keeping a way Iosh. 1. 7. Turn not to the right hand or to the left A traveller is very careful to keep his way so when we are thus careful tender chary of Gods Commandments and Testimonies this is an argument of a blessed condition Thus we are to keep it in the heart 2 We are to observe it in practice Luk. 11. 28. Yea rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it That is not only that hear it but do it Many have this word in their mind and memory but not in their lives Without this hearing is nothing liking knowing assent pretended affection is all in vain 1 Ioh. 2. 4. He that saith I know him and keeps not his commandments is a lyar and the truth is not in him Our actions are a better discovery of our thoughts than our words When we get a little knowledg and make a little profession we think we observe his commands but he is a lyar if he be not exact and walk close with God It is not enough to understand the Word to be able to talk and dispute of the Testimonies of God but to keep them It is not enough to assent to them that they are Gods Laws but they must be obeyed The Laws of earthly Princes are not obeyed as soon as believed to be the Kings Laws but when we are punctual to observe them This is to keep the Commandment of God it implies both exactness and perseverance Rev. 3. 8. Thou hast kept my word that is thou hast not apostatized as others have done And Prov. 6. 21. Keep thy fathers commandment and forsake not the Law of thy mother that is perseverance You see by the first note who are the blessed men they which own Gods Testimony in his Word and accordingly look upon it as a great charge and trust Christ hath reposed in them and given to them that they should keep his Law Now certainly these are blessed Why 1. They are blessed or cursed whom Christ in the last day will pronounce blessed or cursed Now in the last day to some he will say Come ye blessed of my father to others Go ye cursed and he hath told us before-hand that it is he that keepeth his Testimonies whom he will own in that day Mat. 7. 20 21 22. Many will come and challenge acquaintance with Christ Lord we have prophesied in thy name c. thou hast taught in our streets so it is in Luke but Christ will disown them I know you not depart from me ye workers of iniquity Many will pretend to be of Christs side take up the opinions of the Country wherein they live frequent Ordinances c. but because they kept not his Testimonies Christ will not own them When men are to be posed they count it a favour to know the questions aforehand God hath told us what will be the great evidence according to which he will proceed in the day of Judgment Have you kept my Testimonies he that keeps close to Gods Word will find acceptance 2. They are blessed for whom Christ mediateth Now Christ mediateth for those that keep his Word Ioh. 17. 6. They have kept thy word It is a grief to your Advocate when he cannot speak well of you in heaven But as soon as he seeth any fruits of obedience where they consult often with Gods testimony though they have many failings yet are careful as much as in them lyes then he goes to the Father and acquainteth him with it 3. Those that are taken into sweet fellowship and communion with God certainly they are in a blessed condition Those to whom God will be intimate and manifest himself in a way of gracious communion are blessed Now thus he doth to those that keep his testimonies If any man love me and keep my commandments my father will love him and we will make our abode with him The whole Trinity will come and dwell in his heart But now you must know there is a twofold keeping of Gods Testimonies Legal and Evangelical Legal keeping is in a way of perfect and absolute obedience without the least failing so none of us can be blessed Moses will accuse us there will be failings in the best But now Evangelical keeping that is a filial and sincere obedience is accepted and the imperfections Christ pardoneth If Gods pardon help us not we are for ever miserable The Apostles had many failings sometimes they manifested a weak faith sometimes hardness of heart sometimes passionateness when they met with disrespect Luke 9. yet Christ returns this general acknowledgment of them when he was pleading with his Father Holy Father they have kept thy word When the heart is sincere God will pass by our failings Iames 5. 11. Ye have heard of the patience of Iob I and of his impatience too his cursing the day of his birth but the Spirit of God puts a finger upon the scar and takes notice of what is good So long as we bewail sin seek remission of sin strive after perfection endeavour to keep close and be tender of a command though a naughty heart will carry us aside sometimes we keep the testimony of the Lord in a Gospel-sense Bewailing sin that owns the Law seeking pardon that owns the Gospel striving after perfection that argueth sincerity and uprightness Well then here is the discriminating note if we would know whether we come within the compass of David's blessed man if we have a dear and tender esteem of Gods testimonies when we would fain have them imprest upon our hearts and exprest in our lives and conversations They keep his testimonies The next now is 2. They seek him with the whole heart This is fitly subjoin'd to the former for a double reason partly because the end of Gods testimonies is to direct us how to seek after God to bring home the wandering creature to its center and place of rest partly because whoever keeps the commandments of God he will be forced to seek God for light and help Obedience doth not only qualifie us for communion with God but where it is regarded in good earnest necessitates us to look after it for we cannot come to God without God and therefore if we would keep his testimonies we must be seeking of God Well then Doct. 2. Those that would be blessed must make this their business sincerely to seek after God 1. Observe the act of duty they seek the Lord. 2. The manner of performance with the whole heart First What it is to seek the Lord 1. To seek the Lord presupposeth our want of God for no man seeks what he hath but for what he hath not All that are seeking are sensible of their want of God For instance when we begin to seek him at first it begins with a sound remorse and sense of our natural estrangement from him The first work and great care of returning-penitents is to enquire after God So long as men lye unconverted they are
were many false Gods worshipped The controversie about Religion mainly lay at first between the Iews and the Pagans the Pagans had their Gods and the Jews had the Lord God of Israel the only true God Yea among the Pagans themselves there was a great diversity every man will walk and sometimes a hot contention and many times there were hot contests which was the better God the Leek or the Garlick When Religion which restrains our passions is made the fuel of them and instead of a Judg becomes a party men give themselves up headlong to all manner of bitter zeal and strife and persuasion of truth and right which doth calm men in other differences are here inflamed by that bitter zeal every one hath for his God his service and party and the difference is greater especially between the two dissenting parties that come nearest to one another We read afterward when this difference â—…y more closely between the Iews and the Samaritans and Christ decides that Salvation was of the Iews The Iews were certainly the better party John 4. 20. Our father 's worshipped in this mountain and ye say that in Ierusalem is the place where men ought to worship Mount Sion or Mount Gerizim which was the Temple of the true God one or the other Then we read afterward among the Iews themselves in their private sects who were very keen against each other Pharisees and Sadducees and Paul though an Enemy to them both and was looked upon as a common adversary yet they had rather joyn with him than among themselves Acts 23. 8 9. Afterward you find the scene of Contention lay between the Iews and Christians Acts 14. 4. But the multitude of the city was divided and part held with the Iews and part with the Apostles There it grew into an open contest and quarrel And then between the Christians and the Pagans which was the occasion of that uproar at Ephesus Acts 19. I and after Religion had gotten ground and the way of truth had prevailed in the world then the difference lay betwixt Christians themselves yea while Religion was but getting up between the followers of the Apostles and the School and Sect of Simon Magus those impure Libertines and Gnosticks who went out of them because they were not of them 1 Iohn 2. 19. And afterwards in the Church-story we read of the Contentions between the Catholicks and the Arians the Catholicks and the Pelagians the Catholicks and the Donatists and other Sects And now last of all in the dregs of time between the Protestants and the Papists that setled party with whom the Church of God is now in suit As the rod of Aaron did devour the rods of the Inchanters so the word of God which is the rod of his strength doth and will in time eat up and consume all untruths whatsoever but for a great while the contests may be very hot and sharp Yea among those that profess a reformed Christianity there are the Lutherans and the Calvinists And nearer to us I will not so much as mention those invidious names and flags of defiance which are set up under which different parties do encamp at home Thus there ever have been and will be contests about Religion and disputes about the way of truth yea different opinions in the Church and among Christians themselves about divine truths revealed in the Scripture The Lord permits this in his holy and righteous Providence that the godly may be stirred up more to embrace truth upon Evidence with more affection that they may more encourage and strengthen themselves and resolve for God for when all people will walk every one in the name of his God we will walk in the name of our God for ever Micah 4. 5. And the Lord doth it that he may manifest the sincere that when Christ calls who is on my side who that are willing to stick to him whatever hazards and losses they may incur 1 Cor. 11. 19. There must be heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you I and that there may be a ready plague of strong delusion and lies for them that receive not the truth in the love of it 2 Thes. 2. 11 12. for damnable Errors are the dungeons in which God holds carnal souls that play the wantons and trifle with his truth and never admitted the love and power of it to come into their hearts Prop. 2. True Religion is but one and all other ways are false noxious and pestilent Eph. 4. 5. One Lord one faith one baptism There are many ways in the world but there 's but one good and certain way that leads to salvation So much the Apostle intimates when he saith He will have all men to be saved How would he have them saved 1 Tim. 2. 4. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men the man Christ Iesus which text implies that salvation is by the knowledge of the truth or knowledge of the true way others tend to destruction And so God promiseth Jer. 32. 39. That he will give all the elect one heart and one way Though there be differences even in the Church of God about lesser truths yet there 's but one true Religion in the essence and substance of it I mean as to those truths which are absolutely necessary to salvation To make many doors to heaven is to set wide open the gates of hell Many men think that men of all Religions shall be saved provided they be of a good life and walk according to their light In these later times divers unsober Questionists are grown weary of the Christian Religion and by an excess of charity would betray their faith and while they plead for the salvation of Turks and Heathens scarce shew themselves good Christians The Christian Religion is not only the most compendious way to true happiness but it 's the only way John 17. 3. This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent There 's the sum of what is necessary to life eternal that there is one God Father Son and Holy Ghost to be known loved obeyed worshipped and enjoyed and the Lord Jesus Christ to be owned as our Redeemer and Saviour to bring us home to God and to procure for us the gifts of pardon and life and this life to be begun here by the spirit and to be perfected in heaven This is the sum of all that can be said that is necessary to salvation certainly none can be saved without Christ for there is no other name under heaven whereby we can be saved but by Iesus Christ Acts 4. 12. and none can be saved by Christ but they that know him and believe in him If God hath extraordinary ways to reveal Christ to men we know not this is our Rule no Adults no grown persons can be saved but they that know him and believe in him And now Christ hath
confession of sin with grief and desire of the grace of Christ with a serious purpose of newness of life this is the doctrine of the Scripture They think that to the essence of true Repentance there is required Auricular confession penal satisfactions and the absolvence of the Priest without which true faith profiteth nothing to salvation Again the Scripture teacheth this doctrine That the Ordinances confer grace by virtue only of God's promises and the Sacraments are signs and seals of the Covenant of Grace to them that believe And they would teach us that they deserve and confer grace from the work wrought The Scripture teacheth that good works are such as are done in obedience to God and conformity to his Law and are compleated in love to God and our neighbour They teach us that there are works of supererogation which neither the Law nor the Gospel requireth of us and that the chief of these are Monastical Vows several Orders and Rules of Monks and Friers The Scripture teacheth us That God the Father Son and Holy Ghost is only to be worshipped both with natural and instituted worship in spirit and in truth and they teach both the making and worshipping of an Image and that the Images of Saints are to be worshipped The Scripture teacheth That there is but one holy Apostolical Catholick Church joined together in one faith and one spirit whose Head Husband and Foundation is the Lord Jesus Christ out of which Church there is no salvation And they teach us the Church of Rome is the center the right Mother of all Churches under one head the Pope infallible and supreme Judg of all truth and out of communion of this Church there is nothing but Heresie Schism and everlasting condemnation Instead of that lively Faith by which we are justified by Christ they cry up a dead assent Instead of sound knowledg they cry up an implicite faith believing as the Church believes Instead of Affiance they cry up wavering conjectural uncertainty Thirdly Come to their worship Their adoration of the Host their invocation of Saints and Angels their giving to the Virgin Mary and other Saints departed the titles of Mediator Redeemer and Saviour in their publick Liturgies and Hymns their bowing to and before Images their Communion in one kind and that decreed by their Councils with a non obstante Christi instituto notwithstanding Christs express Institution to the contrary their service in an unknown Tongue and the like are just causes of our separation from them But it is tedious to rake in these things So that unless we would be treacherous to Christ and not only deny the faith but forfeit sense and reason and give up all to the lusts and wills of those that have corrupted the truth of Christianity we ought to withdraw and our Separation is justifiable notwithstanding this plea. The USE Here is Reproof to divers sorts 1. To those that think they may be of any Sect among Christians as if all the differences in the Christian world were about trifles and matters of small concernment and so change their Religion as they do their clothes and are turned about with every puff of new doctrine If it were to turn to Heathenism Turcism or Judaism they would rather suffer banishment or death than yield to such a change but to be this day of this Sect and to morrow of another they think it is no great matter as the wind of Interest bloweth so are they carried and do not think it a matter of such moment to venture any thing upon that account You do not know the deceitfulness of your hearts he that can digest a lesser error will digest a greater God trieth you in the present truth He that is not faithful in a little will not be faithful in much As he that giveth entertainment to a small temptation will also to a greater if put upon it Where there is not a sincere purpose to obey God in all things God is not obeyed in any thing Every Truth is precious The dust of Gold and Pearls is esteemed Every truth is to be owned in its season with full consent To do any thing against conscience is damnable You are to chuse the way of truth impartially to search and find out the paths thereof 2. It reproves those that will be of no Religion till all differences among the learned and godly are reconciled and therefore willingly remain unsetled in Religion and live out of the communion of any Church upon this pretence that there is so much difference such shew of reason on each side and such faults in all that they doubt of all and therefore will not trouble themselves to know which side hath the truth You are to chuse the way of truth And this is such a fond conceit as if a man desperately sick should resolve to take no physick till all Doctors were of one opinion or as if a traveller when he seeth many ways before him should lye down and refuse to go any farther You may know the truth if you will search after it with humble minds Joh. 7. 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self The meek he will teach the way If you be diligent you may come to a certainty notwithstanding this difference 3. It reproves those that take up what comes next to hand are loth to be at the pains of study and searching and prayer that they may resolve upon evidence that commonly set themselves to advance that faction into which they are entred Alas you should mind Religion seriously though not lightly leave the Religion you are bred in yet not hold it upon unsound grounds As Antiquity Joh. 4. 20. Our father 's worshipped in this mountain Or custom of the times and places where you live Eph. 2. 2. According to the course of the world the general and corrupt custom or example of those where we live nor be led by affection to oâ—… admiration of some persons Gal. 2. 12. Holy men may lead you into error Nor by multitude to do as the most do follow not a multitude to do evil but get a true and sound conscience of things for by all these things opinions are rather imposed upon us than chosen by us 4. It reproves those that abstain from fixing out of a fear of troubles as the King of Navarre would so far put forth to sea as that he might soon get to shore again You must make God a good allowance when you imbark with him though called not only to dispute but to dye for Religion you must willingly submit If any man come to me and hate not his own life he cannot be my disciple Luke 14. 26. How soon the fire may be kindled we cannot tell times tend to Popery though there be few left to stick by us the favour of the times run another way we ought to resolve for God
to hearken to his voice And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people When did you give up the key of your hearts to God and lie at God's feet and say Lord here I am what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9. 6. They that are Gods come in this way by resignation or spiritual contract by entring into Covenant with him 2. What have you that is peculiar Have you the favor of his People Have you the conversation of his People God's peculiar People have peculiar mercies at least their hearts and spirits are carried out after them Psal. 106. 4. Lord remember me with the favor of thy people Common mercies will not serve their turn but they must have renewing and sanctifying mercies and special pledges of his love not increase of Estate Honour or Esteem in the world these are not things their hearts run upon but Lord the favor of thy People Or Psal. 119. 132. Do good unto me as thou usest to do unto those that love thy Name There 's a goodness which God vouchsafeth to all his creatures to the men of the world he gives a plentiful Portion their bellies are fill'd with thy hid treasure but Lord let me have the comforts of thy Spirit the manifestations of thy love and good will to my soul in Christ Jesus As Luther said and protested God should not put him off with Gold nor with Honours I must have his Grace his Christ his Spirit Valde protestatus sum me nolle his satiari If you have such peculiar spirits your hearts would be carried out after these distinguishing mercies A man may have common mercies and go to Hell and be cast away but God's peculiar People have peculiar mercies then they will not be contented with a common conversation Mat. 5. 46. If you love them that love you what do you more than others There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 something over and above that should be seen in a Christian's life 'T is a fault 1 Cor. 3. 3. Ye walk as men In the new creature there should be something more excellent God's peculiar People as there 's a difference between them and others in point of Priviledges so also in point of conversation they should live at a higher rate more heavenly meek mortified more charitable than others Christians should walk so as to convince the world and make them wonder at the beauty majesty and strictness of their Lives You harden carnal men when you profess your selves to be God's peculiar People and there 's no difference between you and others 3. Doth your Resignation appear in your living and acting for God Is Holiness to be written in visible characters upon all you do Zech. 14. 19 20. The impress of God is upon his People it is upon the Horse Bells upon all the Pots of Ierusalem it is upon all they have all they enjoy Holiness to the Lord they spend their time as being dedicated to God they spend their estates as being dedicated to God Do you use your selves as those that are Christs improving your Time Relations Talents Interests for his glory This may be discovered partly by checking Temptations upon this account 1 Cor. 6. 15. Shall I take the members of Christ and make them to be the members of an harlot This Body is Christs and therefore must be kept in sanctification and in honour this time I mispend this estate is Christs and so you dare not give way to the solly and sin with which others are transported for you look upon all that you have as Christs and so also are your contrivances and projects for God's glory you will be casting about how you may honour Christ by your Estate and Relations and every thing you have Nehem. 1. 11. Grant me mercy in the sight of this man For I was the King's Cup-bearer That is he was considering what use he might make of this authority and esteem which he had with the King of Babylon and what use he might make of it for God God hath advanced me to such honour and place what honour hath God had Look as David 2 Sam. 17. 2 I dwell in a house of cedar and the ark of God dwells within curtains Here the Lord hath abundantly provided for me but what have I done for God When you are in all things seeking the things of God and laying out your selves for the glory of God and if God needs any thing that is yours you freely and willingly part with it USE II. To persuade us to resign up our selves to God and to live as those that are Gods 1 First To resign up our selves to God Isa. 44. 5. One shall come and say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the name of Iacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and surname himself by the name of Israel Come and subscribe to the God of Iacob give it under hand and seal enter your names in his Master-Roll that you are one of his Subjects and Servants Motives are these 1. You owe your selves to God and therefore should give up your selves to him Philem. v. 19. Thou owest unto me even thine own self 'T is true with respect to God thou owest all that thou hast to him thou hast nothing but what he gave thee first God calls it a Gift My son give me thy heart but it 's indeed a Debt for God gave it not to dispossess himself and divest himself but gave it for his use and service He gave you your selves to your selves as a Man gives an Estate to a Factor to trade with or as an Husbandman scatters his seed upon the ground not to bury it there but expecting a Crop from thence So God scatters his Gifts abroad in the world gives life and all things not to establish a dominion in thy person but only a stewardship and a course of service Hast thou life Man is not Dominus vitae but Custos not Lord of his life but only the Guardian and Keeper for God Now what is said of life is true of Estates and all things else there 's no proper dominion we have 2. God offers himself to thee and therefore 't is but reasonable thou give up thy self to God In the Covenant there 's a mutual engaging between God and the creature to be each others according to their several capacities I will be their God and they shall be my people The great God Quantus quantus est totus noster est as great as he is he becomes ours all in him ours his Wisdom Power Strength Father Son and Holy Ghost is our everlasting Portion God the Father will be our Portion for ever he will give his Son to be our Redeemer and his Spirit to be our Guide all the Persons with all their power and strength are engaged for our use Look as when Iehoshaphat made a League with the King of Israel this was the manner of it 1 Kings 22.
