over their heads and is near unto them And Satan also joyns with their corrupt hearts to perswade them further to that pass as he did in the very first time of all in his Temptations of our first Parents in Paradise Told them that they should not dye notwithstanding all that was threatned against them The like does he also do still in his Applications to the Sons of men and his inticeings of them This may therefore serve as a Discovery of the Misery which is upon man in this regard while it is thus with him Here 's the sad Condition of all wicked men which remain in their Natural Estate out of which they are not redeemed by Christ and his Spirit changeing of their Hearts That they are given up to such a Spirit of Delusion as this is in both particulars as to think that God neither observes their Sins nor yet will call them to a reckoning for them because they do not mind them themselves or because other men perhaps do not mind them therefore that God will not mind them neither This I say is a great Misery and a sore Evil under the Sun to be thus affected and is much to be bewayled in all such Persons as are subject thereunto because from hence as we shall hear more afterwards they are more exposed to the violence and prevalency of Sin in them as gaining and getting ground upon them The thoughts of Gods all-seeing Eye and Justice and Severity against Sin These might happily help them in one and restrain them from it But now while these are supprest in them they are hence exposed to all manner of Evil to raign in them wickedness it will stick now with them while they have such opinion and apprehensions of God as these are For a further Aggravation of this Speech of wicked men in the hainousness of it we may take notice of the manner of Expression as it is here set in the Second Person Thou wilt not require it Indeed some Translators read it in the third He will not require it But in the Original Text which is more Emphatical it is there as it is here in our own English Copies and it serves to this purpose to shew Impudence and notorious Boldness of wicked men in this particular who do not onely say this of God but say it to him Are not ashamed to declare it to his very face and to charge him as it were with it as if they would in a manner dare him and confront him and out brave him in it This I say is here further considerable in the desparateness of men we see what great cause we have among other reasons to take heed of giving our selves any scope or liberty in any thing which is Evil when it has such a sad effect as this is upon the minds of those who gave way unto it Oh stop it therefore at first in the
of its Duty more especially upon Gods Command as imposing it upon him Davids heart inclined to seeking of God from that principle of Grace that was in it But now when moreover God Himself requires him to do so this makes him to be so much the more determined and resolved about it When thou saidest seek my face then I sought thy face indeed The Ground hereof may be thus laid forth unto us First That holy Reverence and awe which they have of Gods Majesty Fear it works obedience and where we stand in awe of the Person we do more readily submit to the Command now thus is it with the children of God Secondly Their Love to God There 's nothing so complying as Love it is the most yielding Affection of any and so here in our carriage to God If we love him we will keep his Commandments And thus do all who are his true servants and therefore run at his call Thirdly There is this also considerable in it that Gods Power goes along with his Command This it did here as to Davids heart when God said seek my face he did cause him to seek it whiles he said it And so he does likewise with the rest of His servants which he does not with other persons And it is the true account of so much difference as is betwixt them that whiles they both receive the same word yet they are not alike wrought upon by it because in the one there 's the command in the bare proposal but in the other there 's the Spirit going along with it to make it Effectual In the Covenant of Grace God performs that in us which he requires of us which is the Great Advantage of all true Believers Thirdly Observe in General thus much That a Good and Conscientious Hearer is careful to apply the word of God to his own particular God spake it here at large and in the General seek ye my face in the Plural but David brings it home to himself and fastens upon it This is the Duty of all others besides Thus we find it to have been sometime with St. Peters Auditors in Act. 2.37 The word was spoke to the whole company at large This Jesus whom ye have crucified is Lord and Christ But those that were converted they applyed it and appropriated it to themselves And therefore it is said that when they heard it they were pricked at the heart And there is this Considerable that makes for it First Because the Particular is still comprehended in the General as the part 's in the whole That which is said to all it does respect whosoever are contained and comprized in that number and that successively in all Ages of the world that which was said to Moses and Joshua and David is said also to us The precepts of Religion they do indifferently extend themselves to all sorts of Persons When God says seek ye my face he says it to me and to thee and to a Third and so to all the world over Indeed there are some Positive particular Commands which are now and then given to such and such persons distinctly and so do reach onely to them in such and such Circumstances But the common Duties and Practises of Godliness they are promiscuously imposed upon all Secondly This is the very Life and Power of all kind of Teaching whatsoever to bring it home to a mans own Particular As the benefit of Meat in the Stomach is the degesting of it and sending its Nourishment into every particular part Aures omnium pulso sed Conscientias quorundam Convenio c. Says St. Austin the Parson he delivers things in General but it is every mans Conscience that must make the particular Application And accordingly it concerns us to do so upon all occasions The Neglect and want hereof is the cause why there is oftentimes no more good got by the Ministry and the Preaching of it because men think what is said to all is said to none when as indeed it is said to every one if they had Grace to apply it to themselves and every one is particularly interested and concern'd in it according to the particular occasions in which they are and the Circumstances which may be upon them And that in points also of all sorts and natures and qualities whether of Information or Direction or Reprehension or Consolation or Command Indeed ye shall have some kind of people who it may be will be pritty forward in Application but it is to others not to themselves They are ready to say that such an one had his Lesson and Instruction given him but in the mean time they pass over their own Now it is the Duty of every good Christian here with David to apply the Doctrine to Himself And so he shall close with Gods Intentions in the Discovery and Proposal of it and so much may be spoken of the points observable in General and Preparatory We come now more particularly and closely to the words of the Text it self Thy face Lord will I seek And here again I shall with Gods Assistance take notice of two things more First The Substantials of the Text. And Secondly The Circumstantials First To look upon the Substantials and that is as it does exhibit to us the main Duty which is here required of us which is the seeking of the Face of God for that which was Davids Practise is our Duty and is accordingly required of us we have heard out of the words before that it is that which God himself does invite us to Here now we shall see likewise that it is that which we our selves are bound too in acceptance of this Invitation which we shall the better be able to do if we do but consider what it is which is here Commended to us and what we are to understand by this expression The seeking of the face of God it does imply divers things in it and all such as is required by us we may take it in these following Explications First To labour for the knowledge of God and more intimate acquaintance with him because we know a man usually by his Face and outward countenance therefore our knowing of God is set forth to us by this expression of seeking his face and it is that which lies upon all men especially to do those that are absolutely ignorant of him to know him at first those that know him in part already to indeavour to know him more and still to increase in the knowledg of him And that we may do it indeed the more effectually to look upon him in that Glass wherein he has presented himself unto us which is the Lord Jesus Christ Take God consider'd in Himself and his Face is very terrible and dreadful as I told them before there is no seeking for us of it but rather seeking how to avoid it and to run away from it but in Christ here it is Lovely and Amiable In John 14.8.9 When Philip said
present purpose that this favour is very desirable This was that which was the Great Blessing of Joseph Deut. 33.16 The Good-will of him that dwelt in the Bush That is the loving-kindness and favour of God who in the bush made appearance to Moses the Governor of Israel Now the Excellency of Gods loving-kindness for the Amplification and Illustration of the Point may be laid forth to us in these following Particulars First In regard of the subject of it by considering whose it is it is the loving-kindness of God Favour is so far forth valuable as the Person is from whom it proceeds as a man is so is his kindness Worthless and sorry persons which have no Goodness or Dignity in them their favour is not commonly lookt after but those which are Great and Eminent their goodness is for the most part much esteemed why thus now is the case here with the loving-kindness of the Lord. It is the loving-kindness of one of Excellency and therefore it is excellent loving-kindness The Psalmist therefore does very properly and fully joyn them both together in this present Text How excellent and O God Because there 's nothing in God but it is excellent and this of his Favour and good will amongst the rest It 's answerable and agreeable to every thing else which is in Him which is admireable and precious And that may be the first explication This loving-kindness and favour is excellent in regard of the subject of it Secondly It is excellent in regard of the fullness of it it is such as is very large and comprehensive It contains a great deal in a narrow room and it is in effect all other blessings besides no office like a Kings Favorite He that hath but Gods favour what can he be said to want He has all things belonging to him which he can possibly desire There 's nothing here in the world but when a man has as much of it as his heart can wish yet he will still want somewhat with it and that sometimes which he can least be without but he that hath an interest and share in Gods loving-kindness he hath all good things made over to him so far forth as he hath use and need of them God is a Sun and shield The Lord will give Grace and Glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly Psal 84.11 This should teach us by the way not to limit the Holy one of Israel desire God to give us his favour and it suffices Thirdly It is excellent in regard of the efficacy of it it is such as is of sweet influence wheresoever it is it makes comforts to be so much the more comfortable and it makes crosses to be so much the more tollerable yea also in some cases acceptable and beneficial to those on whom they are For comforts what is it but this which does indeed make them to be such Certainly it does do it so far as that there cannot be any true comfort or contentment where this is wanting If God heaps upon a man never such an abundance of the good things of this life yet if he does not do it in loving-kindness and favour alas what are they It is but onely as the feeding of a Prisoner or Traytor which is to be tryed for his life This is that which is the cream of all when God bestows good things upon us and bestowes them out of special respect and good will towards us This is that which he does to his children not onely the things of a better life but also even of this life present it self He does bestow them out of the same Affection as he does bestow Heaven it self so that though they be but common Mercies for the matter of them and considered in their own Nature yet they are special Mercies for the principle and the Affection from whence they proceed and they carry a special Tincture of his love in them which makes them to be such as they are to those that injoy them Ye may take an instance of it in any thing which we may think of to this purpose Health what 's the Comfort of that What is it onely the thing it self to have such a good Temper and Constitution of Body and Liveliness with it No but to have it to such a purpose as this is to use it to the Glory of God to the doing of good to others in a mans place to the working out of a mans own Salvation and the like this is the benefit of Health and so for Riches What 's the advantage of them what onely to have so much lying by us and to behold it with a mans Eyes as Solomon speaks to be talked of or admired for it c. No but to have these things with an heart to do good with them and weaned and Estranged from them and incouraged in Gods service by them An Heart to use an Estate is far more excellent then an Estate it self and when ever God gives a man great Possessions in Loving-kindness and favour he gives them him still with this appurtenance and qualification to the Bargain as to the frame and temper of his Spirit not to trust in them not to be lifted up by them not to be over-pleased with them but to have an Heart in a very great manner withdrawn from them So again further for friends and the Contentment which is in them this is also dependant hereupon Their favour and Loving-kindness there was so much sweetness and excellency in it as it is a breathing of the Loving-kindness of the Lord who makes Enemies Friends fashions mens Hearts alike and makes them to be of one mind in an House as the Psalmist speaks Thus ye see how the favour of God has an Efficatious influence to us upon those things which are comfortable And so likewise for those things which are Grievous and in their own nature distasteful this is one part of the excellency of this Loving-kindness that it is very operative and Effectual here by taking away the sting and bitterness which is in any Affliction and by making it wholesom and medicinall to those that indure it this is that which Gods face does And so the Prophet David elsewhere professes as in Psal 119.75 I know O Lord that thy Judgments are right and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me It is a part of Gods Faithfulness to his Covenant and favour which he bears to his people to lay such seasonable Corrections upon them as from whence they might be so much the more bettered in their inward man And then as there is Gods favour in the infflicting of Crosses so also in sustaining under them vouchsafes his Gracious presence and Comforts in them and at last most powerfully working them and ordering them to their Exerlasting Advantage This is a point which many of Gods Children can bear witness to from their own Experience as who have never found more Expressions of Gods good will
and favour towards them and comfortable presence with them then they have done in their saddest Conditions and when it has been worst with them in regard of the World then has he most tender'd and regarded them and come into them And Supt with them and they with him as we meet with that Expression there in that place in Rev. 3.20 And that 's the Third Explication the Loving-kindness of God is most Excellent in regard of its Efficacy Fourthly It is Excellent also for its Freeness and Impartiality It s Loving-kindness originated in Himself and not in any merit or desert of the Persons whom it is fastened upon men in the placing of their Affections they have somewhat for the most part in the object which is attractive and persuasive hereunto but in God it is not so Those whom he loves he loves freely out of his own propensity and gracious Inclination independently upon the persons themselves and what an excellent thing is this And then which is Pertinent hereunto his Impartiality also in this Business that he is no respecter of Persons as the Scripture proclames it of him Gods favour is not carried towards any for any worldly Eminencies in them Either of Birth or Estate or Pars or any such Induements from whence he does respect one man above another or disrespect those which are difficient in either of these particulars as it is commonly amongst men No but those which have true Grace in their Hearts and hath his Image instampt upon them they are acceptable and well-pleasing to Hin in the meanest Condition that may be which makes his favour to be so much the more Excellent Lastly to add no more at this time it is Excellent also for its Continuance and Duration It s such as cast's and abides There 's a Constancy and Perpetuity in it whom he loves he loves to the End The favour of men it is oftentimes very uncertain according to the Subject of it which is mutable and exposed to Change but the favour of God is otherwise It is such as does not cease to those which are once partakers of it as we have still signified to us in Scripture Thus we find it said expresly of Solomon Psal 89.33 If his Children forsake my Law I will Visit their Transgression with the Rod and their Iniquities with stripes Nevertheless my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail God may sometimes correct his Children but he does not in the mean time forsake them He may hide his face from them but he does not remit of his favour towards them he may withdraw his Countenance but he will not take away his loving-kindness this is still one and the same Therefore his Loving-kindness is called Everlasting Loving-kindness Esay 54.8 With Everlasting-kindness will I gather thee And it is set forth by such like sutable Expressions from the waters of Noah Thus we see in all these particulars how excellent the Loving-kindness of God is said to be Now the Improvement of all this to our selves may be to this purpose First We see from hence what great cause we have to pursue it and to seek after it Seeing it is every way so Excellent it is not then good for us to want it or to be destitute of it we see how ambitious many are sometimes of the favour of Men Especially which are great in the World and how much they will adventure for it and what a shame is it then for them to neglect the favour of God which has so much Eminency and Transcendency in it This was that which our Saviour laid sometimes to the charge of the Jewes That they Received Honour one of another and sought not the Honour that cometh from God onely John 5.44 And again John 12.43 That they loved the Praise of Men more then the Praise of God This is that which too many still do to this present day which is very unsutable and Disconsonant to the present Truth which we have now in hand If Gods Loving-kindness be so excellent why then certainly it is worth the regarding and looking after we should give no rest to our Eyes nor sleep to our Eye-lids till we have in some manner assured and made this Condition good to our selves that it is so with us for our particulars as to be Subjects hereof And further Secondly Let us take heed of forfeiting it or doing any thing which may hazard it to us let us take heed of doing any thing whereby we may incur Gods displeasure or provoke him if not to take away his favour absolutely in it self yet any expression or sense of it in our selves By how much more excellent it is in its own Nature by so much more chary and tender should we be of it to take heed of the doing of such things as may any way rob or deprive us of it But by all means keep up in our selves a perfect feeling and apprehension of it This we should do Especially upon a two-fold Consideration First In order to Comfort And Secondly In order to Duty That we may be more chearful and also more Servicable in our present Pilgrimage First In order to comfort to make us more cheerful there 's nothing more becomes Christians then a chearfullness and pleasantness of conversation as much as may be for their own greater contentment and the honour also of Religion it self Now this can be no further expected from them then as they walk in the light of Gods Countenance and the expression of this excellent loving-kindness the want of this puts men into darkness and sadness and blackness of spirit it self and fills them with horror and confusion Secondly This is also further requisite in order to Duty to make us so much the more serviceable The Apprehension of Gods favour and loving-kindness is a great quickning to us in His work to make us to undertake it and to dispatch it with the more alacrity and intention of mind then otherwise we should when a servant is perswaded of his Masters favour it does much hearten him and incourage him in his work The Joy of the Lord is here our Strength which puts nimbleness and activity into us in all our performances Now If we would further know how this might be done by us how we might keep and preserve our selves still in such a Condition I answer by walking warily and fruitfully in our whole course that 's the best and readiest way hereunto warily in regard of Miscarriages take heed of doing any thing amiss and Fruitfully in regard of Performances Take heed of omitting any thing which should be done these two are especially necessary for the keeping up of Gods favour towards us in the Vigor of it First I say we must walk warily in regard of Miscarriages we must be suspicious and Jealous over our selves that God himself may not be jealous towards us they that make no bones of any Sin or the tendencies
Solomon tells us and Peter councels Simon Magus to repent of his wicked thought that it might be forgiven unto him we have cause to take care of our thoughts that they may not be otherwise then such as are agreeable to the rule of God's Law Take heed of spiritual sins and such as are more appropriated to the mind or of Corporal sins made Spiritual by Fancy and Speculation Speculative revenge and Speculative uncleanness and Speculative Theft which consists in Covetous and unlawful Desires We should use our phansies and thoughts purely that so while they are not to us instruments and means of sin they may not be to us neither instruments or means of Affliction that we may not have troublesome and disquieting thoughts it concerns us to have innocent thoughts and thoughts as near as we can free from guilt and that in all the Improvements and Activities of them In matter of Judgement to have sound and sober opinions In matter of reflection to have holy and Sanctified Meditations In matter of Counsel to have honest and faithful Contrivances Every way and in every thing to submit our thoughts to the blessed guidance of the Holy Spirit of God and in a Gracious Captivity and subjection to the Obedience of Christ Thus shall we have less trouble from our thoughts then otherways we should And as this does concern all men whatsoever so more especially does it concern those whose excellency lies in their thoughts Schollers and men of parts and understanding forasmuch as these are most subject to such kind of evils as these are in the greatest Aggravations The finest wits are liable to the greatest Distractions and the more advantages any have of doing Evil the more occasions have they likewise of suffering Evil as the mind is capable of the greater Comfort and Contentment so it is also of the greatest trouble and look as it is in the body that the most exquisite Constitutions are liable to the greatest pains so in the Soul the most sublime and raised parts ar exposed to the most disquieting thoughts Thus God is pleased now and then to afford sad instances and Expressions off that others may take heed but so much for the first particular to wit the grief or evil it self which is here mentioned And that is thoughts The Second is the Amplification of this Evil and that is from the Number Multitude of thoughts Thoughts crowding and thrusting in themselves in a Violent and confused manner one upon another Que catervatim se proruunt as Austin speaks in another case such thoughts as these does he here speak off All Evils do still receive an Intention and Aggavation of themselves from the plurality and multiplicity of them And so likewise here one troublesome and molesting thought it may breed a great deale of Grief and Distraction and such as a man would fain be rid off and shake off from Himself what he could But where there are many this is so much the more Intollerable Now this is that which we have here in this place exhibited to us David had many rugged thoughts which he was perplext and troubled withall and which occasion'd so much grief unto Him It was Multitudo Cogitationum and this is that which many others besides are subject unto There are many devises in the Heart of a man as Solomon speaks Prov. 19.21 And again in Eccl. 7.29 God made man Righteous but they sought out many Inventions Many Devises and many Inventions and many Thoughts are men troubled withall There 's a variety and diversity of them This to give you some account of it from whence it does proceed is founded upon these following Considerations First The nature of the mind of man consider'd simply in it self that lays Ground for this Multiplication Man's Soul it is full of Nimbleness and Activity and Fruitfulness upon all occasions It is that which is still working and beating out somewhat or other without any Intermission And because it is also full of Inconstancy and unsettledness by reason of Sin therefore it is apt to produce a variety and abundance of thoughts It goes from one thing to another like a Bee in the change of Flowers and is never at rest and this is a part of that Vanity which is upon it this Infirmity is seen in nothing more then it is in the performance of good Duties Prayer and hearing of the word and such Religious Exercises as these wherein this multitude of thoughts does in a special manner discover it self How hard and difficult is it without a great deal of carefulness and watchfulness and preparation and circumspection for the mind to keep it self close to that one thing which is necessary and not to be called away to a variety and multiplicity of Distractions at such times as those are The Holiest men that ever have been they have much complained of this weakness in themselves as St. Austin and St. Basil c. Secondly Another Cause and Ground of this multitude of thoughts may be taken from the mutability of Conditions and variety of Objects and occasions which we meet withall in this world Our thoughts are for the most part answerable to the Estate in which we are and the occasions which are presented unto us Now forasmuch as there 's an alteration in them there 's a diversity also in these which are sutable and agreeable thereunto This is our Condition in this World that it is subject to an abundance of change sometimes things go well with us and sometimes they go another way at least we are ready to think so let them go how they will There are occasions from our selves there are occasions from our Relations there are occasions from the Church and publique Estates And this does produce Plurality and variety of thoughts in us Thirdly There is also some cause from this now and then likewise from others according as thoughts are suggested and presented and offered to the mind and this is seen in nothing more then in the Temptations of Satan who being Himself a Spirit has thereby a very great advantage over our Spirits and does sometimes put thoughts into us of his own accord and which otherwise we should never think off Yea there are some whom he does in a manner force and impose thoughts upon them against their will in his violent suggestions Thoughts of Atheism and thoughts of Blasphemy and thoughts against the very Light and dictates of Nature it self these may be said to be our thoughts so far forth as we are the Subjects recipient of them and in a passive sense but otherwise they are none of ours neither shall they be put upon our score or laid to our charge while we do abhor and reverence them no more then the words of any Blasphemer or prophane person which we hear against our minds and which we shut our Ears against yet these they are many times in great multitudes and do make up this present number in the Text. And
satisfie us and content us though we had nothing else but them If God will but forgive us our Sins and change our Natures and put his Grace into our Hearts and give us the Seal of his Spirit that we are his Children certainly we may very well bear with him in the denyal of many other things besides unto us and therefore let us not limit and confine God too much in this particular but let us leave it to his Holy Wisdom and providence who knows what is best for us better then we do our selves and in the supply of his own Gracious Spirit and presence with us can make up to us all things else whatsoever we can desire And further where we do injoy these Comforts let us preserve them all we can and take heed of parting with them let us not be prodigal of Spiritual Comfort or careless or negligent of it If we do herein we forsake our own Mercy and are Enemies to our own greatest Good Let us take heed of offending and displeasing the blessed Spirit of God and of grieving him whose office it is to comfort us Lastly Let us see also here what cause there is for us to look after true Godliness and Religion and to become true Christians indeed that so from hence we may come to partake of these Divine Comforts which we do no otherwise then so far forth as we have the Spirit of God in us and are become his Children Those which are Strangers in Religion they are also Strangers to the Comforts of Religion and to the sweetness which is in that Condition so that though there be Comforts Enough in God yet they have no Interest in them nor no Ability whereby to derive them and to convey them to themselves therefore let us look to that by all meanes Yea and moreover to abound in Grace and Holiness all we can for as we come to be partakers of Gods Comforts by being Godly and Religious so we partake of them the more as we are Godly and Religious in greater measure The closer we walk with God the more comfort we have from him not onely hereafter in Heaven but also now at present here upon Earth which should therefore be a further spur to incite us hereunto And so much for these Comforts in the first Notion considered absolutely and distinctly The Second is by considering them connexively in reference to what went before in the beginning of the verse In the Multitude of my thoughts The words in the Hebrew are Be-rov or as some would have it Ke-rov The one makes it to be in multidine as our Translations render it to us the other makes it to be secundum multitudines as the Vulgar Latin following the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It makes no great matter which there being but little difference betwixt them according as they run in the Text whether in the sound or in the sight From both together we have a singular commendation of these Divine Comforts which David was now refresht with in three particulars First For their Concomitancy Secondly For their Opportunity Thirdly For their Conveniency each of these are in this expression First Here is their Concomitancy by making in to be as much as cum In my thoughts that is altogether with them and so it does imply thus much unto us That the children of God they are never wholly and absolutely disquieted and dejected in themselves but as God does in his providences suffer them now and then to be troubled with sad thoughts so at the very same moment and instant of time does he administer comfort more or less unto them They have some light in their greatest darkness and they have some refreshment in their greatest sadness and they have some comfort in their greatest Distraction In the very midst of judgement upon them does God remember mercy towards them This is the state and condition of Gods people God does secretly uphold their hearts from sinking when it seems to be never so ill and sad with them This proceeds from his singular love and indulgence towards them who does not afflict his servants willingly nor does not desire to lay upon them any more then they may be able to bear If we should have all thoughts and no comforts there were no subsistance or holding out but God does now graciously mitigate and qualifie his dispensations towards us that so the spirit may not fail before him nor the souls which he has made as Himself gives that very reason and account of it Isa 57.16 He corrects in measure Isa 27.8 This teaches us both to expect it and also upon occasion to acknowledge it it serves both to excite our patience and thankfulness First Our patience in expecting it and making account of it when we fall at any time into trouble let us not aggravate it and make it worse then it is for it is neither so much as it might be nor yet so much as we deserve And therefore let us take heed of charging God foolishly in this particular as we are many times subject to do if we do but a little reflect and consider how it is with us we shall find that it is so as is here presented to us namely Comforts and some glimpse of mercy in the greatest sorrows And this is the great difference now betwixt the condition of men here in this world and of the damned in Hell those sad creatures there they have the thouhgts but not the comforts they have the destractions but not the qualifications there is sorrow without any refreshment but those which live here in the world especially those which are Gods children they have a mingling of some sweetness with their greatest grief And this Secondly excites our thankfulness and calls us to the acknowledgement of it upon all occasions and to bless God for it as David else-where does in Psal 119.75 I know O Lord that thy Judgements are right and that in faithfulness thou hast afflicted me And that 's the first particular which is commended to us in these Comforts viz. their Concomitancy The Second is their opportunity In the Multitude of distracting thoughts That is just when they were come to their height and extremity in me The Comforts of God are seasonable and observe the proper time for their coming neither too soon nor too late not before that were too soon nor after that were too late But in That is just in the very point and nick of Time This is another thing here spoken of In the Thoughts and in the Multitude of the Thoughts not in the indifferency of thoughts but in the perplexity not in the Paucity of thoughts but in the Plurality our extremity is Gods opportunity In the mount will the Lord be seen when we have thought and thought and thought all what we could and know not what to think more then does God delight to tender and exhibit his Comforts to us There are divers instances and examples
hereof both in the case of whole Nations as also of particular persons That this is the course which hath been taken by him And that upon this ground that so he might shew his own power the more as also that the mercy it self might appear to be the greater mercy which in such a case it seems to be the greatest This should teach us never to dispair but rather then to be fullest of hope and to make perplexities to be a remedy against themselves And so much for that second particular to wit their opportunity The third Particular is their Conveniency and the sutableness of these comforts here spoken of This is signified in that interpretation which renders it by the word according And here again are two things more First They are sutable to the number of the evils And Secondly they are sutable to the greatness of them for both of them may be very well understood in the Hebrew word Kov Secundum Multitudinem or Secundum Magnitudinem ye may explain it by either of them First Take it for the number and plurality of the Ke-rov thoughts i.e. Secundum Multitudinem And so there is this in it That God does administer comforts to his Servants answerable to the particular distractions which they are at any time afflicted withall This it holds very good according to the several instances of thoughts which we mentioned and reckon'd up before whether as concerning our own salvation or concerning our Temporal accommodation or concerning the Publick good of the State look what thoughts they be that Gods children are any time troubled with there are comforts from God which do come home to those thoughts in them and do either take them away or very much satisfie them about them As for example If they be troubled with thoughts of doubting concerning their own salvation and state in Grace Here the comforts of God do relieve them by clearing their evidences to them by shining upon his own graces in them and by testifying to their spirits by his spirit that they are his children and this is more then can be said to the contrary against them The Comforts of God are greater then either Satans suggestions or the misgivings of our own hearts when he will once come in for a witness where does there remain any more room for doubting and suspicion So again As for our Temporal accommodations in all particulars there also His comforts do serve to uphold us according to the multitude of our thoughts If it be in reference to our Provision and daily bread here he comforts us by making good to us his All-sufficiency and providence for us and care of us if it be in reference to our Protection he is a Buckler and shield He gives us also a word of Comfort fear not and shews how ready he is to protect us and defend us and preserve us from evil If it be in reference to our imployments and the business which are to be done by us here he Comforts us by shewing us how ready he is to assist us and to lend help unto us and to give us success in whatsoever in his name we undertake Thus in all particulars of this nature as we have any thoughts in our selves so answerably hereunto likewise have we comforts from God to mitigate and qualifie and relieve those in us Lastly In reference also to the Publick State and the condition of the Church Here are Comforts also answerable to our thoughts when we are here almost at our wits ends and know not what will become of things abroad whether this way or that then does he sweetly satisfie us and compose us and bring us in frame again by manifesting to us his own love and affection towards his Church his power and ability to save it and his readiness to work all things to the good and comfort of it Thus in all these several particulars when Gods people have been at a great stand and have not known what to conceive or imagine then have the Comforts of God come in most miraculously upon them All this tends to this purpose but so much the more still to strengthen our faith and to keep us from all dispondency and discouragement and fainting in our mindes but still to repair to this great Chirurgion and Physitian which hath a balsom with him for every sore and a cure with him for every disease which we are at any time subject unto or oppressed withall He does not mistake the distemper or the remedy which is requisite for it but keeps a due proportion and regularity in it giving to every evil a remedy which is most proper and peculiar to it According to the Multitude of our thoughts so are our Comforts The one as full as the other That 's the first Again Secondly According to the Greatness of them too that 's another thing considerable too As the Playster is as broad as the Sore so it is likewise as strong as the Sore also and is able to take away the Putredness and Corruption of it Great and grieving thoughts they have great and wondrous comforts attending upon them and so this Expression here in the Text seems to be all one with that of the Apostle Paul in another place 1 Cor. 1.5 As the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our Consolation also aboundeth by Christ There is not more Harshness in the one then Sweetness in the other This again does carry in it a great deal of Incouragement to us to keep us from sinking under great and heavy Afflictions In that there are none which do partake of greater Refreshments and Souls Ravishments from God then those which do suffer these greatest Tryals and Corrections from Him And so now we have the first particular in this second General viz. The Physick it self Thy Comforts The Second is the Operation of this Physick and that we have briefly in these words Delight my Soul Oblectant animam meam where again two things more First the Act and Secondly the Object of this Act. The Act They do delight The Object My Soul First For the Act Delight this is a transcendent Expression which the Holy Ghost in the pen of the Prophet David comes up unto It had been a great matter to have said they satisfie my Soul or they quiet me no more but so that 's the highest pitch which a perplext Spirit can wish to it self Those which are in great pain they would be glad if they might have but ease they cannot aspire so high as Pleasure and Delight this is more then can be expected by them but see here now the notable Efficacy of these Divine Comforts they do not onely pacify the mind but they joy it they do not onely satisfie it but ravish it they do not onely quiet it but delight it Thy Comforts delight my Soul That is not onely take away the present Grief but likewise put in the room and place of it most unspeakable Comfort
inabled to see the work of Grace to be wrought in his own Heart and shall have his Adoption Evidenced unto him it must needs be a thing very pleasing to him and such as he takes a great deal of more Contentment and Satisfaction in then in all Injoyments of the world whatsoever which it is possible for him to reslect upon as his Thus we see in all these Particulars and Explications which we have now mentioned how the Meditation of God is sweet And we have had an account of it in regard of the Object or the Person Meditated upon which is God Himself Now further we may take account of it from the Subject or Person Himself that Meditates and that is here exprest to be David it is not onely the Meditation of God is sweet but my Meditation of him is sweet which is here moreover considerable and that to make it compleat For let the Object be never so delightfull in its own Nature and apt to give Contentment in it self yet if the person that fastens upon it be not qualified for it there will be yet no Contentment in it It is not every ones Meditation No not upon God which has sweetness with it but onely of such Persons as have dispositions sutable thereunto and can draw out this sweetness which is in Him Now the Qualifications which are required to this purpose are briefly these First For the General a Savouriness and Heavenliness of Spirit as it is this which must put men upon such Meditations so it is this onely which must make them to relish them and to take delight in them There 's not the best things that are but they seem flat to a carnal Heart which can find no Contentment at all in them A vain and frothy Spirit takes a great deal of more pleasure in some Toy and Trifle and Song and empty Fable then it does in the highest points of Religion and all because it is not sutable and agreeable to such things as these are Therefore this Savouriness which we now speak off is necessary to this Spiritual Delight and the sweetness of this Divine Meditation for the Sensibleness and the Apprehensiveness of it Secondly A special love to God that 's also necessary to this Delight those that men care not to see they for the most part care not to think off but Affection it advances Contemplation how pleasing are Lovers in their thoughts one to another their Meditation of each other is sweet and so it is also betwixt Christ and the Believing Soul that Heart which is inflamed with his Love can never think enough of his Person nor of his Graces nor of the Excellencies which are in Him but is much ravished with the thoughts of Him And then Thirdly A perswasion likewise of the Love of God to Him he that will think of God comfortably must be in some sense and apprehension of Gods favour and of his interest in Him and that he is in good terms with Him not onely that God is reconciled to his Nature which we spake of before but also that he is reconciled to his Person and that he is actually at peace with him Those that are Enemies to God or which think God to be an Enemy to them they cannot but think of him with a great deal of horror and Astonishment and Trembling and Consternation of Spirit Lastly There 's required hereunto also a special sense of a mans own wants It is Hunger that makes Eating delightfull and it is Thirst that puts a pleasantness into Drinking there 's not onely the Palate which does conduce hereunto but also the Appetite and so it is also here in these Spiritual things Therefore as there is required a Savouriness so likewise a brokenness of Heart also how sweet are the Meditation of Christ and the Truths of Christianity to an Heart affected with the sight of Sin and the sense of Wrath. Oh Christ is now Christ indeed and the Gospel the Gospel and the promises they have a special sweetness and pleasantness in them Men that are addicted wholly to the world and to the pleasures and delights thereof they do usually but Scoff at such things as these are and make a mock and derision of them talk to them of delight in God and of the sweetness of Divine Meditation and they count it but a mear fancy and idle Speculation But such persons as have their Consciences inlightned and any work of Conviction upon them they relish and savour these things and indeed to speak of it none but they The whole they have no need of the Physitian but they that are Sick as our Blessed Saviour has told us and so the thoughts of the Physitian are not so pleasing to to any persons as they are to them These rejoyce when they do but think of him from the Consideration of their own wants they Honour the Physitian for their necessities which is an account of this Delight in Divine Meditation from the Subject or Person Himself that does meditate my Meditation Now the Consideration of this point thus open'd and amply fied to us may be thus far improved by us Namely as a great incouragement to the Saints and servants of God in what ever condition falls them That they may comfort and solace themselves in Him in the worst of those conditions and be sweetly supported in them when there 's nothing else that they can think of with comfort they can then think comfortably of God and of the Interest which they have in him as a relief and a refreshment to them And they should accordingly put themselves upon such thoughts as these are and inure themselves to them oh there 's a great deal of good which might be got by such performances as these if we were but more acquainted with them and accustomed to them in the course of Christianity and we loose a great part of the true sweetness of our lives when we are deficient in them For the better and more effectual working and inforcing of these things upon us It may not be amiss for us to take notice of this passage of the Text according to the full latitude and extent of the expression which is here used which according to the Original Emphasis is of various signification The Hebrew word which is here used is Siach which signifies three things especially and each of them very considerable of us First Meditation And Secondly Prayer And Thirdly Discourse According to the former notion so it signifies the sweetness which is in Divine and spiritual Contemplation and the musing on heavenly matters according to the second notion so it signifies the sweetness which is in Divine and Spiritual Communion and converse with God in Prayer According to the Third Notion so it signifies the sweetness which is in Holy and Religious Conference and the speaking of God one to another All of them very usefull and profitable Duties and Performances and such as are to be practised
with God as it is usually described 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostom or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Damascene The Ascension of the mind to God and Communion with Him Now this is very sweet and delightful to a gracious heart There 's no friends that have such mutual complacency and contentment in one anothers seciety as God and his servants have in one another It is pleasing to them to think of God but to speak to Him and He to them is a great deal more comfortable when the heart opens it self at any time to God and he again returns upon it there 's most unspeakable Contentment in it or on the otherside the Denyal of this has a great deal of sadness and bitterness with it Therefore we see what cause still we have to accustom and inure our selves hereunto all that may be Acquaint thy self with him and be at peace Job 22.21 And again ver 26 27. Thou shalt have thy delight in the Almighty and shalt lift up thy face unto God Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him Christians should make Conscience of Prayer and recourse to God upon all occasions not onely as a means of obtaining any thing from him but also a maintaining of Fellowship and Communion with him which is done in this Performance The Third and last notion of this word in this Text is Discourse which refers to the Communion of Saints and the converse of Christians one with another and so there is this in it My Conference about him is very sweet Christians they find a great deal of Contentment in Holy and Religious Communication not only when they think upon him within themselves which is Meditation not only when they speak unto him which is done in prayer but also when they speak of him and about him in converse and Christian discourse It is very sweet to make mention of God and to declare Him upon any occasion Thus Psal 145.5 I will speak of the glorious honour of thy Majesty and of thy wondrous works And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible Acts and I will declare thy greatnesse So Psal 34.1 c. I will bless the Lord at all times his praise shall be continually in my mouth My soul shal make her boast in the Lord the humble shall hear thereof and be glad O Magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his Name together This mutual Conference and Discourse about God it doth afford very much Contentment And that in these respects First As it is the Performance of a Duty which God requires of us In all Discharge of Duty there is Delight because the Conscience has thereby lighten'd it self of that burden which was upon it and so it is here It is pleasing to have paid a Debt Now this is that which we do very much owe to God to speak much of him we doe hereby so much the more Honour and advance him as it becomes us to do Secondly As it does good to others there is a great deal of pleasingness in this to a good Heart now this is that which follows upon this Performance as the Spouse in the Canticles whilst She spake of Christ to the Daughters of Jerusalem and set him out in all his Excellencies She hereby stirred up their desires after him and made them to be in love with him Thirdly It does so much the more settle things upon our own Hearts and inlarge our Affections to Christ in our selves as it was in the Instance we now mentioned of the Spouse while She spake of her Beloved to others she did thereby so much the more increase her own love and desires after Him Thus we see in all respects how much sweetness there is in this Performance as of Lovers to speak of their Beloveds Therefore we should learn from hence to make Conscience of this Duty together with the other before mentioned which have a mutual Connexion and Conjunction of one with another Meditation prepares for Prayer and both together prepare for Discourse and all have their interchangeable pleasure and delight and sweetness with him What an Heaven as it were upon Earth might a Christian live in all these particulars if he were not herein wanting to Himself we need to go no farther then Religion and the exercise and practise of Christianity whereby to make our lives Comfortable to us in the several varieties of it The Meditation of God is sweet the Converse with him and the Discourse and speaking of him all which are here intended in the Text. And so much may suffice to have spoken of the first Emphasis of this passage as it has the Nature of an Assertion and as signifying and declaring the Nature of these things The Second is as it has the notion of a Resolution that he would make it for his own Practise that is that he would comfort himself in such parformances as these are whilst others took pleasure in other things he would please himself in Communion with God this should be his Solace and delight upon all occasions David promises himself a great deal of Contentment in this exercise of Divine Meditation which he undertook with much delight And so likewise do others of Gods Servants of the same Nature and Disposition with him in the like undertakings They make the Ordinances and Duties of Religion to be great Refreshments and Recreations to them Prayer and Conference and Meditation and such as these they do not onely simply fall upon them and apply themselves to them but their Hearts and Spirits are in them and they are the very rejoycing of their Souls they reckon upon them and make account of them aforehand as their greatest Satisfaction There is nothing almost which is sweet or delightful but the Servants of God doe find out in the Ordinances and in particular in Divine Meditation which has a variety of Contentments in it First Of Company in Solitariness Solitude and Uncouthness is very burdensom to the Nature of man who by his Constitution is a Sociable Creature and desirous of Society now this is that which is supplyed by Converse and Communion with God whom a Gracious Heart delights in as a Companion and makes him to be so to him by his thoughts and Meditations of him he resolves when he is alone to betake himself to God by these Duties and indeed he is never less alone then when thus imployed Nunquam minus solus quam cum solus Divine Soliquyes has the advantage of the sweetest Society Secondly Of Counsell in Vncertanties Thy Testimonies says David they are my delight and my Counsellers Psal 119.24 His delight and his Counsellers that is his delight because his Counsellers his Counsellers and therefore his delight we know how delightful it is to any to have the advantage of good Counsell according to the perplexities and Distractions in which they may be Ointment and Perfume rejoyce the Heart so doth the sweetness of a mans Friend by hearty Counsell
persons as mind their Health they will take a sickness in the first risings and beginnings of it Even so also in regard of the Soul such persons as mind their Salvation they will in like manner resist their sins and temptations in the very first beginning Now therefore accordingly should we learn this piece of spiritual wisdom and Prudence our selves even to indeavour our spiritual recovery upon the first apprehensions of Distemper Let not Satan take possession of our souls let not vain thoughts lodge in us let us not continue in sin nor suffer it at any time to continue in us but exterminate it and dispossess it and discard it as soon as may be And apply our selves to such courses as may free us and deliver us from it The first grace is to see our Infirmities but the next grace is to remove them and shake them off as soon as we can as the Psalmist here did This is mine infirmity But I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High And thus much of the scope in General Now to come more Closely to the words themselves in particular I will remember the years c. The words in the Hebrew Text are Shenoth Jemin Gneljon which I find to be variously rendred and translated by Interpreters I shall not trouble you with them all at this present time but onely take notice of two of them which I conceive are the Principle and most comprehensive the one is of our Oldest English Translation and the other of our last and Newest the Former reads the words thus The right hand of the most High can change all this the latter reads the words thus as we have it now before us I will remember the years of c. The main Ground of this Variation is the different Exposition of the Hebrew word Shenoth which may be translated either to change from the Verb in the Infinitive mood or else may be translated yeares from the Noun in the Plurall Number This hath given the occasion to this difference and variety of Translation but the sense is very good and agreeable which way soever we take it and such as contains in it matter for our special Instruction First Take it according to the former Translation as it does Exhibit to us the Power of God The right hand of the Lord can change all this This was that whereby David did support himself in his present Affliction which we had mentioned in the beginning of the Psalm that the Lord was able to change and alter this his Condition to him and that for the better Mutatio Dextrae Excelsi There is a change in the right hand of the most High Though God himself be unchangeable considered in his own Essence yet his works and Providences and Dispensations have a variety in them and all such as do perfect and Accomplish his most unchangeable Purpose and Decree which he has set down with himself God does never less change his mind then when he does most change his Carriage and Practise and outward Administrations as being able from Contrary means to bring about the same Gracious Ends and Effects which he hath appointed to accomplish so that this Expression hath no Repugnancy or Inconsistency with it at all but is freely to be admitted by us and to be improved as t is here by the Psalmist This is the great Comfort of the Church and of every Person who is a member of it that let their present State and Condition be never so troublesome and Calamitous and full of Affliction yet the Lord is able to qualify it and mitigate it to them yea to mend it and better it for them and they may say in the words here before us The right hand of the Lord can change all this Where for the better amplifying and Illustrating of this present Passage unto us we may take notice of two words in it which are very Significant and Emphaticall The one is in that God is here called the most High And the other is that there is mention made of his Right hand It is not said God can do it no more but so but the most High and with his right Hand The one is an Expression of Eminency which carries an Advantage with that And the other is an Expression of Strength which carries an advantage with that likeness First There is the Advantage of Eminency in that God is called the most High because Height it has the Opportunity of Prospect he that stands Higher then others he has the advantage of overlooking them and beholding them and of seeing what they do and so is able to order and to manage his affairs accordingly with greater success Now thus is God the Lord he is the most High God and so he is said to dwell on High frequently in Scripture from whence he has the better Inspection to behold the things which are done both in Heaven and Earth and likewise the greater Influence as to the ruling and disposing of them Secondly There 's the Advantage of Strength in that there is mention made of his right hand which is a word of Power The right hand of the Lord doth Valiantly the right hand of the Lord brings mighty things to pass Prov. 118.15.16 And so Psal 89.13 Thou hast a mighty Arm strong is thine hand and high is thy right hand Gods right hand it is a strong hand and does great things in the world But more particularly as pertinent to the Text David does Comfort himself in this Power and strength of God and this right hand of the most High As to the Business of Change and Alteration The right hand of the most High can change all this And here again it has a double Reference or respect with it The one in order to his Condition And the other in order to his Mind as also the word Infirmity mentioned in the former part of the verse it may have a double sense with it either as it denotes his outward State or temper of Body or as it denotes his inward Disposition and frame of Soul This is mine Infirmity but God can change that that is He can renounce this present Distress which is upon me or again This is my Infirmity but God can change that that is he can remove the present Disturbance which is upon me he can heal the Infirmities of my Spirit Gods Power it extends to both First As to the Infirmities of his Condition and the present State in which he now was Take it so and here he Comforts and pleases Himself that as bad as it was now with Him God was able to better it to him Here 's my Sickness but there 's my Physitian This is my Infirmity but there 's a Power to Deliver me from it even the right hand of God This is a great Satisfaction to Gods Servants in the worst Conditions that there is Hope and Help for them in God when they know not how to help