servants they are they do nothing but what their master commandeth and what he commandeth they see reason to obey Second Branch Give me understanding that I may know thy testimonies This is subjoined to the former Plea First Because David would not be a servant in name and title only but in deed and in truth and therefore would fain know his duty Secondly To shew the difference between Gods servants and the servants of other Lords who command us Prov. 14. 25. The Kings favour is towards a wise servant they see them wise find them wise and then love them but God must begin with us his favour maketh us wise Doctr. Gods best Servants think they can never enough beg Divine illumination David doth often enforce this request Reasons 1. Our blindness in the matters of God is a great part of our spiritual misery Ephes. 5. 8. Ye were sometimes darkness There is a Veil lying upon our hearts not easily removed and taken away All the mischief introduced by the Fall is not cured at once but by degrees as spiritual strength encreaseth we grow up into it so spiritual light The maim of the understanding as well as the will is not wholly cured till we come to Heaven for here we know but in part till God give us understanding we are utterly blind the best of Gods servants have cause to acknowledge it in themselves the remnants of ignorance and incredulity The Apostle biddeth them to adde to faith vertue to vertue knowledge that is skill to manage the work of our heavenly Calling 2. None are so sensible of this blindness as they 'T is some proficiency in knowledge to understand our ignorance Prov. 30. 2 3. Surely I am more bruitish than any man and have not the understanding of a man I neither learned wisdom nor have the knowledg of the holy The most knowing see they need more enlightening The best of our knowledge is to know our imperfections 1 Cor. 8. 2. He that thinketh he knoweth any thing knoweth nothing as he ought to know 3. There is room for encrease for in the best we never know so much of Gods ways but we may know more Hos. 6. 3. Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord. Prov. 4. 18. But the path of the Iust is as a shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day True sanctified knowledg is always growing If we sit down with measures received 't is a sign we do not know things as we should know them Christ grew in knowledge not in Grace for the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily Practical knowledg is never at a stand though a man may see round the compass and light of saving truth yet he may know them more spiritually and more feelingly 4. The profit of Divine Revelation as to these three things First A clear discerning of the things of God not a confused Notion as the blind man in the Gospel saw men as Trees walking So 2 Cor. 4. 6. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledg of the Glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. And 1 Iohn 5. 20. And hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true Every degree of knowledg is Gods gift What other men see confusedly we see more distinctly in this light Secondly Firm assent Then shall I know thy testimonies know them from others that have not Divine Authority 'T is the spirit of Wisdom and Revelation that openeth our eyes to see the truth and worth of heavenly things contained in the promise Ephes. 1. 17 18. The father of glory may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledg of him the eyes of your understandings being enlightened that ye may know the hope of his calling and the riches of the glory of the inheritance of the Saints in light And Matth. 16. 17. Flesh and blood hath not revealed these things unto thee Humane credulity we may have upon the report of others the evidence of the truths themselves but this firm assent is the fruit of Divine illumination Thirdly Hearty practice Let thy testimonies not only strike my ear but affect my heart command my hand let me know them so as to do them for otherwise our knowledge is little worth God doth so direct that he doth also enable us to approve our obedience to him sincerely and faithfully There is a knowledge that puffeth us up 1 Cor. 8. 1. which yet is a gift and floweth from the common influence of the Spirit Ier. 22. 16. Was not this to know me saith the Lord But there is a greater efficacy in practical knowledge such as warmeth the heart with love to the truths known Iohn 4. 10. If thou knewest the gift c. Such a light as proceedeth from the gracious influence of the Spirit Use 1. Let us be often dealing with God in prayer that our judgments may be enightened with the understanding of the word and our affections renewed and strengthened unto the true obedience of it beg for that lively light of the Spirit 1. We need it In how many things do we erre in the things which know how weak are we both as to sound judgment and practice The Apostle saith We know but in part 1 Cor. 13. 9. We are but of yesterday and we know nothing Job 8. 9. Therefore we have need to go to the Ancient of days that he may teach us knowledge and kindle our Lamps anew at the Fountain of light Alas we take it in by drops or by degrees as a tender and sore eye must be used to the light We have but little time to get knowledg in and do not improve that little time we have 2. We have leave to ask it Iam. 1. 5. If any man lack wisdom let him ask it of God and why do we not seeing we have a liberty to ask it 3. God hath promised to bestow it he will give his spirit to them that ask it Luke 11. 13. And to beget Faith in us If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts to your Children how much more shall your heavenly father give the holy spirit to them that ask him Here is a notable Argument he reasoneth and promiseth And Prov. 2. 3. we must cry for knowledg Well then let us be earnest that we may not miss that which is to be had for asking beg for an heart to know Ier. 24. 7. I will give them an heart to know me that I am the Lord. Use 2. It informeth us That there is somewhat more than the Word necessary to give us knowledge God must not only reveal the Object but prepare the Subject David having a Law beggeth understanding that he might know Gods testimonies The literal sense and meaning of the words may be understood by common gifts and ordinary industry unless men be exceedingly blinded and
proper to say are Just and Righteous than to say are Truth His Commandments are Just as the Rule of our Duty they are just as the Rule of God's Process but the word Commandment is not taken strictly for the mandatory part of the Word but it is put for the whole Covenant his Precepts invested with Promises and Threatnings the Commandments thus considered with the Promises and Threatnings annexed are true Yea mark the Emphasis of the Phrase Truth it self The Happiness promised to them that make Conscience of their Duty will be made good and so the Punishments on them that offend God will be inflicted Now the joyning of these two Clauses seemeth to speak thus much I know that thou art near me because thy Word is Truth God in his Providence seemeth to be absent sometimes from his People but upon the Assurance of his Word we must believe him near I say God seemeth to be far off from his People for who would think that the God of Peace and all Comfort should dwell with them that are broken in Spirit Isa. 57. 15. For thus saith the high and holy One that inhabiteth Eternity whose name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Or that the Author of all Felicity should be present with them that are harassed and exercised with such sharp Afflictions and hunted up and down in the World but because God hath promised it Isa. 43. 2. When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the Fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee We should be satisfied with it his Word is Truth whatever Sense and Reason saith to the contrary neither distance of place nor afflictedness of condition do hinder his nearness to us Quitting all other points I shall only insist on this one Doctrine That it is the Priviledge and Happiness of God's Children to have God near unto them upon all occasions My great business will be to explain what this nearness is and then you will soon find it to be the great Happiness and Priviledge of the Saints First What is this nearness Secondly How is it brought about First What is this nearness 1. God is not said to be nearer to them than others in regard of his Essence for so he is everywhere present nullibi inclusus nullibi exclusus so an Heathen described God to be a great Circle whose Centre is nowhere and Circumference everywhere and in the Prophet he telleth us Ier. 23. 23 24. Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God afar off do not I fill Heaven and Earth can any hide him in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord He filleth all things with his Essential Presence he is in Earth in Heaven and under the Earth Psal. 139. 7 8. Whither shall I go from thy spirit and whither shall I flee from thy Presence if I ascend up into Heaven thou art there if I make my bed in Hell behold thou art there if I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the Sea even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me God is here and there and everywhere the Heavens do not confine and inclose his Being nor the Tumults of the Earth exclude it in this sense God is alike near to all things they that cannot endure the presence and thought of God where will they go from him They may run away from God as a Friend but they cannot escape him as an Enemy te non amittit nisi qui dimiâ—…t qui te dimittit quo fugit nisi a te placato ad te iratum Men may shut God out of their hearts and yet he is there do what they can and will be found there one day in the dreadful Effects of his Anger 2. Not in regard of his general Providence and common Sustentation for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is not far from every one of us for in him we live and move and have our being Acts 17. 27 28. This general Presence and providential sustentation is vouchsafed to all his Creatures without which they could not subsist nor move nor act so all things are inclosed under the hand of his Power and are still under his disposing 3. It is meant of his friendly and gracious Presence and those eminent and gracious effects of his Power and Goodness which he is pleased to afford his People So God is sometimes said to be nigh unto his People and they are said to be a People near unto him the Lord is said to be near unto them Psal. 34. 18. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart And again Psal. 145. 18. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him and to all that call upon him in truth Deut. 4. 7. What Nation is so great who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for The Lord is said to be nigh because he is always ready to hear their Prayers and to direct them in their doubts comfort them in their sorrows defend and protect them in all their dangers and deliver them in all their Troubles On the other side they are said to be a People near unto God Psal. 148. 14. He also exalteth the horn of his people the praise of all his Saints even of the Children of Israel a people near unto him Because they are the special Objects of his Mercy and Favour and as to the actual intercourse that passeth between God and them God is said to draw nigh to them as they are said to draw nigh to God Iam. 4. 8. Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you and so drawing nigh to us on God's part signifieth his Grace and Blessing and drawing nigh on our part our Duty Love Fear Delight and Reverence of God Well then it is meant of his friendly gracious Presence vouchsafed to his People 4. This nearness may be understood of his visible Presence in his Ordinances or of that spiritual inwardness and saving Union and Communion that is between God and his converted People or those that are brought home to him by Christ and are the members of his Mystical Body In some sense it is the Priviledge of the Visible Church to have God near them because they have the signs of his Presence among them as in the former place Deut. 4. 7. What nation hath God so nigh unto them It was the common priviledge of the Nation in comparison of the Pagans about them who were a People afar off and strangers to the Covenants of Promise So Ier. 14. 9. Thou O Lord God art in the midst of
God 3. We shall never have such great and large thoughts of Gods tender mercy as when they arise from our own Experience and particular Observation to know God by hear-say will not work upon you as when we have seen him our selves as they said unto the Woman Iohn 4. 42. Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the world We do not speak or think of God with any Sense and Life Affection and Admiration till we have studied his Nature and observed his Wayes otherwise we speak by Rote when we praise him for his mercies and 't is but an empty Complement Psal. 103. 1 2 3. Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits whoforgiveth all thy iniquities and healeth all thy diseases c. 4. Then will our own Experience inform us of the greatness and tenderness of mercy when we are sensible of our sins and miseries when a man seeth his Sins great his Dangers great then he will see Gods mercies towards him great also Psal. 86. 13. For great is thy mercy towards me for thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell We do not know the greatness of the Pardon but by the greatness of the Debt nor the greatness of our Protection and Deliverance but by the greatness of the Danger God continueth trouble upon his People that they may be sensible of the sweetness of the mercy and his help in their Deliverance Rom. 5. 8. But herein God commended his love to us that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us 5. When our sense of sins and miseries hath most recommended mercy to us we should magnifie it both with respect to Supplication and Gratulation 1. With respect to Supplication when we are under Fears and Discouragements we should oppose and set these great and tender mercies in the Balance against our doubts and fears Our Sins are many our Troubles great yet let us not be discouraged from Praying and making our supplication to God for God will pardon a penitent People and help a sensible Supplicant The more sensible of our misery the fitter Objects for mercy What is it that troubleth us fear of not speeding with God in Prayer you hear how soon he Relenteth when you Relent and lye at his feet for to what use doth pardoning mercy serve but to incourage broken-hearted sinners We have heard that the Kings of Israel are merciful Kings Benhadad having lost the day and in great fear of losing his life with his Kingdom his Friends comforted him with the Fame they had heard of Israels Kings 1 Kings 20. 31. We know most certainly 't is hard to raise up truly poor down-lost sinners how presumptuous soever they have been before God would have these by all means to be incouraged So that though you have many Objections from your unworthiness the multitude and greatness of your sins or is it the power of men and difficulty of our deliverance Gods mercy is beyond the proportion of their Cruelty The more violent and ungodly our Oppressors are the more hope of Gods pity towards us Psal. 86. 14 15. O God the proud are risen against me and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul and have not set thee before them but thou O Lord art a God full of compassion and gracious long-suffering and plenteous in mercy and truth 2. Let us magnifie it as to Gratulation Gen. 32. 10. I am not worthy of all the mercy c. Less than the least of all thy mercies Let us consider our unworthiness that God may have all the Glory Use. II. Is to press us to be Merciful we should be like God let us put on Bowels of mercy Col. 3. 12. Put on therefore as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering Luke 6. 36. Be ye therefore merciful as your heavenly father also is merciful SERMON CLXXV PSALM CXIX VER 161. Princes have persecuted me without a cause but my heart standeth in awe of thy Word IN this Verse we have First Davids Temptation Secondly The Godly Frame of his Spirit First In Davids Temptation take notice of 1. The Nature of it 't was a Persecution 2. The Instruments of it Saul and the Chief men about him Princes 3. The Malice and Groundlesness of it without a Cause Secondly The Godly Frame of his Heart but my heart c. And there we have 1. The Seat of his Affection my heart 2. The Kind of the Affection standeth in awe 3. The Object of it the Word of God First With Davids Temptation I will not meddle any further than an Introduction or the necessity of an Exposition enforceth me a little to reflect upon And 1. From the Nature of it Persecution is one of the ordinary Trials of Gods Children As God Chasteneth them because they are no better Isa. 27. 9. so the World Persecuteth them because they are so good Iohn 15. 19. This ever hath been and ever will be the Lot of Gods Children while there are two seeds in the World Gen. 3. 15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed And the Apostle saith Gal. 4. 29. But as then he that was born after the flesh â—…uted him that was born after the spirit so 't is now The first place speaketh of the Antipathy between the Church and it 's open Opposites the second was in Abrahams Family and 't is brought to Comfort the true Members of the Christian Church against those Persecutions which they sustained from the false Apostles and such as adhered to the Iewish Synagogue Isaac was begotten by the Power of Gods Spirit according to the Tenour of the Promise Ishmael by the ordinary strength of Nature a Figure of the Regenerate and Unregenerate Iohn 1. 13. Persecution is a thing common to the Church in all Ages then and now therefore as they grow worse let us grow better and let us be content to take the ordinary way by the Cross to come to the Crown 2. The Instruments of his Trouble were Saul and his Chief men about him The man of God had said Many are my Persecutors Verse 157. now he sheweth they were not mean ones and of the inferiour sort but such as by their Power were able to crush him such as by their place should be a Refuge to him I observe the Trial is the sorer when our trouble cometh not only from the basest of the People but from the Rulers themselves No doubt a great part of the People followed Saul in his persecuting of David yet the Nobles most troubled him In the Primitive times lapidibus nos invadit inimicum vulgus the base Rif-raffe were most ready to stone the Christians but this was meer Brutish Rage a
do ill agree together but when God hath framed our hearts to Obedience then is praise comely in our Mouths Use. II. Is to direct us 1. How to pray for spiritual Grace if we would obtain it the Glory of God is the end of all Grace vouchsafed to us with this end must pray to God for it The end of our Petitions and Requests to God should be that we may be inabled to praise God then we seek God for God much more when we ask spiritual grace To ask temporal benefits to consume upon our Lusts is very bad and the ready way to bespeak our selves a denial Iames 4. 3. Ye ask and receive not because you ask amiss that you may consume it upon your lusts much more to ask spiritual gifts for our Lusts sake to beg God to open our Mouths to shew forth our own praises rather than his or knowledge to advance our selves as 't is a greater indignity to void our Excrements in a Cup of Gold for a Princes own drinking than in a Common Utensil Besides it sheweth our value of the Benefit to think of praise before we have obtained is Eph. 1. 6. To the praise of his glorious grace wherein he hath made as accepted in the beloved 2. It must be used and improved to that end when we have obtained we must not be proud of any spiritual gift but lay our Crown at Gods Feet 1 Cor. 4. 7. Who made thee to differ and what hast thou that thou hast not received We pervert the end of the end when we are puffed up and give shrewd suspition that 't is a common gift not saving grace when we are puffed up with it Use. III. Is Exhortation to press you to glorifie God and praise him if he hath given you any knowledge of himself and of the way of Salvation 1. This is Gods end in bestowing his Grace that in word and deed we should be to the praise of his glorious grace 1 Pet. 2. 9. That ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light 2. You were as indocile and unteachable as others only God made the difference Iob 11. 12. For vain man would be wise though man be born like the wild asses colt Ier. 31. 18. Like a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke And therefore the Glory must intirely redound to him You might have perished as a witless Fool and gone to Hell as others do but that God gave you Counsel 3. 'T is the way to increase it Col. 2. 7. Rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as ye have been taught abounding therein with thanksgiving Thanksgiving for what we have received is an effectual means to make us constant grow and abound in every grace Let the people praise thee O God yea let all the people praise thee Psal. 67. 3. Look as the Vapours go up so the showers come down Experiences of former Mercies thankfully acknowledged draweth down more Mercy 4. Prayer necessarily inferreth praise Phil. 4. 6. In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God Blessing God for Favours already received is necessary to be joyned with Prayer 't is disingenuous to be alwayes Craving and never give Thanks be thankful and depend for more not alwayes pore upon wants but take a survey of your Mercies and that will not only enlarge your hearts in thankfulness but even invite God to bestow further Mercies SERMON CLXXXV PSALM CXIX VER 172. My tongue shall speak of thy Word for all thy Commandments are Righteousness THE Man of God had spoken in the former Verse how his lips should praise God here is his second Promise that he maketh of holy Conference with others In the words we have First Davids Resolution My tongue shall speak of thy Word Secondly The Reason because it contained matter that deserved to be spoken off For all thy Commandments are righteousness 1. He speaketh of the whole Word of God all thy commandments 2. In the Abstract are righteousness altogether Righteous and Faithful First From the first branch Davids Resolution My tongue shall speak of thy Word Observe Doctrine The Subject of a Believers ordinary Discourse should be the Word and those spiritual and heavenly matters contained therein I. Not that they are alwayes talking of these things there is a time for all things the business of our Calling will sometimes take us up and sometimes our Recreations but yet there should be generally a difference between us and others the People of God should be observantly different as to their words and discourse from other People Cant. 4. 11. Thy lips O my Spouse drop as the honycomb The Lips of Christs Spouse should flow with matter savory and useful So Prov. 10. 20 21. The tongue of the just is as choice Silver but the heart of the wicked is little worth The lips of the righteous feed many but fools die for want of wisdom Where the speech of the righteous is compared to silver of the wicked to Dross For because their heart is little worth their Discourse will be accordingly and then the good man is compared to one that keepeth open house that feedeth all those that resort to him but Fools do not only not feed others but perish themselves by their own folly So Prov. 15. 7. The lips of the wise disperse knowledge but the heart of the foolish doth not so Men usually Discourse as their hearts are a man of a frothy spirit will bring forth nothing but vain and frothy Discourse but a gracious man will utter holy and gracious things for the Tap runneth according to the Liquor with which the Vessel is filled One place more Psal. 37. 30 31. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom and his tongue talketh of judgment the law of God is in his heart none of his steps shall slide All mens Discourses are vented according as their hearts are busied and affected A man that hath the Word of God rooted in his heart and maketh it his work to suit his Actions thereunto will also suit his Words thereunto and will edifie those that he speaketh unto Thoughts Words and Actions are the genuine Products and Issues of the Heart Grace in the Heart discovereth it self uniformly in all holy Thoughts holy Words and holy Actions otherwise their Conversation is not all of a piece All these places shew that a Christians Discourse will differ from other mens but alas our Conference is little different from ordinary mens II. More Particularly I shall shew you that we are not left to run at random in our ordinary discourse as if our Tongues were our own to speak what we please This I shall shew 1. Negatively 2. Positively 1. Negatively no Prophane no Idle Discourse 1. No Prophane Discourse Eph. 4. 29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth Christians are accountable for their Words as well as Actions Quest.
have There is a difference between a dead sea and a calm sea A stupid Conscience they may have not a quiet conscience The virtue of that Opium will soon be spent Conscience will again be awakened Use. Oh then let us put in for a share in this Blessedness There are two encouragements in the Service of Christ our Vails and our Wages our Wages should be enough the Eternal enjoyment of himself But oh we cry out of the tediousness of the way We have our Vails also that are not contemptible If a man should offer a Lordship or Farm to another and he should say The way is dirty and dangerous the Weather very troublesome I will not look after it Would you not accuse this man of folly that loves his ease and pleasure But now if this man were assured of a pleasant path and good way if he would but take a little pains to go over and see it this were gross folly indeed to refuse it Our Lord hath made over a blessed Inheritance to us upon Gospel-terms but we are full of prejudices in that to keep close to the rule may bring trouble and deprive us of many advantages of gain and we think we shall never see good day more But we are assured there is a great blessing goeth along with Gods yoke and we having a promise of the enjoyment of Gods presence where there are pleasures for evermore this should make us rowse up our selves in the Work of the Lord. SERMON II. PSAL. CXIX 2. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies that seek him with the whole heart IN this Psalm the Man of God begins with a description of the way to true blessedness In the former verse a blessed man is described by the course of his actions Blessed are the undefiled in the way In this by the frame of his heart Blessed are they that keep his testimonies that seek him with the whole heart The internal principle of good actions is the verity and purity of the heart Here you may take notice of two marks of a blessed man 1. They keep his testimonies 2. They seek him with the whole heart Doct. 1. They that keep close to Gods testimonies are blessed By way of Explication two things take notice of 1. The notion that is given to Precepts and Counsels in the word they are called his testimonies 2. The respect of the blessed man to these testimonies to keep them First The notion by which the word of God is exprest is Testimonies whereby is intended the whole declaration of Gods will in Doctrines Commands Examples Threatnings Promises The whole word is the testimony which God hath deposed for the satisfaction of the world about the way of their salvation Now because the word of God brancheth it self into two parts the Law and the Gospel this notion may be applied to both First To the Law in regard whereof the Ark is called the Ark of the Testimony Exod. 25. 16. because the two Tables were laid up in it The Gospel is also called the testimony the testimony of God concerning his Son Isa. 8. 20. To the law and to the testimony where Testimony seems to be distinguished from the Law The Gospel is so called because there God hath testified how a man shall be pardoned reconciled to God and obtain a right to eternal life We need a testimony in this case because it is more unknown to us The Law was written upon the heart but the Gospel is a stranger Natural light will discern something of the Law and pry into matters which are of a moral strain and concernment but Evangelical truths are a mystery and depend by the meer testimony of God concerning his Son Now from this notion of Testimonies we have this advantage 1. That the word is a full declaration of the Lords mind God would not leave us in the dark in the matters which concern the service of God and mans salvation He hath given us his Testimony he hath told us his mind what he approves and what he disallows and upon what terms he will accept of sinners in Christ. It is a blessed thing that we are not left to the uncertainty of our own thoughts Mic. 6. 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good The way of pleasing and enjoying God is clearly revealed in his word There we may know what we must do what we may expect and upon what terms We have his testimony 2. Another advantage we have by this notion is The certainty of the word it is Gods Testimony The Apostle saith 1 Joh. 5. 9. If we take the testimony of men the testimony of God is greater It is but reason we should allow God that value and esteem that we give to the testimony of men who are fallible and deceitful Among men in the mouth of two or three witnesses every thing is established Deut. 19. 15. Now there are three that bear witness in heaven and three that bear witness on earth 1 Joh. 5. 7 8. We are apt to doubt of the Gospel and have suspicious thoughts of such an excellent doctrine but now there are three witnesses from heaven the Father Word and Spirit the Father by a voice Mat. 3. 7. And lo a voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son c. And the Son also by a voice when he appeared to Paul from Heaven Saul Saul why persecutest thou me And the Holy Ghost gave his testimony descending upon him in the form of a Dove and upon the Apostles in cloven tongues of fire And there are three that bear record on earth for he saith v. 10. He that believeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath the testimony in himself what is that The Spirit Water and Blood in the heart of a believer these give testimony to the Gospel The Spirit bears witness to the Gospel when it illuminateth the heart enabling us to discern the Doctrine to be of God to discern those signatures and characters of Majesty Goodness Power Truth which God hath left upon the Gospel and Water and Blood testifie when we feel those constant and sensible effects of Gods power coming with the Gospel 1 Thes. 1. 5. both by pacifying the Conscience and bringing joy and satisfaction and by sanctifying and freeing a man from the bondage of sin Water signifies Sanctification Ioh. 17. 17. Sanctifie them by thy truth The Sanctifying power of God that goes along with the Gospel is a clear confirmation of the Divine testimony in it Ioh. 8. 32. The truth shall make you free By our disintanglement from lust we come to be setled in the truth Gods testimony is the ultimate resolution of our faith Why do we believe because it is Gods testimony How do we know it is Gods testimony it evidenceth it self by its own light to the consciences of men yet God for the greater satisfaction to the world hath given us witnesses three from heaven and three on earth Every manifestation of God
time that is 't is high time the business of your lives hath been too long neglected It is such another expression as 1 Pet. 4. 3. The time past is enough to have wrought the will of the Gentiles c. God hath been too long kept out of his right and we out of our happiness The night is coming upon us and will you not begin your days work 6. This is the reason of affliction we are so backward in this work that we need be whipt unto it Hos. 5. 15. I will go and return to my place saith God till they acknowledg their offence and seek my face God knows that want is a spur to a lazy creature and therefore doth God break in upon men and scourge them as with scorpions that they may bethink themselves and look after God Use 2. For Direction If you would seek God 1. Seek him early Prov. 8. 32. Blessed are they that seek me early We cannot soon enough go about this work Seek him when God is nigh when the Spirit is nigh Isa. 55. 6. Call upon the Lord while he is near There are certain seasons which you cannot easily get again such times when God doth deal more pressingly with you when the word bears in upon the heart and when God is near unto us David like a quick Echo returns upon God Ps. 27. 8. Seek ye my face my heart said unto thee Thy face Lord will I seek It would be a great loss not to obey present impulses and invitations and not make use of the advantages which God puts into our hands 2. Seek him daily Psal. 105. 4. Seek the Lord and his strength seek his face evermore That is from day to day you must be seeking the face of God in the strength of God Every hour we need his direction protection strength and we are in danger to lose him if we do not continue the search 3. Seek him unweariedly and do not give over your seeking until you find God Wrestle through discouragements though former endeavours have been in vain yet still we should continue seeking after God We have that command to inforce us to it Luk. 5. 5. We have toiled all night howbeit at thy command c. Though we do not presently find yet we must not cast off all endeavours In spiritual things many times a man hears and goes away with nothing but when he comes to meditate upon it and work it upon the heart then he finds the face of God and the strength of God Therefore you must not give over your seeking 4. Seek him in Christ. God will only be found in a Mediator Heb. 7. 25. Those are accepted that come to God by him Guilty creatures cannot enjoy God immediately And in Christ God is more familiar with us Hos. 3. 5. They shall seek the Lord their God and David their King None can seek him rightly but those that seek him in Christ. It is uncomfortable to think of God out of Christ. As the Historian saith of Themistocles when he sought the favour of the King he snatched up the Kings Son and so came and mediated for his grace and favour Let us take the Son of God in the arms of our faith and present him to God the Father and seek his face his strength 5. God can only be sought by the help of his own spirit As our access to God we have it by Christ so we have it by the Spirit Ephes. 2. 18. For through him we both have an access by one spirit unto the Father As Christ gives us the leave so the Spirit gives us the help Bernard speaks fitly to this purpose None can be aforehand with God we cannot seek him till we find him in some sense he will be sought that he may be found and he is found that he may be sought It is his preventing grace which makes us restless in the use of means and when we are brought home to God when we seek after God it is by his own grace The Spouse was listless and careless until she could take God by the scent of his own grace When he put his singer upon the handle of the Lock and dropt myrrh by the sweet and powerful influences of his grace she was carried on in seeking after God Thus much for the first part of the duty seek Now the manner With the whole heart Doct. Whoever would seek God aright they must seek him with their whole heart Here I shall enquire 1. What doth this imply 2. Why God will be sought with the whole heart 1. What doth this imply It implys sincerity and integrity for it is not to be taken in the legal sense with respect to absolute perfection but in opposition to deceit Ier. 3. 10. Iudah has not turned to me with her whole heart but feignedly saith the Lord. It is spoken of the time of Iosiah's Reformation many men whirled about with the times and were forced by Preternatural motions The Father of Spirits above all things requireth the Spirit and he that is the searcher and judg of the heart requireth the heart should be consecrated to him Integrity opposeth partiality There are indeed two things in this expression the whole heart it notes extention of parts and intention of degrees 1. The extention of parts with the Understanding Will and Affections Some seek God with a piece of their hearts to explain it either in the work of Faith or Love In the work of Faith as Act. 8. 37. If thou believest with all thine heart There is a believing with a piece and a believing with all the heart There is an unactive knowledg a naked assent which may be real yet it is not a true faith the Devil may have this Luk. 4. 34. the Devil makes an Orthodox confession there Thou art Iesus the Son of the living God This is only a conviction upon the understanding without any bent upon the heart It is not enough to own Christ to be the true Messiah but we must embrace him put our whole trust in him There may be an assent join'd with some sense and conscience and some vanishing sweetness and taste by the reasonableness of Salvation by Christ Heb. 6. 4. but this is not believing with all the heart it is but a taste a lighter work upon the affections and therefore bringeth in little experience There may be some assent such as may engage to profession and partial reformation but the whole heart is not subdued to God Then do we believe with the whole heart when the heart is warmed with the things we know and assent to when there is a full and free consent to take Christ upon Gods terms to all the uses and purposes for which God hath appointed him 1 Chron. 28. 9. Know thou the God of thy father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind When there is an effective and an affective knowledg when we cannot only discourse of God and Christ
and are inclin'd to believe but when these truths soak into the heart to frame it to the obedience of his will When the Lord had spoken of practical obedience Was not this to know me saith the Lord Jer. 22. 16. And this is to believe So for Love Deut. 6. 5. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might Every faculty must express Love to God Many will be content to give God a part God hath their Consciences but the world their affections Their heart is divided and the evidence of it is plainly this In their troubles and extremities they will seek after God but this is not their constant work and delight We are welcome to God when we are compelled to come into his presence God will not say as men you come in your necessity But we must then be sincere in our addresses and rest in him as our portion and all-sufficient good 2. For intention of Degrees To seek God with the whole heart it is to seek him with the highest elevation of our hearts The whole heart must be carried out to God and to other things for Gods sake As Harbingers when they go to take up room for a Prince they take up the whole house none else must have place there so God he will have the whole heart Again it may be considered as to the exaction of the Law and as a Rule of the Gospel 1. As an exaction of the Law and so Christ urged it to the young man that was of a Pharisaical institution to abate his pride and confidence Mat. 22. 37. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind Certainly these words there have a legal importance and signification for in another Evangelist Luk. 10. 28. it is added do and live which is the tenor of the Law And Christs intent was to abate the Pharisees pride by propounding the rigor of the first Covenant The Law requireth compleat love without the least defect according to the terms of it a grane wanting would make the whole unacceptable As a hard Landlord when all the rent is not brought to the full he accepteth none It is good to consider it under this sense that we may seek God in Christ to quicken us that we may value our deliverance by him from this burden which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear a stragling thought a wandring glance the least out-running of the heart had render'd us accursed for ever 2. It may be considered as a Rule of the Gospel which requireth our utmost endeavors our bewailing infirmities and defects but accepts of sincerity There will be a double principle in us to the last but there should not be a double heart So that this expression of seeking the Lord with the whole heart is reconcilable enough with the weaknesses of the present state For instance 1 King 14. 8. My servant David who kept my Commandments and who followed me with all his heart and did that only which was right in mine eyes David had many failings and some that left an indelible brand upon him in the matter of Uriah yet because of his sincerity and habitual purpose God saith He hath kept all my Commandments So in Iosiah 2 King 23. 25. Like to him there was no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart with all his soul and with all his might Yet he also had his imperfections against the warning of the Lord he goes out with a wicked King and dies in Battel So Asa 2 Chron. 15. 17. The high places were not taken away it was a failing in that holy King yet 't is said the heart of Asa was perfect all his days Well then when the whole heart is engaged in this work when we do not only study to know God but make it our work to enjoy him to rest in him as our all-sufficient portion though there will be many defects yet then are we said to seek him with the whole heart Secondly The reasons why God will be sought with the whole heart are 1. He that gives but part to God doth indeed give nothing The Devil keeps an interest as long as one lust remains unmortified and one corner of the soul is kept for him As Pharaoh stood hucking he would fain have some pawn of their return either leave your children behind no no they must go and see the Sacrifices and be trained up in the way of the Lord then he would have their flocks and herds left behind he knew that would draw their hearts back again So Satan must have either this lust or that he knows by keeping part all will fall to his share in the end A bird that is tyed in a string seems to have more liberty than a bird in a Cage it flutters up and down though it be held fast so many seem to flutter up and down and do many things as Herod but his Herodias drew him back again into the Fowlers net Thus because of a sinners danger 2. Because of Gods right By Creation he made the whole therefore requires the whole the Father of spirits must have the whole spirit We were not mangled in our Creation God that made the whole must have the whole He preserves the whole Christ hath bought the whole 1 Cor. 6. 20. Glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods And God promiseth to glorifie the whole Christians it would be uncomfortable to us if God should only take a part to Heaven All that you have is to be glorified in the day of Christ all that you are and have must be given to him whole spirit soul and body Let us not deprive him of any part Use. Well do we serve God and seek after God with the whole heart The natural mother had rather part with the whole than to see the child divided 1 King 3. 26. God had rather part with the whole than take a piece Either he will have the whole of your love or leave the whole to Satan The Lord complains Hos. 10. 2. Their heart is divided Men have some affections for God many times but they have affections for their lusts too the world hath a great share and portion of their heart Q. But when in a Gospel-sense may we be said to seek God with the whole heart Take it in these short Propositions 1. When the setled purpose of our souls is to cleave to God to love and serve him with an intire obedience both in the inward and outward man when this is the full determination and consent of our hearts 2. When we do what we can by all good means to maintain this purpose for otherwise 't is but a fruit of conviction a free-will pang Act. 24. 16. Herein do I exercise my self to have always a conscience void of offence towards God and towards all
thing observable from hence is the necessity of directing grace Oh that my ways were directed I shall first premise some Distinctions 1. There is a general direction and a particular direction 1 The general direction is in the word there God hath declared his mind in his statutes He hath shewed thee O man what is good Micah 6. 8. 2 A particular direction by his Spirit who doth order and direct us how to apply the rule to all our ways Isa. 58. 11. The Lord shall guide thee continually Now this particular direction is either to our general choice Psal. 16. 7. I will bless the Lord who hath given me counsel It is the work of God only to teach us how to apply the rule so as to chuse him for our portion Or secondly as to acts and orderly exercise of any particular grace so 2 Thes. 3. 5. The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ. Or thirdly as to the management of our Civil actions as the pillar of the Cloud went before the Israelites in their Journeys so doth God still guide his people in all their affairs both as to duty and success As to Duty Prov. 3. 6. In all thy ways acknowledg him and he shall direct thy paths Ask his counsel leave and blessing in doubtful things ask his counsel in clear cases ask his leave Shall I go up or not and then ask his blessing As to Success Prov. 16. 9. A mans heart deviseth his way but the Lord directeth his steps Events cross expectation we cannot foresee the event of things in the course of a mans life what is expedient and what not Prov. 20. 24. Mans goings are of the Lord how can a man then understand his own way We purpose and determine many things rightly and according to rule but God disposeth of all events Rom. 1. 10. Making request if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you God brought Paul to Rome by a way he little thought of Therefore we need to call God to counsel and to enquire of the Oracle in all matters that concern Family Commonwealth or Church We need a guide Ier. 10. 23. O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself neither is it in man that walketh to direct his steps Affairs do not depend on our policy or integrity but on the Divine Providence who ordereth every step to give such success as he pleaseth II. Distinction There is a Literal direction and an effectual direction 1. The Literal direction is by that speculative knowledg that we get by the Word Psal. 119. 105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path Sufficient not only for general courses but particular actions 2. The effectual direction is by the Holy Ghost applying the Word and bending the hearts to the obedience of it Isa. 61. 8. I will direct their work in truth and I will make an everlasting Covenant with them That is I will so shew them their way as to work their hearts to the sincere obedience of it Now to give you the Reason for the necessity of this Direction Three things prove it 1. The blindness of our minds We are wise in generals but know not how to apply the rule to particular cases The Heathens were vain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their imaginations Rom. 1. 21. And the same is true of us Christians though we have a clearer knowledg of God and the way how he will be served and glorified yet to suit it to particular cases how dark are we A Dial may be well set yet if the Sun shine not upon it we cannot tell the time of the day The Scriptures are sufficient to make us wise but without the light of the Spirit how do we grope at noon-day 2. The forgetfulness of our Memories We need a Monitor to stir up in us diligence watchfulness and earnest endeavours Isa. 30. 21. And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying This is the way walk ye in it When ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left The cares and businesses of the world do often drive the sense of our duty out of our minds One great end of Gods Spirit is to put us in remembrance to revive truths upon us in their season A Ship though never so well rigged needs a Pilot we need a good guide to put us in mind of our duty 3. The obstinacy of our hearts so that we need every moment to enforce the Authority of God upon us and to perswade us to what is right and good The Spirits light is so directive that it is also perswasive there needs not only counsel but efficacy and power We have boisterous lusts and wandring hearts we need not only to be conducted but governed We have hearts that love to wander Jer. 14. 10. We are sheep that need a shepherd for no creature is more apt to stray Psal. 95. 10. It is a people that do err in their hearts not only ignorant but perverse not in mind only apt to err but love to err Thus you see the necessity of this direction Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes The USES Well then give the Lord this honour of being your continual guide Psal. 48. 14. For this God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide even unto death You do not own him as a God unless you make him your guide Psal. 73. 24. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterwards receive me to glory In vain do you hope for eternal life else Therefore 1. Commit your selves to the tuition of his Grace a man is to chuse God for a guide as well as to take him for a Lord to ask his counsel as well as submit to his Commandments Ier. 3. 4. Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me My father thou art the guide of my youth 2. Depend upon him in every action The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord all his particular actions Rom. 8. 26. For we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered 3. Seek his Counsel out of a desire to follow it Ioh. 7. 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self Still walk according to light received and it will increase upon you Such as make conscience of known truth shall know more He that cometh with a subjected mind and fixed resolution to receive and obey shall have a discerning spirit God answereth men according to the fidelity of their own hearts SERMON VII PSAL. CXIX 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandments THE Psalmist had prayed for direction to keep Gods Commandments here