of Gods servants in this regard who dare not trust him with their lives and the preservation of them notwithstanding so many Gracious Promises and experiences which they have received from him As David he was but just before delivered out of his enemies hands and he presently cryes I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul even so it is with many others besides who as the Apostle speaks through fear of death are all their life-time subject to bondage Heb 2.15 Now for such as these they may be here said from this passage before us though God may bring them to danger yet as he sees cause he will deliver them from it as he did here with this servant David The Lord hath chastened me sore but he hath not given me over to death Secondly Where we partake of this mercy let us acknowlelge it with all thankfulness Thus does David do here we are to take notice not onely of his words but also of his Affection which is signified in them and the Spirit from whence they came from him he utters them with a great deal of feeling and sensibleness of Gods goodness to him And so they are not onely a narration of his present condition but an acknowledgement of Gods favour to himself to an answerable temper and disposition which he does here Express by the words which came from Him He hath not given me over to Death They are not words of Boasting and Vanity and Ostentation and Carnal Rejoyceing but the words of Soberness and Piety and Discretion And there are divers things intended by them First He would make it an Argument for Patience The escaping greater Evils should breed Contentation under less That as God afflicts us below our Deserts so also below our Capacities that he does not afflict us in the utmost Extremity and so to this purpose should we argue and reason with our selves he has taken away my Health but he hath not taken away my Life He hath exercised me in my Body but he has spared my Soul He hath deprived me of Earthly Comforts but he hath not deprived me of Heavenly of the Graces of his Spirit of the assurance of his Love of the Communion with himself of his own blessed and Gracious presence these he hath not denyed me but continued them still in the midst of all other Discouragements Secondly He would hereby silence the false rumours which were to the Contrary and the Insultations of his Enemies from them for their mouthes were full to this purpose and delighted to be so as these which spake according as they would have it as in the place before alledged Psal 41.6.7 And if he come to see me he speaketh Vanity his Heart gathereth Iniquity to it self when he goeth abroad he telleth it all that hate me whisper together against me against me do they devise my hurt This was the Condition of David in regard of his Enemies They Tryumpht before the Victory and pleased themselves both in the thoughts and speeches of his supposed Ruine and Destruction now by this Expression here in the Text he does in an holy and Humble manner signifie their Mistake and Disappointment as if he had said unto them it is not so bad as ye thought it nor so bad as ye hoped it nor so bad as ye talked it I am through Gods goodness alive still for all the surmises The Lord hath Chastened me sore but he hath not given me over to Death Thirdly Which is here namely Considerable David I say would hereby express his Thankfulness to God for this Mercy they are words of Praise and spiritual Rejoyceing as appears by those that follow in the 19 verse of this Psalm Open to me the Gates of Righteousness and I will go into them and will praise the Lord namely for this his Goodness to me This is that which we all should do as we have occasion for it and indeed there 's none of us all but have so one way or other though some more then other either by way of prevention in keeping of Evils from us or by way of recovery in delivering us out of those Evils and especially in these late Distempers which have been so rife and frequent amongst us for this year now last past wherein Death hath come up into our Windows as the Scripture speaks that we should not be given over to it is matter of due praise unto us and to be acknowledged by us And we cannot better nenew the year unto us then by such performances as these are And further stir up others to do so occasionally from our Example which is another thing here intended by David in this Expression he does not onely hereby signify his own Thankfulness but also excite and stir up others to praise God both for him and themselves upon the like occasion as we find him in another place Psal 34.2.3 My Soul shall make her boast of God the humble shall hear thereof and be glad O magnify the Lord with me and let us Exalt his name together But especially as a third Improvement of this point let us be careful to use our lives well which God has given us to his Glory and so give them back to him again who has first given them too us Life it is a Blessing as it used and ordered by us For men to live onely a Natural Life here in the word to Eat and Drink and take their pleasures like brute Beasts Alas what a poor thing is that for men to live onely for such a purpose as this is to fiill up the measure of their Sins and to aggravate their Account at another Day by thinking that they are delivered to commit such and such Abominations this is very sad and Miserable but then is Life indeed when it is improved to Gods Glory The doing of good in our several Opportunities the Furtherance both of our own and others Salvation and laying up in store a good Foundation against the time to come laying hold on Eternal Life Therefore I beseech ye let us be careful especially to look to this and that likewise those which are in the prime of their Years and Health and Strength let them not neglect so Blessed an Opportunity as that is those that are past it let them indeavour to redeem it for time to Come We should labour to find our lives given us and continued to us in Mercy and Love which we may know to be no otherwise then accordingly as we have hearts given us with them for the improvement of them as we may do any other Mercy besides where it has the stamp of Gods love upon it it makes us to serve him better with it and our selves to be really and indeed so much the better for it whereas when it is otherwise it is a fign it is in wrath and to harden us so much the more in Evil There 's none are so bad as those who are bad after Mercies Received both as having
was remarkable in them and is also commendable in any others with them and that which makes Society pleasing and comfortable to them Yea indeed there 's no true Society to speak of without this that meeting which is separated from Love and Vnity and Charity and friendly Agreement it is not a Meeting but a Justling it is not an uniting of Bodies but a disjoyning and dividing of Souls and Spirits which makes the Cheifest and greatest Conjunction That 's the first word here Considerable viz. Together which is a word of Society and mutual Conversation Second is to Dwell sheweth which is a word of Residence and Abode and Continuation This is also pertaining to the Love and Concord of Brethren a Perseverance and Persistency in it not onely to be together or to come together or to meet together for some certain time but to dwell together in Unity this is that which is here so extolled and Commended unto us it seems to be no such great matter nor to carry any such great Difficulty in it for men to command themselves to some Expressions of peace and friendship for some short space of time though there are many now and then which are hardly able to do that but to hold out in it and to continue so long that is almost Impossible to them yet this is that which is required of them as Christians and as Brethren one to another even to dwell together in Vnity to follow Peace and Love and Concord and mutual Agreement not onely upon some occasional Meetings but all along in the whole course of their Lives while they converse and live together For the better opening of this present Passage before us of dwelling together in Vnity we must take it in it's full Latitude and Extent and that is by making it as large as the Persons which are the Subjects of it who are here exprest by Brethren These I told you before came under a threefold Denomination of Natural of Civill and of Spiritual And accordingly also has this Vnity in dwelling together the like reference and respect with it in those that do so Domesticall Politicall and Ecclesiasticall each of these are here signified and intended First Domesticall Unity that dwell together in the same Family Here 's a Commendation of such an Vnity as this is and indeed it is that which is very much to be minded by Christians as that which is in a manner the Ground and Foundation of all the rest As Piety it is to begin here so likewise Vnity that those who are the several parts and members and Inhabitants in it they do serve one another in Love whereby they may be able so much the better to serve God And that their Prayers may not be hindered as the Apostle Peter speaks in 1 Pet. 3.7 This is the Gift of God himself and of him alone who accordingly is to be sought unto for it He is the God that makes men to be of one mind in an House as some Translators reads it in Psal 68.6 Moshiv jechidhim baijth and that fashions their hearts alike Ha-jotser jechidh libbam as it is Psal 33.15 That 's the first kind of Unity which is Domestick The Second is Political Vnity Brethren that dwell together that is that dwell together in the same City as which in regard of any Civil Obligations are interested in it These are also concern'd in this Business there 's nothing more Honourable for Citizens then as much as in them lies to studdy the Peace and Wellfare and Happiness and Prosperity of the City whereunto they belong considered in General and of the Company whereunto they belong considered in particular This is also for Brethren to dwell together in Vnity as it is here exprest this was the Commendation of Mordecai That he sough the wellfare of his people and spake peace to all his seed Esth 10.3 And how does David himself pray for Jerusalem which he tells us was as a City that is at Vnity in it self Psal 101.6 c. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love thee Peace be within thy walls and Prosperity within thy Palaces For my Brethren and Companions sake will I now say peace be within thee Because of the House of the Lord our God I will seek thy Good That is both upon a Civil account and Religious We know when the Jewes were in Captivity in Babylon the Lord required them to seek the peace of that City wherein they then dwelt Because in the peace thereof they should have peace Jer. 29.7 And if it was so in regard of Babylon how much more should it be so for Jerusalem The Third therefore is Ecclesiastical for Brethren that dwell together that is that dwell together in the same Church or if ye will take it more restraindly that dwell together in the same Parish belong to the same Congregation are under the same Ministry and do partake of the same Ordinances and Exercises and spiritual Advantages and Opportunities Of these also there is required this Unity and Unanity and mutual Agreement in their Society and Converse with one another This is that which the Apostle Paul does so often and Vigorously press upon the several Churches to which he writes to the Romans chap. 15. vers 5. c. Now the God of Patience and Conselation grant you to be like minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus that ye may with one Mind and one Mouth glorify God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ wherefore receive ye one another as Christ also received us to the Glory of God To the Corinthians 1 Cor. 1.10 Now I beseech ye Brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no Divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same Judgment To the Ephesians Let all Bitterness and Wrath and Anger and Clamour and Evil speaking to be put away from you with all Malice and be ye kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Eph. 4.31.32 And so again Chap. 5. vers 1.2 Be ye followers of God as dear Children and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling Savour Last of all to add no more at this time to the Philippians Chap. 2. vers 1. c. If therefore their be any Consolation in Christ if any Comfort of Love if any Fellowship of the Spirit if any Bowels and Mercies Fulfil ye my Joy that ye be like minded being of one accord of one mind See how Earnestly and Vehement and Importinent this Blessed Apostle here now is to perswade these Christians to love and agreement as apprehending some special worth and necessity in it And so much may be spoken of the first Branch of this first General in
intimate Eph. 4.30 31. Secondly This Brotherly Vnity as it is a thing which is well-pleasing to God and delightfull to him so it is also pleasant to our selves who accordingly shall have so much the greater pleasure in it and from it Quarrelsom and Contentious Persons that like Salamanders live in the fire they are oftentimes a very burden to themsevles And those that are not careful to maintain peace with others they want it now and then even in their own hearts and breasts And though strife be pleasing to them so far forth as it best sutes with their sinfull and corrupt nature yet so far forth as it best sutes with their sinful and corrupt nature yet so far forth as they have likewise any principles of humanity in them it must needs be very harsh and unpleasing and troublesome to them and so it is And on the other side Concord and mutual agreement is a great deal more delightfull A man has a great deal of more freedom and contentment in his own spirit when as upon good terms he is in Peace and Love with other men He injoyes himself a great deal more fully and has so much the more inward peace and tranquillity in his own Conscience occasionally from it it is pleasant that is it is pleasing to our selves Thirdly It is also pleasing to others to all men else besides that are standers by and spectators of it Behold how pleasant it is c. It is pleasant to all Beholders He that in these things serveth Christ he is acceptable to God and approved of men sayes the Apostle Rom. 14.18 Persons that are given to contention they are offensive to all that come near them and that are round about them who are troubled and displeased with them But quiet and peaceable persons they draw the Love and respect of all to them it is a most lovely and amiable spectacle Therefore that which is here by our own Translators rendred pleasant is by some others expounded Comely as the Hebrew word Nagnim which is used will very well bear it It is pleasant to the Eye which is refresht with such a sight as this is and thus it is pleasant in reference to all sorts of Persons To God to our selves and to other men And so ye have each Qualification whence it is Commendable to us both from the goodness of it and the Pleasantness Now to set home this point so much the more effectually upon us it may not be amiss for us but very pertinent and seasonable to take notice of it in the Inlargement and Illustration which is here used in this Psalm for the further commending of it to us And that as taken from a twofold similitude The one in the second verse of the oyntment upon the Head of Aaron And the other in the third verse of the dew of Hermon and of that which discended upon the Mountains of Sion First To take notice briefly of the former Illustration in the second verse which is very Emphatical and that in sundry particulars wherein this Fraternal Concord is compared to the Holy Oyle of Anointing which is exprest and described unto us in Exod. 30. First For the Nature and Quality of it It is precious Oyntment Shemen-ha-tou It is not to common and ordinary use Oyl of any Consideration whatsoever but the best and choycest that could be lighted-on Like that wherewith Mary Magdalene anointed Christ before his Passion when she brought forth an Alablaster box of oyntment of Spikenard very precious and poured it upon his head Mark 14.3 Such was this whereunto the Concord of Brethren is compared here in this Scripture To set forth unto us the preciousness and excellency of of it It is a vertue of very rare account and so to be esteemed of by us It is such which carries a good name and Report with it and accordingly like that is also better then precious Oyntment Secondly For the ordering and disposing of it It is compared not to oyl inclosed and shut up in a vessel but to oyl effused and poured forth abroad which is more significant As that which does cast forth a special fragrancy and odoriferousness with it Look how a Box of precious Oyntment when it is broken it does cast forth such a smell as does refresh the nostrils and brains of all such persons as are made partakers of it So in like manner the Unity of Brethren it is very sweet to all that observe it Because of the savour of thy good Oyntment thy Name is an Oyntment poured forth therefore the Virgins love thee as the Spouse of Christ speaks of her beloved Cant. 1.3 Thirdly For the Person whom it refers to It is not the anointing onely of some Levit or Common Priest but the anointing of Aaron himself who was the high Priest of all and therein a special Type of Christ as prefigured and shadowed out in him Lastly As to the Importment and Communication of it It was not oyle which rested onely upon Aarons Head but run down upon his Beard and from thence further to the skirts of his Garments which is a lively description to us of the property of this Grace of Love and Brotherly Agreement It is such as does not rest it self onely in those who are the next and immediate subjects of it but it conveyes it self to many other Love it is of a very diffusive and communicative Disposition It does not ingross all comfort to it self but it imparts it also to its brethren and all that are near unto it they are the better for it yea sometimes which are at a distance from it as in Superiours towards those that are below them in the skirts of the garments as from Christ to all his Members And that 's the first similitude The second Similitude is in the third verse As the dew of Hermon and as the Dew that descends upon the Mountains of Sion Look as Gardens and Fields and Meadows where they want dew and seasonable rain they become dry and barren and unfruitful and on the other side where these are any thing in abundance they are thriving and flourishing So Churches and States and Companies and Societies and the like where they are destitute of Brotherly Concord they are decaying and languishing But where this is any thing upheld and preserved in them they are likely to hold out and continue For there the Lord hath commanded his blessing even life for evermore And so now I have done with the first General Part of the Text which is the sight it self or spectacle propounded in these words how good and pleasant a thing it is for Brethren to dwell together in Vnity The Second with which I will conclude all and that as it were in a way of Application is the Invitation to the Observing of it In the word Behold which is set in the Front of the Text and it is Introductive to all the rest but comes last of all to be handled by
To teach them likewise by way of Conformity and Imitation to take pleasure and to delight in one unother First I say by way of Thankfulness to delight in Him Delight thy self in the Lord. It is the Counsell which the Scripture gives us and here 's a very good Argument and Reason for it because he delights in us We should solace our selves in God and take pleasure in Communion with him this we do when we are careful to observe him and to yeild Obedience to him When we delight to do his will and his Law is as it were written in our Hearts then indeed do we delight in Him when his Statues are our delight and his Sabboths are our delight and his Ordinances are our delight then is he our delight Himself those that truly delights in God they delight in every thing that savors of Him and that belongs unto Him When men shall pretend to take pleasure in God and yet shall think much of doing him service when they shall snuff with them in Malachy and cry what a Weariness it is to us c. When his Commandements shall be grievous to them and they shall think it to be the greatest Torment to be exercised and imployed about them This shewes that they have little true Delight or pleasure in God Himself Secondly This teaches us also to delight in Gods people our selves in Imitation of Him shall the Lord take pleasure in his servants and shall not they take pleasure in one another How unsutable and unagreeable is this we should learn from this Observation to take special Contentment in those that are dear to God those that are his Delight they should be our delight also and we should make very much of them this was that which the Prophet David professes concerning Himself Psal 16.2.3 O my Soul thou hast said unto the Lord thou art my Lord my goodness extendeth not unto thee but unto the Saints that are on Earth and unto the Excellent in whom is all my Delight David 's Delight was in those that were Good and that excelled in Virtue and Piety he was a Companion of those that feared God and he delighted much in the Communion of Saints because they were such as God delighted in and took pleasure Himself And so it should be with all of us What may we think of those that are never worse then in such Company as this who are Despisers of those that are good as the Scripture complains and hates the graciousness of those that fear the Lord how far are they from being like unto God Himself who is here said to take pleasure in them Certainly this is a very ill Note and Character in them men are much according to their Delight and Rellish whether of Persons or things Lastly Seeing God does take pleasure in his Servants therefore let us take heed of doing any thing which may be hurtfull or pernicious to them It is a dangerous business to wrong the favorite of a Prince because he is one in whom he delights And so it is also to wrong the friends of God and the Favorites of Heaven it is such as he will not put up where we are any way guilty of it Love it is a Revengeful Affection upon any thing which stands in it's way and which goes cross unto it and so it is here with God in this particular because he takes such special pleasure and delight in his people therefore will he be avenged on all those that are Adversaries and Enemies against them and that attempt any thing upon them And so much may be spoken of this Passage as it may be taken Specificative as those that fear him and that hope in his Mercy are general Descriptions of his People and so his taking pleasure in them an Expression of his Delight in them at large Now further Secondly They may be taken Reduplicative as shewing upon what account especially God does indeed delight in them Namely as to the exercise of those two eminent Graces in them which are Fear and Hope God takes pleasure in all his people who are commonly exprest and known by those Graces but he does delight in them more especially according to the exercise of these Graces Look how far forth any Christians do reverence God and stand in aw of Him and look how far again any of them do waite and depend upon Him so far forth does he Himself take pleasure and delight in them This is that which is here Considerable of us For the better handling of them wee 'l take them asunder and look upon them distinctly And First here to speak of Gods Fear The Lord takes pleasure in them that fear him that is not onely which for the General are his Children as that is usually a Discription of them in Scripture but which do express a special awfulness and regard of him and fearfulness and tenderness of offending him he delights in those of all others Thus Esay 66.2 To this man will I look saith the Lord even to him that is poor and of a Contrite Spirit and that trim bleth at my word Happy is the man that fearth alway but he that hardneth his heart shall fall into mischief Prov. 28.14 Still this fear is commended as very desirable The reason of it is this because it is that which has a very great Influence upon the Life and Conversation for the regulating and ordering of that look how far forth any fear God so far forth will they approve themselves to him and do those things which are pleasing in his sight Fear it is the Awband of the Soul which restrains it and keeps it in good order and preserves it from Miscarriage And again it is the Spur of the Soul which quickens it and excites it and provokes it to the doing of Good so much fear of God so much Innocency and Vprightness And this is that which makes God so to love it and to take pleasure in it and in those who are the Subjects of it Therefore it should teach us especially to nourish and cherish this in our hearts all that may be We should be in the fear of the Lord all the day long as Solomon exhorts us Prov. 23.17 Those that cast of this once they cast of all kind of Goodness with it and the true reason why any do so transgress is from the want and defect of it Psal 36.1 2. The Transgression of the wicked saith within my Heart that there is no fear of God before his eyes For he flattereth himself in his own Eyes untill his Iniquities be found to be hateful Whereas on the otherside wheresoever this is it does still dispose a man to that which is his Duty Therefore Joseph when he would satisfy his Brethren concerning that wherein they suspected him as if he intended some mischeif unto them he gives them no other answer then this I fear God in Gen. 42.18 As who should say whilst he did so there was no likely
this Mercy and that we are inabled so to do it is that which every one cannot do even there where there is Mercy fitted and prepared and provided for him go praise God for that Thirdly That God accepts of this Hope from us and is so well pleased with it in us we have cause to praise him likewise for this to say the Lord be magnified as who rejoyces in the Prosperity so takes pleasure in the Graces of his Servants and that even at such times as he neglects the great thins of the World and in a sort despises them That the Bones of the mighty are oftentimes broken while they that stumbled are girt with strength as Hannah in her Song expresses it 1 Samuel 2.4 And so I have done with these words as in their absolute Consideration so in their Comparative and so with the whole Text it self The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his Mercy SERMON XXIX Prov. 3.17 Her wayes are wayes of Pleasantness and all her paths are Peace It is the Nature and Disposition of Artists and those which are of any Mystery or Profession as much as they can to extoll and advance that Profession which they are off and to Commend it to the Consideration of others As Paul of the Ministry of the Gentiles I magnifie mine own Office Rom. 11.13 Every one is ready to magnifie that way which he takes up to Himself above all others whatsover and this as it is observable in other things so amongst the rest especially in Religion and the wayes of Godliness Those which are the Professors of this they desire as much as may be to Commend it and set it forth to the view of other men Wisdom is justified of her Children as our Saviour tells us Thus we may observe it to be here in this Scripture which we have now before us in the Example of the wise man Solomon who being a Son of Wisdome and of special Wisdom especially that is Grace and Holiness and Religion which he here speaks off does in divers Chapters together applaud it and praise it all he can that so thereby he may invite others unto it IN these words we have described unto us the Excellency of Godliness and Religion in two particulars which may serve to make up unto us the parts of the Text. First From it's Pleasure and delight Her wayes are wayes of pleasantness Secondly From it's Tranquility and Quiet And all her paths are peace We begin First of all with the former to wit the description of Godliness from the pleasure and delight which is in it The wayes of Godliness and Religion are exceeding pleasing and delightful wayes they carry a great deal of sweetness and Contentment and pleasantness in them This is the point which is here exhibited unto us and it dâ—â—â— appear out of other places of Scripture likewise as Psal 36.8 David speaking of the Church and members of it sayes That they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Gods House and that he would make them to drink of the Rivers of his pleasures And Psal 118.15 The voyce of joy and Salvaton is sayd to be in the Tabernacles of the Righteousness So Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the Righteous and Gladness for the Vpright in Heart Esay 51.11 The redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing unto Zion and everlasting joy shall be upon their Head they shall obtain gladness and joy and Sorrow and Mourning shall flee away Esay 64.5 Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh Righteousness where you see they are both joyned together And Galat. 5.22 The fruit of the Spirit is joy Now this Truth it may be further amplyfied and made good to us in sundry particulars which do prove and confirm it unto us There is a great deal of pleasure in Religion in sundry respects Wee 'l take them in that order as they do offer and present themselves to our thoughts As First of all In the work of Grace and Regeneration wrought in the heart All the several Graces of the Spirit and the habits of Sanctification which are in us they do reflect very sweetly upon us and there is a great deal of delight and Contentment to the Soul which does see them in it self Take a man which is full of Lusts and Corruptions which bear sway in him and he is a loathsome and abominable Creature sometimes even in his own Apprehensions A wicked and ungodly man he is in some manner odious to himself and is overcome as I may say now and then even with his own stench like a man which is in filthy Rags and torn and uncomely Garments he does not like himself in them But now on the otherside a good Christian which has the Grace of the Spirit of God in him and the work of the New Creature in his Soul he is so far forth pleasing to himself Grace is a very sweet and odoriferous Qualification as it casts a sweet savor into the Nostrils of all others that stand by it so especially as I may say into the Nostrils of all those that partake of it That Soul which is indued with it is like one that has roll'd himself in a Bed of Spices who is all over sweet and delightful I might set it forth to you in all the resemblances of Comfort and Contentment look whatever it be which in the discovery and discerning of it does usually afford delight to our selves the same may be applyed to the Graces of Gods Spirit and the sanctifying Qualities which are in us not onely as odoures and sweet spices to the smell it 's pleasing to be sensible of them But likewise further as Treasures of Gold and Silver there are many which much delight in them The Rich man when he looks in to his Coffers how much contentment does he take in them even there where others deride him and laughed at him Populus mei sibilat c. Yea but now a Godly man recounting the Graces which are in him has more true comfort and content by far And that 's the First particular wherein Godliness proves so delightful In the work of Regeneration and the habits of the Spirit of God in us Secondly As there 's a sweetness in reflecting upon Grace in the having of it so especially in the Exercise of it Every Grace the more it is improveed carries a delight and pleasurableness in it in what kind soever Therefore the Psalmist tells us that in keeping of Gods Commandments there is great Reward Mark not onely for the keeping but in the keeping be-shomran Psal 19.11 There 's Praemium ante Praemium A reward before the reward even in the thing it self Sutable to the nature of the Grace is the Exhibition of the comfort yea the very Heathen and Moralists themselves so far forth as they exercised vertue and practised that natural goodness which was in them they had some kind of comfort and contentment
arising from it to them much more then is it so to true Christians in the exercise of the Graces of the Spirit These must have needs a great deal of comfort and so indeed they have which makes their lives full of sweetness in the midst of many outward crosses and difficulties which they here meet withal To instance in some few particulars for the clearing of the Point unto you In Faith The Exercise of that Grace what a great deal of sweetness is there in this whereby a Christian has somewhat to stay and support and hold up himself in the greatest discouragements When all the world is disquieted and knows not which way to turn it self then does a Believer quiet himself in God and his interest in Him He shall not be afraid of evil tydings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord like a man who is on the top of a Rock that the waves are not able to reach him even so is it with a Christian who is led to the Rock that is higher then himself In the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him Psal 32.6 Yea though he be in the midst of the waters yet he makes a shift to hold up his head As we see it was with David himself in that great affliction at Ziklag 1 Sam. 30.6 He comforted himself in the Lord. He had experience of this himself and accordingly he commends it to others to delight in that Psal 17.4 And so the Prophet Isaiah shews us a view of comfort from hence in the saddest conditions Isa 50.10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God This for the exercise of Faith And so again for the Exercise of Patience which is a principal sprig of faith How much sweetness is there also in this An impatient Person is a burden to himself and the more he struggles with any evil the more he intangles himself with it and findes a greater bitterness in it whereas by a quiet submission to it and patience under the hand of God it becomes so much themore easier Levius sit patientia quicquid corrigere est nefas And so for meekness and love and peace how much sweetness in that A quarrelsom person is a burden as it were to himself he has no quietness in his own breast but is like the raging Sea which casts up mire and dirt but where there 's Love and Unity and Agreement there 's a sweet calmness and tranquillity of mind So for Repentance and Godly sorrow there is a joy which is mingled with it and which flowes from it The more we mourn for sin the more true comfort in our own heart The jolliness of sinners it has sometimes a bitterness with it but the quiet of penitent persons is not without some mixture of a great deal of comfort attending upon it Last of all To add no more in this kind The practise of Mortification in the subduing and restraining of lusts it has a great deal of delightfulness in it also The Delight of sin is nothing to the delight of holy restraint when a man has grappled with any strong Temptation resisted any violent lust denyed himself in a sinful allurement what a contentment does from hence now come in and flow into the heart which another is unsensible off This is the misery of any sin yielded to or any temptation closed withal that besides the guilt which it brings upon the conscience it leaves an unfavoriness upon the spirit it does not onely smart but foul which is very displeasing but now on the otherside the resistance of it is not onely peaceable but pleasant It is a great comfort to him that does it And that 's the second Explication There 's a sweetness in the exercise of Grace in all the several kinds of it Thirdly There 's a great pleasingness likewise in all the Duties and Exercises of Religion whatsoever they be As for instance First in Prayer and a daily and continued ejaculation and communion with God in this performance What a great deal of Solace does a gracious heart find to it self here when upon all occasions it can unbosom it self to God and draw near to him for any thing which it wants and stands in needs of lay open all its complaints and express its desires and send up all its groans It is impossible to express the contentment which the soul findes in such a performance The crying Abba Father and the sweet returns of Gods Spirit upon the heart back again how do they ravish it and lift it up to heaven We know what is recorded of Hannah 1 Sam. 1.18 That when she had prayed she was no more sad but was satisfied and well-contented with her condition David had great peace and comfort in this performance when nothing else could quiet him besides And so Job My friends sayes he spake freely against me but my soul powred forth complaints unto God Prayer is a very comfortable Duty not onely in regard of the effects and consequents and benefits which come by it but also from the very thing it self Not onely in that it is a means to obtain great things from him but likewise that it is a work wherein we injoy communion with him wherein there 's intercourse betwixt God and us As it is betwixt friend and friend the very discourse which they have one with another is pleasing and delightful though the things which they discourse about may be but ordinary affairs Even so betwixt a Christian and God Though the things which sometimes he asks at Gods hands be but common matters as pertaining to the things of this life yet the fellowship and holy Society which the heart hath with God in the Duty is reward enough to him that is exercised and imployed in it Prayer it is a kind of Ascension of the mind to God as it uses commonly to be describ'd and in that regard very delightfull That 's the first Duty the Duty of Prayer Secondly The Reading of the Scriptures There 's a great deal of sweetness likewise in that David speaking of the word of God sayes 't is to him as his appointed food that he rejoyces in it more then in great Riches That Gods Testimonies are his delight and his Counfellors and that the word of God is sweeter to him then the honey or the honey-comb and such like expressions as these We shall read in the Chronicles of the Martyrs what contentment some of them took in Pauls Epistles and if they could get but a leaf or two of the Bible they made account of it as a very great Treasure The sweetness of Prayer is that therein we speak to God and the sweetness of Reading is that therein we have God speaking to us and revealing his mind unto us we have here a satisfaction of us in a double
indeed for him These are they which make us the greatest work and cause the greatest disturbance to us As we may see upon divers occasions in Pride in Revenge in Impatience in Discontent in Inconstancy If a mans Thoughts were but here brought in frame all that remains would be easily brought to pass Thirdly Here is Imply'd further this That settlement and Quietness and Tranquillity and Establishment of Thoughts it is a very great Happiness and Mercy This I say is here Imply'd because it is here brought in in the Text in a way of Promise and especial Incouragement Solomon makes account that he has said somewhat which may very well please and satisfie us when he says Our Thoughts shall be Establisht and so he has It is a great Mercy for a man to have quiet and composed Thoughts The Happiness of Thoughts Establisht it is an Happiness simply in it self as mans Mind is the chiefest Principle in him which being well or ill makes the man accordingly so to be as in the Point before And it is an happiness also in the consequents as it is that which has an influence upon every other particular in him It is that which sweetens Business and Estates and Friends and all other Comforts besides which we injoy with it which made David so earnestly to beg it Psal 51.10 11. when he prayed for a Right and Constant and Stable Spirit This teaches us accordingly to prize it and where we injoy it to be thankfull for it and to Bless God for the injoyment of it especially there where it proceeds and is set upon right Grounds Indeed in some Cases and for some Persons it were a great deal better for them in some sense to have their minds troubled that so they might at last have them settled in a more sure way But in the sense we now speak of an Establisht and Quiet Mind is a Mercy and so to be accounted In the want of many other Comforts and Accommodations besides it is that which is All in All. And so much may suffice briefly to have spoken of the Points which are here implyed from the Phrase and manner of Expression which is used in this place We come now a little closer to the Text Thy Thoughts shall be Establisht This is the Promise which is made and this is the Blessing which does belong to the Committing of our Works to the Lord that it shall have this falling upon it This word Thoughts Makshevoth it may carry a double meaning and Interpretation with it Either first of all as understanding thereby the Workings and Agitations of the Mind it self Thy Thoughts that is thy Imagination by taking it Formalites Subjective or else Secondly As understanding thereby the result and effect of such Workings Thy Thoughts that is thy Purposes and Devices and Contrivances and Works themselves The things which thy Thoughts and Mind are Imployed about by taking it matcrialiter objective Either of these may be here understood as belonging to this establishment of Thoughts and as annext to this business of Committing our Works to the Lord It inferrs either of them First To take it of the Mind it self Thy Thoughts shall be Establisht that is thou shalt have a Mind free from any other trouble and distraction when thou hast practised this Counselin the Text. And here again we may look upon it and consider it in a twofold notion more Either First of all as matter of Duty or Secondly as matter of Priviledge As matter of Duty so it Shews us that which ought to be As matter of Priviledge so it shews that which will be Each of these as I conceive are here pertinently considerable First of all I say we may here look upon it as matter of Duty and as shewing us what ought to be By taking futurum pro Imperatum which with the Hebrews we know is very ordinary Thy Thoughts shall be Established That is Let thy Thoughts be Established And thus now it carrys a very good Connexion and Conjunction with the words before and inferrs one Duty upon another and carries this Truth and Intimation with it That when we have once in an Holy and Humble manner committed our Works to the Lord we ought now no farther to trouble or to disquiet our Minds about them but so far forth as our Thoughts are any thing in our own Power and our minds are at our own Commands as in some respects they are so far forth it becomes us and it is our Duty to establish and quiet our minds and to set our hearts at rest or thoughts in our selves This is as they are intended thus we use to express it Thus we have it in the Exhortation of the Apostle Phil. 4.6 Be carefull for nothing but in every thing by Prayer and Supplication let your requests be made known unto God As who should say when we have done this there were no more required of us When we have committed our works to the Lord this is all that we are now to trouble and take up our thoughts withal I mean in regard of our Distraction and Disquiet of Spirit This does not exclude the use of Means and the closing with those Opportunities and Advantages which God does afford unto us But it excludes only Anxiety and Sollicitude and Perplexity of mind It is a great peice of weakness in us when we have Commended our Conditions to God to be still as full of Distraction in our selves as if there had not been done any such thing by us And to speak distinctly of it it has these Particulars in it First It is an Implicit distrusting of God Himself as if he were not able or not willing to order our business for us and to succeed those Works to us which we had committed unto him which is no other than an high Indignity offered to his Majesty Secondly It is a frustrating of Gods Ordinance and making a meer Shaddow and Cipher of Prayer it self as if it had no Fruit or Efficacy with it at all but onely might be used for Fashion and Formalities sake and there were an end Thirdly It is an imposing of so much needless trouble upon our selves and disquieting our own minds more than we have cause at present to do Forasmuch as the Ground of Disquiet ceasing the Disquiet it self should cease also to us Let this therefore make us to take heed of being guilty in this Particular when we have once Committed our Works to the Lord let our thoughts from henceforth be Established and Settled and Quieted in our selves Let him alone with our Estate and Condition he will be sure to Order and Dispose of it well unto us Why art thou cast down O my Soul c. Psal 11.1 Nay though we should perchance mistake for the thing it self c. Yea but perhaps some may Object it may be I have not done it as I should do I have not Committed my Works to him in that manner as I
knowest that I love thee so of any thing else In our sighings and groanings and lispings out of Prayer unto him that he searcheth the hearts and knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit as the Apostle signifies Rom. 8.26 All my desire is before thee says David and my groaning is not hid from thee Psal 38.9 What a great comfort was this to David and so when he had a mind to build God a Temple God saw that it was in his heart and commended and recorded him for it as if it had been actually accomplished by him 1 King 2 18. Whereas it was in thine heart to build an House unto my Name thou didst well that it was in thine heart God judgeth of his Actions by his Affections and so he will do of any others where they are real and sincere accept of the will for the deed and that which we would do in the uprightness and integrity of our spirits to account as done by us And so likewise as to the thing it self so to the manner Though there may be failings in some particular circumstances yet the Lord tryeth the hearts and judgeth of his Servants according to the Habitual Frame and Disposstion of Spirit which is in them There is much comfort in this And so much may be spoken of the First Notion in which Trying may be taken namely in a way of Discovery and Manifestation The Lord tryeth the heart namely So. The Second is in a way of Purification He tries them that is he purges them and removes their Corruptions from them This is another thing which is observeable in him and exhibited also in Scripture thus Mal. 3.2 3. He shall sit as a refiner and purifyer of silver and he shall purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver And this not excluding the former seems principally to be here intended in this Text as may appear by the force of the Comparison which is used for the Illustration of it The Lord undertakes the purging of the hearts of those which belong unto him and removing of their Corruptions from them Thus also Zach. 13.9 I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined and will try them as gold is tryed they shall call on my name This the Lord delights to do upon sundry consisiderations First Out of love to themselves that he may make them Vessels of Honour God has a special regard to their betterment and amendment in it as the Gold-Smith has to his Gold which we shewed out of the former words Secondly In reference to their Works That they may bring forth more fruit Joh. 18.2 And that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness Mal. 2.3 An untryed that is an unpurified heart cannot present any thing acceptable to God nor do any thing which is well pleasing in his sight Vnto the pure all things are pure all things are pure but to them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled as it is in Tit. 1.18 And then Thirdly For the sake of others also there is much good which comes likewise to them The Tryals of some of God's Servants make very much for the Improvement of the rest As we may see indivers examples of the Saints if we look into the Book of God This is first Matter of due Thank fulness and Acknowledgment from us We have great cause to bless God who is pleased to take such courses with us not to suffer our Rust to eat into us or our Dross to adhere and stick close to us over-long without some purging of it away from us Where we learn also to submit to his Skill and Wisdom in this particular The Clay may not say to the Potter What dost thou nor yet the Gold and Silver his Refiner If God will please at any time to try us and purge away our Iniquities from us we must leave it to his Holy Providence by what ways to do it for us as he shall judge most fitting and expedient whether by his Word or by his Rod by Mercies or Crosses by the fire or any other way It is enough for us that God will purifie us but which way he should do it whether in this or in that this we must freely commit to himself to determine for us Therefore we may farther here add for this purpose That as there is an indefiniteness in the Object so likewise in the Act As it is Hearts indefinitely so it is Try indefinitely also neither limiting it to the Fining Pot or to the Furnace not to one more than to another Secondly As this is matter of Thank fulness so it is moreover matter of Enquiry We should try how far forth this Tryal hath past upon us and hath had effect in us that we may be pure Metal to Christ and he may take some delight in us which otherwise he will not do And more especially after those means of Tryal which God hath been pleased to use towards us and as I mentioned before let us see what we are after these when we have been in the Fining Pot and in the Furnace how much better we are for them It is an Examination which may well become us whether our hearts or no for our particular have come under these meltings of God here implyed If they have they will run out so much the more in obedience to him as in the place before cited Zach. 13.9 I will try them as Gold is tryed and they shall call upon my Name Where there is Liquatio Metalli as we may so speak the melting and overflowing of the Metal This Gold being tryed it does run out in calling upon God and owning him for theirs And so much for this But in the first sense as it has an Emphasis of Proportion The Second is an Emphasis of Exception But the Lord tryeth the hearts As restraining the skill of the Refiner in this particular he may be able to refine his Silver and Gold and try and discover those Metals Oh! but he cannot try the heart This is so deep a bottom as there is no Creature can dive into it nay not even the Devil himself unless there where we open the door unto him There is no outward means whatsoever which in the simple use of them can better the Inward Man As not the Refinings so neither the Offerings of Gold and Silver will better the heart in any measure In matters of the World men can sometimes extend their skill inwardly as Physicians now and then to the detecting and likewise curing of inward Diseases But in spiritual things here we are at a loss and are mistaken if we expect any thing from them where by the way we have condemned the Superstitious Conceits of Papists and such like in this matter Thirdly This does further carry in it an Emphasis of Appropriation But the Lord tryeth the hearts that is the
And that Punishment which is light of it self Impenitency aggravates it And that Punishment which is passive of it self Impentence stays it Impenitency is the Cause and Ground and Occasion of the greatest and heaviest Judgments that are And the reason of it is this Because it does seem in a manner to own and justifie sin and stand in the Commission of it Where People sin of Infirmity but yet repent they do thereby in a sort and interpretatively undo what has been done by them And though the Acts of it cannot be recalled by them yet the Guilt of it is in some manner quallified by a contrary frame and temper of spirit and consequent departing from it But Impenitency does as it were repeat and renew the former miscarriage even there where for a time there may be an Actual Abstinency from it He that does not repent of Sin he commits it even then when he refrains it as to the Actual Condition of it Again further Thus is this also in Impenitency that it does in a manner trespass upon all the Attributes of God which it either questions or else vilifies and makes nothing at all of them The Omniscience of God as to the deserts of Sin Psal 94.7 Tush the Lord doth not see neither doth the God of Jacob regard it The Truth of God as to the Threats of Sin 2 Pet. 3.4 Where is the promise of his coming for since the father fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation The Justice of God as to the punishing of Sin Considering God to be all Mercy and Pitty and Indulgence c. The Power of God as to the executing of Judgment As thinking that his hands cannot reach them nor that he is able especially in some cases to be avenged upon it or to do what he threatens against it Yea the Mercy and Goodness of God which it abuses to a further Continuance and Persistency in Evil. Thus trespassing upon all God's Attributes it must needs especially draw down God's Judgments The Third and Last thing observeable in this Passage for the ground and occasion of Judgment whereupon it proceeds is their Continued Obstinacy This was that which was the unhappiness of this People here in the Text as it is also sometimes of divers others besides not only that they did not repent but moreover that they would not there was not only their Negative Remorselesness but also their Positive Perverseness Far as they did not turn to him that smote them so neither did they seek the Lord of hosts They were now so settled upon their Lees and confirmed in their wicked and sinful Courses as that they were wholly and absolutely incorrigible And this must needs now introduce and hasten and hale and pull the Judgments of God down upon our heads Therefore and therefore with a witness will God now proceed to the punishing of them The Consideration of these things should makes us so much the more wary of our selves in this Particular As we desire to avoid Punishment so to be careful to abstain from sin and to take heed of that And especially to take heed of Impenitency and persistence and abiding in sin If by chance we should fall into it not to stay and rest in it Shall we continue in sin saith the Apostle God forbid And so long as we do not repent of it God makes account that we do continue in it which we should be heedful and wary of And more especially above all of Obstinacy and Perverseness of Spirit It is bad enough to sin at first and after that to forbear to repent but to sin and to refuse to repent that is a great deal worse by far and so most of all to be declined by us And so near I have done with the First General Part of the Text which is the Ground or Occasion of God's Judgments threatned against this People included in the Particle Therefore as relating to what went before Therefore because of their impiety and Therefore because of the impenitency and Therefore because of their obstinacy The Second is The Judgment it self in these words The Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail branch and rush in one day Wherein again we have three Branches more First The Denuntiation of the Judgment Secondly The Extent of it And Thirdly The Time The Denuntiation of it The Lord will cut off from Israel The Extent of it Head and tail The Time or Season of it In one day First To speak of the former viz. The Denuntiation of the Judgment The Lord will cut off from Israel Wherein again take notice of three things further First The Author of it and that is the Lord. Secondly The Matter of it and that is Cutting off Thirdly The Subject of it or the Persons and People which are more particularly involved in it and that is Israel For the First The Author of this Judgment which is here mentioned it is expressed to be the Lord. The Expression of it is to be referred to such as themselves who took Samaria and led Israel Captive to Assyria 2 King 17.23 But the Infliction of it is to be referred to the Lord as sole in it Whoever may be the Instrument it is God alone who is the Author of Judgment The Lord will cut off take notice of that This is that which the Scripture does every where declare unto us as Isa 42.24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil and Israel to the Robbers did not I the Lord He against whom ye have sinned And so Isa 45.7 Saith the Lord of himself I form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all these things And so Isa 10.5 6. O Assyrian the rod of mine anger and the staff in their hand is my indignation I will send him against an hypocritical Nation and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge to take the spoil and to take the prey and to tread them down like the mire in the streets There is no evil in the City that is of punishment and the Lord hath not done it This holds good especially upon a twofold Consideration First Of the Sovereignty and Power of God It is he only that is able to punish It is he alone that hath all Men and Creatures under his Command Men are sometimes out of the reach one of another And though they have now and then a mind to punish yet they have not always an Ability or Opportunity But as for the Lord he is able and powerful As he is mighty to save where he will deliver so he is mighty to punish where he will destroy And then Secondly Upon the Account of the Holiness and Purity which is in God There are none which are so fit to punish others as those who are innocent Persons Guilty and Obnoxious Persons although sometimes they are prevailed to punish in regard of others miscarriages And although