soon is the edg of his bravery taken off Dan. 5. 5 6. Haman in the midst of his honours was troubled at the heart for want of Mordecai's knee Those things which seem to affect us so much cannot allay one unquiet passion certainly cannot still and pacifie the least storm of the Conscience and therefore what ever face men put upon temporal enjoyments if they cannot see Gods special love in them they want sincere joy There is many a smart lash they feel when the world hears not the stroke Prov. 14. 13. Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is heaviness All the laughter and merriment which men seem to receive from the Creature it is but a little appearance not such as will go to the Conscience that will indeed and throughly rejoice and comfort a man and give him solid joy 3. There wants eternity An Immortal soul must have an eternal good pleasures for evermore Psal. 16. ult In this world we have but a poor changeable happiness Luk. 12. 19. 't was said to the rich fool This night thy soul shall be required of thee Thus much for the first Branch Blessed art thou O Lord. II. I come from the Compellation to the Supplication Teach me thy statutes And here observe 1 The person teaching he speaks to God Do thou O God teach 2 We may consider the person taught Teach me I that have hid the word in my heart David that was a Prophet is willing to be a Disciple Those that teach others have need that God should teach them the Prophet saith Teach me O Lord. David a grown Christian he desires more understanding of Gods will Certainly we should still follow on to know the Lord Hos. 6. 3. Heathens that only knew natural and moral things yet they saw a need of growth and the more they knew the more they discovered their ignorance and always as they grew elder they grew wiser How much more sensible would they have been of their defects in the knowledg of spiritual things if they had in a little measure been acquainted with the mysteries of godliness that pass all understanding and are so much from humane sense and above the capacities of our reason Prov. 30. 3. Agur said I neither learned wisdom nor have the knowledg of the holy There is very much yet to be learned of God and of his ways Many think they know all that can be taught them David a great Prophet a man after Gods own heart yet is earnest that God would teach him his statutes 3 The lesson or matter to be taught Thy Statutes so he calls the Word because the Doctrines of it have the force of a Law published they do unalterably bind and that the soul and conscience and therefore the Precepts Counsels and Doctrines of the Word are all called statutes The Point is Doct. If we would know Gods statutes so as to keep them we must be taught of God Here I shall enquire 1. What it is or how doth God teach us 2. The necessity of this teaching 3. The benefit and utility of it First How doth God teach us Outwardly by his Ordinance by the Ministry of man Inwardly by the inspiration and work of the Holy Ghost 1. The outward teaching is Gods teaching because it is an Ordinance which is appointed by him now both these must ever go together external and internal teaching Despise not Prophecy Quench not the Spirit If you would have any enlightning and quickning of the Spirit you must not despise Prophecy We teach you here and God blesseth Jesus Christ when he comes to teach his Disciples first he openeth the Scripture Luk. 24. 37. And then v. 45. he opened their understandings Of Lydia it is said God opened her heart in attending to the things spoken by Paul Act. 16. 14. She was attending and then God openeth her heart When the Eunuch was reading then God sends an Interpreter The outward means are necessary it is Gods teaching in part but the inward grace especially Both these must go together for it is said Ioh. 6. 45. Every man that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me There must be a hearing of the Word and so there is a teaching from God But 2. The inward teaching which is the work of the Spirit that needs most to be opened What is that it consists in two things 1 When God infuseth light into the understanding so as we come to apprehend the things of God in a spiritual manner Psal. 36. 9. In thy light shall we see light There is no discerning spiritual things spiritually but in Gods light There may be a literal instruction which one man may give to another But in thy light only shall we see light such a lively affective knowledg as disposeth the heart for the enjoyment of God There is a seeing and a seeing in seeing Isa. 6. 10. Lest in seeing they shall see A man may see a truth rationally that doth not see it spiritually now when we have the Spirits light then in seeing we see Or as the Apostle calls it Col. 1. 6. A knowing of the grace of God in truth Since you did not only take up the report but feel it and had some experience of it in your hearts Again 2 Gods teaching it consisteth not only in enlightning the understanding but in moving and inclining the heart and the will for Gods teaching is always accompanied with drawing Ioh. 6. 44. No man cometh to me except the Father draw him which Christ proves v. 45. Because they shall be all taught of God The Spirits light is not only directive but perswasive it is effectual to alter and to change the affections and to carry them out to Christ and to his ways he works powerfully where he teacheth When the Holy Ghost was first poured out upon the Apostles there was a notable effect of it It came in the appearance of â—…ven tongues like as of fire Act. 2. 3. to shew the manner of the Spirits operation by the Ministry not only as light but as fire it is a burning and shining light that is such a light as is seasoned with zeal and love that affects the heart that burns up our corruptions And therefore you know when Christ would put forth a Divine effect in his conference with his two Disciples it is said Their hearts burned within them while he talked with them Luk. 24. 32. There 's a warmth and heat convey'd to the Soul Thus for the nature of this Teaching Secondly The necessity of this Teaching will appear in several things 1. If we consider the weakness of a natural understanding 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man receiveth not the thing of the spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned They must be spiritually understood There must be a cognation and proportion between the object and the faculty Divine things cannot be seen but by a Divine light and spiritual things by a
are some that a man had need teach them as he teacheth little children letter after letter and line after line little good done 2. In others there is a Grammatical knowledg but not a spiritual a repeating things by rote a talking of all that a Christian enjoyeth 3. Besides the Grammatical knowledg there is a Dogmatical knowledg when the truths of the word are not only understood but begin to settle into an opinion that we bustle for in the world An opinionative receiving of the truth is different from a saving receiving of the truth Many are Orthodox or have so much judgment and knowledg as to hold the Truth strictly but the heart is not possessed with the life and power of it Those are intended in Rom. 2. 20. An instructer of the foolish a teacher of babes which have the form of knowledg and of the truth in the law And such are described 2 Tim. 3. 8. Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof It is not to be imagined that this is always in design though many times carnal men swim with the stream and take up with the opinions that are currant in their age but also out of conviction of judgment there is somewhat of conscience in it A sound judgment is a different thing from a sound heart The truths of God have great evidence with them and therefore a rational man being helped with some common work of the Spirit may close with them though they have no experience of the power and prevailing influence of them 4. Besides this Dogmatical knowledg by which we see round about the compass of Truths revealed in the word there is a gracious illumination when men are taught so as drawn to God Iohn 6. 44 45. and they do so understand Christs Doctrine as to apply and make a right use of it such a knowledg as is called not only sight but taste 1 Pet. 2. 3. If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious and a feeling of what we understand Phil. 1. 9. And this I pray that your love may abound more and more in knowledg and in all judgment This sense and experimental knowledg is that which the Saints seek after 2. The Uses of this spiritual illumination And 1. To give us a clear sight of the Truths of God 2. An applicative sight 3. An affective sight 4. A transforming sight 5. Such a sense of the Truth as is prevalent over lusts and interests 1. A clear sight of the Truths of God Others have but an hear-say-knowledg gathered out of Books and Sermons and the common report which is made of Christ but he that is divinely enlightned drinks of the Fountain and so his draught is more fresh and sweet they do not talk of things by rote after others but it is written upon their hearts Heb. 8. 10. I will put my laws into their mind and write them in their hearts and so groweth more intimate and satisfactory and moving upon them 2. An Applicative sight not only knowledg but prudence Prov. 8. 12. I Wisdom dwell with Prudence Wisdom is the knowledg of Principles Prudence is an ability to apply them to our comfort and use that we may know it for our good Iob 5. 28. Many are right in generals but the Spirit doth not only reveal the Truths of the Gospel but applieth those Truths to awaken the conscience that was asleep in sin Many men that are unrenewed may be stored with general truths concerning the misery of man redemption by Christ the priviledges of a Christian but they do not reflect the light of these truths upon themselves so as to consider their own case and so it serveth rather for matter of opinion and discourse than for life and conversation it is not directive 3. An Affective sight Prov. 2. 10. When wisdom entreth upon thy heart which is the seat of affections it stirs up in the soul answerable motions to every truth Whereas when truths rest in empty barren notions without feeling and an answerable touch upon the heart the knowledg of them is like a Winters Sun that shineth but warmeth not the misery of man is not affective and Doctrines of Redemption by Christ are apprehended without any joy and relish 4. A Transforming sight 2 Cor. 3. 18. We all with open face 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. It is a Light that is both Directive and Persuasive A man may hear the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when it is only known as a rule not as a means to convey the Spirit whereas a believer hears the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle preferreth the Gospel above the Law in the forementioned place for comfortableness perspicuity efficacy c. 5. It is a Light that prevaileth over our lusts and interests such a Light as hath fire in it to destroy lusts 1 John 2. 3 4. He that saith I know him and doth not keep his commandments is a lyar A true knowledg and sight of God is able to bridle lusts and purifie the conscience Therefore it is said He that doth evil hath not seen God Eph. 3. 11. hath not a true sight whatever speculations he may have about the nature of God Other light doth not check and controul vicious desires Reason is not restored to its dominion Rom. 1. 18. the reputed wise men of the world held the truth in unrighteousness Truth may talk its fill but can do nothing as a man that is bound hand and foot may rave and evaporate his passions but cannot relieve himself from the oppressor or the force that he is under II. Reasons that shew the necessity of this work 1. Spiritual blindness is natural to us as that man that was blind from his birth Iohn 9. 1. We are not all born blind in body but all in mind By tasting the tree of knowledg all Adam's sons have lost their knowledg Satan hath brought a greater shame upon us than Nahash the Ammonite would have brought upon the men of Iabesh Gilead in putting out their right eyes The eye of the soul is put out so as we cannot see the light that shineth in the word By the Fall we lost the true and perfect light of Reason but retain the pride of Reason It is no small part of our blindness that we cannot endure to hear of it Rev. 3. 17. Thou sayest I am rich and encreased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Man desireth to be thought sinful rather than weak and will sooner own a wickedness in Morals than a weakness in Intellectuals Men are dishonest out of choice and therefore think there is more of liberty and bravery in it but to be simple argueth imperfection Job 11. 12. Vain man would be accounted wise though man be born like a
lusts and worldly interests The next reason is because they must be spiritually discerned that is to know them inwardly throughly and with some relish and savour there must be an higher light there must be a cognation and proportion between the object and the faculty Divine things must be seen by a divine light and spiritual things by a spiritual light Sense which is the light of beasts cannot trace the workings or flights of Reason in her contemplations We cannot see a Soul or an Angel by the light of a Candle so fleshly wisdom cannot judg of divine things The object must be not only revealed but we must have an answerable light so that when you have done all you must say How can I understand without an Interpreter Acts 8. 31. And this Interpreter must be the Spirit of God Ejus est interpretari cujus est condere To discern so as to make a right judgment and estimate of things dependeth upon Gods help 4. When this blindness is in part cured yet still we need that God should open our eyes to the very last We know nothing as we ought to know David a regenerate man and well instructed prayeth to have his eyes opened for we need more light every day Luk. 24. 45. Then opened he their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures Christ first opened the Scriptures then he opened their understandings USE 1. To shew us the reason why the word prevaileth so little when it is preached with power and evidence their eyes are not opened Isa. 53. 1. Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed No teaching will prevail till we are taught of God USE 2. What need we have to consult with God whenever we make use of the word in Reading Hearing Study In Reading when thou openest the Bible to read say Lord open mine eyes When thou Hearest beg a sight of the Truth and how to apply it for thy comfort Haec audiunt quasi somniantes Luther saith of the most In seeing they see not in hearing they hear not There was a Fountain by Hagar but she could not see it Gen. 21. 19. God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water and she went and filled the bottle with water and gave the Lad to drink So for Study it is dangerous to set upon the study of divine things in the strength of wit and human helps Men go forth in the strength of their own parts or lean upon the judgment of Writers and so are left in darkness and confusion We would sooner come to the decision of a truth if we would go to God and desire him to rend the vail of Prejudices and Interests USE 3. Is to press us to seek after this blessing the opening of the eyes Magnifie the creating-power of God 2 Cor. 4. 6. God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledg of God in the face of Iesus Christ. Make use of Christ Col. 2. 5. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledg Beg it earnestly of him the Apostle prayeth Eph. 1. 17 18. That the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledg of him The eyes of your understanding being enlightned that ye may know what is the hope of his calling c. Yea mourn for it in cases of dubious anxiety Iohn wept when the book of the seven seals was not opened Rev. 5. 4. Mourn over your ignorance refer all to practice Joh. 7. 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self Wait for light in the use of means with a simple docile sincere humble mind Psal. 25. 9. The meek will he guide in judgment and the meek will he teach his way Doct. 2. Those whose eyes are opened by God they see wondrous things in his word more than ever they thought Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law Law is not taken strictly for the Covenant of works nor for the Decalogue as a Rule of life but more generally for the whole word of God which is full of wonders or high and heavenly mysteries In the Decalogue or Moral Law there is wonderful purity when we get a spiritual sense of it Psal. 119. 96. I have seen an end of all perfection but thy commandments are exceeding broad and Psal. 19. 7 8. The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple the statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure enlightning the eyes A wonderful Equity Rom. 7. 12. The law is holy and the commandment is holy just and good A marvellous wisdom Deut. 4. 6. Keep therefore and do them for this is your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the Nations which shall hear all these statutes and say Surely this great Nation is a wise and understanding people In the whole word of God the harmony and correspondence between all the parts how the mystery grew from a dark revelation to clearer is admirable In the Gospel every Article of faith is a mystery to be wondered at the Person of Christ 1 Tim. 3. 16. Great is the mystery of godliness God manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit c. A Virgin conceiveth the Word is made flesh the redemption and reconciliation of mankind is the wonderful work of the Lords Grace It is the hidden wisdom of God in a mystery 1 Cor. 2. 7. We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world to our glory And 't is called the mystery hidden from ages Eph. 3. 9. The glory of heaven is admirable Eph. 1. 18. The riches of the glory of the Inheritance of the Saints in light That a clod of earth should be made an heir of heaven deserves the highest wonder All these are mysteries So the wonderful effects of the word in convincing sinners 1 Cor. 14. 25. Thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest and so falling down on his face he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth Heb. 4. 12. The word of God is quick and powerful sharper than a two-edged sword piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart It is a searching and discovering word John 4. 29. See a man that hath told me all that ever I did In changing sinners 1 Pet. 2. 9. That ye may shew forth the praises of him that hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light Peter's getting out of prison was nothing to it In comforting Every Grace is a Mystery to depend upon
that 's proper to the children of God Heb. 11. 13 14 15. It is made the fruit of their faith because they were perswaded of the promises therefore they confessed themselves pilgrims and strangers on earth The voice of Nature saith It is good to be here let God do with Heaven what he pleaseth Natural men are contented with their present portion and cannot endure to think of change and therefore though they are travelling to Eternity yet they are not pilgrims in affection But now Gods children are so in condition and in affection too they count Heaven their home and the world to be a strange place They are Pilgrims in affection in a threefold regard 1. Because they are most sensible of their frailty The frailty of the present life is a common lesson but not easily believed None have such a sense of it upon their hearts as they that are taught by God Psal. 90. 12. So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom And Teach me to know how frail I am saith David Worldly men though they are of this opinion and cannot deny it yet they do not consider it in seeing they see not their minds are taken up with other things they are not sensible 2. The term is proper to the children of God because they are unsatisfied with their present estate they would not abide here for ever if God would give them leave Wicked men are pilgrims against their will but Saints are ever looking for longing for groaning for a better estate Rom. 8. 23. We which have the first-fruits of the spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption the redemption of our body They desire and groan to be clothed upon 2 Cor. 5. 2. 3. The notion is most proper to them because they have an interest in a better inheritance Wicked men are sure to go out of the world but they are not sure to go to Heaven Now the children of God they know there is an inheritance kept for them here they have the right but there they shall have the possession 1 Joh. 3. 1. So that well might I form the point thus That godly men are and count themselves to be strangers and pilgrims upon earth Others are in a journey but they are not sensible of it and they have no home to go to and no desires to part with the world Now take some instances of this That this is proper to Gods children to count the world a strange place and Heaven to be their home Those that had the best right and the greatest possessions here they will do so Those that had the greatest Right Heb. 11. 9. Abraham sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange countrey What right could there be greater than that which was demised and made over to him by God yet in the Land of promise he lived as in a strange place So David here and in other places that had so ample a possession he was King over an opulent and flourishing Kingdom yet Psal. 39. 12. I am a stranger with thee and a sojourner as all my fathers were Not only he that was a wandring Partridg and flitted up and down but David that was setled in a Throne he that was so powerful and victorious a Prince But you will say possibly David might speak this when he was chased like a Flea upon the Mountains when he was hunted to and fro like a Patridg no but when he had peace and was fully setled in the Throne when he could offer so many Cart-loads of gold and silver 2 Chron. 29. 13. then he doth acknowledg Lord I am a stranger Jesus Christ who was Lord Paramount he tells us I am not of this world Joh. 17. 14. He was a stranger to his brethren and an alien among his mothers children Psal. 69. 8. He that was Lord of all had neither house nor home He passed through the world to sanctifie it for a place of service but his heart and constant residence was not here to fix it as in a place of rest And so all that are Christs have the Spirit of Christ and say as David in the Text I am a stranger upon earth We do not dwell upon earth but only pass through it But why do the children of God count themselves to be strangers here 1. They are born elsewhere Every thing tends to the place of their original as men love their native soyl things bred in the water return thither Inanimate things tend to their center a stone will fall to the ground though it be broken in pieces with the fall Wind that is imprisoned in the bowels of the earth raiseth terrible convulsions and earthquakes until it get up to its own place All things seek to turn thither from whence they came And so grace which came from Heaven it carrieth the soul thither again Ierusalem from above is the mother of us all Heaven is our native Countrey and therefore thither is the tendency and aim of the gracious soul that is born from above It is very notable the contempt of the world is usually made the fruit of our Regeneration 1 John 5. 4. Whosoever is born of God overcometh the world and 2 Pet. 1. 4. Made partakers of the divine nature that we might escape the corruptions of the world through lust There is somewhat of God in it then and that which comes from God carries the soul thither where God is In the new nature there 's a strong inclination which disposeth us to look after another world therefore 't is said Begotten to a lively hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. As soon as we are made children we begin to look after a childs portion There is another aim when we are born again then the heart is carried out to God 2. There lies their inheritance Eph. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places Why he hath blessed us with spiritual blessings in earthly places why is it said only in heavenly places There was their beginning and there 's their accomplishment The main thing Christ aimed at was that we might be translated to heavenly places Christ will set us high enough and therefore he will not give us our portion in the world that 's an unquiet place Here we are not out of Gun-shot and harms-way he would not give it us in an earthly Paradise there Adam enjoyed God among beasts he would give it us in the most glorious manner that we might enjoy God among the Angels The world is not a fit place Here God will shew his bounty to all his children it is a common Inn where Sons and Bastards are entertained a place of trial not of recompence Gods foot-stool and not his throne Isa. 66. 1. The World is Satans walk the Devils circuit Whence comest thou from compassing the earth Job 1. a place defiled with sin Isa.