of Christ and of God But that because of these things the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience In Rev. 22.8 that They have their part in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone That is no other than that as it is here expressed in the Text they are turned into Hell There are none that live and continue in such Sins as these are whose end is destruction Phil. 3.10 howsoever they may flatter themselves with hopes of the contrary that can expect any other lot to befall them than such as this How much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her It was said of the Whore of Babylon Rev. 18.7 And holds true of all other Whores and sinful Persons in any kind or condition whatsoever By how much the more that the heart of any People is drowned and swallowed up in Lust and Carnal Pleasure by so much the more are they from thence exposed to Hellish Torments and Tortures which shall accordingly light upon them This is a thing which is no way to be doubted or called in question as having the Word of God it self clear for it And there are few but are ready in mind to acknowledge it and seem at least to be perswaded of it But Secondly That is not all Not only Open and Scandalous Sinners but also close and secret Hypocrites and Formalists who have a Form of Godliness but deny the Power thereof These come into this number also of those that are wicked and so consequently that are turned into Hell The Scripture takes a special notice and observation of those and fastens a special Character upon them to this purpose as we have divers Instances of it thus Psal 125.4 The Lord will do good to those that are good and to them that are upright in their hearts But as for them that turn aside to their wicked ways that is to say Hypocrites and Double Dealers the Lord will lead them forth with the workers of iniquity that is reckon them in the number of Wicked Persons and accordingly deal with them In Matth. 23.15 The Hypocrites they are made to be Children of Hell as all one with them And Matth. 24.52 it is said of the Unfaithful Steward that His Lord shall come in a day when he looks not for him and in an hour that he is not aware of and shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with hypocrites there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Where the Portion of Hypocrites is made to be The Description of Hell as that which is in a special manner appointed unto them Thirdly Which carries yet a little farther and enlarges this Name a little wider All Carnal and Unregenerate Persons whosoever are yet remaining and abiding in the State of Nature and not converted and brought home to Christ These are moreover the Wicked in the sense of the Text and have answerably the Doom of the Text falling upon them as being liable to be turned into Hell The Scripture is clear for this also as we have it in Joh. 3.3 from the mouth even of Christ himself in his discoursing with Nicodemus Verily Verily I say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God What is it to be born again That is to have a new Nature and Principles put into him over what he hath brought into the World This is here to be supposed and taken for granted that as the Apostle Paul expresly tells us We are all by nature the children of wrath Ephes 2.3 I was born in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me saith the Prophet David of himself Psal 51.5 And it is applicable to all other Persons whosoever they are The whole frame of the thoughts of every man's heart by nature is evil and only evil continually Gen. 6.5 From whence so considered there is no Agreement betwixt God and him or Communion betwixt them For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness or what communion hath light with darkness 2 Cor. 6.14 this is that which makes God and Man Enemies and exposes Man for his particular to the Judgment of God and draws down all his Wrath and Vengeance upon him in the Demerit of it for there is no unclean thing or that defileth which can enter into that holy place Rev. 21.27 Therefore there must be a Change and Alteration wrought before any one come thither And they must be made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of Saints in light and begotten again to a lively hope 1 Pet. 1.3 Now there is nothing less than this which will serve the turn to bring men to Heaven and so consequently to keep them from Hell That which we call Good Nature if it be not moreover sanctified and renewed by Grace it is but Bad Nature still and Nature Corrupt and sodenounces such Persons as are the Subjects of it to be Wicked Persons notwithstanding all that seeming Comliness and Amiableness which may be in them Take Civility and Morallity and Ingenuity and such Principles and Dispositions as those of Temperance and Sobriety and Justice and Liberality and the like Although in themselves simply considered they are very noble and honourable Quallifications and such as had never more need to be extolled than in such times as these are wherein there is so much failing and decaying of them yet for all that they are not enough of themselves alone to bring men to Salvation If Men have no more but these they may go to Hell for all these And this is clear from the Passage of our blessed Saviour himself in Matth. 5.20 Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven The Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees it was as to outward appearance very perfect and exact Righteousness especially some amongst them above the rest As we may see in the Apostle Paul himself when he was of that Profession He was touching the Righteousness which was in the Law blameless as he says of himself Philip. 3.6 But yet when he came to be converted and to become a Christain he durst not stand to it as he again delcares of himself in the eighth and ninth Verses of that Chapter No more have any others besides cause to trust or to rely hereupon as which will 〈◊〉 serve them Men may have fair and civil outward Carriages and Deportments in regard of the World and yet have naughty and desperate hearts full of Pride and Envy and Malice and Rebellion of Spirit Now such as these they are wicked Persons also in the Language of the Text and Children of Hell it self These are such as the World does sometimes very much abound with who under the Visage of common Civility and External smoothness of Conversation are Great Haters and Opposers and Despisers of the Power of Godliness and of those who are the true
of Christ's Satisfaction Therefore will God abundantly pardon because Christ has abundantly satisfied and payed the Debt which was required at our hands If we have no more to say for our selves than God's Nature and the Infiniteness of that it will not serve our turn for as God is infinite in Mercy to pardon us so he is infinite in Justice to punish us And where are we then But now in Christ his Justice is fully answered and there is an opportutunity for the Expression of his Mercy together with it This is that which is our great releif and accordingly we should make much of it for our great Comfort and Consolation that God hath set him for a Propitiation for our sins Christ has payed a Ransom which is sufficient for the taking away of the greatest sins that may be and therefore will God also pardon those greatest sins God's mercy must needs reach as far as Christ's death Now this takes away all sins whatsoever The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin He is a Physician that is able to cure all Diseases What matter what the Disease be whilst the Physitian has skill to remove it and to cure it and to take it away Or what matter what the Debt be where the Surety has already payed it and made satisfaction for it Christ has satisfied for great sins and God forgives great sins yea the greater the sins are the more does he delight to manifest his Goodness in the Forgiveness of them That where sin abounds Grace may much more abound as the Apostle expresses it in Rom. 5.20 The Consideration of this Point is matter of singular Comfort to all such Persons as are humbled and broken in heart and lie under the burthen of their sins and are willing to leave and forsake them and in good earnest to quit themselves of them Here is Grace and Mercy and Reconciliation offered unto them if they will accept it upon those Terms and Conditions whereupon it is offered And therefore let none reject it or refuse it or put it away from themselves Take heed of denying or diminishing this Free Grace of God which is thus richly tendered in the Gospel as there are some kinds of persons are now and then apt to do There are some sullen Spirits in the World which will be damned as we may say whether God will or no that will have none of that Mercy which God offers and holds out unto them that cry out with desperate Cain My sin is greater than can be forgiven Oh take heed of that It is not the greatness of thy sin but the greatness of thy stomach and the pride of thine own corrupt heart that lies in thy way Thou wouldst fain stand upon thine own bottom and be justified from thy self and go to Heaven through thine own Righteousness and art loath to be beholden to God for such a favour as Pardon is and therefore it is that thou opposest it and standest out against it Or it may be thou hast a false heart and art willing to keep thy Lusts still and not to come up to God's Conditions But do not thou any longer nourish such a corrupt disposition in thy self as being that which is very odious and abominable in the sight of God Despair is in a manner the greatest sin of all a devillish and hellish sin and such as is worse than any other which is there made the occasion of it because it is a sin against the sweet Bowels of God and the Riches of his Mercy in the Gospel which he desires to extol and magnifie above all other things in the World Therefore by all means take heed of it and withdraw from it Remember to observe the Condition and thou mayest undoubtedly expect the Promise to be accomplished and made good unto thee Though thy sins be many though they be great though they be repeated again and again yet at last wholly left and renounced there is mercy for them God looks not so much at the greatness of thy sin in its own nature as rather at thine affection to it That sin which is not too great to be forsaken it is not too great to be forgiven A great sin being left shall be pardoned whereas a smaller sin being returned shall plunge thee into Everlasting Death and Condemnation And so much may be spoken of the Word of Promise or Encouragement here mentioned He will abundantly pardon Now the Second is the word Motive or Inforcement in the Counsel For For he will abundantly pardon Because God will abundantly pardon therefore let the wicked forsake his evil ways And so there is this in it That God's Mercy is a special Argument and Motive for Man's Reformation Because he is so ready to forgive sin therefore we should be as ready to forsake it Thus the Scripture still sets it as in Psal 130.4 And it holds upon this account because here now we see that our labour is not in vain If a man might repent and turn to God and for all that God would shew him no mercy he were still but in the same case as before and might be ready to think with himself that he had as good go on in his sins still and enjoy the present delight and sweetness of them But now when he hears that upon his Repentance God will forgive him this Carnal Objection is removed and taken off from him And then it holds also in a way of Thankfulness and Ingenuity in answer to God's goodness Seeing God is ready to do so much for us as to pardon our sins so we should be ready to do so much for him as to remove our sins from us Therefore let us accordingly make this Use and Improvement of it Let us take heed of abusing such a sweet Truth as this and so turning God's Grace into wantonness as many sometimes are subject to do for God will be sure not to hold us guiltless if we do so Whosoever shall commit any sin with these thoughts of presuming on God's mercy without Repentance he does so far forth deptive himself of the comfort of this present Doctrine which still supposes the Renouncing of sin as the Condition annexed to the Promise Carnal and corrupt persons they pull this Text asunder which is to be taken still in its Connexion They are for the latter part of it only where it is said God will have mercy and will abundantly pardon But they are not for the formre part of it where the wicked is required to forsake his evil ways Now the one is of noforce without the other that so as men may not despair so they may not presume and as they may not deny God's Mercy so they may not retain their own Iniquity but rather search and examine their hearts in such cases as these are and observe God's dealings with them who oftentimes suffers them to fall into great sins for the punishing of their neglect of smaller And that also occasionally
us Now to shut up all with a word of use and Application and so to Conclude We have heard out of the words of the Text three things that there is such a Monotor as this is A word behind us the Effect and matter of the Admonition This is the way c. and the occasion of it When we turn to c. Now what remains to ourselves to be done by us upon these considerations two things especially This observation is to be improved by us two manner of ways First In a way of Thankfulness And Secondly In a way of Obedience In a way of Thankfulness First we are to bless God that he is pleased thus Graciously to provide for us not only to instruct us by his word and his voice sounding in out Ears in the ministerial Dispensations but also to admonish us by his Spirit and the Holy Ghost moving in our Hearts in our Christian Conversation This is a matter of great Thankfulness and Acknowledgment to us A faithful Monitor is a very great advantage it is so betwixt man and man betwixt one friend and another to have one to tell them when they do amiss and to reform them in it or to direct them where they are at a loss and to instruct them about it This is that which God Himself does for his people as we have heard all this while out of the Text which is matter and occasion of great thankfulness and acknowledgment to them which their hearts should be very much taken and affected with all It is a mercy and favour that God will afford these helps unto us Secondly We are to improve it by Obedience and closing with it seeing we have this word speaking to us let us not stop our Ears against it take heed of that do not neglect the whispers of the Spirit and of the word of God set home upon thy heart How many are there in the world which have such things as these are daily and continually sounding in their Ears in case of Omission and neglect of Duty This is the way walk ye in it These things they are to be done and perform'd by you it is not safe for you to let them alone Again in case of committing of Evil and wayes of Extravagancy this is out of the way do not walk in it ye are out of your place of your Calling of your Duty which is to be done by you Nay ye walk opposite and contrary to it How many are there in the World which in their lewd and ungodly Courses of Drunkeness Filthiness Uncleanness evil Company Consuming and such practises as these have many a sad check upon their Consciences restraining of them and a voice behind them pulling them back now let all these consider how far they hearken and give ear unto it It is a dangerous thing to stifle the motions of Gods spirit or to stop their Ear against the voice of his word No but there should be a present closeing and compliance with it As young Samuel when God call'd him speak Lord thy servant heareth so should we do in these cases we should receive and entertain his motions and turn those motions into purposes and those purposes into practises in our selves we should never suffer such good hints as these are to die in us Especially considering this for our Incouragement that as Gods motions follows his Instructions so his Assistance always follows his motions in the tenders of it Look as he never shewes us the way but he does also move us to walk in it that our practises may be answerable to our knowledg so likewise he never moves us to walk in any way which he shews us but he does likewise offer us at the same time some kind of help to walk in it Therefore now not to close with him is not onely to refuse his Counsell but likewise consequently to reject his Assistance more or less which he does exhibit to us whereby we offer a double injury to the Spirit of Grace And here further let us consider the danger and hazard of such a course as this is which is manifold and various First Gods future silence where he is not regarded he will speak no more especially having spoken to us very often for some time already past and let us think with our selves what it is to be deprived of such a Blessed motion as this is But Secondly That 's not all thare's a suffering of another voice to speak in us and if we look not to it to prevail upon us they that hearken not to the voice of God in them they are many times given up to Satan and their own Corruptions to work upon them to rule and bear sway in them This is plain by that of the Prophet David speaking in the Name of God concerning Israel My people would not hearken to my Counsell and Israel would have none of me so I gave them up to their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own Imaginations Prov. 1.30.31 SERMON XL. Esay 40.31 Butthey that wait upon the Lordsh all renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint As God is a God of strength so there is nothing wherein he does appear more to be so than in the Dispensations of Himself to his people to whom he does in part Communicate of that strength which is in himself for their greater Supportment and Incouragement in the worst Conditions that may happen unto them He delights to manifest his power in their weakness and to shew his strength in their Infirmity as he sometimes elsewhere expresses it As he himself faints not neither is weary so he gives power to them that are faint and to them that have no might he increases strength as it is in 28. and 29. verses of this Chapter Yet still he does it so as may be with the greatest furtherance and advantage to themselves As it was in the Miracle of Canaan The wine which Christ produced it was the best wine of all and better then all other before it so is it indeed in every thing else which God does and amongst the rest in this particular the strength which he does vouchsafe to his Servants It is better and surer and firmer then any other strength besides That strength which comes from God directly and in the way of the new Covenant in Christ it is far surpassing and transcendant to any Natural or Corporal strength whatsoever which is that which the Holy Ghost does here signifie and Illustrate by an Elegant opposition in this Scripture which I have now read unto you Even the Youths shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall those which have either the advantage of Age or Exercise or Bodily temper and Constitution But they that waite upon thee c. IN the whole Verse before us we have two General Parts considerable First A Proposition
Civility and Moral Principles This was the strength which was in Paul before his Conversion He seem'd to have much strength in him and so in a sense he had for we see what a strict man he was and how unblameably as himself sayes he liv'd and profited in the Jewes Religion above many of his equals in his own Nation But what was the reason of it and how came it to be thus with him why it was because he had taken it by Tradition from his Fathers He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees one that was brought up amongst them that sate at the feet of Gamaliel a great Rabbi and Doctor of the Law and from hence came to do so many things which belong'd thereunto Thus this strength in all these wayes as I have shewen is incident to a man before Grace and Conversion wrought in his heart but this is not that which will serve the turn They that wait upon the Lord shall change that is they shall have another bestowed upon them and such as will be more usefull to them In stead of this more Natural and Moral and Customary strength They shall have a super-natural and spiritual given unto them This is different and surpassing the other First In regard of it's Original as comming from the Holy Ghost which is the worker of it He strengthens with might by his Spirit Eph. 3.16 And by his Spirit not onely in his common works but also in his special and peculiar This strength it proceeds from the Spirit of God as Sanctifying Then Secondly It differs in the Subject for the former strength is onely in the outward this is in the inward man and the inwards of that inward I pray God sanctify your whole Soul and Spirit 1. Thes 5.23 Thirdly It differs in the Effects for this Spiritual and Supernatural strength it is able to do greater matters then the other can do helping a man to deny himself to overcome the world to mortify Lusts and Corruptions c. So much for the change in Quality The Second is a change in quantity and degree this is further the priveledge of good Christians that they shall through Gods Grace grow stronger and stronger If by some mischance they do abate in their Spiritual strength yet they shall recover and repair it again They shall renew their strength This for the better illustrating of it to us may be laid open in two particulars First In the Cases wherein And Secondly In the means whereby each of these are Considerable to this purpose for a Christians renewing of his strength First The cases wherein There are some cases and conditions especially wherein a Christian has most need of having his strength renew'd unto him and in such cases as these does God graciously renew them here As First Against a new Service which is to be done by him Every new performance it does in a manner call for a new strength to the Effecting of it which it is not easily done without Especially if it be of any Consequence or Importance Now therefore does the Lord of his Goodness herein give us some proportionable strength as the Apostles when Christ sent them abroad into the work of the Ministry it was not a common strength which would serve their turn and therefore he tells them that they shall have strength from above Tarry ye in the City of Jerusalem untill ye he indewed with power from on High Luke 24.49 The like strength does God vouchsafe to his servants in a measure and degree proportionable in any service which he designs them where he renews their work he does also renew their strength Secondly Against some new Temptation and Conflict with Satan The Lord does here renew their strength and they passively renew it to themselves God does in some manner fit and inable them to enter the Lists and Combate with so potent an Enemy Thus we see in the Example of Job how mightily did God renew his strength when as Satan opposed him and set upon Him And so in the Example of Peter Luke 22.32 Simon Simon Satan hath desired to have you and to winnow you as Wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not and when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren So again also in the Example of Paul when he prayed so earnestly to God to be delivered from the buffetings of Satan God told him this that his Grace was sufficient for Him and his strength was made perfect in his weakness As he increased his Temptations so proportionably he renewed his strength Thirdly Against some new Tryal and affliction from God himself As the Affliction abounds so does the Consolation and as the suffering so the strength God lays no more upon his servants then he inables them to indure but gives them strength inabling them to bear it As we see in the Martyrs and Holy men of old what great things they suffered This it was not from strength innate or inbred but from strength given and renewed Thus we see what Case and Conditions this Priviledge does hold good to Gods Servants which wait upon him Now Secondly For the means or wayes whereby we may take them thus Christians they do renew their Spiritual strength in these observations First In the renewing of their Repentance as Sin it weakens us so Repentance it recovers our strength it puts us in statu quo brings us back to our former Condition By true and unfained Humiliation for any strength which has been lost by us through any defect we do get up that strength again in us which accordingly is a very good course in such a case to be taken by us when we find our Spiritual strength to be decayed bewaile it and lament it before God with sadness and bitterness of Spirit while Christians do thus they do hence very much profit and benefit themselves in this particular Secondly In renewing of their Covenant as by bewayling what is past so by Solemn purposes and ingagement of themselves for time to come as long as men are at an indifferency whether they should leave their lusts or no so long their Iusts prevaile upon them and as long as men hang off from good purposes and are not fully resolved about them so long do they contract more impotency and indisposition to them But now Absoluteness and Peremptoriness of Ingagement this does convey some strength unto them while we are strong in our Resolutions we come from hence to be strong in our Performances and to be more fitted and inabled for them Thirdly In the renewing of their Obedience Look by what we lose our strength by the contrary to that we recover it and get it again now we lose it many times by the doing of that which is Evil and by the omission of that which is good therefore by that which is opposite and contrary hereunto we must restore it Hence 't is Christs counsel to the Church of Ephesus which had lost her first love and
so lost her first strength that she should do her first works that she should return to the acting of those things which she had now remitted and fallen from as that which was the best way to recover her to her former Condition and here especially to the use of the Ordinances Prayer and hearing of the word and receiving of the Sacrament which are the proper means appointed to this purpose Lastly In the renewing of their Faith and in the Exercise of it A Christian gathers new strength and supply of Spiritual Grace by reparing to the true spring and Fountain and Original of it which is the Grace of God in Christ Our strength it lies in Him and therefore by a spirit of Faith must be daily and Continually fetch 't from Him and that upon all occasions And it is our great Comfort and Incouragement that we may have it but for the fetching for so we may in a due and serious Appli of our selves to him we may draw strength from him Nay we shall do as is here signified to us They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength Here 's the priviledg and the Condition of being made partakers of it The Priviledg that 's renewing of our strength The Condition that is waiting upon the Lord. Be followers of them says the Apostle who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises Heb. 6.12 And again Heb. 10.36 Ye have need of Patience that after ye have done the will of God ye may receive the Promise Even so it is here This promise of strength renewed unto us is not onely to the persons of Beleivers but to them especiall under this Notion and in the erercise of this act of Beleiving We must therefore still remember this that we be such as wait upon the Lord for that 's the Condition by which Expression the spirit of God comes home to the heart of many a weak Christian and satisfies the objections which they may make for some might be ready to say Alas we find no such matter as this is which you now speak off we have little or no strength at all if we have had some it may be heretofore yet we have lost it and know not how to recover it and to get it up again now for such they must be perswaded to wait and to consider whether they have done so or no for this strengthning it belongs to waiting and is promised to those that are careful so to do we must use the means and waite upon God for shewing us the use of them Go to the Ordinances and by Faith fetch power from Christ who alone can make them to be Effectual unto us Psal 27. vers 14. Wait on the Lord be of good Courage and he shall strengthen thine Heart wait I say on the Lord. To satisfie us the more in this particular consider but how it is with us in regard of our Natural Sustenance and the food of our Bodies The strength which comes by it it is not conveyed presently but by leasure when the meat is digested Indeed there is delight and sweetness and pleasantness even in the very first going down of it but the strength of it that comes after it Even so is it likewise here as to these Spiritual things The sweetness of the Ordinances that 's in the very partaking of them and in the time of the useing of them In Praying and Hearing and Communicating and Meditateing c. A Gracious heart it does taste and rellish them even then when 't is about them But the strength which is conveyed by them that 's a Business of leasure and time and therefore we must wait for it and stay Gods time for the giving of it Thou therefore that complainest of Weakness consider whether thou hast waited for strength and waited for it in his own way and in the use of those means which he has ordained and appointed to thee Especially Consider how far Christ Himself has been taken into this Business which is the means of all There are many think to renew their strength and how do they think to to do it Namely by strength of their own their own Vowes and Duties and performances which yet by the way must not be neglected but we must be strong in the Grace of Christ and in the power of his might and Spirit or else all our strength it will be but weakness it self This is that which the Apostle Paul was sensible of as we may see by his practise and the courses which he took to this purpose by his practise for the Ephesians Eph. 3.14.16.17 For this cause I bow my knees unto the father of our Lord Jesus Christ That he would grant you according to the Riches of his Glory to be strengthen'd with might by his spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your Hearts by Faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love may c. So in like manner by his practise for the Colosians Col. 1.11 Strengthened with all might according to his Glorious Power c. And so now I have done done with the First General part of the Text which is the Proposition in General They that wait c. The Second is the Demonstration or Confirmation of this in the Particular that we have in the words following They shall mount up with Eagles wings They shall run c. Wherein we have the strength of a Christian laid forth and amplified to us by a resemblance from a threefold motion First Of Flying Secondly Of Running Thirdly Of Walking Of Flying They shall mount up with Eagles wings Of Running They shall run and not be weary Of Walking They shall walk and not be faint Wee 'l begin first of all with the former and that is the motion of Flight They shall mount up with Eagles wings Here 's mention made of the Wings of the Eagle as we may conceive for two reasons especially First As the Eagle is an Emblem of strength renewed for so it is as we find it in Psal 103.5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed like the Eagles Certain it is that the Eagle is longer-liv'd then many other Birds The Naturalists as Aristotle and Pliny c. Which write the story of living Creatures affirms this of it that it never Dies of old Age but onely of Famine for the upper-Bill being at length over-grown it is thereby hindred from putting meat into it's mouth and so at last comes to Die So the Prophet by this Similitude here signifies that those which wait upon the Lord they shall grow more and more urgent and lively enven to their old Age it self according to that also of the Psalmist Psal 92.12.13.14 The Righteous shall flourish c. They shall bring forth Fruit in their old Age they shall be fat and flourishing So then the Eagle is here pertinently mentioned in reference to this But Secondly The Eagle it soares aloft and flies on
off it must be run unto Secondly But a little time and much time lost already Those that have hitherto stood still it concerns them at last to run this is the case of the best of us all we have lost very much time and we had need to redeem it And then Thirdly The vehemency of desire to the thing it self which we run for It is a Crown we contend for and therefore it is worth our running for it 1. Cor. 9.25 They do it to obtain a corruptable Crown but we an Incorruptable Well we see what our pace properly is and accordingly let us betake our selves to it with all diligence But Secondly Here 's the continuance of this Motion They shall run and not be weary There are many which sometimes run but they run themselves out of Breath are burst and broken winded in their running They begin but they soon give over as the Galathians Gal. 5.7 Ye did run well who hindred you Its seems they did not hold out No more do many more make a great stir for a while very hot in their first setting out in the ways of Religion and Christianity but then they soon tire and grow weary But now a strong Christian does not do so he that partakes of this Spiritual strength which the Prophet here speaks of He shall run and not be weary He shall be constant and persevering in Goodness without yeilding and giving back Look what our Principles are in Religion such is our continuance in it If we have principles of Spiritual strength in us we shall abide and hold out to the end whereas otherwise we shall soon have enough of it There are some kind of people in the world which all on a sudden they will be better reform'd and amend their lives and who but they But let them try but for a little while let them meet but with some strong Temptation which they are to resist or fall upon some difficult Duty which they are to perform and they are presently weary of those purposes and indeavours and grow as bad as before Why What 's the reason of all this Because they wanted this principle of Spiritual strength in them Their strength it was but the strength of Nature or Custom or some carnal Consideration It was not strength from the Spirit of Christ and this is the Comfort it brings with them whereas true Spiritual strength indeed it has perseverance attending upon it They shall run and not be weary The Third and Last is Walking They shall walk and not faint Walking it is less then Running and Fainting it is more then Weariness If then those which run are not weary the same when they walk shall not faint this will necessarily follow hereupon But the main scope and drift of the Holy Ghost by these phrases and Expressions is no more but this Namely to point out unto us the frame of a Christians Spirit as to Spiritual things which is this to have a great deal of vigor and liveliness in him And we have upon the matter the same thing laid out to us in a diversity of Expression Although if we please we may also fasten some different and distinct notions upon them And so now here in not fainting we have the courage and magnanimity of a Christian exhibited to us It is that which we often meet withall in Scipture in sundry places as commended to our Indeavour Rev. 2.3 It is the Commendation of the Church of Ephesas that she had laboured and not fainted 2. Cor. 4.1 The Apostle speaks it of himself and the rest of his Brethren As we have received thy Ministry And vers 16. of the same chap. For which cause we faint not but through our c. There are divers things which we are subject to faint at which yet the Scripture still takes us off from fainting at As First The delay of answering our Prayer If we are not heard as soon as we ask we are from hence apt to faint Well but we must not for all that our Blessed Saviour himself takes us off from it Luk. 18.1 Where he teaches us always to pray and not to faint illustrated by a Parable Secondly Our manifold Afflictions we are apt to faint at them but this we are forbid to do Heb. 12.5 My Son despise not the Chastening of the Lord neither faint thou When c. Thirdly The Afflictions of others and the scandall of the Cross as Peter Master save thy self This we ought not to do neither St. Paul to the Ephesians Wherefore I desire ye that ye faint not at my Tribulation for you which is your Glory in Eph. 3.13 Fainting at at others Tribulations Lastly The many Businesses in Religion such a do and so much work to be performed we are ready to faint and to be weary of it So much Praying and Preaching and Hearing we are apt to snuff at it and it is a weariness to us as it was there in the first of Mal. But it should not be for all that we should indeed faint at none of these things neither if we be strong Christians we will we shall walk here and not faint Well But how shall we avoid it what may keep and prevent us from it The Scripture that forbids it shews it and gives us antidotes against it in divert and sundry particulars First Consider the Recompense at last do not faint for at last ye shall speed yea and so much the rather too for not fainting In due season we shall reap if we faint not Gal. 6.9 The hope and certainty of success is a Special argument to keep us from fainting Secondly Look upon Christ set him as a pattern before us Consider the Contradiction of Sinners which he suffered least ye be weary and faint in your minds Herb. 12.3 But then Lastly Which is the Business of the Text get a renewing of this Spiritual strength day by day and desire God to bestow it upon us which is the only way of comming by it This if it be indeed in us it will have this influence and effect upon us as to make us to mount up with Eagles wings and as to make us to run and not be weary so to walk also and not to faint which is the last thing here considerable So much both for this Time and this Text. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength c. SERMON XLI JER 7.9 10. Will ye steal and murther and commit Adultery and swear falsly and burn incense unto Baal and walk after other gods whom ye know not And come and stand before me in this house which is called by my Name and say We are delivered to do all these abominations It was the Charge which God gave to his people under the Law to withdraw from all unsuitable and incongruous mixtures not to plow both with an Ox and an Ass not to wear a garment of Woollen and of Linnen both together The Moral and the
that which is implied I will speak Secondly as a matter of necessity in that which is exprest I cannot hold my peace First to speak of the former to wit the parts affected both simply propounded as also doubled and repeated My bowels my heart These though if we take them corporally and according to a Bodily Dissection or Anatomy of them they are parts distinct yet here in this Spiritual notion and consideration of them they are one and the same and do signifie no more than the Soul and inward man yet as working likewise upon the body and outward Thus have some of the antient Expositors and Interpreters of Scripture understood iâ— as Gregory Nyssen upon that place of the Canticles Cant. 5.4 My bowels were moved in me he has this Gloss upon it ' H 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The belly or bowels here meant is the Intellectual and Discursive Faculty of the Soul So in like manner Gregory Nazianzen in his 17 Oration speaking of this place of the Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaning by his bowels his mind .. And St. Ambrose to the like purpose De Spirituali non corporeo ventre dixit propheta The Prophet did not speak of a corporal but of a spiritual belly This spiritual belly it is the Mind and Soul of Man There are three special Reasons among others which may be given by us for this expression of the Mind and Soul by the Belly or Bowels First The secrecy of it as that which is most inward and retired 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he before Greg. Naz. The Mind and Soul it is hidden and invisible as the belly and bowels within the body Thus Prov. 20.27 The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord searching all the inward parts of the belly So Psal 103.1 Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his holy name Within me i. e. in my bowels in viscerebus as some translate it And more expresly Psal â—1 6 Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom The bowels do well express the Soul in regard of their secresie That 's the first Secondly Because the Mind it does receive and digest the Thoughts as the Belly does the Meats Mens coquit curas ut venter aescas Greg. past 3. part admonit l. 3. The mind it does digest and boil out cares as the stomach does the food which is put into it and those Notions which at the first are but raw yet through meditation and often turning of them in the mind they come to be concocted Thirdly The Mind it is the Mother of Thoughts it is the fruitful Belly which doth send forth so many conceptions as the proper fruit and issue of it Vt proles in utero concepitur sic cogitatio in mente generatur says the same Author Greg. Mor. l. 12. c. 27. As the Child is conceived in the Womb so is the Thought generated in the Mind Thus in regard of this threefold Analogy and Correspondency is the Mind exprest by the Bowels or Belly so that My bowels my bowels and My heart my heart that is as much as My Soul my Soul my Spirit and my inward man There are two words here in the Text put together for the greater emphasis Bowels and Heart both the one as the explication of the other My Bowels my Heart that is My Bowel which is my Heart and indeed there is so great a nearness and affinity of these two to one another as that they are frequently put the one for the other and signifie the one by the other Thus Psal 22.14 My heart is like wax it is melted in the midst of my bowels not as if his Heart were in his Belly but in regard of the vicinity of these parts the one to the other it is thus exprest And because of this coincidency sometimes the Bowels is put for the Heart sometimes the Heart is put for the Bowels The Bowels for the Heart Jer. 31.33 I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts In their inward parts that is in their Bowels but the meaning of it is in their Hearts as the latter word explains it to us Again the the Heart is also put for the Bowels as in Jer. 48.36 compared with Isa 16.11 In Jer. 48.36 we find it thus My heart shall sound for Moab like pipes In Isa 16.11 we find it thus My bowels shall sound like an Harp for Moab and mine inward parts for Kir-hajesh There mine heart here my bowels and inward parts From both together we are to understand in one word the affections which while they are described by the Bowels it does shew 1. The retiredness of them they were such as every one did not see within the walls of the Heart Kiroth libbi as it is exprest in the Text. 2. The fixedness of them deeply rooted as low as the Bowels 3. The truth and sincerity of them without hypocrisie or dissimulation c. The second Particular in the first General is the grief of these parts both in the kinds of it My heart is pain'd and in the effect of it My heart makes a noise within me From both together we may observe thus much what work and disturbance passions and affections make in the Soul if they be not the better restrain'd they put all out of order and frame and cause great commotions of spirit in those persons which are exercised with them Indeed this of the Prophet it was not an inordinate but a regular stirring in him both because as we shall hear afterwards it was upon a just occasion as likewise that he was carried by the Spirit of God in it But yet we may occasionally from it take notice also of the tumults which do arise in the Soul from the distemper and miscarriage it self And so I say thus much How that Passion it puts all out of frame it puts the Soul out of joynt and takes off the wheels of it it is the ground of very great trouble and anguish and disquiet unto it this it is in all the kinds and specifications of it whether anger or sorrow or fear or what ever it is The excess of it is very outrageous and and such as there is no abiding or enduring of it not onely in others but in men themselves If we look into Scripture we shall find what work it has there made even in the best men in the world for example The Prophet David do but see it in him Psal 31.9 Mine eye is consumed with grief yea my soul and my belly Psal 32.3 My moisture is turned into the drought of summer Psal 38.3 No soundness in my flesh c. This extravagancy of affection it is not onely an affliction to the spirit but has also an influence upon the outward man Now there is very good use which we may make of this observation that we
in this Scripture And there are divers grounds of this also as well as of the other First a piece of spiritual laziness and sluggishness which is in them There is a mollities and softness upon some spirits which makes them impatient of resistance and fighting against sin who rather than they will endure the conslicts and combats of it do rather yield the cause they find temptations so strong and violent and frequent upon them and their corruptions so fiercely to beset them that they think they had as good now give up and so they do Ye have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin says the Apostle in Heb. 12.4 Nay they give themselves over to lasciviousness to commit all uncleanness with greediness Ephes 4.19 Secondly Men come to despair of conquering their lusts and corruptions from Infidelity which prevails in them because they believe not those blessed and gracious promises which God has made to this purpose This is that which sometimes even the servants of God themselves are too much guilty of who are ready to conclude in this case that they shall one day perish by the hand of Saul not considering what God has promised for their encouragement that he will subdue their iniquities for them and that he will put his Spirit within them and that he will cause them to walk in his statutes c. This Infidelity it breeds Despair and the want of Faith it is the cause of the want of Hope with it therefore there is so little of the one because there is so little or none of the other there is a questioning of God in his Promises Thirdly Carnal confidence and reliance upon mens own strength By his own strength shall no man prevail 1 Sam. 2.9 those that think to do so may be disappointed and so they will be Now this is that which most men do and are thereby at last driven to despair Men go about the conquering of their lusts by their own strength and neglect Christ and so it is no wonder if they be at last out of hope Alas what hope is there in our selves I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me that was the conclusion of the Apostle and so it must be of every one of us we must use our own endeavours and do all we can for the resisting of sin in us but in them all depend still upon Christ and fetch strength from him which not doing we shall quickly be out of heart It is not the strength of Natural Reason it is not the peremptoriness of Vows and Resolutions it is not fear or poenal restraints which will be able to mortifie sin though there be also use of these but the grace and power of Christ My grace is sufficient for thee as the Lord said to Paul 2 Cor. 12.9 Fourthly Another thing which makes men to despair of being better and of getting victory over their temptations is because indeed they have false hearts and have no good mind to the thing it self Those who are resolved are courageous and where they have a mind any thing should be done they do not question the doing of it But it is otherwise here with men in this particular there is no hope they should be better because indeed they are well contented with their present naughtiness that they are so bad as they are as it was here with these people before us in this present Text. The use which we our selves are to make of this Observation is as much as may be to free our selves from this miscarriage and to prevent this distemper i us Let us take heed of giving so much advantage either to Satan or to our own evil hearts as to lie under the power of our corruptions and to yield our selves up unto them Oh by all means take heed of that take heed of base despair and infidelity and hardness of heart to say ye shall never be able to overcome such and such sins It is that sluggishness and softness and falsness which makes you to say so because ye are indeed willing to be overcome by them As there is no evil whatsoever which is above the Bloud of Christ as to matter of pardon and remission of it so there is no defilement whatsoever which is above the Spirit of Christ as to matter of power and Dominion over it There is enough in the grace of Christ to mollifie the stoutest heart and to purge away the greatest corruption and therefore make use of that upon all occasions First labour to be in Christ and to be at first incorporated into him by a Faith of Vnion And then be daily fetching strength from Christ for the subduing of corruptions in thee by a Faith of Communion But to despair and to cast off all hope it is to betray thy Soul into the hands of Satan himself and to shut thy self out of Heaven it self in the conclusion of all What was that which lost the Israelites their earthly Canaan a great many of them Why it was their Despair and Infidelity they were afraid of the Sons of Anak those mighty Gtants which were in the Land and whom they thought they should never be able to conquer Numb 13.33 and they doubted of the power of God for them It is said They could not enter in because of unbelief Heb. 3. And so it is that which will hazard the loss of the Heavenly Canaan too if we look not to it for which cause we should beware of it And that 's the first reference of this expression here in the Text namely to the People themselves There is no hope in regard of us that we for our parts should ever be better or get the victory over our present corruptions The second is in reference to the Prophet Jeremy There is no hope namely of Thee that thou shouldst ever be able to do any good upon us by all thy arguings and reasonings with us or preaching or discoursing to us thou dost but spend thy labour to no purpose for we are resolved and determined in this business what to do This is agreeable to some other Translations of the Text. The Septuagint reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We 'll play the men the Arabick and Syriack Let us take heart and courage to our selves namely as these who will not be beaten off from our own devices This is another description of the temper of evil and sinful persons to labour to discourage even the endeavours of the Ministery amongst them if it will be discouraged by them that those who should heal and recover them may have no hope of them Of this we shall find an express instance in another place of this Prophecy in Jer. 44.16 Then all the men c. answered Jeremiah faying As for the word that thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee There they tell him as much to his face The People that Ezekiel had to do withall they
wickedness saving What have I done Every one turned to his course as the horse rusheth into the battel The horse and the war-horse especially which is there meant it hath a great deal of fierceness and impetuousness with it whereby when it discerns the battel though afar-off as Job speaks it rushes into it Eagerly with a great deal of vehemence and desperately with a great deal of resolution and dangerously with a great deal of hazard as rushing upon the Pikes and Guns Even so in like manner do wicked men rush upon evil courses and the ways of sin They are herein like the horse and mule which have no understanding and their sins are pleasing to them as the battel is to such kind of creatures as the horse is Secondly This obstinacy and perversness in sin it is grounded upon security and presumption Because as yet they find no hurt by their sins but scape well enough with them therefore they are resolv'd upon them As Eccl. 8.11 Because sentence against an evil doer is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil If God should strike men dead presently in their wickedness this it may be would a little affrighten them But now whiles he spares them and lets them alone and does nothing as yet unto them this heartens them and encourages them in evil Thirdly It does proceed from the power which Satan has over them The Devil he is said to be the Spirit that works in the children of disobedience Eph. 2.2 And certainly so he does in a great many persons Those who will not have Christ and his Spirit to reign with them they are oftentimes in just judgment given up to the Spirit of Satan by whom they are taken captive at his will And he hurries them and carries them on headlong to all manner of evil whatsoever Thus it is said of Judas that the Devil entred into him And thus 't is said of Ananias that Satan had filled his heart And thus Elymas the Sorcerer he is said to be a child of the Devil Now those which are such it is no wonder if they be thus bent upon sin as being such in whom Satan himself rules Fourthly Infidelity and unbelief because they are not perswaded of the truth of those things which they hear and read in the word concerning the vileness of such courses and the danger which they involve them in They think these things are but scare-crows and bug bears to fright children which have no truth or reality in them And therefore it is that they are no more affected with them so as to bear their evil ways Lastly The reason here in the Text and that is a desperate frame of spirit because they think there is no hope no hope that they should be better having so long been accustomed to evil Nor no hope if so-be they were better yet that God would be gracious to them and preserve them from ruine and destruction This is that among other things which makes them thus vile and incorrigible And that 's one thing and the main here considerable viz. Their obstinacy and perversness The Second thing is their conspiracy and combination We will every one c. It seems it was a set plot and design amongst them against the Lord and his Prophet even one and all If some few of them had resolved to do so it had been bad enough so and a very great evil that But it seems they were well agreed and they were so joyntly it was every one without exception Sin is always so much the worse as it is any thing the more general and universal It is not an excuse as some sometimes are ready to make it but rather an advancement and aggravation as shewing the malignity to be so much the greater and more improved And thus it was here Thirdly Here was their wilful transgression and sin even against knowledg for they do plainly acknowledg their ways to be evil and yet for all that they do resolve and purpose to persist in it notwithstanding We will every one do the imagination of his evil heart It is not we will do what we think in our judgment to be best Jeremy You think our ways to be evil and therefore would have us to refrain them but we are of another mind and therefore will continue still in them But you and we are both agreed in one that our ways are evil and yet notwithstanding we are determined to go on in them still though never so bad This is a fearful case indeed And thus much of the words consider'd simply and absolutely as they be in themselves Now further Secondly We may look upon them in their reflexion as coming from this people and that is they said it All that do so do not say so but it seems they said so and are so recorded here to have done This may be understood by us two manner of ways either in their words or in their actions either expresly and totidem verbis with open mouth or implicitly and interpretatively and by consequence in that which was done by them First Expresly and in so many words They were not ashamed to do this to say and declare and to profess to all the world that they were resolved whatever was said to them to persist and to go on in their wickedness Thus Psal 12.3 We read of the tongue that speaketh perverse things And ver 4. Who have said with our tongue we will prevail our lips are our own who is Lord over us So Mal. 3.13 14. Your words have been stout against me saith the Lord ye have said it is in vain to serve God c. And Job 21.14 They say unto God depart from us c. It is a sad thing when it comes to this yet sometimes we may observe it to do so So much impudence there is upon men's spirits as that they blush not to proclaim their wickedness with open mouth And that 's one sense of the expression Secondly It may be understood implicitly and interpretatively and by way of consequence They said it namely practically and effectively in that which they did and which was acted by them They said to the Prophet there was no hope i. e. they so behaved themselves as he could conceive no hope of them that they would ever be better And they said We will walk after our own devices c. i. e. they did still continue and persist in them without amendment and reformation and did give occasion to believe that they were resolved to do so still even for time to come This is the nature and quality of all perverse and obstinate sinners such as live in any course of sin without repentance though warn'd and admonish'd of it They do as good as say that they are purposed to do so continually And in the words of this present Text that they will every one do the c. Therefore accordingly let