shall a poor sinner do This is the duty exacted 2. The penalty that shall be inflicted Cursed is every one that continueth not in the words of this law to do it The Law hath a mouth that speaketh terrible things Cursed it is but one word but it may be spread abroad into very large considerations In one place it is said The Lord will not spare him All the curses that are written in this book of this law shall light upon him Deut. 29. 20. The book of the Law is full of curses and all together they show you what is the portion of an impenitent sinner In another place it is said Every curse and every plague which is not written in the book of this law will the Lord bring upon thee Deut. 28. 61. Mark though it be not specified in the Law God hath threatned sundty sorts of punishments yet he hath many plagues in store which are not committed to record or writing therefore whatever is written or unwritten revealed in the word or dispensed in Providence by way of plague and misery it is but the interpretation of this one word Cursed is he that continueth not c. However because particulars are most affective I will name some parts of the Curse 1. This is one part of the cursed condition of a sinner that is under the Law that the knowledg of his duty doth but the more irritate corruption Rom. 7. 9. The commandment came and sin revived The more we understand of the necessity of our subjection to God the more is the soul opposite to God Sin takes occasion by the Commandment as oppositions do more exasperate and enrage a waspish spirit 2. This exaction of duty doth either terrifie or stupifie the conscience he that escapeth the one suffereth the other Either men are terrified indeed all sinners are liable to it the conscience of a sinner is a sore place and the Apostle saith they are liable to bondage all their days Heb. 2. 14. as Belshazzar trembled to see the hand-writing upon the wall and Felix trembled to hear of Judgment to come so a carnal man is afraid to think of his condition and some are actually under horror and wherever they go as the Devils do they carry their own hell about them Or if conscience be not terrified then it is stupified they grow sensless of their misery and are past feeling Eph. 4. 19. and that 's a very sad estate and dangerous temper of soul when men have outgrown all feelings of conscience and worn out the prints of conviction These are the two extremes that all Christless persons are incident unto 3. There 's a curse upon all that a man hath as long as he continues in his rebellion and obstinacy against God He is cursed in his basket and store in his going out and coming in c. Deut. 28. 15 16 17. A man is cursed in his Table that becomes a snare his afflictions are but beginnings of sorrows It is a miserable thing to lye in such an estate If the curse do not break out so visibly sensibly it is because now it is the day of Gods patience and he waits for our return But mark Gods spiritual providence is the more dreadful when God rains snares upon men all the seeming-comforts which they have do but harden them in an evil course and hold them the faster in the bonds of iniquity 4. There 's a curse upon all he doth his duties are lost his prayers are turned into sin his hearing is the savour of daath unto death whilst he remaineth in his impenitency It is said Prov. 21. 27. The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind Though he should come in the best manner he can with his flocks and herds yet all will be to no purpose it is an abomination to God 5. Impenitency binds over a man body and soul to everlasting torment in time it will come to that Go ye cursed c. Mat. 25. 41. They are only continued until they have filled up their measure and are ripened for hell and then they lye eternally under the wrath of God Look as it is sweet to hear Come ye blessed c. so dreadful in that day to hear Go ye cursed c. Thus are the proud cursed that is obstinate impenitent sinners while they stand off from God Secondly Let me examine upon what score they are cursed 1. Every man by Nature is under the Curse for until they are in Christ they are under Adams Covenant and Adams Covenant will yield no blessing to the fallen creature Gal. 3. 10. As many as are under the works of the Law are under the curse c. Mark every man that remains under the Law that hath not gotten an interest in Christ the curse of the first Covenant remains upon him and accordingly at the last day he shall have judgment without mercy he shall be judged according to the terms of that Covenant for there are but two states under the Law or under Grace therefore while they are in a state of Nature they must needs be under wrath So John 3. 18. He that believeth not is condemned already that is in the sentence of the Law there is a curse gone out against him the man is gone lost condemned already 2. This curse abideth upon us until we believe in Christ. The Sentence of the Law is not repealed John 3. 36. He that believeth not the wrath of God abideth on him Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us c. 3. When Christ is tendered and finally refused then the sentence of the Law is ratified in the Gospel or the Court of mercy A Court of Chancery God hath set up in the Gospel for penitent sinners but then it follows This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men choose darkness c. When God shall tender men better conditions by Christ and they turn their backs upon it then is this curse confirmed USE 1. Consider how matters stand between God and us examine how it is with you Here let me lay down these propositions by way of trial 1. Every man by nature is in a cursed condition Eph. 2. 3. every man is liable to Adam's forfeiture and breach the elect children of God as well as others are liable to the curse 2. There is no way to escape this curse but by flying to Christ for refuge Heb. 6. 18. As a man would flye from the Avenger of blood so should we flye from the curse of the Law that is at our heels Wrath is abroad seeking out sinners now saith the Apostle O that I might be found in him 3. A sense of this benefit we have by Christ will necessarily beget an unfeigned love to him else we can have no evidence but the curse doth still remain and therefore it is said 1 Cor. 16.
will he would fain know what is Gods mind in every particular case Psal. 119. 161. My heart standeth in awe of thy word To offend God and to baulk the direction of God's word that 's the greatest terror to him greater than all other dangers Now such a man is less apt to misearry by the rashness and impetuous bent of carnal affections And he that fears God he aims at Gods glory rather than his own interest and so is rather sway'd by reasons of Conscience and Religion than of carnal concernments Many times the doubtfulness that is upon the spirit is because of conflicts between lust and knowledg our light is weakned by an inordinate affection to our own Interest otherwise we would soon come to the deciding our case by the word of God Now he that would fain know God's mind in every thing this is the man whom God will direct The 2. Qualification is the meek Psal. 25. 9. The meek he will guide in judgment and the meek he will teach his way By the meek is meant a man humble that will submit himself to God whatever condition he shall appoint This man God in his word will teach and direct The 3. Qualification mentioned in order to this is a constant dependance upon God Prov. 5. 6. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding In all thy ways acknowledg him and he shall direct thy paths O! when a man is brought off from this spiritual Idolatry of making his bosome to be his Oracle and his own heart to be his Councellor when he doth in the poverty of his spirit humbly and intirely cast himself upon the help of God and acknowledg him in all his ways then he shall see a clear direction what God would have him to do You have another place to this purpose Psal. 143. 8. Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk for I lift up my soul unto thee O! when a man goes every morning to God and desires the direction of his spirit and professeth to God in the poverty of his own spirit that he knows not how to guide his way for that day then God will teach him the way he shall walk So Psal. 25. 4 5. Shew me thy ways O Lord teach me thy paths what 's his argument on thee do I wait all the day When you live in a constant dependance upon God then will the Lord undertake to direct and guide you 4. Obedience or Christian practice that 's one of the qualifications that makes you capable for direction from the word of God Joh. 7. 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God A man does not know whether this opinion or that be according to God's mind when there are plausible pretences on every side he that maketh conscience of known truth and walketh up to his light he that doth not search to satisfie curiosity but out of a through resolution to obey and submit his neck to the yoke of Christ whatever he shall find to be the way of Christ that man shall know what is the way in times of controversie and doubtful uncertainty he that will say as a famous German Divine If we had six hundred necks let us submit them all to the yoke of Christ he that is resolved to submit to the mind of Christ how contrary soever to his interest to the prejudices and prepossessions of his own heart he shall know the doctrine that is of God SERMON XXVI PSAL. CXIX 25. My soul cleaveth unto the dust quicken thou me according to thy word THE man of God in this Psalm had spoken before of the common and universal benefits of the word as it agreeth to all times and conditions of believers for it belongeth to all in what state soever they are to look upon it as a direction in the way to get true happiness and to stir up sutable affections in their hearts Now he sheweth what use the word hath in each special condition especially in the time of great afflictions David did often change states but his affection to the word never changeth Here is 1. a representation of David's Case 2. His supplication or petition thereupon Wherein 1. the Request it self 2. The Argument to inforce it 1. The representation of David's Case My soul cleaveth unto the dust The speech is Metaphorical expressing the depth of his misery or the greatness of his sorrow and humiliation 1. The depth of his misery with allusion to the case of a man overcome in battel or mortally wounded and tumbling in the dust or to a man dead and laid in the earth as Psal. 22. 15. Thou hast brought me to the dust of death Sure we are the expression importeth the extremity of distress and danger either as a man dead or near death 2. The greatness of his sorrow and humiliation and so the allusion is taken from a man prostrate and grovelling on the ground which was their posture of humbling themselves before the Lord or when any great calamity befell them Ioseph lib. 19. cap. 7. As when Herod Agrippa dyed they put on sackcloth and lay upon the earth weeping The same allusion is Psal. 44. 25. Our soul is bowed down unto the dust our belly cleaveth to the earth Suitably to which allusion the Septuagint render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the pavement And we read in Theodoret That Theodosius the Emperor when reproved by Ambrose for the slaughter at Thessalonica he lay upon the ground and humbly begged pardon using these words Adhaesit pavimento anima mea The meaning is then that in his dejected condition he would lye prostrate at Gods feet as a poor Supplicant and dye there The Point is That Gods children may have such great afflictions brought upon them that their souls may even cleave to the dust These afflictions may respect their inward or outward condition 1. Their inward condition and so through grief and terrors of conscience they are ready to drop into the grave That trouble of mind is an usual exercise of Gods people see Heman's complaint Psal. 88. from v. 3. to the end of v. 7. My soul is full of troubles and my life draweth nigh unto the grave I am counted with them that go down into the pit I am as a man that hath no strength free among the dead like the slain that lye in the grave whom thou remembrest no more and they are cut off from thy hand Thou hast layed me in the lowest pit in darkness in the deep Thy wrath lyeth hard upon me and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves Selah 'T was in soul and it was in his soul by reason of the wrath of God and that in such a degree of vehemency that in his own judgment and the judgment of others he could not expect to be long a man of this world little differing from the dead yea the damned So
been so long owned in the world and his knowledge so far propagated why should we dream of any other way of salvation To us there is but one God and one faith The good-fellow-gods of the Heathen could brook company and partnership but the true God will be alone acknowledged As the Sun drowns the light of all the Stars so Godwill shine alone No man can be saved without these two things without a fixed intention of God as our last end and a choice of Jesus Christ as the only way and means of attaining thereunto These things are set down in Scripture as of infallible necessity to salvation and therefore though there be several apprehensions and contentions about ways of salvation and righteousness yet there 's but one true Religion and all other ways are false Prop. 3. As soon as any begin to be serious they begin to have a conscience about the finding out this one only true way wherein they may be saved Alas before men take up that Religion which the chance of their education offers without examination or any serious reason of their choice they walk in the language of the Prophet according to the trade of Israel they live as they are born and bred and take up truth and error as their faction leads them or else pass from one Religion to another as a man changeth his room or bed and make a slight thing of opinions and float up and down like light chaff in a various uncertainty according as their company or the posture of their interest is changed But a serious and an awakened conscience will be careful to lay the ground-work of Religion sure they build for Eternity therefore the foundation needs to be well laid The woman of Samaria as soon as she was touched at heart and began to have a conscience she began also to have doubtful thoughts about her estate and Religion Christ had convinced her of living in Adultery by that means to bring her to God but now she would fain know the true way of Worship Joh. 4. 20. Our father 's worshipped in this mountain and ye say that in Ierusalem is the place where men ought to worship They that have a sense of Eternity upon them will be diligent to know the right way The same errand brought Nicodemus to Christ Joh. 3. 2. Master we know that thou art a teacher come from God He would fain know how he might come to God So the young Nobleman in the Gospel Matt. 19. 16. Good Master what good thing shall I do that I might have eternal life Though he disliked the bargain afterwards yet he cheapens it and asks what way he must take For a great while persons have only a memorative knowledg some apprehension which doth furnish their talk about Religion and after their memory is planted with notions then they are without judgment and conscience but when they begin to have a judgment and a conscience then it is their business to make Religion sure and to be upon stable terms with God Prop. 4. When we begin to have a conscience about the true way we must enquire into the grounds and reasons of it that we may resolve upon evidence not take it up because it is commonly believed but because it is certainly true not take it up by chance but by choice not because we know no other but because we know no better It is not enough to stumble upon Truth blindly but we must receive it knowingly and upon solid conviction of the excellency of it comparing doctrine with doctrine and thing with thing and the weak grounds the adversaries of the truth have to build upon The precepts of the word are direct and plain for this 1 Thes. 5. 22. Prove all things hold fast that which is good And 1 Joh. 4. 1. Try the spirits whether they are of God There must be trying and searching and not taking up our Religion meerly by the dictates of another The Papists are against this which argueth a distrust of their own doctrine they will not come to the waters of Jealousie lest their belly should swell and their thigh rot They dare not admit people to tryal and choice and give them liberty to search the Scriptures whereas Truth is not afraid of contradiction they first put out the light then would have men shut their eyes But what do they alledg since we are bidden to prove all things and to try the spirits That these places belong to the Doctors of the Church and not to the people But that exception is frivolous because the Apostolical Epistles were directed to the body of the people and they who are advised to prove all things are such as are charged to respect those that are over them in the Lord v. 12. and not to despise prophecies v. 20. and then prove all things v. 21. and in another place those that he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 little children them he adviseth to try the spirits all that have a care of their salvation should thus do Eusebius doth mention it as one of the errors of Apelles that what he had taught them they should not pry into and examine but take it and swallow it And Mahomet forbids his followers to enquire into their Religion Object But is every private Christian bound to study Controversie so as to be able to answer all the adversaries of the Truth I answer No it is a special gift bestowed and required of some that have leisure and abilities and it it a duty required of Ministers and Church guides to convince gain-sayers and stop their mouths Ministers must be able to hold fast the truth the word is Tit. 1. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holding fast the faithful word it signifies holding fast a thing which another would wrest from us we should be good at holding and drawing to preserve the Truth when others would take it out of our hands otherwise he tells us Rom. 14. 1. Him that is weak in faith receive but not to doubtful disputations Yet every true Christian is so far to be setled in the true Religion and study the grounds of it that he may be fully perswaded in his own mind Rom. 14. 5. and may not be like chaff but may be at a certainty in the way of truth Surely the business is worthy our serious care Eternal life and death are not trifles therefore be not rash in this but go upon sure evidence 1. The Providence of God doth necessitate us to such a course Because there are different ways propounded to man therefore he must follow all or take up one upon evidence Not only in point of practice as life and death is set before us Deut. 30. 15. and the broad way and the narrow Mat. 7. 13 14. not only to counterwork the rebellions of the flesh and the way of wisdom and folly Prov. 9. No but in matters of opinion and controversie about Religion there will meet us several ways Ier.
your selves in your father's anger when he seemeth to go cross to our prayers and hopes and gives to wicked men advantages against us Numb 12. 14. If her father had but spit in her face should she not be ashamed seven days When God doth not make good the confidence of his people rather the contrary the confidence of their enemies does as it were spit in their face then it is time to take shame to themselves and humble themselves before the Lord. SERMON XXXIV PSALM CXIX 32. I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart IN these words there are two parts 1. A supposition of strength or help from God When thou shalt enlarge my heart 2. A resolution of duty I will run the way of thy Commandments Where 1. observe that he resolves I will 2. The matter of the resolution the way of thy commandments 3. The manner how he would carry on this purpose intimated in the word run with all diligence and earnestness of soul. The Text will give us occasion to speak 1. Of the benefit of an enlarged heart 2. The necessary precedency of this work on God's part before there can be any serious bent or motion of heart towards God on our part 3. The subsequent resolution of the Saints to engage their hearts to live to God 4. With what earnestness alacrity and vigor of spirit this work is to be carried on I will run First Let me speak of the enlarged heart the blessing here asked of God The point from hence is Doct. Enlargement of heart is a blessing necessary for them that would keep God's Laws David is sensible of the want of it and therefore goes to God for it 1. I shall speak of the nature of this benefit 2. The necessity of it First As to the nature what this enlargement of heart is There 's a general and a particular enlargement of heart 1. The general enlargement is at regeneration or conversion to God when we are freed from the bonds of natural slavery and the curse of the Law and the power of sin to serve God cheerfully then is our heart said to be enlarged This is spoken of in Scripture Joh. 8. 36. If the son shall make you free ye shall be free indeed There are two things notable in that Scripture that this is freedom indeed and that we have it by the Son 1. That this is the truest liberty then are we free indeed How large and ample soever our condition and portion be in the world we are but slaves without this freedom As Austin said of Rome that she was Domitrix gentium captiva vitiorum the Mistriss of the Nations and a slave to Vices so vicious men are very slaves how free and large soever their condition be in the world Ioseph was sold as a bond-slave into Egypt but his Mistress that was overcome by her own lust was the true captive and Ioseph was free indeed 2. The other thing observable from this Text is That we have this liberty by Christ he purchased it for us this enlargement of heart from the captivity of sin cost dear Look as the Roman Captain said Acts 25. 28. With a great sum obtained I this freedom They were tender of the violation of this priviledg of being a Citizen of Rome a free-born Roman because it cost so dear and when the liberties of a Nation are bought with a great deal of treasure and blood no wonder that they are so dear and precious to them and that they are so willing to stand for their liberty Certainly our liberty by Christ was dearly bought One place more I shall mention Rom. 13. 2. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death The Covenant of grace is there called the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus and the Covenant of works is called the law of sin and death To open the place The Covenant of grace that 's accompanied with the law of the spirit the Covenant of works that 's the law of the letter that only gives us the letter and the naked knowledg of our duty Lex jubet gratia juvat 't is the law of the spirit and not only so but the law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus because it works from the spirit of Christ and conforms us to the life of Christ as our Original pattern Well then this law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus it makes us free This freedom though purchased by Christ yet is applied executed and accomplished by the Spirit The spirit makes us free and from what from the law of sin and death that is from the law as a Covenant of works which is therefore called a law of sin and death because it convinceth of sin and bindeth over to death it is the ministry of death to condemnation to the fallen creature Let us see what this general enlargement and freedom is from these places It consists in two things A freedom from the power and from the guilt of sin or the curse and obligation to eternal damnation The first sort of freedom from the power of sin is spoken of Rom. 6. 18. Being then made free from sin ye became the servants of righteousness There is a freedom from sin and a freedom for sin or a freedom from righteousness as it is called v. 20. When you were the servants of sin saith the Apostle you were free from righteousness To be under the dominion of sin is the greatest slavery and to be under the dominion of grace is the greatest liberty and enlargement Then is a man free from righteousness when he hath no impulsions nor inclinations of heart to that which is good when righteousness hath no command over him when he will not be held under the restraints of grace when he hath no fear to offend or care to please God But on the other side then is a man free from sin when he can thwart his lust always warring against it cutting off the provisions of the flesh when he hath no purpose and care to act his lust but it is always the bent and inclination of his heart to please God and this is our liberty and enlargement The other part of this liberty and enlargement is when we are freed from the bondage of conscience or fears of death and hell Every Covenant hath a suitable operation of the spirit attending upon it The Covenant of works hath an operation of the spirit of bondage the Covenant of grace hath an operation of the spirit of adoption I say the Covenant of works rightly thought of produceth nothing in the fallen creature but bondage or a dreadful sense of their misery it is called the spirit of bondage and every one which passeth out of that Covenant hath a feeling of it Rom. 8. 15. You have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear You had it
considerations do shew us our need of understanding and that a Christian should be prudent not headstrong and precipitant like horse and mule that have no understanding Psal. 32. 9. But wise and knowing in all principles actions and circumstances that belong to his duty if he would honour his profession and not follow the bruitish motions of his own heart but Gods direction Now if we would have understanding we must 1. Attend upon the word that will make us wise to salvation wiser than our enemies than our teachers than the ancients Than enemies A man that consulteth not with flesh and blood but the word and rule of his duty will find plain honesty at length to be the best policy Than Teachers Because he contented not himself with the naked rules delivered by them but laboured with his conscience to make them profitable to himself Than Ancients or men of long study and experience That 's a costly wisdom when men have smarted often they learn by their own harms to be circumspect If there were no other way to be wise than by experience miserable were man for a long time and would be exposed to hazards and foul dangers before he could get it But now Scripture which is not the result of mens experience but God's wisdom is not such a long and expensive way 2. Use much meditation in debating matters between God and your souls Psal. 119. 99. I have more understanding than all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation And 2 Tim. 2. 7. Consider what I say and the Lord give thee understanding in all things 3. Prayer as David doth here ask it of God Desire him to remove that darkness of spirit which sin hath brought upon you that you may not govern your life by sense and passion but by his direction Job 32. 8. There is a spirit in man but the inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding Man hath reason but to guide it to a spiritual use that is above his power The Psalmist complaineth of all natural men There is none that understandeth none that doth good to no one Psal. 14. 2. and Rom. 3. 11. There is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God Therefore 't is God must give understanding at first coversion Act. 16. 14. God opened the heart of Lydia and Acts 26. 18. To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sins c. by a fuller illumination Eph. 1. 17 18. That the God of our Lord Iesus Christ that father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledg of him the eyes of your understanding being enlightned c otherwise we have not an heart to perceive nor eyes to see nor ears to hear Deut. 29. 4. Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive nor eyes to see nor ears to hear unto this day 2. The next thing that I shall observe is this That upon the supposition of this benefit he promiseth obedience I shall keep thy law Doct. They that have understanding given by God will keep his law 1. That 't is their duty and they ought so to do there is no question for all knowledg is given us in order to practice not to satisfie curiosity or feed pride or to get a fame and reputation with men of knowledg and understanding persons but to order our walk Col. 1. 9 10. For this cause we also since the day we heard it cease not to pray for you and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledg of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledg of God 2. That they will do so is also clear upon a twofold account 1. Because answerable to the discovery of good or evil in the understanding There is a prosecution and an aversation in the will for the will doth necessarily follow practicum dictamen the ultimate resolution of the judgment for 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a bruitish inclination but a rational appetite God hath appointed this course to nature therefore when the judgment cometh to such a conclusion as is set down in the 73 Psal. verse the last But it is good for me to draw near to God not only 't is good but 't is good for me the will yieldeth For conviction of the judgment is the ground of practice I know conviction and conversion differ and the one may be where the other is not But then 't is taken for a partial conviction the mind is not savingly enlightned and thorowly possessed with the truth and worth of heavenly things the most and greatest sort of men have but notions a weak and literal knowledg about spiritual things and that produceth nothing they do not live up to the truth which they know Others have besides the notion a naked approbation of things that are good Video meliora proboque Deteriora sequor They see better things and approve them in the abstract but this doth not come to a practicum dictamen 't is good and good for me all circumstances considered thus to do This is the fruit of spiritual evidence and demonstration which always is accompanied with power 1 Cor. 2. 4. Carnal men think it is better for them to keep as they are being blinded with their passions and lusts though they could wish things were otherwise with them But a godly man's judgment being savingly enlightned determineth 't is good 't is better 't is best for me 't is better to please God than men to look after heaven than the world c. There is a simple approbation of good things and a comparative approbation of them Simple approbation is when in the abstract notion we apprehend Christ and pardon of sins and heaven good but when compared with other things and considered in the frame of Christian doctrine or according to the terms upon which they may be had they are rejected Many approve things simply and in the first act of judgment but disallow them in the second when they consider them as invested with some difficult and unpleasing terms or compare them with pleasure and profit which they must forsake if they would obtain them as the young man in the Gospel esteemeth salvation as a thing worthy to be enquired into but is loth to let go his earthly possessions Mat. 19. 21 22. He would have these good things at an easie rate without mortifying the flesh or renouncing the world But a godly man that sets down and counteth the charges all circumstances considered resolves 't is good for me as Boaz liking the woman as well as her inheritance took them both which his kinsman refused Ruth 4. 9 10. He would have the inheritance without the woman They like Christ and his laws as well
the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom the first in point of Order and it is the first thing when we begin to be wise to think of God to have awful thoughts of God it is a chief point of Wisdom the great thing that makes us wise to Salvation And it is added as an Argument of Prayer 1. Nehe. 11. O Lord let thine Ear be attentive to the Prayer of thy Servants who desire to fear thy Name The more any is given to the fear of God the more assurance they have of Gods Love and readiness to hear them at the throne of Grace The point is this Doct. That man is indeed Gods servant who is devoted to his fear There may be weaknesses and failings but for the main he is sway'd by the fear of God 1. What it is to fear God 2. Why this is a sure note of Gods servant because it removes all the lets of Obedience First what it is to fear God There is a servile and a filial fear A fear of Wrath which the worst may have Iames 2. 19. The Devils believe and tremble And a fear of offending which the best must have Prov. 28. 14. Blessed is he that feareth alway a reverend disposition of Heart towards God as our Soveraign Lord and Master yea as our Father in Jesus Christ. For the First of these 1. A fear of Wrath. Every fear of Wrath is not sinful it is a duty rather than a sin all Gods children are bound to have a tender sense of Gods wrath or displeasure against sin to make them awful and serious in the Spiritual Life as in Heb. 12. 27. Let us serve God with reverence and Godly fear Mark upon that account and consideration as He is a consuming fire that should have an influence upon our Godly fear And Mat. 10. 28. Fear not them that can but kill the Body but rather fear him which is able to destroy both Body and Soul in Hell The words do not only contain a description of the Person who ought to be feared but the ground and reason why he is to be feared and therefore it is not simply the fear of wrath that is sinful but it is the Servility and Slavishness of it Now what is the Servility and Slavishness of the fear of Wrath partly when our own smart and terror is feared more than the displeasing of God and they have a mind to sin but are affraid of Hell and it is fear accompanied with hatred Servil fear though it keep us from some sins as a Wolf may be scared from the Prey yet keeps its devouring Nature It is accompanied with hatred of God all that fear God they hate him and indeed they could wish there were no God none to call them to account they could wish he were not so Just and Holy as he is and so here lies the evil of it not so much as fear of Wrath for that is a Grace rightly conversant about its Object but as it tends to this hatred of God and partly too Servility lies in this as it makes us shy of God and run away from him rather than draw near to him as Adam ran into the Bushes to hide himself Holy fear is an awe of God upon the Soul but that keeps us in a holy Communion with him I will put my fear into their hearts and they shall not depart from me but that fear which makes us flye from God is slavish and partly as it hath torment and perplexity in it and so hindreth us in Gods service Fear hath Torment in it The fear of Wrath that is a Duty but Slavish Fear is such a fear of wrath which makes us hate God and shun his presence and afraid more of wronging our selves than wronging of God and such a fear that hath torment and perplexity in it that cannot serve God so chearfully 2. There is a filial fear a fear of Reverence This fear of God was in Christ as Mediator Isa. 11. 1. 2. Among other Graces there reckoned up which do belong to Iehovah the Branch to Christ Jesus this is one The fear of the Lord. Christ as Man had a reverend affection to his Father whom he served and this fear it continueth to all Eternity in the blessed Spirits that are in Heaven The Saints and Angels have this kind of fear a dread of the holy God and a reverent and awful respect to his Majesty It is an essential respect which passeth between the Creature and the Creator and can never be abolished Now this fear of Reverence consisteth in a high esteem of God of his Majesty Glory Power and in the sense and continual thoughts of his presence And then a loathness to sin against God or to offend in his sight to do any thing that is unseemly when God is a looker on What! can a man sin freely that lives in the sight of the holy God when he hath a deep sense of his Excellency imprinted in his heart This is that fear which is the note of Gods Servants Secondly This must needs be the note of Gods Servants because it is the great Principle that both hindreth us from sin and quickneth us to duty The fear of God is one of the radical and essential Graces which belongeth to a Christian. It is a mighty restraint from Sin The Beasts were made to serve men and how are they held in Subjection and Obedience to man The dread of you saith God shall be upon every Beast of the Earth Gen. 3. So we are made for the Service of God Now how are we kept in Subjection to God When the fear of God is upon our heart that will not suffer us freely to do any thing that is displeasing to God Exod. 20. 20. God is come to prove you that his fear may be before your faces that you sin not It is a great remedy against all Temptation of Gain and worldly Profit and temporal Convenience Look as that man that had a fear of the King upon his heart 2 Sam. 18. 12. Why didst thou not smite him to the ground saith Ioab and the man answered though I should receive a thousand Shekels yet would I not put forth mine hand against the Kings Son Just such a fear hath a child of God of his Heavenly King No though I should have never so much offered me to tempt me from my Duty No I dare not the Lord hath charged me to the contrary Or as when the Recabites were tempted to drink Wine Pots were brought before them to inflame their Appetite No we dare not These passages express the workings of heart in one that fears God though temptation be present and never so much convenience thereby yet how can they do this Wickedness and sin against God Use. It informeth us who are Gods Servants Those that have most of this fear of God planted in their hearts Nehemiah 7. 2. He was a faithful man and feared God above many And then that they express
in the Judgment in the outward case want of Liberty nothing falleth out without his Providence he seeth fit sometimes to exercise his People with unreasonable men for all have not Faith 2 Thes. 3. 2. that obstruct and hinder the course of the Gospel some that be like Elimas the Sorcerer enemies to all goodness Acts 8. 10. And this in Ecclesiâ constitutâ in the bosom of the Church where Orthodox Faith is professed where Magistrates be Christians and should be Nursing Fathers to the Church In Abrahams Family which Paul makes the Pattern of our Estate to the end of the World Gal. 4. 29. But as then he that was born after the slesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now these may prevail many times to the great discouragement of the faithful God may suffer it to be so for the punishing and trying of his People Acts 19. 9. But when divers were hardned and believed not but spake evil of that way before the multitude he departed from them and separated the Disciples disputing daily in the School of one Tyrannus Then as to the inward Case he may justly desert us in the time of Tryal when we should give a Testimony for him and take the word of Truth out of our mouths all these speeches Hide not thy commandments from me verse 19. Incline not mine heart to Covetousness Verse 26. And here take not thy Word out of my mouth and many such like relate to Gods Judicial Sentence in what he doth as a Judge upon our evil deserving he withdraweth his Grace and then we are delivered over to our own fears and baseness of Spirit Besides our own fault there is Judicial Tradition on Gods part which takes away the heart and courage of men Iob 12. 24. He taketh away the Heart of the chief of the people and causeth them to wander in a Wilderness where there is no way Now none can suspend Gods Sentence but God himself if he shut who can open therefore he is to be dealt with 2. God only can give us a remedy by his Grace and Power therefore our great business lyeth with him in regard of the power of his Providence by which he can remove rubs and oppositions 2 Thes. 3. 1. Pray for us that the word of God may have a free course 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it may run as Chariot wheels on smooth ground without rubs and oppositions There are many times Mountains in the way potent oppositions and strongly combined Interests that hinder the liberty of the Word but God can smooth them into a Plain Zack 4. 7. Who art thou O great Mountain before Zerubbabel Thou shalt become a Plain Opposition seemeth insuperable that great Mountain that obstructed the work of God was the Court of Persia instigated and set on by the Samaritan Faction a great Mountain indeed but as great as it is God can thresh it into Dust when it hindereth his Interest As to the inward Case it is God that giveth a Spirit of Courage and Fortitude and a mouth and wisdom which all the Adversaries shall not be able to gainsay or resist Luke 21. 15. He will give it us in that hour what we shall say so God encourageth Moses when he pleadeth his slowness of Speech Who hath made mans mouth or who maketh the Dumb or Deaf or the Seeing or the Blind have not 1 the Lord Exod. 4. 10 11. Whatever inclination of heart there be in the Creature it is God must give a Spirit and a Presence by the continual influence of his Grace he frees the heart from fears and ordereth the Tongue for the power of the Tongue is no more in our hands than the affections of the heart Prov. 16. 1. The preparations of the heart in man and the answer of the Tongue is from the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the gift of God that we own him and his Truth Use 1. Let then every Person be dealing with God about this case every single private person for himself and for publick Persons the Prayers of others are necessary It is a common case wherein all are concerned Col. 4. 3. Praying for us that God would open to us a door of utterance to speak the Mystery of Christ. Eph. 6. 19. Pray for me that utterance may be given me that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel They that are sensible of the weight of the Ministerial Charge and their own many infirmities and how much it concerns us to own all the Truths of God in their Season let us beg of God this boldness and set others a begging for us 1. Humbly confessing our ill deservings it is a sign God is angry when he suffereth his Gospel to be obstructed much more when the mouths of his Ministers are shut up that they shall not plead for his Interest and Truths It is a notable sign of his departure that he is not much concerned in the progress of the Gospel Gods raising spirits is an hopeful presage Oh therefore let us humble our selves before the Lord. 2. Earnestly For it is a Case that concerneth us deeply because upon our Tryal we should be strict and precise Phil. 1. 20. My Hope and Expectation is that in nothing I shall be ashamed but with all boldness own Christ It would be sad if the Gospel should suffer loss by us Alas What a torment to us will the thought of it be that we have dishonoured God and wronged Souls and strengthned the hands of the wicked Origen who had exhorted others to Martyrdom having himself bowed under the Persecution could never more open his mouth to Preach the Gospel though often requested to it only one day having taken for his Text Psal. 50. 16. Unto the Wicked he saith what hast thou to do to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldst take my Covenant in thy mouth he wept very much and could speak no more Oh therefore it is no slight thing 3. Deal with God believingly pray in Faith there are two Considerations in the Text which may fortify us 1. Because it is a Word of Truth 2. There are Judgments to be executed on the hinderers of the word of Truth 1. It is a word of Truth and that will prevail at length however it be obstructed for a time In the first publishing of the Gospel this was manifested when the whole World was conspired to shut the door against it 1 Cor. 6. 9. A great door and effectual is opened to me and there are many Adversaries A few Fishermen who had not the power of the long Sword yet it is spread far and near The Fathers often urged this Clemens Alexandrinus saith Propositam Graeciae Philosophiam si quivis Magistratus prohibuerit en statim perit nostram autem Doctrinam à prima usque ejus praedicatione prohibent Reges Duces Magistratus cum universis satellitibus illa tamen non flaccescit ut