the nature of the children of God that they hate more sin than they can rectifie they could wish many things to be otherwise than themselves can make them Well but when all comes to all they can mourn and bewail them that they are no better And this for Grief which is inwardly conceived in such cases and is represented here by this word of sighing The second is which is outwardly exprest and declared by crying and there is use also sometimes of this Crying abominations they call for crying dispositions not onely for sighing but for roaring not onely for secret weeping but for open complaints Men are sometimes and in some cases call'd to testifie and to declare against the common abominations according to the circumstances especially which they may be in and the places which are sustain'd by them Here they can do no less than manifest their abhorrency of them Thus the Lord to the Prophet Isaiah concerning the sins and abominations of the times in which he liv'd Cry aloud says he and spare not lift up thy voice like a trumpet and shew my people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins in Isa 58.1 And this for the expressions of Sorrow viz. Sighing and Crying The second is the occasion of these Expressions and that is the abominations that are committed Hatognevoth There are no sins whatsoever that are to be allowed or indulged though the least and smallest that are But the greater that any sins are the more are they to be abhorred by us when it once comes to abominations here we are especially to proceed against them and to bewail them all that may be as being such as carry the greatest guilt and consequently the greatest danger with them The Scripture still sets a mark upon abominations as such things as are chiefly to be lamented as in the Chapter preceding verse 17. Hast thou seen this O son of man Is it not a light thing to the house of Judith that they commit the abominations which they commit here So Jer. 6.15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abominations It was a great offence not to beashamed there where-ever it had been besides So Mic. 6.10 Are there yet the treasures of wickeaness in the house of the wicked and the scant measure which is abominable That which is abominable it should especially be abominated by us The third thing is the Extent of the Commission both in the word of Vniversality All and of Place in the midst of the City This shews how far these abominations had spread and what footing they had got amongst them as matter of just bewailing and lamentation to them When sin is once come to this pass it is so much the more grievous when it is got into the midst and into the heart as it were of the City then it is sad indeed we count it so in regard of Judgment We think it a sad thing here for the Plague to be in the midst of the City and as it were in the very heart of it this is dreadful and terrible Oh! but what is it then for wick edness and abomination to be so as it is here exprest And so now I have done with the first General Part of the Text which is the Persons mentioned in those words That sigh and that cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof The second is the special care or regard which is had of them in those words Go and set a mark upon the foreheads of them that c. Whereas there are such persons as these now and then to be found in the world that do sigh c. so we see how there is a special mark by Gods appointment fastned upon them who are thus affected This mark to speak distinctly of it is of two sorts First it is a mark of Observation And secondly it is a mark of Preservation It is a mark of dignity and special respect and it is a mark of safety and special security which is vouchsafed to such persons First It is a mark of Honour and Observation such persons as these are they are highly esteemed and accounted of by God himself In times of common sins and calamities the Lord has a special regard to mens spirits and takes notice how they are affected and those whom he finds to lay either of these two to their hearts he has a great respect for them to mark them in their foreheads or place of eminency or observation But secondly and more to our purpose as it is a mark of Observation so it is a mark of Preservation likewise and that especially it is such a mark as whereby God does distinguish them from other persons in the execution of his Judgments which he does graciously exempt them from We shall find still all along in Scripture how as any persons have had any thing more of this temper and disposition in them so they have been more secured by God from publick calamities God has still taken care of his own Servants when he has most severely proceeded against others Thus when the Aegyptians were destroyed in their First-born there was bloud sprinkled upon the posts of the Israelites for their security that he that destroyed the other might not touch them Heb. 11.28 And Rev. 7.3 there was a charge given to the Angels that neither the earth nor the sea nor the trees should be any thing hurt till such time as the servants of God were sealed in their fore-heads And here in this present Text before us a special charge is given to the Destroyer not to burt any man upon whom was the mark c. And who were they namely such as mourned and took on for the common abominations Such as these God has a special regard to in such cases to keep and preserve them A notable instance whereof we have in Josiah 2 Chron. 54.27 where it is said that because his heart was tender and he humbled himself before God and rent his clothes and wept before him therefore he should not see all the evil which God would bring upon the place where he was and upon the inhabitants thereof God preserv'd him because he sigh'd and cri'd for all those abominations c. Now the Reason of Gods Indulgence to such persons as are thus affected is especially upon this account First Because they are such as do more especially honour God and glorifie him both in his Attributes and Providence and those that honour him he will honour and he will also protect In Mal. 3.16 17. when a company of profane wretches took no notice of any thing at all Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another namely in the bewailing of such profaneness And what was the issue of it The Lord hearkned and heard and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name And they shall be mine saith the Lord of hosts in that
deceive you with vain words for because of these things comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience Rev. 21.8 The abominable are said to have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone and Rev. 22.15 Without are dogs Dogs what are they namely filthy beastly people who have impudence joyn'd with their uncleanness What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness and what concord hath Christ with Belial St. Paul makes the question 2 Cor. 6.14 and we may answer it in the negative even none at all Such as these they are at a very great distance from Grace and eternal Salvation forasmuch as they are in a state of absolute repugnancy and opposition against it and therefore may justly tremble at such a Doctrine as this is howsoever they may otherwise be perswaded and flatter themselves Secondly all hypocrites or secret enemies and haters of goodness which though perhaps they may not be so openly and notoriously scandalous as some others are yet have bitter and malicious spirits and affections in them against the ways of God Such as these being of a devillish nature and the spirit that works in the children of disobedience ruling in them they are therefore far from the Kingdom of God and the government of Christ and his spirit which is a spirit of Holiness This was the condition of those other persons in this Chapter which came to Christ The Pharisees and Sadducees and Herodians they came to him with a malicious affection to intangle him and insnare him in his speech and thereby to betray him who therefore were said here implicitly to be far from the Kingdom of God which this honest Scribe was not And so in other places of the Gospel our Saviour does in special manner strike at the Pharisees for thus their malicious opposing and contradicting of the known truth which does set men in as great a distance to this purpose as any thing else and nothing more even there where 't is veiled with the fairest pretences that may be Thirdly all such persons as are meerly civil or formal which have no more but common and moral honesty in them though this in it self and simply consider'd be very good we do not speak against it nor had not need in these times yet such I say who are no more than so they are far from the Kingdom of God There 's an infinite distance betwixt Civility and Piety betwixt God Nature and Grace betwixt Formality and the power of Religion Those which go no farther than that they come far short of this and so in conclusion if they go no farther of that which is the consequent of it eternal life Thus our Saviour himself tells us Matt. 5.20 I say unto you that except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven The Scribes and Pharisees they were very strict and exact persons in many respects Their conversation to the world was very fair and free from offence they were punctual in their observations of the Law and the outward parts of God's worship and service and yet for all this our Saviour tells the people whom he there speaks to that except they took care to go beyond them there was no coming for them to Heaven no more there was not they must have somewhat more in them than this or no Salvation And thus it has likewise been apprehended by those whom God has pleased to enlighten and to work a further work in them As for instance the Apostle Paul himself we cannot have a better proof of this point than in his Epistle by considering him what he was before conversion and considering him what he was after Take it from his own mouth Gal. 1.14 He there tells us what he had been before how he he had profited in the Jews Religion above many of his equals and had been exceedingly zealous of the traditions of his Fathers So Phil. 3.6 He says that touching the righteousness which is in the Law he was blameless and if any other had whereof he might trust in the flesh he had more well but now at last he durst not trust to it for all this as ye may see in the words that follow in ver 7 8. What things were gain unto me those I counted loss for Christ yea doubtless and I count all things to be but loss c. This is the judgment which St. Paul passes upon himself before conversion to be but in a lost condition notwithstanding all his exactness in the way of a civil conversation his outside and formality in Religion And so it is likewise with any other persons besides who are no more but so They are in this respect but short of the Kingdom of God There 's a double defect or insufficiency in meer civility to this purpose First in regard of the object or matter which it is exercised about which is considerable chiefly in the inferior things of the Law and such as do regulate and reform the outward conversation as Justice and Temperance and Sobriety and such as these but as for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the weightier and more substantial matters as Faith and Repentance and Self-denial and Mortification here 't is more lax and remiss or nothing at all Secondly in regard of the Principle and Spring whence these actions proceed which is not an heart any thing changed or renewed in the spirit of its mind as the Apostle speaks but still remaining in its natural condition and original corruption and defilement which it had contracted to it self In each of these respects does civility sall short of Salvation And therefore let none of us rest satisfied or contented with it let this be the Vse and Improvement which we make of this observation to labour to find a further work than this comes to upon our hearts A sight of our wretched and miserable condition by nature and mourning under it A new byass and inclination put upon us carrying us out to that righteousness which is in Christ a closing with Christ upon the terms and conditions of the Gospel to forsake our dearest lusts to forego our strongest corruptions to be willing to do or suffer whatsoever he shall lay upon us to deny our selves perfectly for him and to submit to his Scepter and Government to take place in us to have a special savour and relish of the Truths and Doctrines of the Scripture especially as they are any thing more pertinent to the practical part of Religion to love the children of God upon this account because they are his children and have his image instampt upon them These and the like are such things as are somewhat further than meer civility and the common honesty of the World which whosoever have not in themselves more or less and in some kind of measure and degree are so far forth in this distance and remoteness
that this would teach us to see our own vanity and to set our thoughts a-work upon better things that so we may not only have God not opposing us but also setting in with us that he may speak to us not by way of contradiction but by way of encouragement and as one which approves what we do The way to have him to do thus is to set our thoughts and meditations in a right channel to be plotting for the eternity to be plotting for the good of the Church and projecting how to promote the common cause of God's people to study how to advance Religion and Godliness in the places wherein we live These are the things wherein we shall have the Lord himself joyn with us This is the First General It was an excellent Speech of Socrates an Heathen Philosopher c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 With men honesty is folly and conscience is folly and plain dealing is folly and preaching is folly these are foolishness with men but they are not so with the Lord. God calls fool as one that can judge of folly God calls fool as one that will punish folly Thus does he call fools Why thus now are all c. Secondly They are fools because they do as fools do why I pray how do fools Ye may take it in these explications and all apply it to worldly earthly minded men First they peremptorily conclude upon that which is uncertain Secondly they absolutely neglect that which is necessary Thirdly they altogether prefer and provide for that which is superfluous In all these respects they are fools First I say they peremptorily conclude upon that which is uncertain they are fools in this There 's nothing a greater argument of a fool than to make sure of that which is questionable Folly it is for the most part full of vain and frivolous hope but Wisdom it is full of suspition and jealousy and expedition of miscarriage and is ready to think there are many things which may disappoint it Why now this for the most part is the case of worldly men they build upon a thousand uncertainties their lives and their goods and their houses and such poor things as these than which nothing can be more uncertain this they depend upon as infallible and not to be suspected Again on the other side the Scriptures and promises and the hopes of Heaven these they think to be the falsest and most unconstant things that can be They are such as they will give no trust or assurance unto but pass them over as matters very hazardous This is desperate folly to forsake the fountain of waters and to trust to broken pitchers for men to rely upon that whereunto there 's no trust to be given such as riches are and therefore we find them accordingly to be exprest to us in Scripture In Prov. 23.5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not for riches certainly make themselves wings they fly away as an Eagle to Heaven Mark upon that which is not such kind of things are riches A man cannot say that they are because that they are still in a flowing and transient condition therefore we find them also to be call'd uncertain riches In 1 Tim. cap 6. ver 17. Charge them that are rich in this world that they trust not in uncertain riches but in the living God who giveth us all things richly to enjoy It 's a great piece of vanity and folly to trust in things which are uncertain It 's just as if a man should think to walk upon crackt ice which will be sure to give him the slip we would count him a fool which should do so whatsoever he should pretend Why thus are all the hopes and expectations and supportments of the worldly they are things of as brittle a nature wholly full out As Bildad has exprest it in Job Job 8.14 The hope of the hycocrite shall be cut off and his trust shall be a spiders web He shall lean upon his house but it shall not stand he shall hold it fast but it shall not endure Thus do all hypocrites they hold fast on that which endures not This is one piece of folly Secondly They absolutely neglect that which is necessary they are fools in this whom do we account to be a fool here in the world A man that cares not at all what becomes of himself nor of those which belong unto him lets his House and his Lands and his Estate go to rack and ruine and those which belong to his Family to perish for hunger him ye account to be a fool Why but these whom we now speak of they do worse than all this for they neglect their immortal Souls Heaven and Happiness and Glory and Eternal Life the favour and love of God the fellowship and communion of Saints the sweet comforts of the Spirit such high matters as these they are neglected and disregarded Our Saviour has combined necessity into a narrow room in Luke 10.42 he tells us it is but only one thing one thing is needful and this one is the only thing which worldly men neglect which makes it the greater folly If their happiness consists in many things at once and those of different natures perchance the multitude might distract them and confound them and put them beside But now when 't is confined but to one for them to be neglectful here it is the greatest madness that can be and yet this is that which they are generally guilty of This they must needs be whiles they give themselves with so much excess to other things This our Saviour has told us and clearly laid down unto us in Mat. 6.24 No man can serve two Masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other ye cannot serve God and Mammon This is that which deceives men they think to serve both that they may both follow the World and follow Christ too But herein they are exceedingly mistaken for they will not stand together Indeed I do not deny but a man may ravel and pass through the world and make use of those comforts and refreshments which it pleases God to cast upon him in it But to pursue and follow after it to prosecute it with that eager violence and importunity which many do it cannot well be without neglect of better things This is that which they do who are carnally minded they neglect that which is necessary Thirdly They altogether prefer and provide for that which is superfluous If we compare salvation with health and friends and the comforts of this life these things they are superfluous in comparison for what 's a temporal life to that which is eternal and perpetual But if further we speak of these things as they are pursued by worldly men so thy are superfluous out of question they are simply and absolutely superfluous without more ado For such men as these we
speak of they provide not for the supplies of nature but rather for the supplies of lust nor yet for the superfluities of encouragement but rather for the superfluities of sin This is another piece of folly agreeable to them It 's a wonderful weakness in any when their care and endeavour and prosecution is too high above the thing for the Soul of man being a noble and excellent creature and of a sublime and heavenly nature the strength and intention of it should run out in things proportionable and which keep a correspondency with it self for a man to be serious and intent and earnest in re levi in a sleight and trivial business it 's an argument of a trivial mind it shews that the soul is not rais'd to that magnanimity whereunto it should be Why this is now the folly of all carnal minded persons they spend their labour in vain they trifle at business and they weary and turmoil themselves at play The Application of this to our selves may be to teach us to take heed of being any of this number whom God shall call fool For now that we have spoken concerning this Fool in the Gospel there is a great Question behind whether there be any more of them or no in the world For perhaps this is like him whom the Preacher speaks of in Ecclesiastes Eccles 4.8 There is one and there is not another Or it may be this is such a fool as Solomon was a wise man that there was never the like since him It may chance the whole kind of them was confined to this individual And what shall we say then Indeed this is the great business which we have such adoe to perswade men of and to bring their hearts to believe for they when they hear this story concerning this worldly rich man here in the Text are ready to speak more seriously than Job did of his friends wisdom no doubt but this is the fool and folly is dead with him But they have foolishness as well as he and are not inferiour to him yea who knows not such things as these This is the misery of all that Stulti plena sunt omnium we cannot stir out of doors but we continually meet with such mad men and fools as this men that neglect grace and happiness and salvation and communion with God and prefer trifles and bables and rattles before the eternal peace and welfare of their own precious and immortal souls I beseech ye suffer me to awaken you a little in this business and that from the consideration of that ignominy and reproach which lies upon it The name of a fool it is that which every one shuns and would by no means have cast upon him Though men do not care to be esteemed extraordinary wise yet they would not be counted fools this is a matte of the greatest and highest reproach Well if men would not be thought so let them be careful then not to be so And if we would not have the name let us take heed of that which may deserve it what 's that which deserves it I have told you all this while already This immoderate pursuit of the world and this carelesness and neglect of Heaven it is the greatest folly imaginable And remember still this which I intimated to you before that God himself reckons it folly which is the greatest prejudice of all Men they may commend it and men they may applaud it and men they may admire it as it is in Psal 49. v. 16. Men will praise thee when thou doest well to thy self That is when thou doest well to thy self in a carnal way no more but so then men will praise thee that is carnal and worldly men as thou thy self art Yea but what saies the Lord to all this This is a thing to be regarded It was the speech of our Saviour to the Pharisees in Luke 16.15 Ye are they which justifie your selves before men but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God And also it is the saying of the Apostle in 2 Cor. 10.18 It is not he that commendeth himself who is approved but he whom the Lord commendeth It is he alone which is approved Well men may haply please themselves with their own imaginations and conceits but when all 's done I believe he 'l be the grand fool which is a fool in God's account and that 's wisdom indeed which is wisdom in his esteem who is wisdom it self Religion 's beyond the censure of man's day Blessed be God that whatever the world counts of holiness it has yet approbation from him and whatever he thinks of earthliness it 's folly in his eyes It 's no matter what men reckon of us it 's no matter what we reckon of our selves let us approve our consciences to the Lord let us labour to be wise to salvation to apprehend the devices of Satan to faddom the depths and subtilties of our own sinful hearts Here is the mind which has wisdom Every wise man is ambitious still of the liking and of the good opinion of the wisest to be thought well of by them and should not we then especially study to be in favour and liking and acceptance with the only wise God Now alas what does he principally esteem of us for not for having so much wealth or learning or wit or birth or the like but having so much grace not for being rich to the world but for being rich to him and therefore should this be our principal endeavour This point as it should take upon all so especially upon men of learning and parts and a more noble and generous education There 's none should so contemn the world as those who have that about them which the world cannot bestow And there 's none should have more care of their souls than those whose souls are indued with a more excellent qualification Godliness it does well every where but especially in great parts and high places and ingenuous spirits because these have greater opportunities and may do a great deal more good or hurt with them and consequently receive either the greater condemnation or glory The wiser men are in a natural way the wiser they should be in a spiritual and the wiser men are for the world the wiser they should be for Heaven and their own everlasting happiness or else they do not sute and consist with themselves The Preacher in Ecclesiastes 10.1 speaking of wisdom and folly has this comparison That as dead Flies cause the ointment of the Apothecary to send forth a stinking savour so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour A little folly it 's a disparagement to a wise man because as it is best agreeable so it is most discerned and discovered and taken notice of And if a little folly be so disgraceful what is then a great deal what is the greatest of all
he must dye for all these This night shall thy soul be taken away from thee This we have set forth unto us in Ps 49.6 and so forward They that trust in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches none of them can by any means redeem his Brother nor give to God a ransome for him that he should still live for ever and not see corruption for the redemption of their soul is precious and it ceaseth for ever So in Eccl. 8.8 No man hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit neither hath he power in the day of death and there is no discharge in that war If no man hath power not the rich man not the wealthy man not the man of a great estate let him get as much as ever he can grasp yet he shall never see death he shall never be able by his wealth to free himself from that All a mans riches are not sufficient to preserve his life Again not to save his soul When a man is to appear naked before the dreadful Tribunal of Christ and to give account of all the actions which he hath done whether they be good or evil It is not a whole world which will avail him or do him any good The treasures of wickedness profit nothing in Prov 10.2 Riches avail not in the day of wrath in Prov. 11.4 When God shall set home sin upon the conscience and proclaim his fierce wrath and judgment against a poor wretch when he shall pronounce a sentence of cursing and condemnation upon such a soul as has walkt perversly against him all the riches and estate and wealth which such a man is able to make they can never help him to peace There 's nothing but the blood of Christ apply'd here by Christ's Spirit which is here able to avail when a man 's going out of the world the world it self will then be made appear to be wholly insufficient and they now and then to have the least contentment from it which have the most portion in it Oh that I could but sufficiently fasten these things upon your hearts If riches cannot save a man's soul why should men hazard the loss of their souls to come by them why should men take so much pains and care as they do to obtain them why should men put so much trust and confidence and reliance in them surely men do not consider what their precious souls are Thou fool thy soul shall be taken away from thee Methinks this one word it should strike a serious horror and amazement into every mans conscience What is the hope of the hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his soul In Job 27.8 What is a man profited though he gain the whole world and lose his own soul in Matth. 16.26 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul as it is there also in that place All the tidings could have been brought were not answerable for sadness to this They shall take away thy soul from thee because that this taking away it was not a meet taking away but it had somewhat else at the end of it Take it away to punish it and take it away to torment it and take it away to inflict vengeance upon it It was not so much the separation of the soul from the body as the separation of the soul from the Lord that was that which was terrible and fearful and hideous indeed This is the first observation All the wealth a man has is not able to preserve his soul Secondly We may observe this that God takes away mens lives many times when they least suspect it This covetous wretch in the Text. thought least of death then when it was nearest unto him He was thinking of many years when he had not behind many hours he was thinking of his barns when he had a foot in his grave Thus it has been also with many others besides when they have been pleasing themselves in their enjoyments God has then taken away their souls when they have been promising and forecasting some great things to come to themselves God has then been preparing their deaths Thus it was with Belshazzar in Dan. 5.5 Whiles he was drinking Wine and praising the Gods of Gold and of Silver it is said in the same hour there was an hand writing came out against him and in that very night was Belshazzar King of the Chaldeans slain So likewise again Herod when he was sitting in his Pomp upon his Throne in his glorious apparel and priding himself in the shout and applause of the people it is said that immediately the Angel of the Lord smote him because he gave not God the glory in Acts 2.23 Thus it was also with Sisera whiles he was sleeping securely in the Tent Jael came upon him with an hammer and stroke a nail through his temples that he died And so I might instance in many other examples besides there 's nothing almost more usual This God will have to be that he may teach us that we are dependant creatures and that our times are in his hands that no man might think of himself more highly than he ought to think but think soberly and meekly therefore he usually disappoints men in their greatest expectations where they do not take him to counsel There 's nothing a surer evidence and fore-runner of any ones miscarriage than an absolute and peremptory determination upon any thing without reference to God No he will have us to know our selves to be but men and accordingly think of our selves This should therefore teach us to take heed of boasting of to morrow or of promising our selves any certainty and assurance in any thing below Alas for ought we know we may be stript and depriv'd of our lives and we know not how soon There 's nothing more ordinary among men than to resolve long before hand and to project to themselves what they will do for time to come And there is nothing more ordinary than for men in such cases as these many times to have their lives taken from them when men settle themselves in a condition as I may so speak and think when they are come to this they shall now be sure to make their mountain strong and think they shall never be moved as David said then 's the very time usually for God to disappoint them Therefore take heed of this setling and resolving afore-hand of any thing I know there 's a lawful forecast and providence which ought to be used and it is such as is both needful and commendable but take heed of this Soul take thy rest take heed of thinking thou hast goods for many years take heed of saying with Peter It is good to be here for then in all probability and likelihood art thou going away God will not have us to dream of rest in a place of disquiet nor God will not have us to think of certainty in a condition of
in Martha was as a mis-apprehension of Christ so a misplacing of her own affections She look'd after that which was but trivial and nothing to speak of the providing of her fâ—â—st c. and neglected the main chance of all which was the word of Christ This is intimated in this expression Thou art careful and troubled about many things where that which expresses many things is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is ordinary and common and vulgar things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So if we please we may render it and very suitable to the scope of the place And here we learn thus much that it is a great fault in Christians and those who are professors of Religion to have their minds and thoughts taken up about slight and trivial matters Coloss 3. verse 2. Set your affection on things above and not on things on the earth And it is a character of evil persons that they are minding of earthly things Phil. 3.29 And Matth. 13.22 He is condemned in the thorny ground that the care of this World and the deceitfulness of riches choaked the word that it became unfruitful This minding of such things is very unfitting in these respects First In regard of the unsuitableness of these things to their minds they are things below a Christian's spirit It is true that so far forth as we are men and consist of slesh and blood as others do so far forth we have need of those things which do tend to the sustenance and preservation of this our natural life and so far forth they may also in good sort and in a degree be tended by us but take them simply in themselves and they are exceedingly inferior and below a Christian's spirit there 's no agreement or correspondency betwixt them Take an heart which is sanctified by Grace sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ has the Spirit of God dwelling in it and how far are these outward things inferior to it as much and a great deal more than the sports and pastimes of children are to the thoughts of grown and grave men Secondly Because they have better and other things to take their minds up If Christians had nothing else to think of they might be perhaps excused for being so busy and careful about these because the mind of man must have somewhat to exercise and employ it self in But now there are other matters of greater and higher consequence and of better concernment There 's God and Christ and Grace and Glory to be revealed There 's one thing which is necessary which makes these many things which are superfluous to be out of date This was the fault here of Martha in the Text that she was so taken up in these trifles when she had the word of Christ to be exercised in That 's another thing which makes them unfitting Thirdly Because they little conduce to that end to which themselves are appointed Every wise man has his eye still upon his end and that scope which he propounds to himself to have a care of that Now what are all these things to that any further than as so many encouragements to carry us chearfully through our way Our main end is a better life and to be fitted and prepared for that And therefore accordingly our thoughts and affections should be pitcht on such things as do most conduce hereunto other matters are little to the purpose and sometimes do very much lead another way Ye cannot serve two Masters God and Mammon both He that will love the one must forsake the other And we see here again in the Text that Martha whiles she looked after many things she was so much the more remiss about one and that which of all other could least and worst be neglected Thus we see upon what grounds it is blameable in Christians to be intent upon trivial things This therefore justly meets with the distemper of many Christians in this particular whose thoughts are too much taken up about the world and the things thereof It is true that God does both allow and command us a moderate regard of these things as we intimated before but that these should have our hearts and affections this is that which he takes very ill from us and it is justly taxable in us when-ever it is so that these poor and empty things should possess us and have the mastery of us that Martha a godly woman and one that profest Religion that she should now be thus taken up was very irregular And so is it also for any other Christians besides and a dishonour upon Christianity it self therefore it deserved a chiding and a very tart and sharp one too as here it found from Christ for there was more in these words than is exprest there 's an Emphasis in the very naming an recital of them which Christ contents himself here withal in his dealing with Martha He does not give her any harsh language and tell her she is thus and thus that she is a worldling or a muck-worm or so only names her sin to her which was enough to an ingenious spirit Thou art careful and troubled about many things And this indeed shewed the greatness and heinousness of the offence That 's a great miscarriage indeed which the naming of it is enough to reprove And so was this here in the Text. And that 's the Second the misplacing of her affections about many things c. The Third and last thing which Christ seems here to tax in Martha is her sollicitude and distraction of spirit and excess in this business Here were two faults involved in one and so we 'll take them together First here was her excess and superfluity in the word many things as it is a note of variety And Secondly here was her perplexity and distraction in the word troubled First Here was her excess and superfluity in the word many things as a note of variety Christ did not find fault with her hospitality but she was too curious and superfluous in it From whence we may note thus much That we may over-do there where it would be a fault not to do at all we may do more than we need to do and we may do more than we should do where we should sin except we did somewhat Yea further we are apt and prone hereunto take notice of that We are very ready and subject to over-shoot our selves in things lawful and necessary and to go beyond our bounds in them licitis perimus omnes we are all undone by lawful things as by apparel by meats and drinks by traffick and commerce those things which are indulged to us and which we cannot well be without yet we sin oftentimes in the enjoyment and use of them The ground hereof is First of all The general corruption of our nature which taints the best things in us To the pure all things are pure but to them which are defiled is nothing pure c. says the
the name for good understandings now we see here how they may do so and indeed attain hereunto which is by walking in such ways as are good and which tend to everlasting life and salvation This is the great wisdom of all and most to be looked after Who is wise and he shall understand these things Prudent and he shall know them Hos 14.9 Men commonly think it a part of wisdom in them to choose such ways as are best for the world but that 's wisdom in good earnest to choose such ways as are best for Heaven and as may serve to bring a man thither Secondly It is an argument also of a gracious and savoury spirit Men choose commonly according to their affections and there 's much of their spirit in those things which they fasten upon we may see what 's within them and what principles they are acted by according to that which they make choice of A spiritual heart is most affected with spiritual objects and places its greatest delight and contentment in such things as these Thirdly It is an argument of some courage and self-denial and resolution of mind For the better part it is not commonly without opposition and resistance in the world there will still be some or other that will malign it and set themselves against it There 's hardly any man that can make choice of goodness but he shall be sure to have enemies enough for it They that hate me says David are many in number because I do the thing that good is Psal 38.20 Now therefore to make choice of it in such circumstances it argues some kind of boldness and spirit and courageousness in it Lastly It is also an argument of an elect and chosen Vessel It is a sign that God has chosen us when we choose him and such ways as these which are good and pleasing to him For there where God elects he qualifies where he makes choice of any person he does withal confer a disposition suitable and agreeable to such a choice This is that therefore which we should labour and endeavour after and be still careful of to put it in practice In every thing whereunto we apply our selves still to choose that which is best to close with the best persons to cleave to the best causes to take up the best opinions to take the best courses and ways that possibly we can that by so doing we may approve our selves the better to Christ It is the disposition of many people in the world that if there be any way worse than other they 'l be sure to make choice of that and to make it their own Now what a fondness and madness is this we see in other matters for the world how careful men are what they are able to make the best choice that may be and there 's nothing good enough for them so exact and curious are they And how much rather should they then choose the best in spiritual matters The way hereunto is first of all To beg direction of God himself for the guiding of us Alas we are but fools of our selves without his Spirit to teach us and therefore we must have recourse to him Thus the Prophet David for himself Psal 143.8 9. Cause me to hear thy loving-kindness in the morning for in thee do I trust Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk for I lift up my soul unto thee And again Teach me to do thy will for thou art my God Thy Spirit is good lead me into the land of uprightness Thus the Apostle Paul prays for the Ephesians that God would give them the spirit of revelation cap. 1. ver 17. And for the Philippians That they might abound in all judgment cap. 1. ver 9. And for the Colossians That they might be fill'd with the knowledg of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding Secondly We must also seriously weigh and compare one thing with another Good election it proceeds from good deliberation Eccles 7.27 Behold this have I found saith the Preacher counting one by one to find out the account or as some expound and read the words weighing one thing after another to find out the reason If we would choose those things that are best we must not take them in their simple proposition or have a slight and superficial view of them but examine them and dive into them and consider them in all their circumstances Thirdly Take in the advice and experience of well-grounded and experienced Christians to help us We see how men do in other matters where they have no skill or very little in such and such Commodities themselves they will take with them those that have to choose for them and so should they learn to do here It is a good rule in doubtful matters to advise with the generation of God's children which in all likelihood should know what is best and be able best to guess at it Quilibet in Arte sua credendus est Lastly To labour to be acquainted with the power of Religion our selves Those things men best choose which they are best verst in A Trades man in his own Commodities and Mysteries and so likewise a Christian And this is the first observation That it is the commendation of a Christian to make choice of such ways as are best and most approvable to Christ as Mary here did The Second is this That we are then good to purpose when we are good upon right Principles namely of judgment and consideration in us when it may be said of us as it was here said of Mary that we have chosen the better part Religion it is a matter of election it is not a business of chance but a business of choice There are many persons sometimes in the world who do not so much choose Religion as rather Religion chooses them and they stumble upon it before they are aware But this should not be sufficient for us neither should we content our selves with it but labour rather to set our selves to it upon due grounds and motives upon us Thus David concerning himself Psal 119.30 I have chosen the way of truth thy Judgments have I laid before me I have stuck unto thy Testimonies c. Beloved It is true indeed it is a great advantage to have gracious opportunities of goodness afforded unto us and we are to acknowledg God's Providence in them and to bless him for them good counsel good example good education good company and the like But yet we are not to rest our selves in these but to have somewhat further to act us We are not to be carried only by others principles but by principles of our own not only to take the better part but to choose the better part that is to take it out of a liking of it and out of an affection to it at least to do so at last and before we have done Indeed I do not deny but those helps which I mention'd before may
again So Grace in the greatest decayings it has still a root at the bottom And there 's life at the heart when all the rest of the body is as 't were dead That 's the first thing here considerable It shall not be lost or taken away in regard of its root and principle The Second is in regard of its operations and effects which it works in the heart The better part shall not be taken away thus it still leaves somewhat behind it which is sure to stick fast Those who are conversant in holy duties and well employ'd in the exercises of Religion they still get somewhat or other which hereupon cleaves unto them either more knowledg or more favour or more affection or more comfort or somewhat There 's a better tincture and impression upon them than was before and so it continues Other things as the vanities of the world they pass with the very acting of them and they leave nothing at all upon the heart but that which iâ— naught like themselves when they are over there 's an end of them But it is not so now in the hearing of the word and in sitting at the feet of Christ with Mary here in the Text. This in regard of the influence and efficacy which it leaves behind it it abides and remains still When the Ordinances cease yet the effects of them still continue And when the Bible it self is lost yet the benefit which comes by reading of it shall not be lost nor taken away with it it holds in regard of its effects Thirdly In regard of its reward and recompence both here in this life and in another world it shall not be taken away so neither There 's no man that shall lose any thing by his diligence and constancy in Religion but shall be sure to have it abundantly supplied and made up unto him He shall be sure not to lose his reward Godliness it hath the promise of this life and of that which is to come as the Apostle tells us 1 Tim. 4.8 It has the promise and it has also the performance of what is promised together with it First Even here in this life There 's a reward of Piety here especially within the compass of it self in the peace of a good conscience and that quietness and tranquillity of spirit which is consequent upon it Duty conscientiously performed is thus far a reward to it self and carries the fruits and effects in its own bosome In the keeping of thy Commandments is great reward Psal 19.12 And then Secondly For the life to come there it shall be sure to be rewarded to purpose even where at present it seems to be neglected This better part does not appear to be the better part yet at least to some kind of eyes and apprehensions nay it rather seems to be the contrary To be lost and taken away in regard of any good that comes by it oh but there 's a time a coming when it shall appear and be made good abundantly God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love Heb. 6.10 And Gal. 6.9 Let us not be weary in well-doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not And what shall we reap why he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting as it follows there in the same place And in 2 Joh. 8. There 's mention made of a full reward The consideration of this Point may be thus far useful to us First as it may shew us the difference betwixt Religion and other things There 's nothing here below that we can absolutely and peremptorily conclude that it shall not be taken away from us there being a great uncertainty upon it All the Goods of this present world they are movables as I may so express it Health and Strength and Favour and Riches and Honour they are all easily taken away we have frequent experience of it upon every occasion And life it self which is the foundation of them all and whereupon they depend that 's soon and quickly at an end with those that enjoy it the longest But this now is the excellency of Grace and Piety that it is of eternal continuance The world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever 1 Joh. 2.17 Secondly This may serve also to encourage us and provoke us to the practice of Religion and to an attendance upon those duties and exercises which are pertinent thereunto of reading and hearing and meditation and holy conference and the like such as these as this gracious woman here was employed in Forasmuch as we shall not be losers but gainers by them in our spiritual part And besides we shall have an eternal reward which shall hereafter be bestowed upon us for them in the conscientious performance of them What-ever diligence and industry is used by us herein and to this purpose it will be our own another day as we use to express it And we shall find the benefit of it in our own experience it will stick by us when-as every thing else will give us the slip and be removed and taken away from us as I said before Yea when the duties themselves are at an end as Christ hereafter shall be all in all yet the fruit and benefit and comfort of them shall yet abide and continue still for ever And further Let us remember to be conversant in these duties of Piety and Religion after a spiritual manner which is here implyed and supposed when it is said that Mary chose the better part she did not only sit at Christ's feet and hear his word with her outward cars but she closed with Christ's Spirit and her heart opened unto him And so we should be careful to have it with us in such performances To choose the better part of the better part For as the duties of Piety and Religion have an excellency consider'd in themselves above common and worldly performances and so are the better part in comparison of them So the spiritual performance of these duties have an excellency consider'd in it self above the external performance of the same duties and is the better part in comparison of that And we are to take it here in the Text in this comprehensive notion of it or else we shall come short of the true sense and meaning of it Our Saviour does not here commend Mary only from the nature of her employment but also moreover from her carriage and behaviour in it This is that therefore I say which we should have a regard to in such things as these are even to be spiritual in spiritual duties and to have a frame of heart answerable to the nature and quality of the performances wherein we are employ'd that so we may be both the better in them and the better for them For it is the Spirit that quickeneth the Flesh profiteth nothing If it had not been for this Martha had
Shulamite return return there 's a doubling still of the word The Spirit of God he speaks quick and he speaks often again and again where he would prevent from danger Thus it teaches us accordingly to submit to such quick and close admonitions as these are as we have need of them There are many that do not love to be startled they would fain go to Hell quietly without any disturbance or interruption and therefore abhor all such persons as deal roundly and tartly with them and would awaken them out of their natural condition Oh but we see there is sometimes cause for such dealings and we should not think much of them whether from Ministers in the way of their publick Ministery or from private Christians in the way of Christian converse and private admonition not to be offended with their rouzings and excitements of us which the state in which we may be in and the danger which is neer upon us may call for to be used to us That 's one intimation in this doubled and repeated expression viz. The greatness of the danger The Second is the security of the person warned Peter was not more in danger than he was insensible of his danger He thought the case to be well enough with him as he expresses it afterwards in verse 33 of this chap. Lord I am ready to go with thee both into prison and unto death He thought himself a jolly man and that he could do very great matters till it came to the trial was well perswaded of his own strength and of his ability to resist temptations Now therefore does our Saviour here awaken him out of this secure temper and disposition by this manner of expressing himself unto him As danger calls for excitement so especially there where it hath security with it As the Angel to Lot and his company when they took them and pulled them out of Sodom because of their lingring in it Even so is there need to be done with some souls from that presumption and security that possesses them Thirdly The affection of the Monitor or Person that gives the warning that 's also in the doubling of the appellation It is a sign Christ's heart was much in it and that he bore a singular love and respect to Peter in that he does thus passionately admonish him Love is full of sollicitude and carefulness for the party beloved and can never express it self as it thinks sufficiently about it for the welfare of it And this is seen in nothing more than in spiritual things It is a singular token of affection to give warning of spiritual dangers and hazards to the soul and of temptations which it is exposed unto This is that which Christ does here in the Text to the Apostle Peter and which he does also to the rest of his Servants by his Spirit still in their hearts He does secretly forewarn them of those evils which are neer unto them if-so-be they will take warning by him and that also with much importunity and vehemency as that which concerns them So much for that and so also of the First General in the Text viz. The person warned the Apostle Peter in these words repeated and doubled Simon Simon The Second is the matter of the admonition or the warning it self Behold Satan To say nothing of the word of attention Behold which yet might be inlarged upon There are two particulars here further considerable First the persons aim'd at and that is you Secondly the design upon them Satan hath desired to have you and to sift or winnow you as wheat For the First The persons aim'd at they are here said to be you He spake before to Peter in the singular Simon Simon now it is you in the plural To signify thus much unto us that there 's the same condition of all Believers as of one That which befalls one Christian it is incident to all the rest They have all the same dngers which they are exposed unto and enemies which do endeavour against them though they may not always have the like opportunity for the expressing of their enmity against them one as another Peter and the rest all alike The reason of it is this Because they all consist of the same natures and are acted by the same principles they all have the reliques of the same original corruption as yet in part abiding in them and they have all the same Spirit and work of Grace acting in them And so as to temptations they are all one and the same for the danger which they are liable unto Therefore it should work all to an holy jealousie and suspition of themselves and tenderness to others when we see any poor soul at any time exercised with Satan's temptations and it may be sometimes foyl'd with them let us not think that his case is peculiar and that we for our parts shall do well enough No but rather be so much the more watchful over our own hearts Be not high-minded but fear for that which befalls others if thou look'st not to it may befall thee And so it should teach us also bowels and compassion towards others under temptations not to be harsh with them and rigorous towards them and censorious of them but to use all kind of gentleness and tenderness to them considering that the case might be our own if God should permit it Thus the Apostle Paul improves it in his exhortation given to the Galatians Gal. 6.1 Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such an one with the spirit of meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted Which rule if it were more observ'd there would be a great deal of more Christian affection in the world than commonly there is Men look upon the temptations of others as if themselves were altogether exempt and freed from them whereas if they were in the same circumstances they would bewray the same infirmities and weaknesses that others do afore them that so they may carry the greater bowels and pitty towards them As it is an argument to remembrance of others in bonds and adversty as being your selves in the body and so ready to be bound with them Heb. 13.3 So it is an argument for compassion towards others under temptations as being your selves liable and exposed to the same condition and apt and ready to be tempted with them And indeed this is the reason why God is pleased many times to exercise sundry persons in this kind and to expose them now and then to temptations that so from hence he may teach them to be less harsh and rigorous to others in such conditions which when themselves are free they are oftentimes subject unto that they may preserve in themselves a sweet and amiable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and tenderness of spirit to the rest of their Brethren and that their moderation may be known to all men as the Apostle requires it should be Phil. 4.5 It is
for Now observe here further for this Praying it self how it is exprest namely in the time past it is not I will pray for thee but I have prayed Not I will do it hereafter no but I have done it already We see here the readiness and forwardness of Christ for us He is full as nimble and as speedy as Satan Satan he had desired already And Christ he had prayed already He is as forward to help us as the other to conspire against us This is still the comfort of Believers that they have such an Advocate as this is one that sits at the right-hand of God and so is privy to all the accusations which are brought against them and attempts which are made upon them it is very sweet and comfortable There 's no danger which is incident to a Believer but Christ he is acquainted with it and there 's no danger which he observes to be neer him but he takes care and diverts it from him We see here how Christ's afore-hand with us He prayed for Peter before Peter prayed for himself or very well knew that he had any need of being prayed for at all We see here also Christ's sweet love to us Peter knew not that Christ had prayed for him till he now told him This shews us those concealed bowels which Christ bears unto us he thinks of us when we think not of him and prays for us when we think our condition to be so good and safe as that we hardly stand in need of it as Peter here did Let us therefore comfort our selves and one another with these words as the Apostle speaks for indeed they are very comfortable That we have Christ praying foâ— us It is a comfort sometimes to Christians to think that they have such and such friends praying for them it may be when themselves are at some distance and remoteness from them yet that they have the benefit and advantage of the prayers of such a relation a Father or Husband or Brother or any other acquaintance Gracious and holy persons they take a great deal of contentment in the mutual remembrances of one another at the Throne of Grace Oh! but when they shall consider that they have the remembrance of Christ himself this must needs be especially pleasing and delightful unto them and satisfy them in any condition Yea it is comfortable in all our own weaknesses and inabilities which are upon us It falls out to be sometimes the case and condition of the servants of God that they are hardly able to pray for themselves such a straitness and difficulty in them and indisposition upon them But now when they can have Christ to do it for them this supplies it and makes it up to them with a great deal of advantage There 's a double supply to the servants of God in such cases The one is the intercession of the Spirit and the other is the intercession of Christ And both very considerable of them First For the Spirit 's intercession that we have mention made of in Rom. 8.26 27. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit if self maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God Secondly For Christ's Intercession that we have here now in this Text Behold I have prayed for thee This is matter as of great encouragement so likewise of great engagement How should this knit us to Christ and oblige us so much the more unto him What a sad and fearful thing is it for us to be sinning against him whiles he is praying for us for us to be tempting him whiles he is praying for us to be kept and deliver'd from temptation as sometimes it happens to be I have prayed for thee c. Christ tells Peter of it which he knew not before And there 's very good use now and then of such a carriage as this is not only of praying for our friends in the thing it self but likewise in some circumstances of signifying as much unto them Though it is better they should know it in the event and by the efficacy of it to themselves yet there may be some cases and causes sometimes for the discovery of as much unto them As St. Paul frequently in his Epistles making request for you and remembring you in my Prayers c. Partly for the increase of love and affection between Christian and Christian which hereby is very much preserv'd Partly also for the stirring up of our Brethren to the performance of the like office of love for our selves as we have occasion for it And partly again to secure one another as to the state and condition in which we are who having a stock of prayers going for us and being accordingly inform'd of it may from hence be more comforted in our selves And thus did our Saviour here to Peter in this intimation I have prayed for thee Before we let go this Passage there is somewhat here further to be observed from this Adversative Particle But. But I have prayed for thee which stands in opposition to that which was said before concerning Satan's desires Satan has desired to have you but I have prayed for thee which he adds by way of consolation and to prevent discouragement in Peter and in the rest of his Disciples It was a grievous thing for them to hear of Satan's attempts that he laid wait to catch and entrap them and desired to insnare them yea but here 's now that which qualifies it that Christ also does pray for them and the Prayers of Christ are more prevalent than the desires of Satan He shall be able to do more for them than the other shall be able to do against them And God will sooner hear his Son begging and entreating for them than he will hear Satan's clamouring and crying against them A Christian's priviledges are above his disadvantages And we may here further observe and take notice of the wisdom of Christ in the expression of himself here to Peter where he endeavours to keep him in an even temper betwixt fear and hope that he might the better provoke him to watchfulness and heedfulness and care of his ways he therefore tells him that Satan had desired him and yet withal that he keep him from discouragement and despondency and dejection of spirit he tells him also that himself had prayed for him But I have c. In this Adversative But there 's a threefold Antithesis or Opposition which may be here observ'd and taken notice of by us First an Opposition of the Persons Christ against Satan Secondly an Opposition of the Actions Praying against desiring Thirdly an Opposition of the Success Establishment against Circumvention First An Opposition of the Persons Christ against Satan It is the Devil that
in their several temptations When I said my foot slippeth thy mercy O Lord held me up says David Psal 94.18 And Psal 73.23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee Thou hast holden me by my right-hand Still it was God's holding of him Secondly The Servants of God do sometimes happily light upon careful and skilful persons whether Ministers or other Christians which herein are very helpful unto them When a man has broken or put out of joynt a leg or an arm if he meet with a skilful Chirurgeon or Bone-setter it is a great advantage to him in that respect Why thus now does it happen sometimes to the people of God in temptation they meet with friends skilful to this purpose 〈◊〉 Intercessor one of a thousand who has the tongue of the learned and is able to speak a word in season to the weary soul a spiritual man which can restore them and put them in joynt again by a spirit of meekness And now whiles it is thus with them they do in such cases more easily recover This was the case of David who when he was fallen in his great temptations had this advantage of the Prophet Nathan for his conversion and turning again And this was the case of Eli who when he had trespast against the Lord by his indulgence to his wicked Sons had the advantage of young Samuel to admonish him and put him in mind of it And this was the case of Hezekiah who being tempted to pride and vain-glory and carnal confidence in his treasures and possessions had the advantage of the Prophet Isaiah to awaken him in it And this was here now the advantage of Peter when he was drawn aside to the denial of his Master that he had the seasonable eye of Christ to look upon him and thereby to reduce him and to bring him to repentance as we find him to have done Thirdly There is in the servants of God a Principle of spiritual life which does conduce hereunto There 's a great deal of difference betwixt a dead man and a man in a swoon A man which is stark dead there 's no recovery of him again because a privatione ad habitum non datur regressus from an absolute and total privation there is no return again to the habit But it is otherwise here with the children of God in temptation they are not dead but sleep Grace it is not absolutely lost or extinguisht but only stunned in them And from hence it is that they do at the last return to their former condition This is signified in the connexion of these words with the words going before I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not And when thou art converted So long as a man's Faith fails not so long is there hope of his conversion in the sense which is here spoken of The Servants of God their Principles are still sound in them and this is very advantageous to them in this particular As ye see in other matters when a man has a strong nature and a good temper and constitution of body it will easily work out some distempers in him which another lies under Even so is it here in these spiritual things where a man has a gracious frame and temper of heart for the general this will conquer and overcome some occasional weaknesses in him Lastly which I will here but only name because we shall speak to it more hereafter the children of God they are also careful of themselves When men are sick and distemper'd and take no care for their recovery or amendment they may dye of the distemper but by good heed health is often restored And so here God's Servants when they fall into temptation they take care of themselves in it and so at last get out of it and are freed from the inconveniencies of it which are appertaining to it Thus we see an account of this business how God's people after temptations are restored The Use of this Point to our selves is not from hence to make us so much the more bold and busy with temptations in hope of being at last delivered and freed from them which is an ill improvement of such Truths as these are but rather as a word of comfort to good Christians against Satan's assaults and attempts upon them The Devil when at any time he sets upon any poor soul his desire and intent is to undo it and to take it off wholly from God that it should never return to him more But yet he is herein disappointed and frustrated of his expectation so as he shall not prevail so much against it and therefore may every good Christian in this case triumph with the Church in Mic. 7.8 Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy when I fall I shall rise again when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me As God sets bounds to his people's afflictions so to their corruptions also and temptations that they shall not too long lye upon them Peter though for a while tempted yet shall at length be restored and converted And thus much of the words in the first sense as they may be taken by way of supposition and as the intimation of a Priviledg When thou art converted The Second is by way of imposition or command and as they have in them the intimation of a Duty Return or convert thy self Thus the two ancient Eastern Translations both Syriack and Arabick carry it and that not altogether unagreeable to the Original Text It being ordinary in the Greek Language to turn the Imperative into the Participle As Matth. 28.19 Go teach all Nations baptizing them i. e. Teach them and Baptize them So here having converted strengthen i. e. Convert and strengthen And this sense is also further justified from the Participle in the Active signification We will therefore not excluding the former take it in this construction also So there is further in it That Christians when they are fallen through temptation ought as soon as may be to return and restore and recover and convert themselves from it Having first converted thy self which it concerns thee to endeavour then do so also to thy brethren For the better opening of this present Point unto us we must remember that there 's a double Conversion there 's a conversion from the state of Nature to the state of Grace and there 's a conversion from some decay or weakenings of Grace to the renewings and strengthening of it There 's repentance as to the state and also to the act Now it is not the former Conversion but the latter which is here intended in this Scripture As for Conversion in the former sense wherein indeed the word is commonly and most usually taken that Peter did partake of already and was not at all fallen from it that is from the general work of Regeneration and the new creature But as to the latter of that he was capable And Christ here warns him as occasion should serve
that he would be mindful and careful of it even to recover and convert himself Thus we shall find this word used in another place likewise of the Gospel as Matth. 18.3 Except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven He speaks it to his Disciples who in the first sense were converted already being regenerate persons This distinction is necessary to be premised for the prevention of a mistake For as to Conversion in the former sense so it is not within the compass of our own power any further than the use of means A man that is in the state of Nature cannot convert himself to the state of Grace no more than a man that is dead in his grave can raise himself to a state of natural life But as to Conversion in the latter sense so in some sort we have power unto it A man that 's already regenerate and converted he may stir up the Grace of God in him and so revive and recover himself from some spiritual deadness which was upon him And this is the Self-Conversion which is here call'd for in this present Text. Now the Phrase being thus explain'd unto us we come to the thing it self which is this That it is the duty of every Christian when temptation is upon him thus to convert himself that is as soon as may be to return and to come home to God again from whom he has declined There were two friendly Offices which our Blessed Saviour did here for Peter in the course of this Scripture The one was to forewarn him of the evil which hereafter would happen unto him upon Satan's tempting of him The other was to counsel him for his carriage and behaviour and demeanour of himself when this evil did indeed befall him and that was not long to lye in it but as soon as could be to free himself from it which is the duty of all other besides This it is upon these considerations First because so long as a man is in this sense unconverted he is in the disfavour and displeasure of God A Christian whiles he lies under the power of any temptation he is at a distance from God himself and cannot enjoy that freedom of communion with him I do not say that God and he are enemies as it is with a man who is in the state of unregeneracy and absolute unconversion but there is an over-clouding of friendship betwixt them There is not that sweet complacency and contentment of one in another Thus it was with the Prophet David whiles he was as yet unconverted to God and not reduced by timely repentance he had no joy nor comfort in God but for the time was as one which had no Grace in him at all And so accordingly we shall find him to express himself discoursing about it Psal 51 10 c. Create a clean heart in me O God and renew a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence c. And ver 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Secondly Great untowardness and indisposition to that which is good As a man that is very sick he is unfit for work and business so a man that is sick spiritually he is not so fit to serve God acceptably in the place wherein God has set him Like a broken tooth or a foot out of joynt not only painful but useless he is not ready to every good work as it becomes him Thirdly Further improvement in sin and eagerness after it So long as a man abides in his sin he contracts more sinfulness to him and is more hardened and confirmed in it through the deceitfulness of it As a man that is out of his way the more he goes on the further he goes out till he return again Even so it is with a man which is drawn away by temptation into any miscarriage the longer he stays and continues in it without amendment so much the worse will it prove to be with him in this respect These and the like considerations being all of them laid together do shew how far it concerns those which are fallen to return and to recover themselves as soon as they can Therefore let us make this Use of it as we have occasion for it according to that counsel of the Apostle in Heb. 12.13 Make strait paths for your feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way but let it rather be healed Those which are perverted by temptation they should take the first opportunity for returning and converting themselves as our Saviour here advises This is done three ways especially First by the preserving of a softness and sensibleness of spirit in us That man who will quickly return into ways of goodness must quickly spy ways of miscarriage It is a great advantage to this purpose to keep conscience in a tender frame those who have wide swallows and can down with any miscarriage without any chewing and those who have brawny shins that can endure any kind of striking without any starting they are not so quickly or easily recovered but for others they are easily reduced which therefore we should be careful of We find it much in David's heart it still smote him and upbraided him upon every occasion which was very useful to him Secondly By often reflexion and calling of our selves to an account That man that still goes on in his way and never minds whether he be in or out he may lose himself irrecoverably but he that often asks and enquires and considers he is the sooner reduced Even so it is also in these spiritual things By re-collection we convert our selves Thirdly After discovery by repentance and humiliation when we labour to set home sin upon us and aggravate and charge it upon our selves this does the better free us from it and bring us into a right path again Thus did Peter upon the look of our Saviour He went out and wept bitterly as the Text says of him This it mollifies and softens the heart and makes it pliable to any gracious impression which afterwards shall be fasten'd upon it And this is that which the servants of God are careful for their own particulars to do with themselves Which shews us by the way the difference betwixt the servants of God and other men As for wicked and ungodly persons when they are once overtaken with temptations they proceed still further in it and it gains and gets ground upon them Evil men grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived 2 Tim. 3.13 But the godly they do rather reform and recover themselves Thus much of the words in the second sense as they have in them the force of a Command or intimation of a Duty And so much also of the First General Part of the Text The Qualification When c. The Second is the Improvement in these words Strengthen thy c. Which words
lose nothing by such improvements as these are but gain by them rather and they return upon us with so much the greater advantage that so we may be encouraged thereunto in the practice of them This Oyl it encreases in the spending and this Bread in the breaking of it And to him that thus hath it shall be given We should therefore be perswaded to put this duty in practice upon all occasions God has made and appointed us for the good one of another and not only for our selves therefore as we have any thing our selves we should mind one anothers good in it As the Ministerial official parts of the body The heart and liver and stomach they do not only receive nourishment for themselves but for the whole body So should we which are Christians in spiritual things As the Heavens what light and influence they have in themselves they bestow upon the earth even so should we do to those which are below us especially in these places of society We see how active evil men are in that which is evil Those which are themselves perverted they 'll be sure to pervert their Brethren and make others as bad or perhaps a great deal worse than themselves And why should not we then do the contrary in matters of goodness What a shame is it for the children of this world to be in this sense also wiser in their generation than the children of light Oh! let us cast off this sluggishness and remisness from us let us make it our business to make others partakers of the same Grace and comfort with our selves This is done divers ways as First by discovering and laying open the flights of sin and the subtilties of the spiritual enemy The reason why many miscarry and are surprized with spiritual evils is because they are not aware of the danger which is incident to them and which themselves are subject unto They are apt to think that there is no such great hazard in such ways as are undertaken by them as indeed there is Now here it concerns us being our selves converted to admonish them and warn them of it Peter who had now unadvisedly gone into the High Priest's Hall and mingled himself with the evil company which he met withal there in that place he was better fitted to advise others to take heed of such kind of temptations Exhort one another daily whiles it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin Heb. 3.13 Secondly By quickening and exciting and stirring up one another to good we do hereby strengthen our Brethren There 's nothing does more strengthen men in goodness than the practice of goodness And there is nothing which does more promote and advance this practice in them than the quickening and exciting of them Therefore it is the Apostle's Exhortation in Heb. 10.24 Let us consider one another to provoke to love and to good works We should be putting one another upon good as much as we can and thereby settle them in it yea we should encourage them and hearten them in it by convincing them of the great good and advantage which comes by it This is a means to confirm and strengthen them What strengthens men at any time in evil why it is the apprehension of little hurt in it and as they conceit a great deal of contentment The same would also confirm men in good if it were truly and really understood which we should therefore labour and endeavour to assure them and perswade them of and to fasten upon them Thirdly By imparting and communicating of our own Experiences we do hereby likewise strengthen our Brethren when we shall shew them what good we our selves have found by such and such good courses This is a means not onely to draw on but to confirm others with us And so when we shall shew what comfort we have felt in such and such like cases our selves this is a means to comfort our Brethren and to give satisfaction to them Therefore we shall find the Prophet David to be mindful of this practise in Psal 66.16 Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my Soul As persons which are themselves recovered of such and such a sickness or distemper they are apt to tell what has done them good and thereby to refresh their Neighbours which are exercised with the like infirmities Even so should it be also with Christians in their spiritual conditions In case of temptation to sin I have found benefit by such a word of Command which has restrain'd me from it And in case of temptation for sin I have found benefit by such a word of Promise which has comforted me in it When I have been ready almost to sink in my self an to faint under such an affliction such a Divine Truth or such a Divine Attribute has been a Cordial and a Relief unto me and kept me up When Christians do thus mutually impart and communicate their Experiments to each other they do hereby wonderfully establish and confirm each other in good whether as to point of Grace or of Comfort And then further Not onely by imparting but by comparing these Experiences together one with another I was just in such a case my self and found these workings in me as you have done for your particulaâ— Why this is now a great Confirmation It appears from hence that Religion is no matter of meer fancy or imagination but has a Truth and Reality in it because it is thus uniform and consistent to it self as it is in one man as well as another Thus we see what ways those which are themselves converted may strengthen their Brethren To help us and enable us hereunto we must labour especially for such Graces as are conducing to the practise of it As first A Spirit of Discerning whereby to judge aright of the case and condition which our Brethren are in It is a great part of skill in a Physician to be able to find out the Disease and to know the just temper and constitution of his Patients Body and so is it also for an Healer of Souls All kinds of Remedies are not to be used to all kind of Persons some have need of one kind of help and others have need of another which is a piece of spiritual wisdom and prudence in our selves to be able to discover There is a word in season which must be spoken to the weary Soul or else it will do no good Isa 50.4 Secondly A spirit of love and tenderness and condescention There is a great deal of meekness required in a Spiritual Strengthner and Restorer Gal. 6.2 Restore with the spirit of meekness Men which are rough and austere and which stand too much upon their own terms they 'll never do good to others No there must be a yielding and bearing and pitying in such works and ways as those are There must be a putting on of the
it and till then I shall be unable to do it There 's no teaching or converting of others till we are first wrought upon and converted our selves He that is otherwise he cannot do it Cannot do it in regard of Performance That 's the first Secondly Cannot do it in regard of Acceptance God will not take it so well from him in his mking and pretending to do it neither is it altogether so satisfactory to men To hear a man speaking against such and such corruptions in others which he does indulge in himself it has not that comeliness in it neither does God himself so approve it in him What hast thou to do to take my words into thy mouth c. Psal 50.16 when thou hatest to be reform'd Isaiah durst not go on God's message whiles he was a man of unclean lips And Paul was a chosen Vessel to God before a Vessel to bear his name before the Gentiles A Vessel of Election before a Vessel of Honour and fit for the Master's use and prepared unto every good work And so are all others else to be according to that of the Apostle 2 Tim. 2.21 Thirdly Cannot in regard of Success He that 's himself unconverted and unexperienced in his own heart he cannot speak so profitably to others and to the good of their Souls Nothing goes to the heart so much as that which comes from it When the Spirit of the Teacher goes along with his words and speeches then they are likely to be most effectual How coldly do words of consolation come from an uncomfortable spirit or words of confirmation from an unsetled spirit or words of correction from a licentious How forcible are right words says Job 6.25 And then are words right when the heart is right from whence they come Therefore this teaches us what in this case is to be done by us We see what cause Christians have among many other reasons besides to look to the frame and temper of their hearts even to the good and advantage of others among whom they live and converse withal That from hence they may be so much the more useful and beneficial in the communion of Saints and have greater success in the application of themselves to their Brethren whether as Ministers or other men For though God may sometimes do some good even by those who are themselves unconverted yet it is not so natural nor usual God first converts Peter before he strengthens others by Peter And Jeremiah must first return to God before he stand before God as serviceable to him Jer. 15.19 And when this is done then this effect follows upon it When Peter is converted then his Brethren also shall be strengthened which is another sense may be fastened upon the words by taking the Imperative for the Future which is also common and ordinary in Scripture And so here 's again not only a duty but a mercy and a priviledg which our Saviour does intimate and exhibit unto us The conversion of one Christian it is a strengthening and corroboration to the rest God's Grace and goodness to some of his Servants is an heartening and encouraging to their Brethren Thus St. Paul 1 Tim. 1.16 For this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to everlasting life God's mercy to the Apostle it was an embleme of the like mercy to be shewn to all other Believers And David Psal 34.4 5. I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears And what follows They looked unto him and were lightned and their faces were not ashamed They i. e. they which stood by which were strangers but yet observers of God's dealings and carriages to me And so again in that place before alledged which may serve as a kind of parallel to this Psal 51.12 David signifies that when God had restored to him the joy of his Salvation and had stablish'd him with his free Spirit that then as he in regard of endeavour would teach sâ—iâ—ers so then also in regard of success in all likelihood and probability of dispensation sinners should be converted unto him The Use of all comes to this namely to teach us accordingly to improve the examples which are set before us in this particular The examples of our Brethren falling and overcome with temptation should make us so much the warier and more shy of being tempted our selves To be strengthened that is strengthened with Grace and ability of resistance And the examples of our Brethren rising again and recovering from temptation should make us also to be so much the cheerfuller and more hopeful of being supported our selves Strengthened that is strengthened with comfort and expectation of subsistence And in both together shall we close with God's ends in such Providences as these are before us I have done now with the Third General Head which is a Christian's Duty and so also with the whole Text it self SERMON XII JOH 3.8 The Winde bloweth where it listeth and thou hsarest the sound thereof but knowest not whence it cometh and whither it goeth so is every one that is born of the Spirit There is nothing which is harder to deal withal than a carnal and unregenerate heart which will still have somewhat to cavil at and to object against the Truths of Christ even there where they have the greatest evidence and infallibility in them and are least of all to be questioned of all other Points besides An instance whereof we have here in this Scripture which we have now before us and the coherence of it in the discourse of our Saviour Christ with Nicodemus a Ruler of the Jews This person was somewhat convinced of the worth and excellency that was in Jesus and therefore betakes himself to him and yet he was afraid or ashamed openly to confess him and therefore comes to him by night in a private acknowledgment of him Now our Saviour presently saw what he wanted as the ground of this carriage in him and that was a serious work of the saving Grace of God upon his heart which might make him to close with him in good earnest and therefore takes occasion to discourse of this Point unto him Of the necessity of being regenerated and born again But Nicodemus understands not what he means or at least is not willing to understand it and therefore makes an exception against it from the absurdity and impossibility of it and wonders at it how it should be so Now this Text which I have here read unto you is a taking off of this wonder from him by a further discovery and explication of this Doctrine to him Marvel not says he that I said unto thee ye must be born again The winde bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest c. THis present Verse before is nothing else as I may say but a description of the work of Regeneration or of
belonging unto it as First of all in sorrow for sin They are ignorant and un-apprehensive of this and know not what belongs unto it Natural men they have a natural sorrow and grief for sin after a legal manner They may have great troubles and terrors of Conscience which for a while they may be exercised withal whereby they may be driven to great perplexity and desperation it self as we know it was sometimes with Judas But that Godly sorrow which St. Paul speaks of which worketh repentance to Salvation not to be repented of this is such as they knew not what it meant Sorrow for sin as it is an offence against God and so as may lead them and carry them nearer to Christ and pitch them and fasten them upon him This is such as is unknown unto them and far enough from them Secondly as for Spiritual Joy the comforts and consolations of the holy Ghost they are to seek also in these they are strangers to it and meddle not with it This is the hidden Manna and the white stone which no man knows save he that receives it The Spirit in the Witness of it is a Mystery to a carnal heart this is Honey which such persons never tasted nor had any sense or apprehensions of it They may have sometimes false joys and false comforts and false ravishments from the delusion and suggestion of Satan who is so far Gods Ape But the true joy of the Spirit of God indeed which is not onely chearing but purging not onely filling with comfort but quickning to duty and encouraging and engaging to obedience This is such as they are unacquainted with it and but ignorant of it which is a Peace and Joy above all that the World can confer Thirdly The Spirituality of holy Exercises and Duties of Piety Carnal persons they are ignorant of this likewise they can come off with some external performances as Prayer and Reading and Hearing of the Word and the like so far as they concern the outward man and as they are to be done by that but to perform them after a spiritual manner and to enjoy Communion with God himself in the performance of them this is that which is a Riddle to them and they understand not nor know not what to make of it A natural man he knows not what belongs to the Spirit of Adoption and to the going to God as to a Father in Christ He knows not what belongs to the improvements of Faith and to the getting of strength in his inward man occasionally from those Duties of Christianity which are performed by him as a man receiving strength in his body from that nourishment which is conveyed in his meat Fourthly The Exactness of Christian obedience and the inward life and power of Religion This is also a Secret and Mystery to an unregenerate spirit A natural man he may conform to some good things in Religion which carry no great difficulty in them and which do not cross him in his dearest lusts but as for others he is more weak and indisposed The Precepts of Self-denial and Mortification and Repentance and the Trade of Piety in holiness and righteousness of life and conversation these are more grievous to him Faith and Patience and Love of Enemies and forbearance of Revenge and such things as these the more refined and sublimer part of Religion as consisting in such matters as these are this is such as a carnal heart does very much stumble at and is offended with it Fifthly Perseverance and continuance in the Faith and Profession of Christianity notwithstanding all adventures In the multitude and violence of temptations in the changings and variations of Providence still to abide and remain the same and to hold out and to persist unto the end without declining or going backward or falling away This is that also which a natural man understands not but is much to seek and very ignorant about it It may be when he is out of a temptation and not strongly provoked to evil there he can such as it may be abstain from it But let it be a sin which his nature inclines to and let him be strongly assaulted about it and here he presently yields unto it Whereas now in the work of Grace there is strength given against strong temptations for the conquering and vanquishing of them And so as for the varieties of Providence not to be shaken or overturned by them in Prosperity not to be lifted up nor to forget God and say Who is he And in Adversity not to be cast down nor to blaspheme God or murmur against him nay which is more still to trust in him and to love him and to stick close unto him These are such things which the natural man knows not what to make of nor cannot perswade himself that they are in Reality Lastly Take this work of Grace also in the Reward of it and as it is swallowed up in Glory and it is very intricate and mysterious here also especially to such kind of persons As they know not whence this Wind comes so neither whither it goes nor what it tends to in the blessed fruits and effects and consequences of it Carnal persons they commonly think of Heaven as of a carnal place and as of a carnal condition a Fools Paradise such as Turks and Pagans and Infidels fansie to themselves or at least in some affinity and nearness thereunto They are not partakers nor any way discerners of the glory that is to be revealed Thus we see how as to all particulars as concerning the work of Regeneration such persons as are themselves unregenerate and but in the state of Nature are ignorant and inapprehensive of it Now there 's a double account which may be given hereof unto us The one is taken from the impotency of humane Reason and the other is taken from the indisposition of Nature corrupt First Humane Reason is impotent and unable to reach such a business as this is We do here suppose that many natural and unregenerate men they have notwithstanding sometimes great parts and abilities of humane wit and sagacity in them whereby they are able to dive into many great Mysteries and Profundities of Nature yea but they are not able for all this to dive into the work of Grace nor to comprehend the Mysteries of Religion which are far above them and superiour to them Secondly As from the Impotency of Reason so also from the Corruption of Nature which makes Reason more impotent and blind than otherwise it would be Wicked men they do not understand the work of Grace because they are strangers to it they have their under standing darkned and so are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness their heart as the Apostle himself gives us an account of them Ephes 4.18 There is not onely a blindness of the mind but also a perversness of the will which has an influence
in this particular They have not all obeyed the Gospel for Isaias saith Who hath believed our report Rom. 10.16 This is the greater ground and argument of thankfulness to those who do believe indeed and may put all upon the serious search and examination of themselves Seeing Faith is not common to all let us be sure that it does belong at least to us and that our selves have a share in it for our particular It is that which many presume upon and take for granted but it concerns us to be upon certain terms in a point of so great importance and consequence as that is how we should find our selves in the number of those Believers That 's the first thing the Emphasis of Restriction The second is the Emphasis of Enlargement Many and not a Few and so it shews us the multitude of Converts which were made by Christs Sermon This is that which God is pleased sometimes in his wisdom and goodness to dispose that many shall be brought home unto him We have it often signified unto us in Joh. 2.23 Joh. 4.39 Joh. 7.31 Joh. 10.42 Joh. 12.42 and many more which might be added The Acts of the Apostles are full of the number of people which were brought to the knowledge and faith of Christ There was cause for it in the first layings of the Church especially for the founding and making of it and the spreading of Christs truth through the world and therefore it pleased God so to order it As also for the better encouragement of one another that Christians might not think themselves solitary and lest alone from the paucity of them therefore would God have many to be converted But this will admit of a further Illustration if we shall consider not onely the Number but the Quality of these persons here converted and the disposition which was remarkable in them For many pliable and tractable and ingenuous and good natur'd persons such as these to yield to Christs Doctrine might not seem to be so strange a business but these people here in this Chapter they were of another temper obstinate and captious and quarrelsome and malicious persons and yet for all this wrought upon by him We see here there 's no standing out against the Word and Spirit of Christ when he is pleased to put forth himself The most obstinate and refractory that are shall be brought in unto him Who would ever have thought that such a stubborn barbarous fellow as the Jaylor should have been a Disciple of Christ and yet you see how it proved to be with him Acts 16.33 and so it has been with divers others besides These Jews here in the Text they were full of opposition and contradiction nay they were set on purpose to quarrel with his Doctrine and they never exprest more spite and malice than they did here in this Chapter all along through the course of it and yet for all that there were many of them taken with Christs Doctrine which he preached unto them What 's the use which we may make hereof to our selves It comes briefly to this First from hence to take men off from too much confidence and applauding of themselves in their sinful courses and hardning of themselves against the Ministery There are many which are so setled in their wickedness as that they seem with themselves to scorn and to despise all admonitions and to be Armour of proof against the Word of God What they afraid of a Preacher and thought to be such as should yield to the Ministery of a weak man like themselves They scorn it and disdain to think of it Well but let them not be too self-confident for all that they know not how it may be with them if ever God awaken their Consciences and set his word effectually upon their hearts they will be then as those converted Jews who before some of them were full of perversness Secondly Here is still encouragement to Ministers to hearten them and quicken them in their work that they be not dejected and cast down in themselves for there 's none too stiff for the Grace and Spirit of Christ As it is Ezek. 2.6 Son of man though they be briers and thorns and a rebellious house yet be not afraid thou salt speak my word unto them God has his number even among such as these yea and a great number too Many believed on him even of perverse and obstinate Jews which were prejudiced against him But farther to take in all with us we may look upon these persons here converted not onely as the persons whom Christ directed his speech unto especially but also such as came in and were Auditors and Hearers by the by many of these believed on him And so there 's another Point in it which is this That occasional Hearers are sometimes wrought upon in the Ministerial Dispensations There were many of these persons which little thought of Conversion when they came hither to this present Assembly and Discourse of Christ which came onely out of novelty and curiosity and affectation to hear what was said Now many of these were caught at the Sermon This is not to justifie such kind of comings as those are but to shew Gods Wisdom and Providence in the ordering and disposing of them that those who many times come to Church for nothing less than to get good by the Word but rather to see such a face or such a fashion yet now and then before they are aware have their Consciences touch'd and strucken by it It is that which is greatly taken notice of by many persons even now at this day amongst Believers We have divers who when they see the Church open come into it to see onely what is done and run from one Church-door to another and gaze about them and stay for a while but sometimes it pleases God to meet with them by some word which is spoken here unto them He is found of them that sought him not and manifest to them that asked not after him Isa 45.1 So much for that And so I have done with the first part of the Text viz. the Success of Christs Ministery Many c. The second is the Occasion or Season of this Success As he spake these words I call it the Occasion and Season both because indeed there is both in it and both observable of us But we may draw it out into three branches There are three things here observable of us First the determination of the Performance and that was Preaching Discoursing or Arguing As he spake Secondly the determination of the Doctrine those words in particular which then came from him As he spake those words Thirdly the determination of the Time and Instant of it As he spake in the very moment of speaking First Here 's the determination of the Performance As he spake for the Honour of Preaching The Miracles of Christ did no good upon them they had seen his mighty works and not a whit the
we find the truth of it in our own experience When we give God the honour of his Providence he will give us the comfort of it and make good all that to us in the event which we before by a Spirit of Faith did expect from him There 's nothing lost by self-resignation and submission to God in any thing whether inward or outward together with the appurtenances of them Nay we cannot engage God more than by seriousness in this particular And if we are not satisfied with that which God does for us here and this small pittance of time here in the world which indeed is but very narrow and short yet let us think of the advantages which he has for us in eternity and in the extent of our being He has there and then scope enough for the gratifying of us Hereafter if we take it in this sense 〈◊〉 I shewed before it might be taken it has enough in it to make us amends and to compensate all our expectations God will justify himself at the length that we may be sure of and it is enough for us that he will so though he should not do it so soon as we might desire or look for it from him and expect it at his hands This Text which we are now upon it serves so prevent a double distemper in us both our Curiosity and our Impatience Our Curiosity in the First Part What I do thou knowest not now no nor art not able to know it therefore do not too curiously and affectedly pry into it as being a thing above thy reach It is a wise and safe ignorance to know no more than God will have us to know Our Impatience in the Second Part But thou shalt know it hereafter Therefore be not too forward nor hasty nor eager for the present be content to stay God's leasure and time for the discovery of it which is always the best I will hut up all with the words of the wise man Solomon Prov. 3.5 6. Trust in the Lord with all shine heart and lean not to thine own understanding In all thy ways acknowledg him and he shall direct thy paths SERMON XVII JOH 14.27 Let not your Heart be troubled neither let it be afraid There is nothing more necessary for a Christian than a Calmness and Tranquillity of Mind And there is nothing more conducing hereunto than the Principles of Christianity it self Especially drawn forth into Exercise and Improvement of Religion as it is good for many other things besides so amongst the rest to keep up the Heart and to preserve the Spirit from Dejection Not onely to bring us to Heaven and to lodge us safely there but likewise to sustain us upon Earth and to carry us with the greatest Grace and Comfort and Facility and Contentment in the mean time through the World Therefore in these times of cruelty and distraction which are now upon us in regard of what may happen to us from future Events we cannot better provide for our selves and our own Security and Contentation than by recourse to such helps and means as these are especially as exhibited and tender'd in the Word of God and the Ministery and Dispensation of it which will still be that which it is after all our thoughts about it And for which purpose I have made choice of this Text which I have now read unto you being the last Advice and Counsel of our Blessed Lord and Saviour and given by him to his Disciples upon the saddest occasion that ever befell them in this World which was his own Departure from them Though the occasion was very lamentable and remarkable and their Condition very sad yet he would not have them to be discouraged or put out of Heart for it but to hold up and to be contented notwithstanding Let not your Heart be troubled neither let it be afraid IN the Text it self there are three General Parts considerable First a Christians Disposition Secondly a Christians Duty Thirdly A Christians Security or Happiness or Priviledge The Disposition of Christians That is to be very much troubled and full of fears The Duty of Christians that is not to be troubled or to have fears prevail upon them The Priviledge or Security of Christians is to have Christ taking care for the prevention of fear and trouble in them First For a Christians Disposition it is this to be very much troubled and full of fears This is here implyed and supposed in this Caution of our Saviour which he gives to his Disciples whiles he wishes them that their Heart might not be troubled he does intimate that it was subject to be troubled as when Joseph admonishes his Brethren that they would not fall out by the way he does signifie his suspicion that they were likely to fall out by the way And indeed this is the Case of the best of Gods Servants that are Even the Disciples of Christ Himself they were not free from it but very apt and subject unto it Especially now upon his removal and departure from them to be very full of sollicitude and distraction And the like disposition upon occasion has also discover'd it self in divers others of God's People beside Now there 's a various Ground which may be given hereof unto us why God's Servants here in this life are subject to inordinate Troubles and Fear and Anxiety in them First from the Reliques of Corruption Secondly from the strength of Temptation Thirdly from the weakness of Grace First From the Reliques of Corruption It is sin which is the cause of Trouble not only in the Condition but in the Spirit And this is that which Gods Servants have in them as still cleaving and adhering to them They have corruption and so have distraction as attendant and consequent thereupon And especially such sins and corruptions as do more immediately tend hereunto as diffidence and distrust and worldymindedness and inordinate affection to these things here below These where-ever they are they will cause trouble and fear And they are in part even in the best of Gods Servants There 's a double kind of Trouble which the Servants of God are subject to here in this World There 's the trouble of State and the trouble of Mind The former is not that which we now speak of as being not matter of Sin but of Affliction But the latter is that which our Discourse tends unto and which our Saviour here intends in this place now before us This is that which God's Children are prone to from the Corruption which is remaining in them They are apt to be much troubled in their Spirit from any thing which falls cross unto them And that because they are Flesh and Blood and have sin still more or less cleaving unto them Secondly As from the remainders of corruption so also from the strength of Temptation and the violence of Spiritual Assaults which are made upon them Satan he is an Enemy to them and loves to make his
shall it trouble his Spirit and shall it not trouble ours What an inconsistent thing is this Surely if there were nothing in it but this that it is a dishonour and grief to God we had great cause to be troubled with it and for it But then Secondly In reference to our selves there 's great matter of trouble in it so as a wounding of our consciences and a breaking of our peace and a darkening of our assurance and an hazarding of our salvation and a great interruption of our converse and communion with God When we shall but sit down and consider with our selves the sad effects and consequents of sin in all particulars which it does create and produce to those who make bold with it and that take scope and liberty in it we have very great reason to be very much troubled for it Thirdly In reference to our Brethren who sometimes suffer from it and are the worse for it The sins of Christians are not only terminated in themselves and rest in those who are the immediate subjects of them but extend themselves also to others who are infected with them And this is also a matter of trouble to those who are guilty in this respect when men shall consider that they make others the Children of Hell as well as themselves and sometimes more according to the improvement which may be made of it this should go very near unto them and affect them and be very irksom to them in the reflexions upon it especially as they may stand in nearer Relation to them as Children or Brethren or Servants or Friends c. Thus may and ought Christians to be troubled for their own sins and miscarriages And so likewise which is here pertinent hereunto with the sins of others a gracious heart will be much troubled for these when it takes notice of them As just Lot he was vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked Sodomites That Righteons man dwelling amongst them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds As the Apostle Peter records it of him 2 Pet. 2.7 8. Though he was clear himself he was troubled for them And so Paul when he came to Athens Act. 17.16 His spirit was stirred in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put into a paroxysm when he saw the City there to be wholly given to Idolatry David Psal 119.158 I beheld the Transgressors and was grieved because they kept not thy Word And v. 136. of the same Psalm Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Laws Sin it is very just cause and ground and occasion of trouble to us whether our own or other mens Secondly As sin so also misery and affliction and calamity This is an occasion of it likewise Our strength is not the strength of stones nor our flesh of brass as Job says of himself in Job 6.12 We have sense and feeling in us as men and so accordingly may be very well troubled with that which is offensive thereunto There is no chastening of it self which is joyous but grievous Heb. 12.11 neither did our Saviour here expect that his Disciples should be altogether unsensible of their present condition which was now exceeding sad in regard that himself was departing and going away from them I might very well take occasion from hence to speak of afflictions at large how far forth they may be just grounds of trouble to Christians But I will confine my self only to the Text and that which is implyed in that as an occasion of present trouble to the Disciples to wit the taking away of Christ from them It was that which they not only might but ought to be troubled for And that in three respects especially which we may here take notice of First as it was the loss of a good Man Secondly as it was the loss of a good Friend Thirdly as it was the loss of a good Master First As it was the loss of a good Man They had great cause to be affected with that and in a sort troubled at it that they were likely to lose such a man as Christ was The loss of good men in the world is a thing which should very much affect us when it falls out to us Help Lord for the godly man ceases for the faithful fail among the children of men It was the complaint of the Prophet David Psal 12.1 And the Prophet Isaiah complains of it that there is no more trouble of mind for it Isa 57.1 The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart And merciful men are taken away none considering that c. There 's a Stake out of the Hedge a Stone out of the Building a Pearl out of the Chain For godly men and righteous men to be removed and taken away whatever the world may think of it and may sometimes rejoyce at it through the madness of it yet it is a great affliction and misery to it and such as it has cause to be much grieved and troubled at For such as these they are fences and hedges and pillars and bulwarks to the places where they are Secondly As a good Friend there was another notion of Christ to them As one whom they had special acquaintance and converse withal and interest in Goodness at a distance and in some remoteness it is not so much observed or regarded but when it comes nearer us in a companion and associate here we are commonly more sensible of it both in the enjoyment as also the deprivation As there 's no need of losing godly men so there 's no need of losing friendly men especially in a world of ungodliness and an unfriendly age and generation The loss of such it was ever troublesome and still is so even to this present day Thirdly As the loss of a good Master and Teacher and Instructer of them That dropt very sweetly upon them upon all occasions A resolver of their doubts a remover of their scruples an informer of their ignorance a comforter of their dejections to lose and let go and part with such a one as this was as Christ was now unto them It was matter of trouble indeed it was the loss and departure of Christ signanter emphatice which had the stang and grievousness and aggravation of this same trouble in it And here I might now very seasonably take an occasion to speak of desertions and the withdrawings of Christ from a Peliever what a sad condition it is and how just a ground and occasion of trouble and disquiet unto him in the thing it self simply considered In Joh. 20.13 When the Angels at the Sepulcher said to Mary Magdalen Woman why weepest thou She saith unto them Because they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him As who should say Have I not think ye cause to weep when-as Christ himself is taken away from me yes indeed and so she had and so hath