2. In loving fearing praising serving God the noblest Faculties are exercised in the noblest and most regular way of Operation The Soul is in the right temper and constitution they are the highest Actions of the highest Faculties elevated by the highest Principles about the highest Objects The Objects are God Christ Heaven the great things of Eternity The Principles are the Love and Fear of God the Faculties Understanding and Will not Sensitive Appetite these exercised in thinking of God and chusing of God II. The second part of the Demonstration is That there is liberty given to walk in that way Ever since Adam's Fall every Man is a spiritual Slave under the Dominion and Power of Sin and Satan and the Curse of the Law but now where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. true Christian Liberty or a power given us to walk familiarly with God and chearfully and comfortably in his Service By Grace a Man is freed 1. From the yoke of oppressing Fears And 2. The Tyranny of commanding Lusts. 1. We are freed from the Bondage of Sin Rom. 8. 2. The law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus hath made us free from the law of sin and death John 8. 36. If the Son therefore shall make ye free ye shall be free indeed There is a Liberty in that which is good Psal. 119. 32. I will run the way of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart 2. We are freed from those Doubts and Fears and Terrors which accompanied the state of Sin Iob 36. 8. If they be bound in fetters and be holden in the cords of afflictions Job 13. 27. Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks Lam. 3. 7. He hath hedged me about that I cannot get out he hath made my chain heavy so that the meaning is I shall walk at liberty be chearful and enlarged in heart for I seek thy Precepts III. There is Liberty in that walking It is the fruit of strictness There is a twofold Liberty 1. Outward Deliverances out of Straits and Afflictions Psal. 118. 5. I called upon the Lord in distress the Lord answered me and set me in a large place And Psal. 18. 19. He brought me forth also into a large place he delivered me because he delighted in me So Psal. 4. 1. Thou hast inlarged me when I was in distress Affliction is compared to a Prison where the poor afflicted Creature is as it were confined committed by God and must not break Prison come out by the Window but the Door When we are let out by God upon submission and supplication urging the Satisfaction of Christ as we are sent thither by God's Authority so we come out by God's Love Now God doth this for those that obey him as all those Places manifest 2. Inward Confidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostom on the Text An holy Life is the ground of Liberty and holy boldness 1 John 3. 9. If our hearts condemn us not then have we liberty towards God We have delight and pleasure and contentment Till we defile Conscience we have a great deal of boldness and courage against opposition yea a boldness to go to God himself who otherwise is a consuming Fire Use 1. Is to take off that prejudice that we have against the Ways of God as if they were strait and hard and not to be endured Oh no all Gods ways are for our good Deut. 6. 24. The Lord commanded us to do all these statutes to fear the Lord our God for our good always And the Duties that he requireth of us are honourable and comfortable we never walk more at large than when we have a Conscience of them Man acteth like himself when he is holy just temperate sober humble Grace puts all things in the right frame and posture again it puts Reason in Dominion and maketh us Kings in governing our own Hearts and this breedeth sweetness and peace Pax est tranquillitas ordinis when all things keep their place then is there peace As when the Humors of the Body are in order and the Spirits move tuneably there is a chearfulness ensueth so the fruit of Righteousness is Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost If a Man had no Rule to guide him and God had left him without a Law yet if he were well in his wits he would prefer the Duties which he hath enjoyned before Liberty and of his own accord chuse to live according to such an Institution there is such a sutableness in all those things to the Reasonable Nature What do Men aim at Pleasure Honour or Profit For Pleasure Prov. 3. 17. Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace None have such a sweet life as they that live vertuously and as God hath commanded All the Sensualists in the world have not such a dainty Dish to feed on as they that have a good Conscience they have a continual Feast that never cloyeth You never come away from your Sports with such a merry heart as they come away from the Throne of Grace If Men would consider their Experiences after the discharge of their Duties and when stragling to carnal delights after saddest Duties there is a serenity in the Conscience Who ever repented of his Repentance 1 Sam. 1. 18. Hannah went her way and did eat and drink and her spirit was no more sad Prayer giveth ease but sensual Pleasures leave remorse and a sting If you count Liberty to consist in hunting after Honours and great Places can there be a greater Honour than to serve God Who hath the better Service he that attendeth on the uncertain will of Men yea of the greatest Princes or he that waiteth on the Lord Your Work is more Noble Prov. 12. 26. The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour What an unprofitable drudgery is the Service of the greatest Prince in the World in comparison of the Work of a poor Christian that liveth in Communion with God We serve a greater Prince and on surer terms Then for Profit Where is there more gain as to our Vails and Wages than in God's service Well then he that liveth holily hath much the sweeter and happier life than they that serve Covetousness Ambition or any other Lust. Certainly this should perswade us to put our neck under Christs yoke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 11. 29. His yoke is easie and his burden is light If it be grievous it is to the Flesh and we have no reason to indulge the Flesh Rom. 8. 7. The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can it be The Command to an unfound Conscience is as a light Burden laid on a sore Back Men that are soaked in Pleasures are incompetent Judges of the sweetness of the Heavenly Life On the other side What a miserable Servitude is there in Sin how disabled for their great End for which
ready to make Profession 1 Pet. 3. 5. bids us do it with meekness and fear Meekness respects Men Fear a care to approve our selves to God The Fear of Men is checked by the Fear of God Isa. 8. 12 13. Neither fear ye their fear nor be afraid Sanctifie the Lord of hosts himself and let him be your fear and let him be your dread Luke 12. 4 5. Be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear Fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell An holy Impression of God's Excellency and Greatness left upon the Heart is this Fear that carrieth the Cause clearly for God And as one Nail driveth out another the Fear of Men banisheth the Fear of God out of our Hearts We are obliged to none so as to God who hath the power of Eternal Life and Eternal Death What is a Prison to Hell a little vain Glory to Eternal Glory the Creature to God! 4. A deep sense of the other World When we translate the Scene from Earth to Heaven from this World to the next and consider who is scorned there received there or rejected there the Temptation is lessened The Apostle sheweth that a Spirit of Faith is at the bottom of Confession with the mouth 2 Cor. 4. 13. We having the same spirit of faith believe and therefore speak He that believeth another World and hopeth for it will never be cowardly and bashful but will confidently confess Christ and own him both in Worship and Conversation A Spirit of Faith cannot be suppressed but will break out and shew it self and not be ashamed of Christ his Truth and Ways Well then Christians should be ashamed of that Spirit of Fear Bashfulness and Inconfidence which keeps us from confessing Christ and owning his Ways Kings are more formidable by their Place and Power than the rest of the World but alas we give place to the meanest Men and the smallest opposition maketh us give out 2 Tim. 1. 7. We have not the spirit of fear but the spirit of love power and a sound mind The Christian Spirit is a sober Spirit that valueth all things according to their weight but not a dastardly Spirit a Spirit of Love and Power that owneth Christ with meekness and a due respect to earthly Tribunals and yet with courage as looking higher to the Throne of God 2. We must not be ashamed to own the Testimonies and Ways of God before any sort of Men in the World The Apostle telleth us Rom. 1. 16. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Iesus Christ. The Gospel is such a pure sure Rule and offereth us such glorious Hopes that we should be ready to profess it without being ashamed of it So he bids Timothy 2 Tim. 1. 11. Be not ashamed of the testimony of the Lord nor of me his prisoner neither of the Profession nor of our Companions in the Profession when they are under the greatest disgrace So again 1 Pet. 4. 16. If any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but glorifie God in this behalf It is matter of Thanksgiving not of shame David is an Instance when Michol scoffed at him I will yet be more vile 2 Sam. 6. 22. It is an honour to be dishonoured for Christ. The Primitive Christians when the Heathens reproched them Art thou not ashamed to believe in him that was crucified The Answer was I am ashamed to believe in him that committed Adultery meaning the Heathen Iupiter Affliction is no disgrace but Sin is But what danger is there of being ashamed of the Gospel since Christianity is in fashion Answ. 1. Sometimes the Simplicity of the Gospel is contemned by the Wits of the World and therefore they either muster up the Oppositions of Science falsly so called or else droll upon Religion and make it the common Jest and By-word 2. The stricter Profession of the Ways of God is under reproch Though the nominal Christian and the serious Christian have the same Bible and believe the same Creed and are baptized into one and the same Profession yet those that are false to their Religion will hate and scorn those that are true to it and among the carnal it will be matter of reproch to be serious and diligent Now though a gracious Heart can be vile for God yet others are afraid they shall be marked and accounted Precise or Puritans and so by resisting an imaginary Shame they fall into an eternal Reproch 3. It may be the strict sort of Christians are the poorer sort and though they be precious in the eyes of God yet they are despised by Men Iohn 7. 49. This people that knoweth not the law are accursed Have any of the Pharisees believed in him any People of Quality They shall be accounted People of no Port and Breeding if they are strictly Christian. Quantus in Christiano populo honor Christi est ubi Religio ignobilem facit coguntur esse viles ne mali videantur Religion is too mean a thing for Persons of Quality of their Rank Thus with many God's Image is made a scorn and the Devil's Image had in honour and serious Godliness is made a By-word Now to fortifie you against being ashamed of God and his Ways take these Considerations 1. The short continuance of this Worlds Glory Within a while we shall be levelled with the lowest and our Dust mixed with common Earth And shall we love the praise of Men more than the praise of God This corruptible Flesh must turn into a loathsom rottenness though now it looketh high and sets forth it self and would be brave and Lordly but the spirit must return to God that gave it to be commanded into unseen and unknown Regions 1 Pet. 1. 21. All flesh is grass and the glory of man as the flower of grass 2. God is the Fountain of Honour all Things and Persons receive an Honour by having relation to him Iames 2. 1. Have not the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ the Lord of glory in respect of persons Services mean in themselves are accounted honourable with respect to Princes The Reproch of Christ is enough to weigh down all the Honours in the World Heb. 11. 26. Esteeming the reproch of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt 3. If your hearts be sincere with God you will not be ashamed of his Ways For Wisdom is justified of her children In Luke it is All her children Luke 7. 35. They that have a Faith which is the fruit of Conviction onely may be ashamed Iohn 12. 42 43. Among the rulers also many believed on him but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God But that Faith which is the fruit of Conversion will make us courageous in God's Cause
sheweth that we are all Strangers here for if here we do not live for ever and yet we have Souls that will live for ever there must be some other place to which we are tending The Body is dust in its Composition and Resolution Eccles. 12. 7. Then shall the Body return to the Earth as it was Nature may teach us so much but Faith that assureth us of the Resurrection of the Dead doth more bind this Consideration upon us We are Mortal and all things about us are liable to their Mortality and therefore here we must be still passing to another Place 2. Here we have no Rest Micah 2. 10. Arise and depart hence for this is not your Rest that is hereafter Heb. 4. 9. There remaineth therefore a Rest for the People of God Our Home we count the place of our Repose Now there is no Rest and Content in this World which is a place of Vanity Misery and Discomfort Yea to the Children of God there are stronger Motives than Crosses to drive them from the World daily Temptations and our often falling by them Crosses are grievous to all but Sin is more grievous to the Godly and nothing makes them more weary of the World then the constant indwelling and frequent outbreaking of Corruption and Sin Rom. 7. 24. Oh miserable Man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death The Apostle was exercised with many Crosses but this doth make him complain in the bitterness of his Soul not of his Misery but of his Corruption which he found continually rebelling against God Many complain of their Crosses that complain not of Sin to loath the World for Crosses alone is neither the Mark nor Work of Grace a Beast can forsake the place where he findeth neither Meat nor Rest but because we are sinning here whilst others are glorifying God this is the trouble of the Saints 3. They believe and look for a better Estate after this life is over 2 Cor. 5. 1. We know that if our earthly House of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens No Man can be a right Sojourner on Earth who doth not look for an abode in Heaven for that which doth most effectually draw off the heart of Man from this World is the Expectation of a far better State in the World to come 2 Cor. 4. 18. While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal Heathens could call the World an Inn but they had onely glimmering Conceptions of another World A Christian that believeth it and looketh for it on God's Assurance he is onely the joyfull Stranger and the Pilgrim Common Sense will teach us the necessity of leaving this World but Faith can onely assure us of another they are Believers and Expectants of Heaven 4. They do not onely look for it but seek after it We reade of both looking and seeking Heb. 11. 14. They declare plainly that they seek a Country Heb. 13. 14. Here we have no continuing City but we seek one to come Seeking implyeth Diligence in the Use of Means all the Life of a Christian is nothing but the seeking after another Country every day advancing a step nearer to Heaven and therefore their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Conversation is said to be in Heaven Phil. 3. 20. This is their great business upon Earth to doe all to eternal Ends all other Works and Labours are but upon the bie and subordinate to this Their main care is to obtain this blessed Condition therefore they use Word Sacraments that they may grow in Grace Faith Repentance New obedience Every degree in Grace is another step towards Heaven Psal. 84. 4. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee in whose hearts are the ways of them vers 6. They goe from strength to strength every one of them in Zion appeareth before God Some of the Sains are in Patria others in Via still bending homeward 5. Because they are so the Children of God are dealt with as Strangers Difference of scope and drift will procure alienation of Affection 1 Pet. 4. 4. Wherein they think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of Riot speaking evil of you And Iohn 15. 19. If ye were of the world the world would love its own but because ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you Other cannot be expected but that the Servants of the Lord should be ill-rewarded and treated here not onely out of the Worlds Ignorance they know not our birth breeding expectations hope 1 Iohn 3. 2. Beloved now are we the Sons of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is but Enmity as the different Carriage of the one puts a disgrace upon the course of Life which the other do affect the one fixeth their home here the other looketh for it elsewhere and the World is sensible this is an Excellency and therefore those that are at the bottom of the Hill envy and malign those that are a-top Use. Are we thus minded There are two sorts of men in the World the one is of the Devil and the other is of God for all men seek their Rest and Happiness on Earth or Rest in Heaven Naturally Men were all of the first Number for the Rational Soul without Grace accommodateth it self to the Interests of the Body but when sublimated and transformed by Grace the World cannot satisfy it and it can find nothing there which may finally quiet its desires for the new Life infused hath other aimes and tendencies As Saints are new born from Heaven so for Heaven and therefore the new Nature cannot satisfy it self in the injoyment of the Creature with the absence of God The Apostle saith while at home in the Body we are absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5. 6 7. In this Life we are not capable of the glorious Presence of God it is not consistent with our Mortality And our being present with him in the Spirit is but a Tast that doth provoke rather then cloy the Appetite Rom. 8. 23. Our selves also which have the first-fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Body These Tasts do but make us long for more they are sent down from Heaven to draw us up to that place of our Rest where this Glory and Blessedness is in fullness Now which sort are you of the City of God or under the Dominion of Sathan and the power of worldly Lusts 1. There are some that take up here and never consider whence they are nor whither they are
Prayers should be mingled with a thankful sense and acknowledgment of his mercies Psal. 4. 6. In every thing let your requests and supplications be made known with thanksgiving Do not come onely in a complaining way Col. 4. 2. Continue in Prayer and watch in the same with Thanksgiving They are not holy requests unless we acknowledge what he hath done for us as well as desire him to do more Nothing more usual than to come in our necessities to seek help but we do not return when we have received help and relief to give thanks When our turn is served we neglect God Wants urge us more than Blessings our Interest swayeth us more than Duty As a dog swalloweth every bit that is cast to him and still looketh for more We swallow whatever the bounty of God casteth out to us without thanks and when we need again we would have more and though warm in Petitions yet cold rare unfrequent in gratulations It is not onely against Scripture but against Nature Ethnicks abhor the ungrateful that were still receiving but forgetting to give thanks It is against justice to seek help of God and when we have it to make no more mention of God than if we had it from our selves It is against Truth we make many promises in our affliction but forget all when well at ease 3. God either takes away or blasts the Mercies which we are not thankful for Sometimes he taketh them from us Hos. 2. 8 9. I will take away my Corn in the time thereof and my Wine in the season thereof and I will recover my Wool and Flax why She doth not know that I gave her Corn and Wine and Oyl and gave her Silver and Gold Where his kindness is not taken notice of nor his hand seen and acknowledged he will take his benefits to himself again We know not the value of Mercies so much by their worth as by their want 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A thing too near the eye cannot be seen God must set things at a distance to make us value them If he take them not away yet many times he blasts them as to their natural use Mal. 2. 2. And if you will not hear and if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name saith the Lord of Hâ—…sts I will even send a curse upon you and I will curse your blessings yea I have cursed them already because you do not lay it to heart The Creature is a deaf-nut when we come to crack it we have not the natural blessing as to health strength and chearfulness Acts 14. 17. or if Food yet not gladness of heart with it Or we have not the sanctified use it is not a mercy that leadeth us to God A thing is sanctified when it is à bono in bonum if it cometh from God and leadeth us to God 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. All things are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come all are yours for you are Christs and Christ is Gods You have a covenant right an holy use 4. Bless him for favours received and you shall have more Thanksgiving is the kindly way of Petitioning and the more thankful for Mercies the more they are increased upon us Vapours drawn up from the Earth return in showrs to the Earth again The Sea poureth out its fulness into the Rivers and all Rivers return into the Sea from whence they came Psal. 67. 5 6. Let the People praise thee O God yea let all the People praise thee Then shall the Earth yield her increase and God even our own God shall bless us When Springs lye low we pour a little water into the Pump not to enrich the Fountain but to bring up more for our selves It is not onely true of outward increase but of Spiritual also Col. 2. 7. Be ye rooted in the Faith and abound therein with thanksgiving If we give thanks for so much Grace as we have already received it is the way to increase our store We thrive no more get no more victory over our corruptions because we do no more give thanks 5. When God's common Mercies are well observed or well improved it fits us for acts of more special kindness In the story of the Lepers Luke 17. 19. thy Faith hath made thee whole he met not onely with a bodily cure but a Soul cure Luke 16. 11. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous Mammon who will commit to your trust the true riches When we suspect a vessel leaketh we try it with Water before we fill it with Wine You are upon your tryal be thankful for less God will give you more Means or Directions 1. Heighten all the Mercies you have by all the circumstances necessary to be considered by the nature and kind of them spiritual Eternal Blessings first the greatest Mercies deserve greatest acknowledgment Eph. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Christs Spirit Pardon of sins Heaven the way of Salvation known accepted and the things of the World as subordinate helps Luke 10. 20. Notwithstanding in this rejoyce not that the Spirits are subject to you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in Heaven Then consider your sense in the want of Mercies what high thoughts had you then of them The Mercies are the same when you have them and when you want them onely your apprehensions are greater if affectionately begg'd they must be affectionately acknowledged else you are a Hypocrite either in the supplication or gratulation Consider the Person giving God so high and glorious A small remembrance from a great Prince no way obliged no way needing me to whom I can be no way profitable a small kindness melts us a gift of a few pounds a little parcel of land Do I court him and observe him There is less reason why God should abase himself to look upon us or concern himself in us Psal. 113. 6. He humbleth himself to behold the things that are in Heaven and in the Earth We have all things from him Consider the Person receiving so unworthy Gen. 32. 10. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant 2 Sam. 7. 19. Who am I O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto Consider the season in our greatest extremity is Gods opportunity Gen. 22. 14. In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen when the knife was at the throat of his Son 2 Cor. 1. 9 10. We had the sentence of death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raised the dead who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us Consider the end and