there an obstruction on our part for our seeing and beholding of God after such a manner Now the use of this Point may be drawn forth into a varions improvement First as a confutation of that fond conceit of the Anthropomorphites certain Hereticks of old who would make God like unto man ascribing to him humane shape and bodily lineaments If he were so he might then be seen by the eyes of man which it is here said he cannot be That which they ground their errour upon which is such parts mention'd in Scripture as Eyes and Ears and Hands will not hold they being taken in a Metaphorical sense and not properly Seondly It is a confutation also of Papists in their Idolatrous Worship of God under the Image of a Man God himself presses this as an Argument against such kind of practises as we may see in Deut. 4.5 Take ye therefore good heed unto your selves for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you And so which is pertinent hereunto it is likewise against all apprehensions in the mind of God in the likeness of any visible Object and teaches us how we should in our thoughts conceive of him namely as he is revealed in his Word as of an Eternal Essence most Holy most Wise c. who made all things and governs them by his Infinite and Almighty Power Thirdly seeing no man can see God perfectly whiles he is here below it should make us therefore so much the more to cherish that imperfect sight of Him which at present is vouchsafed unto us in our communion with him by his Spirit and in the exercise of the grace of Faith We should see him as much as we can till we can see him better Whiles we cannot look upon him directly let us at least look upon him in his reflections look upon him as he shines forth in the Gospel and in the face of Jesus Christ wherein we have a glorious view of him according to that state and condition in which we are It is the priviledge of us under the New Testament above them which were under the Old that we now all with open face may behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord and may be changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord as it is in 2 Cor. 3.18 We should look upon God in his Ordinances in his Creatures and in his Children wherein he has represented himself to us and whereby in a sort we may have communion with himself if we love not them whom we have seen how shall we love him whom we have not seen 1 Joh. 4.20 Lastly Seeing here in this present life God becomes thus invisible to us that we cannot see see him and yet notwithstanding our happiness does consist in the vision of him it should make us to breathe and long after that blessed place and state and condition wherein we shall see him face to face as the Apostle Paul gives us an instance and example in himself in Phil. 2.23 and in 2 Cor. 12.2 c. And further we should so order and frame our lives at present whiles we are here below in the flesh that we may be made meet at last for the beholding of such a sight as this is We should by all means labour and endeavour to be pure in heart because that such shall see God Matth. 5.8 And we should follow after peace and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 And as we desire when he appears to be like him and to see him as he is so having this hope in us we should be careful to purifie our selves even as he is pure as the Apostle John exhorts us 2 Joh. 3.2 3. And so now I have done with the first General Part of the Text which is the Defect premised in those words viz. No man hath seen God at any time The second is the supply of this Defect propounded in these The onely begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him where what is wanting on our parts we have very happily made up to us in Christ In this passage it self there are two branches further considerable First the Person mentioned Secondly the Action which is attributed or ascribed to this Person The Person mentioned that is Christ in these words The onely-begotten Son who is in the bosome of the Father The Action attributed to this Person is the discovery of the Father unto us in those words He hath declared him First to speak of the former viz. the Person mentioned who is Christ and this Person is here exhibited to us under a double description First from his Relation and secondly from his Residency From his Relation that is that he is the Onely-begotten Son of the Father From his Residency that is that he is in the bosom of the Father First here is considerable his Relation whereby Christ is here described unto us and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the onely-begotten Son Thus we find him called in other places by this Apostle There is two things at once in it First that he is begotten And secondly that he is the onely-begotten He is the begotten first of all Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee it is the speech of God to Christ Psal 2.7 and it is again recited by the Apostle in Heb. 2.5 The manner of this begetting is to us incomprehensible and so ineffable but we may take it according to these following conceptions of it as pertinent to it First that God the Father begat the Son of his very Substance very God of very God And hence hath the Son the Name of God fastned upon him The Word was God Joh. 1.1 and God blessed for evermore Rom. 9.5 Yea he has the name of Jehovah which is attributed to none but to him that is the true God Gen. 19.24 c. Secondly God the Father communicateth his whole Essence to the Son He begat another Self of Himself even that which Himself is In which respect the Son of God saith I and the Father are one The Father is in me and I in him Joh. 10.30.38 Thirdly God the Father's begetting of the Son it is truly and properly Eternal I was set up from everlasting says he Prov. 8.22 c. I was brought forth before the hills c. as I shewed the last day This Generation of the Son of God it is coeternal with God himself which is further considerable unto us Lastly This Divine Generation it denoteth an Equality of Nature and Essence in those Two Persons the Father and Son Hence in Phil. 2.6 it is said that being in the form of God he thought it no robbery to be equal with God No robbery because it was his due and of right belonging to him as of the same Essence That which lies upon us is to adore this great Mystery and to stand in
of Vtterance a third has a gift of Interpretation one is better in the Applicatory part another is better at the Expository This diversity and variety of gifts wherein all are excellent and it is very hard to say which is best it comes from the Spirit of Christ as the same Apostle also tells us in the same Chapter All these worketh one and the self-same spirit dividing to every man severally as he pleaseth 2 Cor. 12.11 Secondly As for the various Distribution so likewise for the Succession As these gifts in several persons so likewise in Ages and Periods of Time and Generation one after another It is very considerable this That Christ does so order it in his Providence that his Church shall still one way or other be furnished and provided for in the world the Prophets in their Age the Apostles in theirs succeeding Ministers in theirs and that in each of these in the withdrawing of one there hath still been the substitution of another for the preservation and upholding of the work Elijah translated but Elisha left behind him Jeremy imprisoned but Baruch inlarged Paul in bonds but Timothy at liberty John the Baptist removed but Christ continued Christ himself departed but his Spirit coming in his room I will not leave you comfortless but I will thus come unto you The Use of all this to our selves is with thankfulness to acknowledge the love and goodness of Christ in this particular and to improve it to our best advantage not to carp or cark or quarrel with the gifts of our Ministers or to compare them or set them one against another as we are apt to do but rather to bless God for them in the various ordering and distribution of them and to partake of that good from them which God affords us for the good of our Souls which is to walk answerably to Christs dealing with us in this particular And that 's the first conveyance of Christ's Spirit to wit In the distribution of the gifts of it The second is in the Distribution of Graces Christ comes by his Spirit in them not onely in his gifts of Edification but in his gifts of Sanctification Faith and Love and Patience and Humility and the like We find that after Christs Ascension there was a greater measure and abundance of these Religion was now more Spiritualiz'd and Christians themselves were now raised to a more heavenly and spiritual frame of Soul than before they had been As the Word of God grew and multipi'd so likewise the Improvements of it and the Graces of those who had the priviledge of being partakers of it It is said of the Romans that their faith was spoken of throughout the world Rom. 1.8 Of the Corinthians that they were enriched in all graces 1 Cor. 1.4 5 c. The Apostle commends the Colossians for their faith in Christ and love to all the Saints in Col. 1.4 c. Thirdly In the distribution of Comforts Thus did Christ come by his Spirit especially not onely as he was a qualifying Spirit furnishing them with all Gifts not onely as he was a sanctifying Spirit induing them with Graces but also as he was a comforting Spirit filling their hearts with joy And thus he did This is that which is principally stood upon here in this Scripture as we may see in the Connexions of it thus in verse 16 17. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth c. The sadness of Christs departure it was scattered by the presence of the Comforter which was interpretatively his own presence with them Thus in all these respects did Christ himself come to them by his Spirit in its Gifts and Graces and Comforts Now to improve this still so much the more and that it might be a full Argument to them for the pacifying of them I will not leave you comfortless I will come unto you we may take this in further with it that it is considerable under a two-fold Emphasis the one Discretive and the other Consequential The Discretive Emphasis is this Ye have no cause to be very sad or uncomfortable for though I go from you yet I will come unto you The Consequential Emphasis is this Ye have no cause to be sad or uncomfortable for because I go from you therefore I will come unto you my coming to you is both the consequent of my departure and following upon it And again my coming to you is also the effect or result of my departure and flowing from it First Take it in the Discretive Emphasis Though I go away yet I will come There was good reason why they should be satisfied from that that he was not quite and utterly lost or gone irrecoverably but cum animo revertenti with a full purpose of coming again or if not of coming in his Person yet of coming in that which was better at least for them and that was of coming in his Spirit which he here intends and which we have spoken to all this while His going had no cause to disquiet them whiles it had his coming following upon it to them Secondly Take it in the Consequential Emphasis Because I go away therefore I will come This was that which was here also considerable as it follows afterwards Christs going in his Person was the cause at least sine qua non of his coming in his Spirit if he had not gone that way he had not come this Thus we have it in Joh. 16.6 7. Because I have said these things to you namely of my going from you therefore sorrow hath filled your hearts Nevertheless I tell you the iruth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you But if I depart I will send him unto you That is if I do not go I shall not come but if I do go I then shall And that 's the second Explication of his coming the coming of him in his Spirit To this last of all we may add a Third with which I conclude and that is his coming in Glory at the last day This is very frequently and emphatically call'd in Scripture the coming of Christ and it is that which may very much pacifie and satisfie Believers in his present absence and keep them from being sad and comfortless that he will come thus This is that which he makes mention of in the three first Verses of this Chapter and wherewith he does labour to comfort them Let not your heart be troubled c. I go to prepare a place for you And if I go to prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also This is in other words call'd his Appearing and Revelation and such like phrases as these This in the meditation of it is very comfortable to all true Saints and Members
particular Now therefore does Christ here by his Spirit awaken the Habit and provoke us and sets us on doing making us ready and prepared as the Scripture speaks to every good work Thirdly He assists the Act that is he helps and concurs with us in the very performance it self and this is that which we now especially speak of at this present time as considerable of us to this purpose For we though we have some general power and ability for such a duty and withall some kind of desire and propensity towards it yet we cannot particularly act it and bring it about without the immediate help and assistance of the Spirit of Christ carrying us bringing us through it For partly our own natural corruption which remains still in part in us does retard us and keep us back and partly Satan joyning with our corruptions does exceedingly hinder and interrupt us and therefore there must be a stronger than each come between which may scatter the power of either and may help our infirmities Hence it is that the Apostle Paul complains sometimes of himself that to will is present with him but how to perform that which is good he finds not Rom. 7.17 And speaking of acts of charity and bounty to the Corinthians he requires that as there was a readiness to will so there might be a performance also of that which they had 2 Cor. 8.11 Because these two they are such as may be possibly separated and divided the one from the other and oftentimes are But now Christ he joyns them both together wheresoever he pleases the Act with the Habit and the Performance together with the Will and it is necessary that he should do so or else they are never likely to concur or meet together Without him we can do nothing that is without him assisting of us in the very act and point of performance And God will have it thus to be upon very good ground as namely first of all That so hereby he may keep us in an humble frame and in a state of dependance and subordination He will have us to see how that all our strength lies in himself and that we are able to do nothing any further than as he is pleased to concur with us whereby we may be the more engaged unto him As the beginnings of Grace are from him so likewise the proceedings and the further actings and accomplishments of it according to that also of the Apostle speaking to the Philippians He that hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ yea and he must perform it too if ever it be perform'd at all or else it will never be so which the Apostle speaks with a great deal of boldness and freedom of spirit In regard of the great certainty and assurance which he had of it being confident of this very thing Phil. 1.6 Where by the way whiles it is said of God that he will perform such and such good works it is not so to be understood as the Subject of those works but onely as the Essicient not as if he himself did believe or repent or hope or any such as this but that he helps and enables us to do so which is observable in him He works in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure Phil. 2.13 And all for this purpose to make us pure in spirit and sensible of our own insufficiency For Humility it is the Beatifying Grace it is that which does adorn and set forth all other Graces in us and which God takes so much delight to see acting and flourishing in us and therefore takes such a course as this is with us Again secondly God will have it to be thus likewise that so we may relish the greater comfort and sweetness in that which we do For whilst we have strength communicated to us from Christ in every performance our hearts are so much the more cheered and enlarged in it whiles we apprehend his assistance of us to be a pledge of his special love and favour and good-will towards us This is that which makes us to be so much the more lively and comfortable in that which is undertaken by us Thirdly That hereby Christ may have the greater Honour and Glory from us as not onely the Author but Finisher of our faith as the Apostle styles him Heb. 12.2 that is not onely as of him that begins but that perfects Grace in us and the Author not onely of Salvation as the End but of Sanctification as the Way and Means that tends to it and of this sanctification of all the works and and operations of it For the better enlarging and illustrating of this Point yet still further unto us Whiles it is said that without Christ we can do nothing here is an exclusion of a three-sold strength as but weak and insufficient to this purpose First the strength of meer Natural Parts Secondly the strength of meer Habitual Graces Thirdly the strength of no more than former Assistance First I say the strength of meer Natural Parts it is not that which will do the deed We know that Natural Parts they do many times make a great shew and lustre in the world and that men may go sometimes very far with them in matter of Religion being applied unto them but yet they are able to do nothing to any purpose or so as it should be but are very defective Men may be able sometimes hereby as I shew'd you the last day to reach perhaps to the outward shell and hull of the action and carry it as it may be very gloriously and with a great deal of humane applause but to come up to the Spirituality of the Duty and to perform it so as whereby it may find acceptance with God himself this is that which such as these onely cannot reach or attain unto The Heathen Philosophers some of them though they pretended to a great degree of mortification which they could accomplish by the strength of Reason yet in truth they fell very short and wide of it Secondly the strength of meer habitual Grace it is not that which will serve the turn neither Though habitual Grace be very good and necessary also in order to Spiritual performances yet this alone and of it self is not sufficient it is requisite that we should have it but it is requisite also that we should have somewhat else with it besides that especially according as the ease and condition may be with us It is not any inherent Grace of our own which is our security in the day of trial but the assisting and strengthning and quickning Grace of Christ so far forth as he does actually excite and stir up those fruits of Grace in us which he hath already bestowed upon us It is not onely the goodness of our Principles but the Spirit of God concurring with them in us Of this we have an eminent example in the Apostle
to digest every truth which we hear and to make it our own or else we can have no benefit by it There must be a turning of our spiritual nourishment into the substance of our souls as of our corporal nourishment into the substance of our bodies and that suitable to the several parts of it now this is the work of Faith Faith it makes every truth ours by appropriating it and bringing it home to our selves And that in a proportion suitable to the nature of the Doctrine it self If it be a Doctrine of Information Faith makes it ours by framing and conforming our judgments thereunto and setling us there If it be a Doctrine of Consolation Faith makes it ours by closing and complying with it and so drawing comfort from it If it be a Doctrine of Threatning Faith makes it ours by trembling at it and reforming for it Thus Faith is active in all as that Grace which does apply all to us The consideration hereof may be thus far useful to us As first It may teach us how to address our selves to the hearing of the Word namely by labouring to prepare our hearts by a spirit of faith Oportet discentem credere we must come with a resolution to imbrace every truth of God which he propounds unto us Preaching will do us no good without believing if we had all the Preaching in the world without it we make the Ordinance but a Complement and meer word of course unto us Why but then may some say If Preaching does no good without believing why then we should preach only to Believers and none but them To this I answer No for by Preaching we make them Believers through Gods blessing upon it Preaching is a means to work that Faith which does improve it self and without which it is ineffectual as wine enables the stomack to work it self to the good of the body Secondly Seeing Preaching does no good without believing let us here then see why there 's no more good done by Preaching many times than there is we are apt when we profit not by the Word to lay the fault on other things the Doctrine and the Preacher and the like but we should confider whether it lyes not in our selves in our own hearts It may be we come not to the Word with that faith and expectation from God as it becomes us to do and then no wonder if we profit not by it Thirdly Let us hence not glory in the means that we have the Ordinances and the Word Preached unto us but let us consider what faith our selves have for the receiving and entertainment of them And that 's the first restraint None have benefit by Preaching but Believers The second restraint is this That none have the benefit of Salvation but Believers Salvation is restrained to Faith He that believes shall be saved but he that believes not shall be damned Mark 16.16 No Faith no Salvation They could not enter in because of unbelief Heb. 3.19 Of them that believe to the saving of the soul Heb. 10.39 Faith is the saving Grace as infidelity is the damning sin Not but that there are other saving Graces and other damning Sins but those which are so they are in the strength of these as being prinoipal and most effectual hereunto These are so by a special quality and property in them either to save or damn And for saving because that 's to our purpose faith has it here attributed to it self First as the radical and fundamental Grace and that which puts a life and vigor into all the rest And therefore ye shall find in the Eleventh Chapter of the Hebrews how all 's ascribed to this By faith they had a good report for every thing else which deserved good report If they had love or patience or humility or self-denial or zeal all was from faith In Enoch in Noah in Abraham in Moses and the like By faith they are said to do all whatsoever they did Secondly Faith has it attributed to it because it is that whereby we please God Without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Thirdly It is Faith which lays hold upon Christ who is the Author of Eternal Salvation Gal. 2.20 I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me c. This knits and unites us to him asour Head and when he is saved we are saved too by this union Fourthly It is Faith which gives most glory to God Rom. 4.20 Giving glory to God And 2 Thes 1.10 To be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe Fifthly Faith is that which does most conquer temptations and subdue all the enemies and adversaries of our salvation Ephes 6.16 Lastly Faith is said to save as the condition which God requires and will have in them which shall be saved and this were enough though nothing else to give account of it In all these respects is Salvation attributed hereunto But what is this Faith which we speak of all this while and wherein does it consist Sure it is not a meer assent to the truth revealed though that be somewhat which belongs thereunto yet this is not all the Devils thus believe which yet tremble as knowing that they are sons of wrath Jam. 2.19 But saving faith is quieting faith too Being justified by faith we have peace with God Rom. 5.1 Now what faith is this this is no other than a taking and receiving of Christ upon those terms in which he is offered in the Gospel for a Saviour and Lord too To as many as received him c. Joh. 1.12 As we must be willing to be saved by Christ's Blood so we must be willing to be ruled by Christ's Spirit Now this Faith has this also in it an assent to the whole truth of God which is revealed unto us Historical faith is comprehended in Justifying-faith as the less in the greater as the Vegetative and Sensitive soul in the Rational But the proper act of Justifying-faith is to lay hold on Christ Ens incomplexum est object um sidei justificantis Thus we see what Believing it self is The close of all for our selves is but to find this in our selves for our own particular And as we love Salvation accordingly to make good our Faith This we may discern and discover by the rise and fruits and workings of it For the rise of it it comes by Preaching and is suitable to the Doctrine of the Word Those which contemn the Ordinance they have none of the Grace For the fruits of it it works by love p1 It makes us afraid to displease God p2 It makes us couragious for God p3 It makes us love the Children of God p4 It quite changes and alters our converse from evil to good And so I have done with the fourth particular the extent of the work it self To save them that believe And so likewise with the second General in the Text Gods supply of the worlds defect
were a dull and stupid people so they were an incredulous and pertinacious people they were a people which were hardly perswaded and much ado there was to bring them to assent to any truth which was propounded to them to believe Hence the Prophet Isaiah complains Isa 53.1 Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed And again Isa 65.2 To Israel he saith All the day long have I stretched out mine hands to a disobedient and gain saying people So Joh. 1.11 He came to his own and his own received him not Received him not i.e. believed not in him as it is expounded in the next verse Thus it was with this people and if we would know whence it came to be so it is easie to give an account of it as the Apostle Paul tells us Because the god of this world had blinded their eyes lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ should shine unto them 2 Cor. 4.3 4. The Apostles themselves as St. Paul there declares they had been faithful in doing of their work had not handled the word of God deceitfully but approved themselves to every mans conscience Yea but Satan had blinded these mens eyes and God himself had given them up unto Satan to be deceived by him as it is in 2 Thes 2.10 Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved Well let it teach us all for our particulars to take heed as the Apostle advises the Hebrews lest there be in any of us an heart of unbelief to depart from the living God yea let us take heed of admitting any scruples and doubts in the main points of Christianity for if we begin once we shall never have done This scepticism in Religion is the most dangerous thing that can be here 't is good to have sure footing and to trust perfectly to the grace of God which is revealed unto us 1 Pet. 1.13 For the more we doubt the more still we may doubt and one doubt begets another We must have a reason and a demonstration and a sign and these also multiplied and all little enough to satisfie an unbelieving heart yea we know not how we may provoke God to give us up to an unsetled spirit whenever it is thus with us which is one of the greatest judgments in the world that can be inflicted upon us And that 's the second evil in this Demand of the Jews in asking a sign to wit their infidelity The third is their Hypocrisie there was a great deal of false-heartedness and double-dealing in this request of theirs for why they intended no such thing as to receive the truth They askt a sign for fashions sake but if they had had all the signs of the world they were resolved for all that to hold their own and to be never the more stirred by them than if they had never had them Here was now their dissimulation they made a great deal of do as if they had meant to have been wrought upon by signs when-as indeed they meant no such matter As Luk. 11.16 it is said they sought a sign of Christ tempting him so they did here of the Apostles of Christ This is the manner of Hypocrites to pretend an unsatisfiableness in the means when they do not relish the thing when they savour not the conclusion they call in question the argument and to require a condition which they think will not be granted that so they may the better avoid that which the condition refers to These Jews because Christ crucified as we shall hear God willing hereafter was a stumbling-block to them a thing which displeased and offended them and yet were loth to have it presently thought so therefore to put it off with a pretence and plausibility and fair outside and appearance they desire to have a sign for the satisfaction and confirmation of them They require a sign Fourthly and lastly here was their insolency and unworthy carriage and behaviour in the laying of this Demand and that as expressing it self also in sundry particulars which we may briefly take notice of As first here was their Preposterousness and Presumption in that they would prescribe and limit God to a way of their own They ask a sign Take a sign considered in it self and there was no great matter in it one way or other they might have it or not have it without any hurt yea sometimes it was had even with Gods own liking and approbation too as there are sundry examples of it in Scripture even in good men themselves But here was the miscarriage in these Jews in this present place that they would teach God and set him a rule and point which they would determine him unto that when as he would have it done by preaching they would have it done by Miracle And when the Apostles brought them a Sermon they would needs have a sign This presumption and boldness and self-conceitedness and arrogancy of theirs was that especially which was liable to so much censure and just exception and which no question was a sin in them This is a sure rule and that which is to be observed by us That in the things of God especially as in all other things we must be ruled by God himself in Religion and Divine worship we must take things as God offers them to us and not herein be our own carvers or devisers This is that which is very offensive and displeasing to God and therefore we see how 't is taxt in another place This very asking of a sign Mat. 12.38 39. when the Scribes and Pharisees came there to Christ with this demand in their mouth Master we would see a sign from thee What does he answer them hereunto Why says he an evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign He calls them evil and adulterous for their labour in asking such a business They shewed themselves to be degenerate from Abraham the Father of the Faithful in such a demand It does not become us to teach God how he should teach us but to leave it rather to himself To ask a sign was here a presumption Again as there may be a fault in asking one so there may be a fault likewise by the way in refusing one when God offers one to us observe that This was the miscarriage of Ahaz Isa 7.11 12. when God will give him a sign then forsooth he would have none I will not ask a sign c. And truly commonly this is our fashion then when we should not ask any thing then we will and when we should then we will not Thus 't is just in this present business as concerning a sign and we may observe it in a special manner amongst the rest and in none more than in our Adversaries the Papists for this is directly their humour I told you before how much they were for signs and indeed so they are where they have no thanks for
is amplified to us from the entertainment which it has differently in the world on the one part as a Doctrine of offence Vnto the Jews a stumbling-block and unto the Greeks foolishness and on the other part as a Doctrine of Acceptance But unto those which are called c. But this I must leave to be handled in the next Sermon SERMON XXX 1 Cor. 1.23 But we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling-block and unto the Greeks foolishness It is a part of the faithfulness of an Embassador and Commissioner here in world who is intrusted with any business of state and transaction of special importance to abte nothing of his Errand nor of the message which is committed unto him but whether it please or displease to deliver it with all integrity and boldness And surely it is no less likewise the duty of those also which are the messengers of the Churches as the Scripture sometimes calls them and Embassadors of God for Christ They are to express the like faithfulness and sincerity in their employment namely to exhibit their Message and that Doctrine which they are intrusted withal howsoever the world stands affected or disposed unto it And this is tha which we may here observe to be done by the Apostle Paul he had to deal with two sorts of people in the course an dispensation of his Ministry and such as both of them were very much prejudiced against that truth which was to be delivered by him but yet for all that he is not hindered or restrained in the delivering The Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom but we preach Christ crucified This was that passage in this Scripture which we fell upon in our last exercise where after divers preparatory points which we raised from the words we insisted upon this main Principle That Christ crucified is the main object and matter of our Preaching WE have here in these words set down to us the different entertainment which this Preaching of the Apostles met withal in different persons and that is twofold First It was a Doctrine of offence and secondly it was a Doctrine of success It was a Doctrine of offence on two parts Vnto the Jews a stumbling-block and unto the Gentiles foolishness And it was a Doctrine of success on two parts more But unto them c. We 'l begin first of all with the former as it is exhibited in vers 23. so far forth as it is a Doctrine of offence But before we come to speak distinctly and particulary concerning this we 'l observe somewhat from the Text in general and that 's this That the same Doctrine and Preaching of the Word has not always and in all sorts of persons the same effect This is clear from the connexion before us Here were Jews and Greeks which had both of them Christ crucified preached unto them yet the entertainment of this Doctrine in both was different and various This is agreeable to that which the Scripture does declare unto us 2 Cor. 2.15 We are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish to the one we are the savour of death unto death and to the other the savour of life unto life So a different savour in each Thus when Christ himself preacht some said He was a good man and others that he deceived the people And when Paul preached at Athens Act. 17.32 34. some clave to him and believed others mockt at him and put him off till another time And Act. ult 24. some believed the things which were spoken and others believed not Now there 's a various account which may be given hereof unto us from whence it proceeds First from the consideration of the Teacher and of him that delivers the Doctrine there 's a great matter in that The different spirit and carriage of the Preacher has a great influence upon the success of the Doctrine which otherwise may be one and the same Look says St. Chrysostome as it is in matter of musick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is in an Harp or Lute there 's a great deal of difference according to the hand which is imployed about it Even so it is in the Divine Oracles and the dispensation of the Word of God there is a great of difference for the improvement and benefit which comes by it according to the condition of the person which has the handling and ordering of it and the difference we may conceive here to lye in sundry particulars First In his Gifts and Ministerial Abilities there 's a singular dexterity and skilfulness which belongs to Ministers in their several ways for the conveyance of their Doctrines into the minds and hearts of their hearers and to make those Truths which they treat of to be their own It 's one thing to deliver comfortable Truths and it is another thing to be a comfortable Teacher and it is one thing to speak words of reproof and it is another thing to be a skilful reprover There 's a right application of the Plaister or a right making of the wound which every one has not skill in them to do Thus Eccles 12.9 Because the Preacher was wise he taught the people knowledg c. Wise what 's that that is not only wise for his own particular in reference to his own understanding but wise for the good of the people in reference to their benefit and profit This Wisdom here it is not only an immanent wisdom but a transient not only which rests in the Teacher but from him is conveyed to the Hearer Now because Solomon was thus therefore he taught the people knowledg and he taught them successfully and he sought out acceptable words c. So it follows the words of the wise are like Goads and like Nails fasten'd by the Masters of the Assembly and given by one Pastor Look as it is in other matters it is not enough only to put a Nail into a piece of building but there must be a fastening it and striking it home to the head even so is it here as concerning the Ministry It is not only enough to propound such Truths but there must be a skilful inforcing of them and that according to the condition of the Hearers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 2 Tim. 2.15 Now according to a different skill and ability to this purpose is there oftentimes a different benefit and success for those things which are Preached Again As this difference lies much in a Ministers Gifts so also in a Ministers Spirit and manner of undertaking the work when men go about any thing in the strength of their own wit or in a dependance upon their own parts and industry it is not oftentimes so successful But when men look up to God for his assistance and rely upon him for his concurrence this is most likely to take effect in what they do The way for any Preacher to make any Truth
of Gods Spirit in us whereby we become his children and partakers of his Divine Nature as the Apostle Peter speaks It is a good rule of Aquinas which he has to this purpose In hâc autem viâ tanto magis procedimus quanto Deo magis appropinquamus cui non appropinquatur passibus corporis sed affectilus mentis banc autem propinquitatem facit charitas quia per ipsam mens Deo unitur Secondly Grace is the more excellent way and such as is beyond common gifts as the End is better than the Means which are ordained and appointed thereunto For what 's the reason that God has given such abilities as these are Is it not in a principal manner as was exprest before unto us for the persecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the bringing of men to the knowledg of Christ Therefore this knowledg it self it must needs be a great deal more excellent than the means which are instituted and used for the working and promoting of it that will necessarily follow hereupon This is the nature of this business which is here called the Way that it is both Via Terminus the way and the end both The way in regard of glory and the life which we look for to come but the end in regard of grace and this life present with the dispensations thereof It is such as these giftsare ordained to and so is superior and far above them upon that reckoning and consideration Thirdly It is more excellent also in regard of the effects and consequents of it For it gives peace of Conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost and contentation in every condition and at last eternal life and salvation it self which nothing else can do besides We are not saved as we have greater parts than others more knowledg and enlightning in our understandings but rather as we have more grace than others and more love and flexibility in our affections That 's the most excellent way which puts us into the most excellent condition and that I am sure does this more than any other way whatsoever The consideration of this Point may serve as a good Rule unto us whereby to estimate both our selves and other men and that is not so much by the former as rather by the latter Let us not think our selves the better men accordingly as we do more abound with the better gifts but rather as we do more walk and converse in the most excellent way that is in plain and direct terms not so much by our wit and learning as rather by our Piety and Religious Grace We do not here speak against that worth which is simply considerable in learning and such abilities as those are I hope we have said enough of that already in the handling of the former Branch of the Text whereby may be easily discerned what opinion we have of those perfections and how honourably we esteem of them both considered abstractly in themselves as also concretely in reference to these which are the subjects partaking of them All that we now drive at in the comparing of these two together it is no more but this namely to determine to which to give the preheminence and that 's out of all question to this last as the Spirit of God himself here determines it This is that which we should put into the ballance this is that which we should most value both our selves and others by we need no better pattern for it than the Apostles own example for himself Phil. 3.8 St. Paul was a great Scholar a man of singular parts and learning who out-stript many of his equals and such as were contemporary with him but when he will consider and reflect upon himself and take a view of what he is indeed he counts all things but dung and dross for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ to be found in him c. Thus it should be now with every one of us which is like God himself to judg of things according to truth For to speak the truth indeed what is any thing without this What is it to have a good wit without a gracious heart What is it to have parts and learning without Grace to use them well to the glory of him that gives them and to the benefit and comfort of him that is partaker of them As Austin sometimes expostulates for himself Et quid mihi proderat quod omnes libros Artium per meipsum legi intellexi nesciebam nnde esset quicquid ibi verum certum esset c I beseech ye let us not swell and grow big with the thoughts of the one but esteem rather of the other Knowledg puffeth up but charity edisieth as the Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 8.1 And so much also for that second Point That Grace and Godliness is the most excellent way The Third is that which follows from this second and that is this That it is a duty which lies upon us to pursue the latter above the former to covet the more excellent way above the better gifts Grace before other accomplishments This is here implied in that word which we shall afterwards speak more distinctly unto and that is I shew you which is not so to be taken as if the Apostle did only acquaint them with it but moreover as perswading them to it I shew it you as that which I do require and expect from you and make known to you as a duty to be performed And here now as 't is said in the Scriptures like a skilful Workman he comes hence to the present occasions and necessities of these present Corinthians to whom he wrote he felt how their pulse beat and observed very well what distemper at this time was prevailing upon them and reigning amongst them They looked much after Gifts and Parts and such kind of accomplishments whereby they might become glorious and illustrious in the eyes of the world and might be admired and cried up by other men and in the mean time neglected charity and edification and doing good with their Gifts from whence they might be more acceptable to God Now the Apostle here does two things First He grants them somewhat and then he comes further upon them occasionally from this his yieldance to them So that that now which before I call'd an exhortation or Counsel and so handled it we may if we will call a Concession or Permission in another sense of the words The Apostle here grants and yields an excellency in better Gifts upon which account he gives them leave to covet and seek after them but yet withal he signifies to them that beyond these there is a more excellent way which therefore he does here charge them implicitely not to neglect and this implicite charge or precept which is here given to them it reaches also in the like manner to us We should together with the coveting after the better gifts labour to be likewise found
the course of this present Text and Scripture which we have now read unto you where the Apostle gives us an account of the deliverance of him with his company from a great danger which happened unto them and therein expresses his thankefulness and holy rejoicing as also gives us an hint of expectation of further deliverance from the like dangers that might happen unto them and therein expresses his hope and most holy faith Who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust also c. This passage it relates to a story which we meet withal in Act. 19.29 30. which we may read at our leisure though I suppose that most of us are already sufficiently skilled in it and acquainted with it So that I need not now rehearse it or declare it unto you IN this present Verse before us we have three General Parts considerable of us First The Commemoration of a Deliverance past Secondly The signification of a Deliverance present Thirdly The prognostication of a Deliverance to come The Commemoration of a Deliverance past Who delivered us from so great a Death The signification of a Deliverance present And doth deliver us The Prognostication of a Deliverance to come In whom we trust that he will yet deliver us Here 's all that we can possibly desire for all the limits and periods of time whether past or present or future This Deliverance it is extended to each here 's matter of thankfulness and matter of joy-fulness and matter of hope We begin in order with the first viz. The Commemoration of the Deliverance past Who delivered us from so great a death Wherein again we may take notice of two Particulars more First the terms of the Deliverance or the evil it self delivered from and that is here exprest to be so great a death Secondly the Deliverance it self or the time for the vouchsafing of it Who hath delivered us First We have here the terms of the Deliverance or the thing delivered from so great a death For the evil it self death and for the aggravation of it a great death it is a deliverance from both Chrysostom together with some others gives it in the Plural number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so great deaths And indeed there are more deaths than one which God does undertake to deliver his servants from and from which he delivered St. Paul with his Brethren and Companions amongst the rest And which it may not be amiss for our selves at this time by the way to take notice of though I shall insist chiefly upon that which is here chiefly intended and is most agreeable both to the scope of the Text and the present occasion First From spiritual death the death of sin that 's a very great death it puts a man into a state of death not only as exposing to wrath and future condemnation but likewise as disabling to the actions of Grace and Holiness alienating us and depriving us of that life of God which should be in us Ephes 4.18 For as there is a life of grace distinguisht from the life of glory so there 's likewise a death of sin distinguisht from the death of condemnation And this death of sin it is such as is to be numbered among great deaths and the deliverance from it reckoned among great deliverances Indeed it is not always counted so at least by the generality of the world they for the most part are ready to make nothing of it a light and small matter as for the death of the body do all they can to shun that but as for this body of death which the Apostle Paul so much complain'd of and blest God for deliverance from it this is such a thing as they are little troubled or solicitous about Well but every good Christian who has the eyes of his understanding inlightned and his heart truly sanctified with grace he looks upon this as a very grievous and fearful death and accordingly blesses Gods for his deliverance and redempton from it Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 7.24 25. Secondly Eternal death the death of wrath and condemnation that 's another great death also and such as follows likewise upon the former without recovery from it He that 's finally dead in sin he shall be certainly dead in judgment the death of sentence and condemnation follows upon the death of spirit and disposition This God has also delivered us from He hath delivered us from wrath to come 1 Thes 1.10 And we are saved from wrath through him Rom. 5.9 This is a great death among other Considerations in this respect forasmuch as it required so great a death for the expiating of it which was the death of no other than of the Son of God himself who therefore tasted of this death for the kind of it that he might free us from it We are reconciled unto God says the Apostle by the death of his Son What a sweet and blessed Saviour have we that cares not how great a death he dyes himself that so he might free us from death for whom he dyed We should take all occasions that may be to celebrate our deliverance from this which I am therefore so much the willinger to mention upon this phrase which I now here meet withal in the Text though it is not that which I desire to insist or stand upon I come to that which is more pertinent The third and that which is here particularly aim'd at is Temporal Death which though it be the least Death of all compared with the former yet it is great considered simply in it self and so much the greater according to the several circumstances and aggravations which it may be cloathed withal Which we may take in these following particulars First From the nature and kind of it A violent Death not a natural This is a great death and so consequently a great mercy to be delivered from it to be kept from accidents and casualties and mischances which we are subject unto when the Candle is not put out but goes out when our life is not taken away from us but ends of it self This is a Temporal Blessing and such as when it is granted to the Children of God is granted in love and answerably to be looked upon by them as a merciful dispensation which they are to be thankful for As for wicked men it is threatned as a judgment upon them Joh 27.20 That a Tempest shall steal them away and a storm shall hurl them out of their places and they shall lye down and not be gathered and such was this God thrusts them and turns them out of doors like a company of disorderly persons whom he will no longer have patience with but now as for the godly and righteous there 's an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fair and kindly death which so far forth as they have an
Christians as they are Members one of another so they rejoyce in one anothers mutual life and preservation and count their own deliverance to be still so much the greater as it has their brethrens involved with it not only we but us And then what kind of us were they Take in secondly the Quality of persons such as were especially serviceable and useful an Apostle and the Ministers of Christ for these to be delivered from death it was to be delivered from a great death The death of none is to be slighted though never so mean The life of the poorest and simplest man in the world it is precious as the life of a man no more but so but the death of such persons as for their gifts and graces are eminent and for their places and improvements are useful this it is such as is very choice and much to be set by and such was this which the Apostle here speaks of in this present Text It was so great a death c. Sixthly A great death in regard of the proximity and neerness of the evil it self It was as it were at the very next door A great death that is indeed a great danger so some read the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De tantis periculis Though Chrysostom does not so well approve of it surely it carries the sense very well though it answers not the word for if we speak properly the Apostle was not delivered from death but from danger from that which tended and inclined to death and would have proved so if it had not been prevented This is called death both here and in other places as when 't is said by the same Apostle of himself that he was in deaths oft 2 Cor. 11.23 In deaths that is in dangers of death so here from a great death that is from a great danger of death every deliverance is so much the greate as the danger is so much the nearer Lastly A great death also in regard of the apprehensions of those which were in danger of it Conceit and apprehension it does set an aggravation upon danger and does make it to be so much the greater That which is great in our thoughts and in our opinions to us it is great And so was this here to the Apostle Paul and his Company as we may see in the Verse before the Text We had the sentence of death in our selves that is we gave our selves for dead men Men that do not see their danger they do not so easily fee their deliverance nor so much take notice of Gods goodness in vouchsafing it unto them but when they are made sensible of the one they are likewise made sensible of the other If ever we would get our hearts enlarged in thankfulness afterwards we must be apprehensive of danger before For a secure spirit in danger will be an unthankful spirit in deliverance and preservation and so for the contrary So great a death Y◠here 's now the nature of Thankfulness to extend the meroies of God and to make them as great as may be It is of an amplifing and enlarging dispostion as an humble heart puts an aggravation upon sin that it may put an enlargement upon pardon so a thankeful heart puts an aggravation upon danger that it may put an amplification upon deliverance It thinks those mercies to be great which are bestowed upon it because it 's small in its own eyes and looks upon it self as less than the least of all the morcies of God Yea and that which is also further here observable when the danger it self is past and the worst is over There are many which can see it to be a great death when 't is coming and approaching and ready to surprize them when evils are present as near unto them Oh then they are great indeed yea but when they are once gone and removed then they are small or none at all The Plague when it does not spread it was not the Plague This is commonly in mens dispositions yea but with Paul it is not so he counts it a great death even now when it was past and gone It was great to his apprehensions and so great in that regard also thus now have I done with the first Particular in this first General viz. the terms of deliverance or thing c. so great a death The second Particular is the Preservation or Deliverance it self And doth deliver c. And here again take notice of two things more First The thing it self simply and absolutely propounded Secondly The Apostles acknowledgment and manifestation of it in the reflection The thing it self That God had delivered him His acknowledgment in that he blesses God for it and makes mention of it here to the Corinthians First For the thing it self this is that which we may here observe how ready God is to deliver his people from death and from great death that which the Apostle speaks of himself and those which were with him it is appliable to many others besides it is a piece of Providence which the children of God do partake of in frequent experiences and they are able to say it of themselves as so with them It is that which David does often as Psal 57.13 Thou hast delivered my soul from death Again Psal 116.8 My soul from death mine eyes from tears my feet from falling And so likewise Psal 118.18 The Lord hath chastened me sore but he hath not given me over to death And so in like manner other of the Sains There are many gracious Promises to this purpose as Job 5.20 He shall redeem thy soul from death And Psal 72.14 He shall redeem their soul from violence and precious shall their blood be in his sight So Psal 116.15 it is said That precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints The Lord does not at any time cast away the lives of his servants but though he may seem now and then indifferently and promiscuously to take them away yet he does it not without special heed and regard had unto them He is very careful so far forth as may consist with their greatest advantage and the promotion of his own gracious ends and purposes and glory which it is very fitting all this should stoop unto to keep them and to deliver them from death First Out of pity and compassion towards them the Lord has bowels of tenderness towards his people And deliverance from death it is an act of mercy In Phil. 2.27 it is said concerning Epaphroditus that God had mercy on him when he brought him from the gates of death Look how much sweetness there is in life so much mercy in preservation from death which is a privation of life And God he is full and abundant in mercy as being the God and Father of it as he stiles himself and properly to those which are his children Secondly He has work for them to do and some service which he requites
sin yea even such things also which others are not much affected withal secret sins which no other eye beholds smaller sins if there be any sin small as there are comparatively A good Christian is affected with these and ashamed of these not only commissions of evil but omissions of good and not only simple omissions but defects and miscarriages in performances failings in the measure and failings in the manner and failings in the end look as accurate work men they are ashamed of smaller faults in their work while bunglers make nothing of great ones so likewise accurate Christians they are ashamed of smaller infirmities in them whiles Hypocrites and Formalists and Atheists are not ashamed of the greatest that are And that may be the first Explication now that is since their conversion and regeneration and coming home to god Te are ashamed now Secondly Now that is since the commission of your sins and the intermission of the Temptations from you Now ye are c. There are many persons which when they are in the heat of their lusts and when temptations sets strong upon them they have then no shame at all for sin because they have no sense or feeling of it but their minds are wholly taken up in the prosecution and following of it who yet afterwards when the sin is over and past they recover themselves and then there 's nothing left them but shame as a recompence to them for the carnality of it We should therefore still learn and endeavour to have the same apprehension of sin in us before-hand as we are likely to have afterwards and never be perswaded by any means to the doing of any thing which we think we shall be ashamed of when we have done it rather let our watchfulness before a temptation prevent our repentance after it and think with our selves however we may be affected in our selves for the present yet there will a time come for remorse Quid mali fieri potest says Prosper unde nec erubescant illi quos ipsa flagitia sua delectat What evil can there be done which even those which are delighted in it are not for all that ashamed of it Thirdly Now since the experience of Gods Goodness and the sense and apprehension of his special love and favour towards us Te are ashamed now The Romans they were now become Christians and had tasted of Gods free love in Christ and besides had divers of them partaked of many outward comforts and refreshments from him Now certainly these could do not other than melt them in the Consideration of their sins and shame them for them There 's no such breaking and moving argument as this if we have any bowels or ingenuity at all in us And therefore the Apostle beats upon this in another place Rom. 12.1 I beseech you by the mercies of God It Gods mercies will not work upon us what will surely this is more than all the rest And as for the quickning of us to duty so likewise for the restraining us from sin and the affecting and afflicting of us for it What to sin against so good a God so gracious a Father so holy a Spirit so merciful a Redeemer c. What a great shame is this If God had never done any thing for us yet we might be ashamed to sin against him for that Goodness which is in himself abstractly considered but when we shall further over and above consider his Goodness to us for our particulars and notwithstanding the offending of him How should this affect us with grief and provoke us to shame in good earnest Shall God do so much for us and shall we do so much against him Especially if we shall consider further that this sinning of ours hath been at any time with any of these mercies which he has bestowed upon us there 's a fearful aggravation with a witness as these Romans here had done making the members of their bodies members of iniquity and uncleanness What a fearful and shameful thing is this when men shall use their health and their strength and their parts and their wealth to no better purpose than to provoke God by them May not this justly fill them with shame and confusion of face They that will not be ashamed now in the sense and consideration of this when and what is it indeed that they will be ever ashamed of I beseech ye let us improve this argument to the utmost advantage of it and drive it home as much as we can And not only as to temporal mercies but especially and moreover to spiritual Let these affect us with shame for sin as the Apostle here urges it in this Chapter Those which are dead unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord He stands much upon this as a means to prevail with them and so it should upon us Methinks it is a shame for them in the world to do any thing below their rank and place and condition in it Shall such a man as I do thus and thus And why should they not do so as to Heaven and the things of Grace and Sin We should think our selves too good for the doing of any thing which is sinful and take an holy state upon our selves in this particular And when we discern and perceive that we have done so that we have done any thing which is unfitting we should be confounded and ashamed in our selves upon this respect and consideration as no question but these Romans here were they were now ashamed that is now upon the experience of Gods Goodness and sense of his special love unto them And that 's the third Explication which may be fastened upon this expression about the time The Consideration of all together which hath been said in this present point may be thus far useful to us First From the shame of condition that follows upon the Commission of sin we have here another Argument against it which is the scope of the Apostle in this place Remember as it brings no fruit with it so that instead of it it brings shame and reproach and disgrace it is no honour at all to commit it If ever we would stand upon our honour and do all we can to the avoiding of shame let us then be sure to take heed of sin which is the most disgraceful thing that can be disgraces us with God and disgraces us with Angels and disgraces us with men and disgraces us even with our selves and our own private consciences in particular so much shame and ignominy there is in it This same sin it was that which brought shame first of all into the world and it has continued it ever since upon all those which have been the followers of it This for the shame of Condition Again secondly For the shame of affection In that these Romans are said here to have been ashamed of their former courses that is to have been affected with shame for them we learn
to travel with them again Alas what a pitiful thing is it to be the means of bringing those into the world which shall be enemies to Christ and to suffer the pains of travel that others may suffer the pains of hell This Parents cannot otherwise prevent than by prayers and good example and education and this they should do and say in the words of the Apostle here in my Text with which I will conclude My little children of whom I travel in birth again till Christ be formed in you SERMON XL. Gal. 5.16 This I say then Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh There 's nothing which is more ominous or pernicious to the Church of Christ than the divisions and contentions of those which are the members of it one with another being such as do threaten the ruâ—n and consumption and destruction of the whole and there 's nothing which does more lay the way and give ground and occasion hereunto than a diversity and contrariety of Doctrine and opinion in matters of Faith This is that which the Apostle Paul does in a more especial manner take notice of in the course of this present Chapter more particularly in the Church of Galatia to which he here writes who were now at this time more especially apostatized or declined in a very great measure from their former profession and were over-grown with very strange errors which did breed strange affections amongst them Now the Apostle here does three things in reference to this present evil First He shews the nature of it Secondly He shews the danger of it Thirdly He prescribes the remedy He shews the nature of it in the 13th verse that it is namely a carnal humour and such as proceeded from the unregenerate and unsanctified pant in them therefore he bids them not to use their liberty for an occasion to the flesh He shews the danger of it in the 15th verse that it is namely a mortal disease and such as carries no other than death and desolation in the bosom of it But if ye bite and evour one another take heed ye be not consumed one of another He prescribes the remedy in this particular verse which we have now in hand the 16th verse of this Chapter whereby because that contraries are best cured by contraries he does therefore endeavour to remove carnal distempers by the provoking of spiritual performances This then I say walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh IN these present words before us we have two General Parts especially observable of us First A Preface or Introduction Secondly The Doctrine or Matter which is delivered thereupon The Preface that we have in those words This I say then The Doctrine or Matter delivered in these Walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh We will a little invert the order and begin first of all with the particular Doctrine or Matter it self which we have laid down in the latter part of the verse Walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill c. And here again there are two Branches more which offer themselves to us First A Precept or positive Injunction Walk in the spirit Secondly A Promise or according as some read the words a Prohibition And ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh We begin in order with the first viz. the Precept Walk in the spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherein there are two terms to be explain'd and stood upon by us First The spirit to consider what is meant by that And secondly Walking in the spirit what is the sensen and meaning of that and what we are taught and instructed from it For the first By the spirit we are here in one word to understand the spirit of God the Holy spirit And that either first of all in his Graces and Principles as subjected and radicated in us or else secondly in his motions and suggestions as objected and propounded to us either of these do imply the spirit First In his Graces and Principles as subjected and radicated in us Walk in the spirit i.e. walk after a spiritual manner And this again is done two manner of ways First When we are frequent and conversant in spiritual duties when we are much in the Exercises of Religion which are the currents and conveyances of the Spirit then we may be said in one sense to walk in the spirit which is here required of us Those which profess themselves Christians they must be much in the Duties of Christianity as Praying Reading Hearing Communion of Saints c. These are such things as they must apply themselves to with a great deal of diligence and endeavour It is true there are other things also to be done in reference to humane life and conversation here in the world as the works of our ordinary callings and imployments which belong unto us these they are not to be neglected but we must be also mindful of other and apply our selves to the performance of them even the exercises of Piety and Religion And that especially upon this consideration as being such actions wherein we have special communion with the Spirit of God and wherein he takes occasion to communicate himself unto us These they are the pleasant walks of the Spirit as I may so call them the green pastures in which he makes us to lye down and the still waters besides which he leads us for the restoring of our souls as the Prophet David there expresses it in Psal 23.23 The Galleries wherein Christ is held Cant. 7.5 and a great deal of good to be gotten by them Those which talk of the Spirit and in the mean time cry down the Word whether in the reading or preaching of it which vilifie Ordinances and Religious duties and such performances as these are they speak those things which are inconsistent and which will never hold together For these they are Pabulum animae they are the food and nourishment of the soul which it lives upon and the sweet and happy channels wherein the Spirit of God does glid into us Secondly When we are daily and continually in a spiritual frame and temper of heart This in another sense is to walk in the spirit and seems also to be laid upon us in this present Expression in the Text. We may not judg of our walking in the spirit always or only by the matter and substance of the actions themselves wherein we are imployed but rather according to our carriage and behaviour in them A man may walk in the flesh even then when he is religiously exercised as for the nature of the performance it self And again A man may walk in the spirit even then when he is about business but of common and ordinary consideration The want of right distinguishing here hath been that which hath given occasion to such mistakes especially amongst the Papists and those of that way for
they still put all spirituality in the outside of Duties themselves reckoning them for the only spiritual men in the world which are mured and shut up in a Cloyster and are imployed in their superstitious Devotions and practices of Will-worship and in the mean time wirhdrawing themselves from all serviceableness and usefulness to the world and places wherein they live This is not to walk in the spirit but rather in the flesh We must therefore take a further account of this business than as yet we have done and here to walk in the spirit will be as I in part intimated before to be heavenly and spiritually minded in our whole course and conversation Whatever the things themselves be so not sinful which we are occupied about let them be matters but of our ordinary callings yea even lawful recreations themselves a gracious heart will be spiritual in them and so we ought to be when we do every thing as in God's Presence to his Glory and as accountable to him for whatever we do then do we indeed walk in the spirit when we are in the fear of the Lord all the day long Prov. 23.17 Which makes up the first Explication understanding by the spirit the spirit as bestowing grace as subjected in us Secondly By the Spirit we may here understand his motions and suggestions as objected to us Walk in the spirit that is walk according to the guidance and dictate and moderation of the Spirit of God And this again in two particulars more First In the directions of the Spirit Walk as the Spirit of God inclines you Secondly In the Consolations of the Spirit Walk as the Spirit of God comforts you and gives encouragement to you First Walk in the spirit that is after the directions of the spirit as the Spirit of God inclines you be sure and careful of that It is the blessed and happy advantage of those which are the servants of God that as they have the Spirit of God working grace in them at first so they have also the same gracious spirit still exciting and provoking and stirring up that grace which he has wrought in them for following times Thou shalt hear a voice behind thee saying This is the way walk ye in it c. Isa 30.21 Now then are we said to walk in the spirit whensoever we listen and hearken hereunto and move our selves accordingly when we do that which the spirit commands us and provokes us to do and when we shun that which the spirit forbids us and takes us off from not only in the word but in the conscience wherein he does also apply himself to us and that in a suitableness and correspondency unto the word look what he commands in the one he suggests in the other and never contrary or opposite thereunto whereby it may be discerned whether it be the Spirit of God or no. There are many who sometimes pretend to follow the dictates and motions of the spirit when-as it is rather the propensities and inclinations of their own corrupt and carnal hearts but such as these delude them This is the priviledg and duty of Christians to be guided by a better spirit than their own even the Holy Spirit to suffer his motions and suggestions to take place in their hearts and to rule and bear sway in them This we should labour still to do upon all occasions whenever we find any stirrings of good in us presently to close with them and to improvethem all we can toturn the motions of the spirit to resolutions on our behalf and not only into resolutions but into practice which is the life and vigor of all This is to walk in the spirit And this is that which we should apply our selves unto in obedience to this command or counsel which is here given us in the Text especially such amongst us as have any thing more of this Spirit of God dwelling in us the more that any partake of the spirit the more it concerns them to walk in the spirit and to yield themselves up to the Power and Authority of the Spirit upon them because that such as these have greater and larger opportunities than other have As for other men which are but of common and ordinary principles yet living within the bosom of the Church and there partaking of the means of grace there are very few of them except they be such as are desperately concluded but they have now and then some kind of stirrings and workings of the Spirit of God moving in their consciences whereby he diverts them from evil and puts them on to the doing of good and it concerns such as these accordingly to walk in the spirit and to follow those motions and suggestions which are thus offer'd and tender'd unto them yea but now as for the children of God which are regenerate and born again and have saving grace wrought in their hearts such as these they are seldom without them but are frequently and continually exercised and inured unto them And therefore for them not to walk after them is a matter of great indignity which is hereby offered to so holy a Spirit and such as does not pass in them without some trouble and affliction upon their own spirit usually for it that so they may take the greater heed of being guilty or neglectful herein at another time as is manifest from the experiences of many which have made complaint in this partiular and should be a caution and warning to all the rest We should take heed of grieving the Holy Spirit of God by refusing his gracious Motions and Applications of himself to our hearts but walk in the spirit that is first after the spirits directions as the Spirit of God inclines us Secondly Walk in the spirit that is walk in the spirits Consolations as the Spirit of God comforts and incourages you This is such a kind of walking in the spirit as the Scripture does sometimes make mention of as Act. 9.31 it is said there of the Churches That they walk'd in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost This is also our duty to do and though perhaps it be not that which in this place is chiefly intended yet neither is it altogether excluded it is the special office of the spirit to be a comforter therefore to walk in the spirit is to walk in his comforts We find among other fruits of the spirit which are reckoned up here in this Chapter Joy is named for one as that which does belong thereunto and certainly we do then walk in the spirit when we do preserve this joy in our selves When we labour to keep terms of peace and reconcilement betwixt God and us from whence our hearts may be filled with comfert When the Consolations of God are not small with us but we do value them and make much of them and do not easily do any thing which may forfeit them or provoke God to take them
away from us A Christian when he does at any time find himself in any cheerful and comfortable frame of spirit he should endeavour to keep it up and maintain it allhe can as that which is of very great consequence and importance to him not only for the sweetness and pleasingness of the condition it self but also in reference to that duty which is to be performed by him yea we must know that it is also more pleasing to God himself that his Children upon good and right grounds should walk comfortably and cheerfully before him and rather to close with the Consolations of his spirit than to lye down under the suggestions of Satan or the false and dark representations of their own sad and mis giving hearts therefore walk in the spirit also in this sense that is in the comforts and encouragements of the spirit And so much may suffice of the first term in these words to be explained by us namely what is meant by the spirit which we have shewn in a twofold Explication In the spirit that is in his Graces and Principles as subjected and radicated in us walk in the spirit that is walk after a spiritual manner and in the spirit that is according to his motions and suggestions as objected and propounded to us walk in the spirit i. e. walk according to the guidance and moderation of the Spirit of God The second Term here to be considered is walking and what is meant by that Now in this there are three particulars which seem to be intimated and implied First Here 's implied activity in opposition to bare speculation or profession or idleness in Religion Walking it is a business of motion he that walks he does not stand still Secondly Here 's implied strength in opposition to faintness or remisness he that walks he moves strongly Thirdly Here 's implied perseverance in opposition to declining or giving out he that walks he moves constantly All these particulars are in walking and so appliable to our Conversation in the spirit First Here 's implied activity in opposition to bare speculation or profession or idleness in Religion he that walks he moves himself and does not stand still And thus must it be with us in Religion an the ways of God We must be active and put forward in them it is not only have the spirit or understand it or pretend to it no but walk in it that is be careful to improve the Doctrines and Principles of it in the activity and fervency of a godly and holy Conversation This is that which is in a special manner required of us as Christians and accordingly we shall find t preach'd and urg'd upon us As in vers 25. of this present Chapter If we live in the spirit let us also walk in the spirit that is if we have a principle of spiritual life in us let us carry our selves answerably thereunto Look as the soul in the body it is not there after an idle manner but it does distribute motion and vigor to the several parts and members of it even so should it be with grace in the soul it should not nor will not be there to no purpose but so as to make the man of God perfect and ready to every good work that I may use the words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Tim. 3. ult And so the Apostle Peter also signifies unto us in 2 Pet. 1.8 When he had spoken of the several graces of the spirit in the words before If these things says he be in you and abound they will make you that ye shall not be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledg of our Lord Jesus Christ This life of the spirit in us should work in us a walking up to it and whiles it is said here walking we may take notice of the variation of the phrase in the Original Text for it is not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which latter signifies a regular and orderly walking a walking by rule so it becomes us to walk who live in the spirit so to walk as not turning either to the right hand or to the left not carried by our own corrupt lusts nor yet overswayed by the mis-guidings of others but led by the sweet conduct and inclinations of the Spirit of God in us and doing that which he requires of us In a word This is that which is commended to us in this Text that our conversation be answerable to our principles and that as we make any claim to Religion more than others so we should behave our selves suitably thereunto It is not leaves that God stands upon but fruit it is not profession but action it is not only the principles which are in us but the works and duties which come from us in a correspondency and agreement to those Principles Not every onethat saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven says our blessed Saviour but he that doeth the will of my father which is in Heaven Matth. 7.21 It is doing that God does principally look after And this it does sadly come home to the consciences of many people in the world which are very guilty in this particular which have a name that they live but are dead as was said of the Church of Sardis which talk much of the spirit and the gifts and graces of it but in the mean time shew but little power and efficacy of it upon their hearts by framing of their lives thereafter as it becomes them to do such as these can have but little comfort whiles they live here in the world or hope and expectation when they go out of it so remaining We see how the Scripture puâ—s all still upon action If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them John 13.17 And then are ye my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you John 15.14 And he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever 1 John 2.17 and many more places besides tending to this purpose Therefore we should not content our selves with any thing below this whatsoever it be First Not with agreat measure of knowledg only no more but so let not that satisfie or content us the devils themselves have this in great abundance and yet but miserable creatures they know and believe and tremble as the Apostle James speaks of them And there were many in this Church of Galatia to whom St. Paul here writes his Epistle which were very knowing and intelligent persons as to the Doctrine of Religion and Christianity which yet for all that the Apostle seems not to be satisfied with Therefore we may observe that he does not say Spiritually understand the law but walk in the spirit There have been some who have so supersticiously sought after and urged the former as that they have laid all the stress of Piety and true Religion wholly thereupon and counted them the only spiritual men which were exercised therein namely in finding out the
imagination of many a sinner that where they have once begun in any evil they had now as good to go on and to make progress in it Oh but take heed of that do not yield to such a temptation as this is it is very dangerous and pernicious to the soul and so will prove God requires we should do our utmost to the avoiding of all manner of sin in us and where we have not so much grace as to come off to such a measure and degree of mortification yet at least to go so far as we can Est aliquid prodire tenus si non datur ultra We should endeavour as much as may be to subdue the very principles and first motions of sin in us if they will still remain yet to prevent the acts If any act of sin break forth from us in the beginning and inchoation of it yet to stop it and to restrain it in the progress then shall we truly put in practise this exhortation and command of the Apostle wherein he does charge us not to fulfill the lusts of the flesh To set this home a little more fully and effectually upon us let us over and above take notice of the intention of the Prohibition in the Text it is given us in two negative Particles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both which carries so much the greater force with it and by the way likewise shews us how far it concerns our selves to have respect unto it it shews us how desirous God himself is that we should withdraw from such sinful courses and likewise how far of our selves we are subject unto them and therefore stand in need of such earnest and importunate prohibitions as these are and they should not be in vain to us but should work upon us to bring us to so much the more caution and heedfulness of spirit Indeed there are some spirits in the world which from hence are so much the worse and do too much make good that observation of Nitimur in vetitum Sin taking occasion by the commandment works in them all manner of concupiscence as the Apostle speaks and the more they are restrained from it the more eager and violent they are upon it There are some which let the Ministers and servants of God say what they please yet they are resolved to do what they list and the more they abound in admonition the more do these abound in transgression and purpose to do so still But this is a fearful perverting of Gods gracious dealings with us in such opportunities as these are and such as where we are guilty of it will highly aggravate our sins upon us which we should therefore especially beware of And further observe how this counsel of not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh it is indefinite and given to all sorts of persons not only to Monks and Eremites as Luther observes upon the place but to all ranks and conditions of men and as he particularly instances in to Magistrates who then put this counsel in practise when they are conscionable in the discharge of their places and careful to close with those opportunities of doing good which in those relations are afforded unto them when they watch over the temptations of their callings and the snares which they are subject unto from the corruption of men which is in them without better heed and regard to their hearts c. And so now I have done with this clause in the first acception of it viz. as it may be taken Imperatively and by way of Prohibition as denoting a Christians Duty Do not in any case fulfill the lusts of the flesh The second is as it may be taken Indicatively and Declaratively by way of Promise as shewing a Christians Priviledg which belongs to him upon his walking in the Spirit and that is that he shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh In the handling of which words in this sense we may take notice of two Particulars more First of somewhat which is implied and secondly of somewhat which is exprest That which is implied is this that it is a great priviledg and advantage to be freed and exempted from the fulfilling of the lusts of the flesh that which is exprest is this That those which are careful and industrious to walk in the Spirit they shall be made partakers of this priviledg and advantage I begin with the First namely with that which is implied That it is a great priviledg and advantage to be freed from the fulfillingof the lusts of the flesh This I gather from the scope of the words and the Apostles intent in the bringing of them in here in this place and that is to perswade the people of God to this duty of walking in the Spirit from the benefit that shoul come to them thereby We must look upon the Apostle as here speaking somewhat extraordinary when he tells them that it shall be thus and thus with them he does not simply tell it them but he tells it them as some encouragement to them which accordingly he would have them to observe and take notice of and so should we also do with them and this is that which we should take notice of That there is a great deal of benefit and advantage herein to be exempted from the fulfilling of lusts What 's the benefit of it it's manifold and various I 'le instance in one or two Particulars First Liberty and freedom of spirit that has always been counted a great advantage And so it is To be free and not subject to the tyranny of dominion of enemies why this now is the happiness of that man which does not fulfil the lusts of the flesh He is a free-man and to speak the truth there is none other which is so but he Take any other man besides which walks in base and filthy courses and he is a very vassal and slave he is in thraldom and subjection to Satan by whom he is led into captivity according to his will 2 Tim. 2. ult And Satan he 's an absolute tyrant which will be sure to exact the utmost upon those which are made subject to him He is the spirit that rules in the children of disobedience but those which have got power over their lusts they are freed from this slavery and bondage Satan hath now no more part or share in them A second Benefit is peace with God quiet and tranquillity of Conscience This is another thing that follows hereupon Those that follow the by as of their corruptions they cannot so easily or fully be assured of the love and favour of God himself towards them which will be apt to be very much darkened and obscured thereby But now those that resist and overcome them they have this a great deal more certified and confirmed unto them They have more quiet and peace and serenity in their own breasts and spirits than otherwise they would be likely to have Thirdly More expediteness
to Duty and the doing of that which God requires of them in their several places Great and strong lusts are hinderances to any noble performances and high atchievements which are to be undertaken by us The Apostle tells us in the verse immediately following to the Text vers 17. of this Chapter that from the flesh lusting against the spirit the Galatians were disinabled from doing the things which they would and so they were and all others with them whereas on the other side where these are kept down there is strength and ability thereunto namely to serve God with so much the more strength All these laid together do shew us the happiness of this particular condition and the truth of this point in hand to wit the benefit and advantage of not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh Again further we may here also take notice that as it is a benefit in it self simply considered so it is such as is apprehended and counted so by all those which have the Spirit of God in them Those which are the true children of God they look upon this as one of the greatest mercies which can happen unto them to be freed from the power of their lusts This is also implied in the Text it was not only so in the thoughts of the Apostle but also in the thoughts of the Galatians to whom he here wrote or else he had said nothing to the purpose and it had been to no end to signifie as much unto them that by walking in the spirit they should have this benefit confer'd upon them if they had not thought it to be a benefit indeed But now he uses argumentum ad homines and speaks to them in their own Element to their heart as the Hebrew phrase hath it He knew he should now please them and bring that which would be acceptable to them when he should tell them of being freed from their lusts and so he did A good and a gracious heart looks upon this as the greatest mercy and priviledg in the world which he longs for and most eagerly desires as the Apostle Paul Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord which is such as makes him willing to desire even death it self where in he shall indeed partake of this priviledg Again Moreover observe this as another thing implied in these words That the reward of Religion lyes within the compass of Religion The Apostle had stir'd up these Galatians and in them all other Christians to an holy Life and spiritual Conversation to walking in the spirit Now what does he here for their encouragement signifie to be the reward and recompence hereof unto them Why namely this that they should not fulfil the lusts of the flesh He does not say ye shall have such and such outward comforts heaped upon you riches and honours and the like nor he does not say ye shall have Heaven at last given you and ye shall be free from condemnation though this also be true no but ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh If we had no other recompence of a godly life but only that which is emergent from it and immediate to it yet this were enough to satisfie us in it and to perswade us to the leading of it And so much for that which is here supposed and implied in this expression I come now in the second place to that which is exprest which is the words of the Text And ye shall not fulfil c. This for the right handling of it we must take in its conjunction and connexion with the words before and as dependent thereupon Walk in the spirit and so ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh the one prevents the remedy against the other the more spiritual any are the less carnal and the more we are guided by the spirit the less we shall yield to the flesh This truth and expression may be made good to us according to a various explication which may be given of it First Walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh that is ye shall not have so great a mind and desire to fulfil them ye shall be restrained in regard of inclination though Grace and the exercise of it does not as I said before wholly extirpate all cortuption out of us and make it cease to be whiles we live here in this world yet it does qualify the dominion of it and makes it cease to be in that measure and degree wherein it was in us before And as sinful acts do increase the habit of sin in us as we have formerly shewn in the point above so the other side do gracious acts dminish this habit and make it less It is the avantage of that man who is imploy'd and taken up in well-doing that he has not that lust and propensity in him to that which is evil as another has Godliness it puts our mouths out of taste to the pleasures of sin as on the other side sin does make goodness to be disrelish't by us Look therefore how far a man is freed from fulfilling the lusts of the flesh by having little or no desire unto them so far is he freed from them also by this course of walking in the spirit which is advantageous and effectual to this purpose to mitigate the desire of sin in them Secondly Walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh that is ye shall not have temptation to fulfil them ye shall be kept from lustful and sinful suggestions and provocations The reason why many fall into sin now and then is because they have strong temptations and instigations to it because the Devil is very busie with them and it pleases God someimes in his Providence to give them up into Satans hands But now when men are careful to walk in the spirit they do very much provide for themselves in this particular Satan has not that power over them and advantage which otherwise he would have in the neglect of it nor they are not so much under the power of temptations as they would be if they did not thus walk This is true upon a ouble account both on Gods part and on Satans on Gods part who in this case does not so much give them over to temptation and on Satans who in this case has not that incouragement to fasten his temptation upon them First I say on Gods part who in this case does not so much give them over to Satan to be tempted Take a man that neglects his daily walk and converse with God that does not look so strictly and narrowly to his steps as it becomes him to do it pleases God now and then for his exercise and tryal and partly his correction to let Satan loose upon him and to suffer him to molest and trouble him with sad temptations not only for sin
and work such points as these are out of the windings and turnings and actings of their own spirit This is to be a Preacher indeed and to speak with the greatest profit and edification to those which are our hearers because that which comes from the heart is most likely to go to it and to rebound more effectually upon it Thirdly I say it is a work of sympathy and Pastoral affestion I say it out of my love and tenderness and bowels towards you as pitying you to think ye should go on in courses of vanity without restraint which therefore I would take you off from by this seasonable and pertinent Admonition There were some Teachers now in the Church of Galatia which did labor to infect and corrupt the People of God with their carnal Doctrines which were spread by them Now therefore was the Apostle Paul here so much the more tender and jealous over them and would speak a word in due time for the redeeming and saving of their souls And this is another thing to be heeded and regarded by a Preacher not only to speak affectionately as to the things themselvs which he speaks about but also to speak affectionately as to the persons themselves he speaks unto This is that which Panl did in this Text. Fourthly and lastly I say it is a word of Comprehension or Recapitulation wherein he sums up all in effect which he had said before What had he said before why that they should not use their liberty as an occasion to the flesh that they should by love serve one another c. Now this then I say says he c. as the upshot and epitomy of all the rest as the Preacher in Eccles 12.13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep his Commandments so here in the Text This I say walk in the spirit c. To shew that this is as it were the scope and sum of all our Ministry to bring men hereunto to eschew evil and to do good to abstain from that which is sinful and to walk in ways of Piety and Goodness This is the pith of all we can say And therefore accordingly we should set our selves to this more especially and above any thing else not troubling our selves and our hearers with fancies and strifes about words to no profit but the subverting of the hearers but study to shew our selves approved unto God and workmen that need not to be ashamed in distributing and rightly dividing the word of truth as is elsewhere advised in 2 Tim. 2.14,15 There are a great many Preachers in the world especially in these present times which when they have said all they can they have said nothing at all which when they have spoken and uttered many words neither themselves nor any that hear them can make any thing of them as being nothing but so many airy speculations and words of course But the Apostle Paul here was otherwise who what he said he said to purpose and was such as carried some weight and strength and efficacy and edification with it This then I say c. And so now I have done also with that other General viz. The Preface or Introduction to the Doctrine and so likewise with the whole Text it self SERMON XLI Gal. 6.4 But let every man prove his own work and then shall be have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another There are two grand evils and miscarriages which the generality of people in the world are subject to in point of Censure The one is to pass too hard and severe an interpretation upon others and the other is to give too favourable and indulgent allowance to themselves And these two as they do both of them for the most part go together so they do both of them seem to proceed from one and the self-same ground and root and occasion of them which is the want of a due Attention and Consideration of men's own hearis and of the actions which spring from them Therefore are men commonly so apt to judg and condemn others with the highest aggravations that may be because they do not look upon themselves as subject to the same passions and affections with other men And therefore again it is that men are so apt to appland themselves and to think well of what is done by them because they do not consider the defects and imperfections of their best performances Now for this cause the Apostle Paul in the course of this Scripture before us applying himself indifferently to the cure of either of these distempers does propound the same counsel and prescribe the same remedy for the removing and healing of them and that is by putting every man upon the search and examination of himself This be does as to the first evil in the two former verses of this Chapter Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault c. And this be does as to the second evil in the two next following verses to them He that thinks himself c. But let every man prove his own work and then shall he have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another our business at this present is with the latter of these two which I have mantioned and that which I have now at this time read unto you But let every man c. IN the Text it self there are two General Parts considerable First An Exhortation And Secondly The Argument to inforce it The Exhortation that is in these words Let every man prove his own work The Argument for the inforcing of this Exhortation that is in these And then shall be have rejoycing in himself c. We begin with the first viz. The Exhortation Let every man prove his own work Wherein again we have three branches more First The object his own work Secondly The Act conversant about this Object Let him prove Thirdly The subject of this Act in reference to this object Every man The Emphasis of the Text may be laid in either of these words for surenss we 'l consider it in all where we shall follow the method of the original though not the method of the Translation And so as we have here propounded it speak in the first place of the object his own work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiles the Apostle makes mention of his own work which he desires every man should prove Methinks he seems to intimate divers things in it which are here briefly considerable of us And as I conceive we have here a threefold Caution which is implicitly exhibited to us First Against idleness or unfruitfulness Secondly Against arrogancy or affectation Thirdly Against curiosity or intermedling This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text in carries a threefold Antithesis or opposition with it to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First In this Expression of his own work there seems to be a Caution against idleness and unfruitfulness of Conversation
of their reward All which laid together should most effectually work upon us to perswade us to take heed of it and to put in practise what the Apostle here advises of Looking to our selves Seeing a little care and heed will do it let no us be wanting to it but improve it all we can that we may not be on the losing hand If a man will watch his house how much more should he watch his soul And if he will look to himself in such matters as in comparison are hardly worth looking after how much more should he do so in such matters as are of such infinite concernment So much for that sense of the words as they may be read in the second person That ye lose not what ye have wrought Now further secondly Take it in the first as it is here in our own Textual Translation That we lose not what we have wrought The Apostle John was desirous of these Believers that they would not frustrate his labours to him and make them in vain It is that which has been the answerable care of other of God's Servants besides and that very rationally Paul he desired it for himself Gal. 2.2 Lest by any means I should run or had run in vain So Phil. 2.16 That I may rejoyce in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain nor labour'd in vain So here now in this Text That we may not lose the things which we have wrought There are two things here considerable First Here is somewhat which is imply'd And secondly Here is somewhat which is exprest That which is imply'd is this That the heedlesness of people frustrates the labours of the Ministers That which is exprest is this That Ministers do above all things desire that their labours may not be frustrated by them First I say the heedlesness of people frustrates the labours of their Ministers it makes them lose the things which they have wrought Look to your selves that we do not therefore if ye do not we shall Let a Minister be never so careful of his work for his own particular as it comes from himself yet if his people do not look to themselves and their own ways it will be in the event lost as to them as it is in other matters besides Let a Physician give never so good Physick yet if his Patient shall distemper himself of his own accord he loses his Physick because it attains not its proper and intended effect This should therefore among other Arguments provoke our diligence and circumspection and cause us to take heed what we do for this among other things will be a further aggravtion against us God will one day call all wicked men to an account as for the motions of his Spirit and the checks of Conscience and the dispensations of his Providence so likewise for the labours of his servants which have been neglected by them whom he sets at a great rate even then when men despise and undervalue them There are two sorts of persons which make Ministers to lose the things which they have wrought the one is those that refuse to come to hear them when a Minister hath taken sad pains to prepare himself for the good of such a people to speak seasonably and pertinently and properly to them to their particular profit and comfort and edification and they now upon what pretence soever it may be some conceits or punctilio's shall withdraw themselves from him This is to make him to lose the things which he has wrought and God will be answered for this at another day and his Spirit will not always strive with them in this particular but being grieved will withdraw it self Another sort are those which though they hear are never the better for hearing can live many years under a Ministry and get nothing by it such as these they make us to lose the things which we have wrought and of these especially do we now speak at this time as here chiefly intended It is a very sad and grievous business we are tender of other workmen that they may not lose their labour amongst us but for this which is the greatest work of all we make nothing of it Well you see what St. John says of it It is a matter of heedlesness and disregard if people would more look to themselves they would prevent us from this inconvenience and evil that it happened not unto us Thus much for that which is here implied in the connexion of the words one with another Now secondly For what also is exprest That Ministers are justly very tender of the frustrating of their labours and of losing that which they have wrought It was that which the Apostle here stood upon more than any thing else as that which was most grievous to him This it is in three particulars First In regard of the person they work from Secondly In regard of the person they work for Thirdly In regard of the nature and condition of their workings First The person they work from and that is God himself it is he which imploys them and because it is so they would not willingly lose their work in reference to their Master who consequently so far as he is capable should lose by it also The miscarriages of the Ministry redound to the dishonour of God Secondly The persons they work for and that is the Church and People of God for the edifying of the body of Christ and perfecting of the Saints Ephes 4.12 They watch for your souls Heb. 13.17 And those that watch they hope not to lose for they therefore watch to prevent it but where love and affection to the Parties is joyn'd with it it makes it the more and so it is here They would not lose their work in reference to those they work for Thirdly For the work it self and that in sundry respects First The Labor of it it is a painful work and therefore is it so often in Scripture set forth by such an expression Those that labour in the Word and Doctrine The more pains that any man takes the less willing is he to lose it Where men do but play and toy and trifle their works are lost with a great deal less charge but where they are laborious here 't is more difficult that which costs the greater labour procures the greater loss Secondly The Dignity of it there 's somewhat also in that Men may take pains in a thing of nought it is the unhappy lot of sinful persons whose lusts are very chargeable to them in this respect they take a great deal of pains many times for the wronging of their own poor souls Now for such as these to lose that which they have wrought an to be disappointed in their sinful indeavours it is no great matter they may be the rather glad of it as an advantage to them But when-as besides the labour of the work there shall be the excellency this is an addition hereunto
Thus 1 Pet. 2.5 Ye are an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ Every good Christian he hath great interest in Heaven and can very much prevail with God through Christ in his approaches to the Throne of Grace And we have frequent instances and examples of it both in Scripture and in daily experience Secondly As to the keeping of themselves from the pollutions and defilements of the world The Priests they were prohibited the touching of those things which were unclean and so are Christians careful to keep themselves unspotted of the world Thirdly As to the teaching and instructing of others in the Communion of Saints The Priests lips should preserve knowledg Mal. 2.7 And so should every Christian also in his way and within his compass Parents and Masters of Families should be thus far Priests in them as with Abraham to teach their children and their housholds after them Gen. 18.19 c. Fourthly As to the offering up of themselves to God they must be Priests in this respect also The Priests they were used and imployed in the killing of beasts so should Christians be in slaying of their lusts and unruly affections And then the High-Priest especially he entered into the Sanctum Sanctorum so should every Christian have his heart always towards the Holy of Holies c. Lastly The Priests they still blest the people so would the mouths of Christians do others with whom they converse 1 Pet. 3.9 not railing but contrarily blessing c. The sum of all comes to this namely to raise the esteem and opinion of Gods people in the world and from hence to set an high price and valuation upon them The world it commonly looks upon the Saints and Servants of God as a base and contemptible generation but see here what names and titles the Spirit of God in Scripture puts upon them namely of Kings and Priests which have the greatest Dignity and Excellency in them of any other whatsoever These they are so to God and the Father howsoever they be to any other that is not only to his service but likewise to his Approbation The Father is here named as the first in order and fountain of the Godhead though the whole Trinity be included and intended in it So much for that And then there is this Use also of it in the close of the verse To him be Glory for ever and ever c. And so I have done also with the third and last Description of Christ in the execution of his Offices And hath made us Kings and Priests to God and his Father Now to him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen SERMON XLVIII Revel 22.17 And the Spirit and the Bride say Come This Text which I have now read unto you is a further improvement of that Scripture which was handled by us the last day and does contain somewhat in it as additional and accumulative thereunto For there we had propounded to us but only the hope and expectation of Christians as those which looked for the Lord Jesus Christ to come from Heaven out of that place of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians Chap. 3. ver 20. And here we have exhibited to us their desire and earnest importunity so that he comes not before he is welcome and he is not more certainly expected than he is gladly and joyfully entertained For the Spirit and the Bride say Come That is the Church by the secret suggestion and instigation of the Holy Ghost towards her does invite him and call for him and hasten him towards his second Appearing This is the scope and drift of the Text. IN the Text it self there are two General Parts considerable First The Persons mentioned Secondly The action which is attributed unto these Persons The Persons mentioned they are the Spirit and the Bride The action which is attributed to these Persons that is a calling after Christ they say to him Come We begin with the former viz. the Persons mentioned The Spirit and the Bride By the Spirit we are here to understand the Holy Ghost the Spirit of God which is called the Spirit by way of Excellency the third Person in the blessed Trinity And by the Bride we are to understand either the Church of God in general or every faithful and believing soul which is a member of Christ in particular These are the Persons here that speak And we must take them in a mutual reference and connexion of one with another The Spirit speaks in the Bride and the Bride speaks from and by the Spirit And so they both speak together and have the same action ascribed unto them First Here 's mention made of the Spirit and that as considerable of us under a twofold notion First Of his Presence and secondly of his Influence Of his Presence as join'd with the Bride of his Influence as assistant unto her and helping and enabling of her First Here 's the Spirits presence the Spirit and the Bride they are joined both together to signifie and intimate unto us that special residence which the Holy Ghost hath in all true Believers where-ever there is the Bride there 's the Spirit that is where-ever there is any true Christian there 's the Holy Ghost abiding in him And so the Scripture sets it in sundry places of it as 1 Cor. 3.16 Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you And so Chap. 6. v. 19. Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you So again Ephes 2.22 In whom ye also are built together for an habitation of God through the Spirit The Spirit of God resides both in the whole Church at large as also in every particular Believer as the soul is in the whole Body and also in every particular member Therefore we may accordingly know whether we are espoused to Christ or no upon this account and consideration If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 Because where ever there is the Spouse there 's the Spirit It holds both as a discovery of Churches and as a discovery of Persons As a discovery of Churches to distinguish the true from the false and as a discovery of persons to distinguish the sound from the Hypocritical Again as it is distinguishing so it is also comforting It is a great satisfaction to the Church in the present withdrawing and absentation of Christ from her that his Spirit is yet with her that he does not leave her altogether destitute in an orphan-like or fatherless condition as himself hath sometime exprest it Joh. 14.18 but that he does provide for the supply of her I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive as it is also there in that Chapter And again Chap. 16.
tremble and quake at this coming and at the thoughts of it as malefactors at the coming of the Judg They desire that Christ would not come and where he gives any symptoms of it they cry out with the unclean spirit in the Gospel What have we to do with thee thou Son of God art thou come to torment us before our time A guilty and defiled conscience it abhors the coming of Christ and withdraws from it if it were possible it would altogether shun it and never have it to come to pass and when it does come it is matter of the greatest terror and astonishment to it that can be Therefore it is said of such persons at such a time That they shall hide themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains and shall say unto the mountains and rocks Fall upon us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne and from the wrath of the lamb for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Rev. 6.15 16 17. The ungodly shall not stand in judgment Psal 1.5 Not stand that is not stand upright but fall down before it and accordingly shall do all they can to avoid it Whereas on the other side the Children of God shall be well-pleased with it and hearty and couragious in it and very freely and cheerfully entertain it When he shall appear they shall have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming 1 Joh. 2.28 Indeed there are some cases and circumstances and times wherein the Spouse of Christ her self may not be always in such a present frame and disposition of spirit as to utter this speech here before us and to say Come even in this sense which we now speak of even the servants of God themselves may at least for such a particular season have an indisposedness upon them hereunto As namely when they have not finished their work or got their businesses ready about them but yet they have always a general and habitual preparation for it in them As a steward that is for the main faithful yet he may not always have his accounts made up and in that regard may not yet wish for the Audit And a Spouse that has a good affection for her Beloved yet may not presently have all her Ornaments upon her and in that Consideration may sometimes wish for the delay of his coming This is tha which is here chiefly considerable that God's Children they do still labour to frame themselves to an entertainment of Christ at his coming And that 's the first notion of this Expression as it may be taken for a word of simple acceptance or entertainment Come that is thou mayst come if thou so pleasest and shalt be welcom to me The second is as it may be taken as a word of desire or invitation Come that is I pray come it is my earnest suit and request that thou would'st come And here now we have a further inlargement and improvement of Grace in a Christian which is not only to be content with Christs coming and submitting unto it but also to be desirous of it and longing after it This is the temper and disposition of a good and of a gracious heart to pant and breathe and thirst for the second coming of Christ and not to be satisfied in it self till it does come The Spirit and the Bride say Come that is they say it importunately and earnestly with a great deal of affection This desire whereof we now speak it is laid and founded in sundry Considerations which do make for it As first in reference to the world it self in the present frame and constitution of it The world is at present in that condition as that the coming of Christ if very desirable in that regard And there are two particulars especially which do make up this unto us First In point of sin and wickedness And secondly in point of misery and affliction Both these two taken together do cast a disparagement upon the world and do therefore make Christians to desire the destruction of it First As it is a wicked and sinful world The world taken at the best was never over-good since it first began to be bad even presently upon the Creation of it Sin made an entrance upon it and got possession of it and not long after the whole earth had soon corrupted it self as the Scripture tells us but now as it 's grown any thing older and of longer standing so its sinfulness is so much the more improved and it grows worse every day than other The very times themselves we live in are a sufficient demonstration of it to us and we find it so by sad experience as being such wherein iniquity abounds more than ever and wicked men grow worse and worse as the Apostle speaks In these latter days and times of the world more especially as the spirit has foretold it there are the greatest incursions of wickedness of any other and that in all the kinds and degrees of it Now this is that which makes a gracious heart so to long for this second coming of Christ that so thereby he may put a period to these days of sin that God may be no longer dishonoured his Name may be no longer blasphemed his Laws may be no longer transgressed his Ordinances may be no longer despised his Spirit may be no longer grieved A good Christian has such an enmity and antipathy against sin as that he cannot but be very desirous of that which is destructive of it as the coming of Christ is not his first only but his second For this end will the Son of God be manifest that he may destroy the works of the Devil And for this end also do the Children of God so much desire the manifestation of him that so by this means sin may be destroyed and have a period and end put unto it And that both in others and also in themselves The Children of God they are both scandalized and offended at others abominations and likewise they are burdened and overprest with their own corruption and in each respect do desire that Christ would come for the remedying of either that their righteous souls with Lot's may be no longer vexed with the Conversation of the wicked and that themselves also with Paul may be delivered from the body of death that is the body of sin as we shall hear more anon in the following Explication But secondly As there is the world in the sinfulness and wickedness of it so there is the world also in the misery and afflictiveness of it which does make for this desire in them also that exceeding vanity which is upon the creature and those manifold calamities which do attend upon humane Life This is another thing here considerable in the world which does put the Church upon this Prayer for Christs coming that as God has promised he may wipe away all tears from
their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled There is a ripeness and maturity of sin which calls for the execution of judgment till which time judgment is delayed and put off and for a season procrastinated and then he that shall come will come and will not tarry Lastly This desire of the Church to Christ's coming and hastning of it it hath a respect to Christ himself who in a manneris hereby also perfected for the Church in the fulness of its Members is the fulness also of Christ and so it is called in Ephes 1.23 The fulness of him that filleth all in all We must distinguish of Christ in his person and Christ in his office If we look upon Christ as God and as the second person in the Trinity so he is absolute and compleat in himself and capable of no addition or augmentation but if we look upon Christ as he is God-man the Mediator and Head of the Church so he is so far forth perfected as the Church it self is perfected and compleated in the number of Members And as himself also has finished and compleated all the works which do belong to his Mediatorship which is coming in Glory This is the only remainder of what 's behind and lest yet undone as to the full work of our Redemption and therefore does the Church very properly call for it and put him in mind of it out of her respect unto him This if not so to be taken as if Christ himself would not come otherwise for that he would though she should be silent and never call for him nor yet if she could properly hasten it or speed it before its time for that she cannot neither God has appointed a day wherein he will judg the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained as the Apostle tells us Act. 17.31 As he has appointed the man namely Christ so he has also appointed the day which we cannot name nor it does not belong unto us It is not for us to know the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his own power Act. 1.7 But the Church prays for his coming as a testimony of her affection to him and as desiring thereby to put a respect upon him because in coming his Glory and Majesty shall be so much the more revealed and discovered And that 's the last account which may be here given of this Prayer and Petition When the Spirit and the Bride say Come namely out of respect to Christ The Vse of all to our selves serves to teach us to labout for such a frame of spirit as this is whereby we may in truth and sincerity come up to this requess and desire so as to pray and to pray heartily for the second coming of Christ and the appurtenances of it It is a request which is so much the more considerable as it is such as we are taught to make by Christ himself in that Prayer which he hath left unto us whereof one branch is this Thy Kingdom come As the Holy Ghost suggests it so Christ himself also commands it and requires it of us and accordingly we should all indeavour that it may be practised by us We should labor for the Considerations above-mentioned to say Come Lord Jesus come quickly as it follows afterwards in this Chapter Where when Christ promises it the Church presently apprehends it and returns upon him with desires answerable and suitable to so gracious an intimation For this purpose let us especially endeavour to have the Spirit of God Himself in us and to be filled with that For observe how it is said here in the Text The Spirit and the Bride say Come Nature that does not say it but rather reluctates against it and puts it off no but it is the Spirit that says it and we our selves say it to purpose so far forth as we are spiritual and act upon spiritual Grounds and Principles in the desires of it There are some kind of people who now and then in a discontent and when any thing crosses them then it may be they could wish for an end of the world and of their own lives with it But that may be perhaps from the flesh and not from the spirit and so to be suspected no but then it is so as should be when it proceeds from a work of the Holy Ghost and Spirit himself in us Now there are three ways especially whereby the Spirit of God does usually work such a desire as this in us and makes us in Truth and Reality to desire Christs second Coming First By discovering to us the vanity of all these things here below What is the reason that many people are so unwilling to think of another world It is because they think there is no other but this but place their happiness and contentment here in these poor outward things which if their hearts were taken off from it would be otherwise with them Now those whom God has a delight in he does by his Spirit convince them of the vanity and Transitoriness of this world Secondly By purging our consciences from any thing which may be burdensom to them and putting us upon duty and that work which is required of us in our present opportunities When Christians shall have this lye upon their spirits that either they have been sinful or unfruitful they cannot so easily wish for Christs coming either guilt or their work yet unfinished they are great pull-backs and retarders in this particular Now therefore does the Holy Ghost take order with them to both of these purposes by not suffering his servants to lye under the power of any known sin nor yet wilfully to omit and neglect any known Duty but to be sincere and fruitful both to such Christians as are so Christs coming will be the more acceptable to them Thirdly By manifesting unto them the Excellency which is in Christ himself and the blessed and glorious condition of God's People in another world together with their own interest and concernment in it When Christ had declared before that he was the bright and moring-star then the Spirit and the Bride say Come it is ignorance of Christ that makes men no more to breathe after him nor to be desirous of him Therefore the Spirit of God may rouse those desires in us he presents these Excellencies to us and gives us some glimpses and anticipations of that glorious condition which he has provided for us And then also which belongs hereunto vouchsafes some kind of assurance of our interest in this condition and that it belongs to us for our particular whereby the more to quicken our desires Excellency is nothing without propriety it is the Spouse of Christ alone which can with joy desire Christs coming When therefore the soul is convinced that it is so with it self that it is contracted and espoused to Christ and owned by him then the Spirit an the Bride say Come When we
nature of the Ministry is the same should be the temper of heart which is wrought by it those that hear much of Christ the Excellencies which are in him and the good that comes by him and the inclinations of his soul towards them it is a shame for them to be of any other than of a Christian spirit such as these they should be moulded and changed and transformed into the Truths themselves with which they are acquainted That 's the first object of his hearing to wit the voice of Christ in the Ministry The second is the voice of the spirit in the conscience This we have also in the Text where it is said the Spirit says Come namely the spirit in the heart of a Believer as we have already expounded it This it prompts a Christian to desire this coming of Christ now when it does so and when a Christian hears it to do so it behoves him presently to say Come And so there is this in it That the motions of God's Spirit in our hearts they should be always and out of hand received and entertained by us when he calls we should answer when he beckens we should come when he raises we should rise when he puts on we should run when he commands we should obey and submit and put in practise what he requires of us we should be careful not to give any repulse to any suggestion of God's Spirit unto our minds This has still been the care of the Saints and Servants of God to eccho back as it were upon God again according to his Applications of himself to them When God calls Samnel he answers Speak Lord thy servant heareth When God calls Abraham he says Here I am When God calls Paul he is presently obedient to the heavenly vision When God says to David Seek thou my face his heart presently answers Thy face Lord will I seek Psal 27.8 In all the intercourses and invitations of God to a gracious soul still he that heareth says Come and so he should do it is that which is here in the Text required of him Therefore let us for our particular take heed of doing otherwise It is a dangerous business for any one to resist the motions of Gods Spirit upon his heart or to delay the performance of them it is that which does very much provoke Gods wrath and indignation against him and cause him to withdraw himself from him as he hath sometimes threatened as Psal 81.12 My people would not hearken to my counsel and Israel would have none of me therefore I gave them up c. And again Prov. 1.24 Because I have called and ye have refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regardeth therefore I will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh We should not think it a light or small matter to be guilty of such a sin as this is That 's the second object of this Hearing viz. The voice of the Spirit of Christ in the Conscience The third and last is the voice of the Spouse of Christ in the Church And this again is also in the Text the Spirit and the Bride say come as the Spirit in or to the Bride so the Bride by and from the Spirit It is the voice of the generality of Christians which are led by the Spirit of Christ in them thus to pray for the second coming of Christ and whosoever hears them doing so is to do so likewise Here 's the duty which lyes upon us for the following of good Examples and labouring to frame our selves to the temper and disposition of all vigilant and zealous Christians with whom we converse when we hear such gracious expressions and holy breathings coming from them we should endeavour that they may be in us likewise and should eccho as it were to them also Let him that hears others say come let him say come likewise himself As we must have an ear to hear what the Spirit says to the Churches so we must have an ear to hear what the Churches answer again to the Spirit and hearing the Heavenly words that are uttered by them conform to them in our own particular practise This we shall observe to have been sometime with the Daughters of Jerusalem in the Canticles when they heard the Spouse of Christ inquiring after her Beloved her self and longing for his coming to her they fall inquiring after him also and have the same affection occasionally wrought in them as we may see in that Book Whither is thy Beloved gone Oh thou fairest amongst women whither is thy Beloved turned aside that we may seek him with thee Cant. 6.1 It is a great advantage to light upon good company and the society of affectionate Christians who having first warmed their own hearts with the love of Christ and the meditation on it will be so much the readier to warm ours also occasionally from it And it is our duty to take occasion here from them in some manner to warm them our selves as those who are accountable to God for good patterns and presidents and examples which are afforded unto us and the speeches and actions and lives of others which are set before us We know how it was with Saul himself when he fell into the company of the Prophets and heard what came from them even he himself fell on Prophesying inso much as it came to a Proverb And how much rather then should those who are truly and really good be much quickened and in-livened from one another to such things as these are It is the great benefit this of the Communion of Saints which as it is a business which we all profess to believe so we should also all endeavour to promote and further both in our selves and others And so I have done with the first General Part of the Text viz. The provocation of desire or longing affection in those words Let him that heareth say come The second is the Invitation of access or seasonable Application in those And let him that is athirst come This is to be understood in a spiritual sense suitable to the scope and drift of the whole Discourse which is here presented unto us Christ directs his Invitation especially to thirsty persons and desires such of all others to come unto him Thus Isa 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come unto the waters c. And Joh. 7.37 Jesus stood and cried saying If any man thirst c. There are two things in thirst which are considerable as pertinent to this purpose the one is as it is a word of indigency and the other is as it is a word of appetite where there 's thirst there 's want of somewhat an where there 's thirst there 's desire of somewhat And so Christ does here graciously provide for his servants in each particular He supplys their wants by giving them that which they stand in need of and he fulfills their desires by giving them that which they are
of God in Christ These are the things which he means the particulars are not set down but we are to take them under this general expression whereby he intends the Doctrin of the Gospel and that in all the Branches and Parts of it these are the things which we have heard and these are the things which we ought to give heed unto and that to several purposes and intents as we may take them in this following Explication First We are to take care that we understand them we have heard them but that 's not all which is required of us we must in some manner comprehend them likewise The Gospel calls for this from us in the hearing of it Vnderstandest thou what thou readest says Philip to the Eunuch of Ethiopia Act. 8.30 when he read a piece of the Gospel so say I here Understandest thou what thou hearest also we must be careful to hear with understanding in Matth. 13.19 When any one hears the word of the kingdom and understands it not then comes the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart this is he which received the seed by the way side So then we must take heed that we understand it that 's one Branch of the Caution here propounded Secondly We must also believe it that 's another thing which this our heed and carefulness must extend unto likewise as conceive of it so assent unto it The Gospel it calls for this to make it effectual as we may see by the opposite miscarriage Heb. 4.2 Vnto us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them but the word preached did not profit them because it was not mixed with faith in them that heard it or because they were not by faith united to it without faith no prosit at all by the word Preached or heard by us Thirdly Remeber it take care of that also we must lay it up in our memories and minds Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it Luk. 11.28 Look as it is with meat in the stomach if it be not there kept and retained it will not do any good as to the nourishment of him that receives it even so is it likewise with the Word of God in the mind where it is not in some manner remembred it will not be improved Fourthly Be ingrafted into it that 's the head which is here principally required We must take care that the things which we have heard be wrought and riveted into us and digested in us and made our own it is not enough for us to hear the word nor understand it nor to yield assent unto it nor to remember it in a notional manner no but it must as it were be incorporated an naturalized into our hearts our souls must do with it as nature does with meat in the stomach sucking out a strength suitable to every part and member of the body we should never leave thinking of it till we are changed and transformed into it and have the proper impressions of it fastned upon our souls and spirits This is that which we must take care of and apply our selves unto and which as I conceive is chiefly here meant by the Apostle when he here tells us That we ought to give heed to the things c. So to hear them as to close with them and to be changed and wrought upon by them This is to give heed as we ought And observe that we ought to do it likewise Take notice of that it is not a matter of advice only but a matter of command it is not arbitrary only but necessary there 's an oportet in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We must give heed It is our duty and concernment so to do that which God requires of us and that which he will call us to an account for if we neglect to do it that we may not think our selves at liberty in this particular We ought to give this earnest heed that those things which we have heard be imprinted and fastned upon our hearts But how may some say may this be done what course shall we take for the effecting and doing of it Now for this there are four Helps which do very much conduce hereunto The first is Meditation upon them that 's a good means to fasten them and to make them to take rooting in us when we revolve them and turn them in our minds when we are often thinking of them those things which are much in the thoughts will be much in the affections consequently which do follow from them As on the other side take it in evil What 's the reason that carnal persons are many times so ill disposed and affected in their carnal way It is because they have answerable musings and workings and meditations in their own minds they have naughty thoughts and devices and accordingly have naughty practises suitable to them even so is it also here in Goodness Those that have gracious and holy Meditations they are in a fair way for holy Affections Those which are much in thinking of the word they are likely to have much benefit by it For this we have an example in the Prophet David who made the Law and Word of God his continual Meditation and we see what he got by it It is this ruminating and chewing of the cud which is most beneficial as it is the third concoction which causes nourishment Therefore let us look to that it is a great means to make us to profit and benefit by the word this Meditation The second is Conference that 's another help likewise as working them in our own thoughts so discoursing with others likewise about them that 's a good means to imprint them and to get them written in the tables of our hearts therefore we find them both joyn'd together Meditation and Discourse Deut. 6.6 7. These words which I command thee this day they shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the may when thou lyest down and when thou risest up Whiles we speak of these things to others we do hereby the better work them into our selves that 's the second The third is Prayer and calling upon God for his blessing of them to us As it is not our meat eating that nourishes us but the blessing of God upon it so it is not the word of God heard that profits us any further than as he concurs with it Therefore we should thus far also take heed to the things that we have heard as to beg the influence of his Spirit upon us that we may reap benefit by them we should desire him to set home every Truth most effectually upon us and to give us affections in our selves answerable to the nature of it humble spirits from Truths of Conviction and cheerful spirits from Truths of Consolation and setled spirits from Truths
Contentment in it Oh how great is thy Goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee Psal 31.19 The Lord is Good a strong hold in the day of Trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him Nahum 1.7 It was a great Comfort to think of that because from a Good God nothing can come but good and that which is like to Himself And then the Wisdome of God to meditate on that also that he is great in Counsell c. and the Scripture proclaimes him that he can foresee all Events and discern all Hearts and search into the secret corners of the Soul That there is nothing hid from his Eyes c. That he confounds the wisdom of the Wise and brings to nothing the understanding of the Prudent as it is said of him This is that which affords matter of satisfaction to that Soul that does duly Contemplate it And so Lastly To add no more at this Time the Truth and Faithfulness of God the God that keeps Covenant and Mercy that is true to all his Promises and that performes what ever he undertakes It is very pleasing to think on this and thus is the Meditation of him sweet in reference to his Attributes which is the first Explication of it to us Secondly The word of God which is a part of Himself the Meditation on that is sweet also It is said of a Good man That his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in that Law doth he meditate Day and Night namely for the delight of it Psal 1.2 So Psal 19.8.20 The Statues of the Lord are right rejoycing the Heart the Commandments of the Lord are pure inlightning the Eyes more are they to be desired then Gold yea then much fine Gold sweeter then Honey and the Honey-Comb How much sweetness is there wrapt up in a Promise and to be drawn out of it by a serious Meditation especially fitting to the present State and Condition which at any time we are in here it must needs be very sweet indeed and so it is and the Servants of God have found it so upon their own Experiene'd promises of Pardon of Assistance of Deliverance and such as these they are all of them very sweet If we look into Scripture we shall find variety of Gracious Intimations suted to particular Conditions now these they cannot but be very Comfortable to those that are in them in Sickness in Poverty in Captivity in Temptation and the like and we cannot better provide for our own Comfort and Contentation in them then by thinking and meditating upon them in our own minds and where we are not furnished with particulars yet at least to close with the Generals which have a miraculous sweetness in them also I mean such promises as are made to Gods Children at large that God will give his Spirit to them that ask it That no good thing will he withhold from tehm that walk uprightly that he will never leave them nor forsake them That all things shall work together for good to them that love him It is unexpressible how much sweetness there is in the Meditation upon these Truths which are Exhibited to us in Scripture being set home by the Spirit of God Himself which must be taken in as pertinent hereupon Thirdly The works of God the Meditation on them also it is very sweet and that in all kinds As First His works of Creation to consider of them as they are all very good and beautiful considered in their Nature and kind so is the Contemplation on them is also remarkable As Psal 8.1 c. O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the Earth c. When I Consider thy Heavens the work of thy singers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained c. And so for this present Psalm which we have now before us the Hundred and fourth all throughout of it a meditation upon the works of Gods Creation which the Psalmist pleases Himself in and which he blesses God for So Secondly The works of Providence how sweet is it to meditate on these also to reflect upon all Ages and to consider what great things God has done for his Church and People in them What Mercies he has bestowed upon them what Deliverances he has wrought for them and that also sometimes after what a strange and miraculous manner It is very delightful to think of it This has satisfied and comforted Gods Servants when they have been in great Temptations and Trouble and perplexity of Spirit as for instance the Psalmist Himself Psal 77.7 Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more Hath God forgotten to be Gracious c. And I said this is mine Infirmity well but what was that which holp him and relieved Him in it He adds presently hereupon I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High I will remember the works of the Lord surely I will remember thy wonders of old I will meditate also of all thy works and talk of thy doings Meditation on the works of Gods Providence it was here sweet unto Him Thirdly The works of Redemption how sweet is it likewise to meditate on these To meditate upon God in Christ By whom he has reconciled himself to the world forgiving them their Trespasses as the Apostle Paul expresses it in the 2 Cor. 5.18 This is the sweet Meditation of all and without which we cannot meditate upon God without any true Comsort or Contentment The thoughts of God out of Christ they are not sweet but dreadfull and terrible Thy Heart shall meditate Terrour whosoever thou art that meditatest on him thus Deus Absolitus as Luther called it God considered absolutely and in Himself there 's no comming near him here so much as in our very thoughts and Meditations No but God manifested in the flesh taking our Nature upon him the Mediator God and Man together This is that which affords unto us the most Comfortable matter of Meditation Especially if we shall take him in his full Latitude and Extent and as he is of God made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption c. 1. Cor. 1. vers 30. Take Christ in all his Offices of King and Priest and Prophet and how sweet then is the Meditation of him Of a King to subdue our Enemies and to Govern and order our selves of a Priest to reconcile us to his Father and to make both Satisfaction and Intercession for us of a Prophet to reconcile unto us the whole will and mind of God all these are sweet things to think on And so as the Offices of Christ so his Graces which are likewise Emanations from Himself they are all very sweet and lovely there is not a work of the new Creature in us but it is very lovely and amiable in it self and the reflexion upon it also very delightful When a Christian by the help of the Spirit shall be
in Hell it self and be tormented before their time Thus is it against our selves Secondly it is also most against God of any thing else Despair it is the sin which does oppose him in his main design and project in the promulgation of the Gospel What 's God's design in the Gospel and the promulgation of it it is to advance the free riches of his Grace and mercy in his Son Jesus Christ to set forth the exceeding bowels of his love in him 1 Tim. 1.14 Now Despair and saying There is no hope it quashes this and makes this of none effect at all All this laid together should I say take us off from this desperate disposition and teach us to trust perfectly to the grace that is brought unto us by Jesus Christ as the Apostle Peter advises us 1 Pet. 1.13 We should believe the Promises of the Gospel which are made to poor sinners upon their Repentance and turning to God and draw out the comfort of them to our selves as we have occasion for them and never suffer our selves to be undone and to perish eternally with saying There is no hope as the desperate wretches in the Text are imply'd to do That 's the third sense of the Expression as it refers to God in calling to question his Goodness and Truth And so I have done with the first General part of the Text which I propounded to be considered viz. The Desperate Conclusion There is no hope The Second is the Peremptory Resolution or Determination taken up thereupon in these words But we will walk after our own devices and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart Which passage is considerable of us two manner of waies First of all simply and absolutely in the thing it self Secondly Reflexively or Derivatively as coming from these particular persons First Take it simply and absolutely in the thing it self This is that which is here declared by these people That they will walk after their own devices c. In which expression there are divers things considerable First as implyed That the nature of man is very prone and subject to devices This is that which is here implyed and supposed your own Devices And it is agreeable to other places of Scripture as Eccles 7.20 God made man righteous but they have sought out many inventions So Prov. 19.21 Many devices are in the heart of a man nevertheless the counsel of the Lord that shall stand Devices and many Devices This is that which the nature of man is very subject unto Full of projects and devices and contrivances which they apply themselves to By Devices we are to understand evil Devices especially such Devices as tend to evil and to the promoting of it These are the Devices and Imaginations which are here meant Mans brain it is fruitful and copious And being by nature sinful and corrupt is from hence fruitful in evil and copious in devising and contriving of that which is naught every imagination or purpose and desire Col jesser the whole frame of the thoughts of his heart is only evil and that continually or every day Col ha-jom as the Lord himself declares concerning it speaking of it in Gen. 6.5 This is the difference betwixt the servants of God and other men When a man begins once to be good and to have his heart changed by grace and to become a new creature his thoughts and contrivances and devices are from hence tending to Goodness The liberal man deviseth liberal things and by liberal things he shall stand Isa 33.8 But till this good work be wrought in him he has other devices with him as it is here also exprest in ver 6 7. His heart will work iniquity And he deviseth wicked devices c. Thus it is said of the Gentiles among other sins which were raigning in them That they were inventers of evil things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1.30 They were not content to take evil as they found it as it was offered and brought to their hands No but moreover they invented it and found it out and studied to do so This is that which we should all in a special manner be wary of If we will needs devise let us devise how to be good and how to be better how to be more useful and serviceable in the places wherein God has set us how now to promote his glory and to advance our own salvation and the salvation of others with whom we live These are things which are worth our thoughts and which deserve to be devised by us But as for evil and wicked devices it becomes us to be far from them whether considered as men or as Christians and who have the Image of God stampt upon us Our wits should be used to better purpose as being ordained to a better End in the first conferring and bestowing of them upon us But that 's that which we may here first observe from this expression in the Text That mans nature is prone to these devices as that which is implyed and supposed Now further there is here also exprest the Affection which is in many people in reference hereunto We will walk c. And here are divers things one after another First Their obstinacy and perverseness We will walk after our own devices c. This is that which is observable in the disposition of carnal men even a peremptoriness and wilfulness of Resolution Whatever can be said to them they are resolved and determined in themselves to do that which is evil This was the case of this people And so it is of many more of the same mind with them They are still roving in the world Thus in that place before cited Jer. 44.17 We will certainly do whatever goeth forth out of our own mouth And so the place cited before in this Book Jer. 2.25 Thou saidst There is no hope no for I have loved strangers and after them I will go As who should say none shall restrain us This is a sure Rule in matter of evil That the more there is of the Will in it so much the greater sin And thus it was here in this place These people they do not plead ignorance nor they do not excuse themselves as they did in the Gospel for their not coming to the marriage-supper from such and such hinderances and avocations no but they understood themsleves well enough and yet would venture upon it There was malice and wilfulness in them They would do evil because they would do it This is that I say which is observable in many more and that from these Causes First From the Connaturalness which is betwixt them and their lusts Thus lusts are seemingly sweet and pleasing to them and therefore they are bent upon them and will not by any means be withdrawn or taken off from them but are carried after them with a great deal of violence and importunity of spirit Thus in Jer. 8.6 No man repented him of his
Peter as concerning his denial of his Master he was a person that had a great measure of Habitual Grace in him and in particular of affection to Christ and he poor man thought that this would support him and carry him through temptation and therefore he so considently proclaims it That though all men should for sake him yet that he would never forsake him but yet when he came to the trial and conclusion we know how it was with him and if Christ had not presently prayed for him that his faith might not fail and also by his Almighty power had not kept his faith from failing it had fail'd and ceas'd in him eternally Look as when he walked upon the Sea it was Christs support that kept him from sinking and perishing in the waters so also when he was under a temptation it was Christs grace that preserv'd and sustain'd him When my foot slipt thy mercy O Lord held me up Psal 84.18 This we may see likewise in Paul in the carriage of God towards him 2 Cor. 12.9 when he was there buffeted with Satan and had sought to God to be freed from that temptation how does God endeavour to comfort and encourage him in that his conflict why he does it from this consideration My grace is sufficient for thee And my grace that is not onely my preventing grace the grace which I have already wrought in thee when I at first call'd thee to my self but my grace that is my assisting grace the grace wherewith I still follow thee and am continually present with thee It is not thy grace but my grace not so much the grace within thee as the grace without thee that is my favour and good-will towards thee from whence I come to take special care of thee Thirdly The strength onely of former assistance is not that which will suffice neither As we need Christs Actual grace as well as Habitual and his Assisting grace as well as his Preventing so we need the daily and continual and fresh supplies of this grace unto us without which we can be able to do nothing at least for any time so as we should do This is another thing which is here to be added and taken in by us for the explication of this Particular Without me that is without me daily with you and standing by you and helping of you and imparting and communicating new strength and ability to you ye are indeed able to do nothing According to our particular occasions so must answerably be our support from the Spirit of Christ yesterdays strength and assistance will not serve for the repelling or conquering of this days temptation no more than yesterdays meal will serve the turn for this days strength and corporal improvements No but as new occasions do at any time increase upon us so proportionably is new ability to be imparted to us As a man that carries a burden which is heavier than what he carried the day before he must have somewhat more strength in him than he had before as adequate and agreeable thereto Every new affliction every new temptation every new condition every new duty and performance it requires new strength from Christ besides what has been formerly manfested for the bearing and resisting and managing and accomplishing of it So that though former assistance be so far forth very comfortable as it is an encouragement to the expectation of new yet it is not sufficient alone and of it self without new And thus have we seen this Point explicated and amplified in its several particulars Now the consideration hereof for the Use and Application of it may be drawn out in a various improvement we may reduce it for methods sake to three Heads First in a way of Confutation Secondly in a way of Information And thirdly in a way of Excitement First it serves for Confutation of the contrary Error and false Opinion of the Pelagians and others with them who teach that there is indeed General and Universal Grace communicated to all men from Christ from whence they have power for the doing of good but that the reducing of this Power into Act and the particular doing of it it is purely and absolutely from themselves who do determine themselves in particulars to that which God has given them onely power for in general This I say is plainly refuted from this present Scripture where it is said that without Christ we can do nothing as well as will nothing Answerable to that other place before mention'd For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his own good pleasure that is not onely the power but the act And indeed it must needs be so and cannot be otherwise For forasmuch as the Act is more noble than the Habit the Operation than the Power the second Act than the first therefore the Act cannot be ascribed to our selves and the Power onely to God unless we will prefer our selves before God and give him the lowest place and least stroke in any good which is at any time done by us Again further it may be cleared to us that Christ must needs concur with us not onely by a common and general Qualification but also by a special and particular influence in every good work which is done by us by a proportionable consideration of what is observable even in Natural Actions For so we see it is with Fire the property whereof is to burn yet if God do suspend his influence from it and concourse with it it can produce no such effect notwithstanding the natural propensity and inclination of it thereto as we may see in the three Persons in Daniel which were cast into the fiery Furnace And so though God hath given us a power of Natural life at first yet if he do not preserve this life in us and give us motion together with life we can stir neither hand nor foot for all that because in him we live and move and have our being And thus may this passage here before us serve in a way of Confutation Secondly In a way of Information and Satisfaction We may from hence be now instructed in the truth of this Point which is here before us and take notice of it in its full latitude and extent where whiles it is said that without Christ we can do nothing namely that is spiritually good as we have hitherto explained it we are to take it in all te appurtenances belonging hereunto and the steps and gradations of it whereby this assistance and enablement whereof we speak does proceed First It is He who must inform us and instruct us in that which is our duty which must inlighten out dark understandings in this particular for we are naturally so blind of our selves as that we are unable to discern it That which we do not know we cannot do But he hath shewn thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee Mic. 6.8 Secondly It is
are upon good Grounds perswaded of our interest and relation to Christ who is so desirable and again also perswaded of his acceptance and imbracement of us as so related to him We shall then with a great deal of earnestness long after him So much for that and so much for this present Text. SERMON XLIX Revel 22.17 And let him that heareth say Come and let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely I made choice of this Verse at first but in reference to the former part of it as that which was most consonant and agreeable to the Scripture immediately preceding in the course of our Ministry And this as ye know we dispatch't the last day But I have thought it since in a manner necessary or at least very convenient to take in this part to the other to be handled with it as containing the second Branch of that Communion which does mutually pass betwixt Christ and the Church The Application of the Church to Christ that we had exprest in those words The Spirit and the Bride say Come And here now in the words that follow at this time with Gos gracious assistance to be explained by us we have the reflexious of Christ upon the Church and his desires of further fellowship and communion with her in those words which I have now read unto you And let him that heareth say come and let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely Which besides other conveniencies and correspondencies which are observable in it carries a very good agreement with that other Ordinance which has already this day been dispensed amongst us in our approaches to the table of the Lord. IN the Text it self there are three General Parts considerable First A provocation of desire or longing affection Let him that heareth say Come Secondly An invitation of access or seasonable application Let him that is athirst come Thirdly An intimation of acceptance or grateful entertainment And whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely We begin with the first of those Parts viz. The provocation of desire in those words Let him that heareth say Come Where the subject mentioned and called upon He that heareth is indefinitely exprest but the expression is to be limited according to the proper references of it which as they lye in the Context are reducible to a three-fold Object or voice to be heard First To the voice of Christ in the Ministry Secondly To the voice of the Spirit in the Conscience And Thirdly To the voice of the Spouse in the Church He that heareth that is that heareth either of these Let him that heareth c. First To the voice of Christ in the Ministry This hearing it refers to this this we have signisied to us in the verse immediately preceding the Text viz. ver 16. of this Chapter I Jesus have sent mine Angel to testifie these things unto you c. Now he that heareth this Testimony or Prophetical and Ministerial voice and that heareth it in good earnest and to purpose let him shew that he indeed does so by this influence and effect of it upon him so as to desire this coming of Christ and so there is this in it That those that are partakers of the Doctrine of Christ they should labour to be affected to the person of Christ those that have notice given them of his coming they should accordingly desire that he would come those that hear his voice they should desire to see his countenance This is one thing which seems here to be hinted to us in this present expression There are two things which the Word of God does in the Ministry of it which are especially available for the provoking of our desires after Christ The one is as it propounds the excellency of Christ and shews us what he is and the other as it reveals the purposes of Christ and tells us what he intends and both of these are joyned here together in this present Chapter the former we have in these words I am the root and off-spring of David and the bright and morning-star in the clause immediately foregoing Here is a proposal of Christ in his Excellencies and the good that comes by him the latter we have in these words wherein he sigaifies that he is minded to come in the 7th and 12th verses of this Chapter Behold I come quickly c. I come that is I mean to come here 's a discovery of interests desires and resolutions in himself Now take these two I say both together Christs Excellency and his own offer and voluntary exhibition of himself and here we cannot now but close with him Those that partake of such gracious opportunities afforded unto them they are engaged to all suitable affection for the compliance with them those that thus hear must say Come Therefore this justly meets with all such persons as are otherwise affected There are a great many of people in the world who do sometimes hear tydings of Christ and do sometimes seem to be well pleased with such points as are discoveries of him but yet in the mean time how little succour or relish of him or love and affection unto him but are as carnal and sensual and worldly and earthly minded as ever Now such as these do plainly declare that their hearing it is to little or no purpose for if it were that which it should be it would have an answerable effect with it so as to work them to some gracious breathings and longings after him Every good and right hearer of Christ is more or less inflamed with affections and desires unto Christ and is in a manner restless till he attains to some enjoyment of him And so indeed it is required and expected of him that he should be as the Text here seems to import in the carriage and laying of it which does infer the one upon the other crying and calling after Christ upon the mentioning and hearing of Christ Every one that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me says Christ and so desires that I should come to him which is all one Joh. 6.45 He that hath heard and learned that is that hath heard profitably and to purpose This is the effect that followeth upon it and it is hereby evidenced and demonstrated to be that which it is So then this is that which we should look after in all our approaches to the hearing of the Word namely to examine what work and operation it has upon our hearts and to see that the working of it be answerable to the nature of the Doctrine which is delivered unto us If it be a word of threatning that it work in us a trembling frame and disposition of spirit if it be a word of command an obedient if it be a word of promise a comfortable if it be a word of excitement an awakening still what the