with them to the House of God with the voice of joy and praise with the multitude of them that kept holy day To make one in the publick Assemblies and Societies of the Godly whereby God may be publickly honoured and Souls converted comforted and saved is to be a Companion of them that fear God and keep his Precepts 3. To love them and prize them and converse with them intimately upon all occasions that by this Society ye may excite one another to further proficiency in Obedience This is to be a Companion with them that fear God so the Prophet kept company with these good men that he had described that he himself might be confirmed by them and that he might aide and confirm them David said Psalm 16. 2 3. My goodness extendeth not to thee But to the Saints on the earth and the excellent in whom is all my delight That is his Love and Kindness was towards the Godly esteeming them more excellent and precious how mean soever in condition above the ungodly World how great soever their rank and quality be and taking pleasure in their Society them he valued and them he esteemed above all the greatest men in the World and in them was all his joy and delight So Psalm 15. 4. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. Mark these two opposite Expressions the excellent of the earth and a vile person Thus it is to look on things not with the eye of sense but Faith and Grace So Paul longed to see the Romans to be comforted by the mutual Faith of him and them Rom. 1. 12. Well then to be a Companion is to love tenderly to prize and esteem one another for the Grace of God which is in them desiring one anothers good especially spiritual rejoycing with them that do rejoyce and mourning with them that mourn Rom. 12. 15. praying for one another giving thanks for one another preventing the evil endeavouring the good of one another by counsel help and mutual assistence So that I am a Companion is that I contract a Friendship with them that fear God 4. To be a Companion with them is to own them in all Conditions and to take part and lot with them Revel 1. 9. I Iohn who am a Brother and Companion in Tribulation and the Kingdom and Patience of Iesus Christ. We must have a fellowship with them not onely in their Privileges but in their Sufferings not onely Companions in the Kingdom but Companions in the Tribulation and Patience of Iesus Christ. So Heb. 10. 33. Partly whilst ye were made a gazing stock by reproaches and afflictions and partly whilst ye became Companions of those that were so used in the one was their Passion in the other their Compassion in that they not onely suffered themselves but owned their Brethren when they suffered and did receive them and comfort them and stand by them So near is the Union and so dear and tender is the Affection of Christian Brethren among themselves So it is said of Moâ—… Heb. 11. 25. Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of Sin for a season Alas there are many Summer-friends to the Gospel painted Butterflies who are gone assoon as the Sunshine of Prosperity is gone Brethren do almost forget that they are Brethren stand aloof and are loth to own the Afflicted II. Reasons why David was a Companion of all the Saints 1. Our Relation enforceth it all that are in the Church are of one Kindred and Linage descending from one common Father animated by one common Spirit and knit together in the Profession of one common Faith in Christ and therefore must be Companions one to another As Natural Relation enforceth Natural Love so Christian Relation Christian Love To make this evident let me tell you Men may be considered in a twofold respect as Men or as Christians and Believers and so there is a twofold Love due to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1. 7. Brotherly kindness and Charity our common Neighbour hath the same Nature that we have and is of the same Stock for all come of one bloud besides our particular Relation to them either natural by Kindred Consanguinity or Affinity or Political as Members of the same Kingdom or other various respects of Benefit Vicinity or Familiarity 2. As Christians and Believers this is common to all of them that they have a spiritual Kindred as they are partakers of the same divine Nature or Image of God 2 Pet. 1. 4. which they have from the same Stock and Original Christ the second Adam 1 Cor. 15. 45. The first Adam was made a living Soul the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit and as they make but one Family Eph. 3. 15. of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named onely this difference there is between Christ and Adam we derive our original from Adam by the Succession of many intervening Generations we are not his immediate Children as Cain and Abel were but every Believer doth immediately derive his Life from Christ hath it at the next hand and besides this there is an immediate Communion by which every Believer is joyned to one another There are several particular respects which do vary the degree of Christian Love as Men are publick and private Persons some in remote Churches others in the same Congregation some excell in Grace others of a lower rank some more some less usefull in advancing the Kingdom of Christ. Thus you see the parallel between both these Loves Christian Charity supposeth natural Love as the Foundation of it for Grace is built upon Nature but also it sublimateth it and raiseth it to a higher degree of Excellency than Nature could reach for the Light of the Gospel doth not abolish the Light of Nature but perfecteth it as the Reasonable Soul compriseth the Vegetative and Sensitive We have other Objects see clearer Arguments and Reasons for Love Gal. 6. 10. As we have therefore opportunity let us doe good unto all men especially them who are of the houshold of Faith 2 Pet. 1. 7. And adde to Godliness Brotherly kindness to Brotherly kindness Charity 2. The New Nature inclineth us to it and this Love sloweth from an inward propension and cordial inclination needing no other outward allurement and provocation to procure it 1 Iohn 5. 1. Whosoever believeth that Iesus is the Christ is born of God and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him The same Love that inclineth us to love God inclineth us to love the Brethren also 1 Iohn 4. 9. As touching brotherly love ye need not that I should write unto you for ye your selves are taught of God to love one another God's teaching is by effectual Impression or inclining the heart it must needs be so because all Believers live in the Communion of
and suitable Object to our Souls in him is nothing but good God is Goodness it self he is one that has deserved your Love and will satisfy and reward your Love All the good we have in an Ordinance it is from him and to lead up our Souls to him Our business now is to love God who loved us first 1 John 4. 19. to love him by devoting our selves to him and to consecrate our all to his Service 4. To desire more communion with him and to long after the blessed Fruition of him when God shall be all in all not onely be chief but all When we shall perfectly injoy the Infinite God when the Chiefest Good will give us the greatest Blessings and an Infinite Eternal God will give us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory the Word Sacraments and Prayer convey but little to you in comparison of that when God is Object and Means and all things The Soul is then all for Christ and Christ all for the Soul Your whole employment is to love him live upon him Here we give away some of our Love some of our Thoughts and Affections on other things Christ is crowded hath not room to lay forth the glory of his Grace but there is full scope to doe it SERMON LXXVIII PSAL. CXIX 68. Teach me thy Statutes SECONDLY We come to David's Petition Teach me thy Statutes which I shall be brief in because it doth often occur in the Verses of this Psalm David's Petition is to understand the Word that he might keep it Teaching bringeth us under the power of what is taught and increaseth Sanctification both in heart and life as well as illumination or information Doctr. One chief thing which they that believe and have a sufficient apprehension of God's Goodness should seek of him in this world is Understanding and keeping the way of Salvation This Request is inforced out of the former Title and Compellation 1. Because the saving Knowledge of his Will is one principal effect of his Bounty and Beneficence As he sheweth love to Man above other Creatures in that he gave him such a Life as was Light Iohn 1. 4. that is had Reason and Understanding joyned with it so to his People above other men that he hath given them a saving Knowledge of the way of Salvation since Sin Psalm 25. 8. Good and upright is the Lord he will teach Sinners the way 'T is a great discovery of God's Goodness that he will teach Sinners a Favour not vouchsafed to the faln Angels 't is more than if he gave us the Wealth of the whole World that will not conduce to such an high use and purpose as this More of his good-will and special Love is seen in this to teach us the way how to enjoy him Eternal Life is begun by this saving Knowledge Iohn 17. 3. And this is Life eternal that they might know thee the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent 2. This is one principal way whereby we shew our sense of God's Goodness That 's a true apprehension of God's Goodness which giveth us Confidence and Hope of the saving Fruits of it When the oftner we think of it the more of Sanctification we seek to draw from this Fountain of Goodness That is an idle Speculation that doth not beget Trust an empty Praise a meer Compliment that doth not produce a real Confidence in God that he will give us spiritual Blessings when we heartily desire them True Knowledge of God's Name breedeth Trust Psal. 9. 10. They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee and more particularly for this kind of Benefit 'T is a general encouragement Matth. 7. 11. If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts to your Children how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give good things to them that ask him but 't is limited to the Spirit Luke 11. 13. If ye being evil know how to give good gifts to your Children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Spirit to them that ask it Without this Faith there is no Commerce with God 3. 'T is an Argument of the good temper of our Souls not to serve our carnal turns but promote the welfare of our Souls when we would enjoy and improve the Goodness of God to get this Benefit 1. They are affected according to the value of the thing Of all the Fruits of God's Goodness which an holy Man would crave for himself and challenge for his Portion this he thinketh fittest to be sought sanctifying Grace to understand and keep the Law If this be not the only yet 't is the chiefest Benefit which they desire in the World For other things let God deale with them as he will but they value this among the greatest things which God bestoweth on Mankind Observe here how much the Spirit of God's Children differeth from the Spirit of the World they account God hath dealt well with them when he bestoweth upon them Wealth and Honour Psalm 4. 6. Who will shew us any good but the other desire Grace to know God's Will and to serve and please him there is the thing they desire and seek after as suiting their temper and constitution of Soul A Man is known by his desires as the temper of his Body by his Pulse 2. They would not willingly sin against God either out of ignorance or perverse affections therefore if God will direct them and assist them in the work of Obedience their great care and trouble is over 'T is a good sign that a man hath a simple honest Spirit when there is rooted in his heart a fear to offend God and a care to please him He may erre in many things but God accepts him as long as seeking Knowledge in order to Obedience Eph. 5. 15 16 17. All that God requireth both for matter and manner is that we would not comply with Sin seeing the time is evil and full of Snares we should not be unwise in point of Duty 3. They have an holy Jealousy of themselves David desired to use every Condition well whether he were in Prosperity or Trouble The Context speaketh of Afflictions that were sanctified but a new Condition might bring on a new Alteration in the Soul Prosperity would make him forget God and Trouble overwhelm him if God did not teach him In what state soever we be we must desire to be taught of God otherwise we shall faile Phil. 4. 11 12. For I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content I know how to be abased and how to abound every-where and in all things I am instructed Unless the Lord guide us we shall be as Ephraim was a Cake not turned Hos. 7. 8. baked but on one side quite dough and raw on the other side faile in the next Condition though passed over one well 4. A Sense of the Creatures Mutability Comparing it with the former Verse I observe that
Father I have made known unto you 3. By our constancy in Prayer and earnest Supplication to know more of the Mind of God They will not be put off with other things God gave the Spirit to the rest of the Apostles but he gave the Purse to the Son of Perdition Men may have a fit of Devotion in their Prayers but their general Course is not answerable Matth. 6. 33. First seek the Kingdom of God if we seek it in good earnest we shall shew it in our Conversations and Demeanours Prov. 4. 7. Wisdome is the principal thing therefore get Wisdome and with all thy getting get Understanding This must be the chiefest thing that beareth sway in our Endeavours that we may know more of God's Mind in following our Suits uncessantly we must not be put off though God giveth other things you must not cease your Importunity Lord I expect something else from thy Goodness see Psalm 119. 132 133. Look upon me and be mercifull unto me as thou usest to doe to them that fear thy Name Order my steps in thy Word and let no Iniquity have dominion over me And Psalm 27. 7. Hear me O God when I cry with my voice have mercy upon me and answer me If we do not suffer this Desire to languish and die but still it be recommended to God daily my business is rightly to understand and perfectly to doe thy Will this is my one and great Request which I will ever and ever urge I cannot give over this Prayer till thou beest all in all and shewest me the utmost of thy Bounty We desire many things but we are soon put out of the humour as Children that seem passionately and pettishly to desire a thing but by presenting other things to them they are diverted and stilled but 't is not so with God's People As Naomi said of Boaz Ruth 3. 18. For the man will not be in rest until he have finished the thing this day So a Child of God will not be satisfied till his Desire be in some measure accomplished Secondly In what manner we should pray 1. With Earnestness slight Prayers bespeak their own denial Prov. 2. 1 2 3 4 5. My Son if thou wilt receive my Words and hide my Commandments with thee So that thou incline thine ear to Wisdome and apply thine heart to Understanding yea if thou cryest after Knowledge and liftest up thy voice for Understanding If thou seekest her as Silver and searchest for her as for hid Treasures Then shalt thou understand the Fear of the Lord and find the Knowledge of God 2. With Confidence he is wont to doe it for you Ask nothing contrary to his Nature we should come with a confidence of speeding there is in him a propensity and inclination to help us What would ye doe to an hunger-bitten Child if he cometh to you for a Knife or an Apple you would deny him them but not Meat to satisfy his hunger If for Bread to play with or Meat when he hath enough you would deny him not gratify his Fancy if he come to be taught his Book you would readily hear him So when we come not for temporal Things but spiritual Comforts when spiritual Comforts are not asked out of course and for forms sake yea not onely for Comforts but necessary Grace to doe his Will surely it cannot be that he should cast off them that love him and would fain be conformed to his Will that come humbly and long and pray and seek for his Grace 3. That this Confidence must be Evangelical he sets before his Eyes God's Goodness or Readiness to be gracious to all that call upon him so that all the hope we have to prevail should not be taken from any thing in us but something in God himself We must expect and ask Blessings from God for God and because of God's sake it is not for any good we deserve or have done or can doe that God taketh care of his weak foolish Children but for the glory of his Name his Grace and constant Goodness God is our Fountain our Reasons are his Goodness our End his Glory This is the true way of addressing our selves to God deprecating Sins for which he may harden us and remembring his Mercies on which we ground our Hope So doth David Psalm 25. 5 6. Lead me in thy Truth teach me for thou art the God of my Salvation on thee do I wait all the day Remember O Lord thy loving kindnesses and thy Mercies for they have been ever of old His eternal Love is assigned as the cause of all Psalm 23. 3. He leadeth us in paths of Righteousness for his Names sake Thirdly What should be the Grounds and impelling Principle of Prayer 1. A strong bent to please God and that all your Affections and Actions may be ordered so as to be acceptable in his sight Those that stand in awe of God are loth to offend him they may expect Direction and Light in all difficult Cases Psalm 25. 12. What man is he that feareth the Lord him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose Vers. 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant 2. A desire to injoy him for these things are valuable as they lead us to God Our solid Joy lieth not in outward things but in our Communion with God Psalm 139. 24. Lead me in the way everlasting And Psalm 73. 24. Thou shalt guide me by thy Counsel and afterward receive me to thy Glory Their Business is to be happy hereafter and well guided here that they may attain that Happiness Now there is an inseparable Connexion between our walking in the time of this Life and receiving into Heaven after this Life and he that is resolved to walk by the Rule of God's Direction may promise himself to be received into Glory after his Journey is ended So Psalm 43. 3. Send out thy Light and thy Truth to lead me to thy holy Hill They would fain take the nearest way to Heaven and follow God's Counsel in all things We have his Word continually to guide us in this way but we need also the assistance of his Spirit The promised Rest is much in their Eye and doth mightily prevail with them they would have God to be their Guide here that he may be their Rest hereafter SERMON LXXIX PSAL. CXIX 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy Statutes THE Context speaketh of Afflictions by occasion of Persecutions The Proud had forged a lie against him and involved him in many Troubles when in the mean time their heart was as fat as grease They wallowed in Ease and Pleasure but David kept right with God and yet his Afflictions do not cease God doth not presently take away Opposition because of our proud unhumbled unmortified Spirits though we hold fast our Integrity for the main therefore he comforteth himself in his
it for every thing which hath passed his hand carrieth God's Signature and Mark It sheweth that it came from a Being of Infinite power and Wisdome and Goodness but Man hath his Image and Likeness stamped upon him there you may discern God's tract and footprint but here his very Face In his first moulding of him he would plainly and visibly discover himself So again when this making of Man is explained Gen. 2. 7. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. Before we read that Man was created here we see in what sort his Body was framed with great Art though of base Materials a handfull of dust did God inliven and formed into a beautifull Frame But for the Frame within he had a more excellent and perfect Soul than God gave to any other Creature by the union of both these man became a living Soul Heaven and Earth were married in his Person the dust of the Earth and an immortal Spirit which is called the breath of God were sweetly linked and joyned together with a disposition and inclination to one another the Soul to the Body and the Body to the Soul When he had raised the Walls of the Flesh and built the House of the Body with all its Rooms then he puts in a noble and divine Guest to dwell in it and both make up one Man 2. The making of Man now is the work of God as well as the making of the first Man was God's hands did not onely make and fashion Adam but David he saith Thy hands have made me and fashioned me The Body of Man is of God's framing Psal. 139. 15 16. My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the Earth Thine eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect and in thy book all my Members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them Our Bodies you see there though the Matter were propagated by our Parents yet his hands made them and fashioned them God is more our Father than our natural Parents are our Parents know not whether the Child will be male or female beautifull or deformed cannot tell the number of the Bones Muscles Veins Arteries this God appointeth and frameth with curious Artifice so that of all visible Creatures there is none in any sort equalleth Man in the curious Composition of his Body whether we look upon the beauty and majesty of his Person or take notice of the variety nature and use of his several Parts with their Composition and framing them together with a wonderfull order and correspondence one to another as if they had been described by a Model and Platform set down in a Book So secretly and curiously was the Matter framed in passing through all the changes in the Womb till it came to a perfect formation Then for the Soul God infuseth that Eccles. 12. 7. Then shall our dust return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit to God that gave it God gave the Body too but especially the Spirit because there he worketh singly and immediately therefore he is called the Father of Spirits they do not run in the Channel of carnal generation or fleshly descent Heb. 12. 9. So Zedekiah swore by the God that made his Soul So Zech. 12. He formed the spirit of man within him The Parent doth instrumentally produce Man in respect of his Body yet the Soul is from God and immediately created and infused into the Body by him and being put into that dead lump of Clay doth animate and quicken it for the most excellent Imployment 3. Man that was created by God was created to serve him He formed us from the Womb to be his Servants as well as the first Man Isa. 49. 5. Adam indeed was appointed for this use all other Creatures were made to serve God but Man especially by the design of his Creation other things ultimately and terminatively but Man immediately and nextly God made all things for himself Prov. 16. 4. and Rom. 11. 36. For of him and through him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen Man is the Mouth of the Creation surely 't is but reason that God should have the use of all that he gave us that the Authour of Life and Being should have some glory by them that he should dwell in the House he hath set up he that made it hath most right to use it that we should glorify him with our Bodies and Souls which are his 1 Cor. 6. 20. Man is designed ingaged by greater Mercies furnished with great Abilities as at first endowed with God's Image he hath Faculties and Capacities to know and glorify his Creatour There are natural Instincts given to other things or Inclinations to those things which are convenient to their own Nature but none of them are in a capacity to know what they are and have and where they are they cannot frame a Notion of him who gave them a Being Man is the Mouth of the Creation to speak for them Psalm 145. 10. All thy works praise thee O Lord and thy Saints bless thee He was made to love and serve and glorify God The divine Image inclined him to Obedience at first 4. We are not now what God made us at first but are strangely disabled to serve him and please him Eccles. 7. 29. God made man upright but they have sought out many inventions There is man's original and his degeneration what he was once made and how far now unmade and departed from his primitive Estate his perfection by Creation and defection by Sin first made in a state of Righteousness without Sin and now in a state of Sin and Misery without Grace was created with an holy Disposition to inable and incline him to love please and obey God but now hath found out many Inventions put to his shifts Man was not contented to be at God's finding but would take his own course and hath miserably shifted ever since to patch up a sorry Happiness So Rom. 3. 23. All have sinned and are come short of the glory of God by glory of God is not meant his glorious Reward but his glorious Image Image is called glory 1 Cor. 11. 7. 'T is said of the Man That he is the image and glory of God as the Woman is the glory of the Man So compare 2 Cor. 3. 18. We beholding the glory of the Lord in a glass c. so here We are come short of the glory of God that is his glorious Image Hence it is that all our Faculties are perverted the Mind is become blind and vain the Will stubborn and perverse Conscience stupid the Affections preoccupied and intangled and we find a manifest disproportion in all our Faculties to things carnal and spiritual sinfull and holy In the Understanding there is a
becoming one heartily devoted to God thy hands have made me c. he would willingly return to his Creatours Service and glorify him with what was made by him I acknowledge that I am obliged as I am the work of thine hands to live in a faithfull obedience to thee Lord I give up my self to this work Mark this is a good Spirit he doth not beg his own Comfort but ability for Service that he might so know his Masters Will as to doe it Now this is Repentance towards God when we are heartily willing to return to our Duty more than to our Comfort Acts 2. 21. there is more hope of that Soul that rather seeketh Obedience than Comfort and where there is a resolved Will and Purpose to devote our selves to the Lord to please him and serve him This was God's end in his New Covenant Grace and Christ's end in Redemption to restore us to obedience as well as to favour and put us into a capacity of service again Heb. 9. 14. Purge our Consciences from dead works to serve the living God 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his body on the tree that we being dead to sin might live unto righteousness He died to weaken the love of Sin in our Hearts and to advance the life and power of Grace and Righteousness 3. There is implied in it a confession of Impotency that God cannot be glorified and served by him unless he be renewed and strengthened by Grace not by him as a Creature till he be made a new Creature or have renewed influences of Grace from him God permitted the lapse and fall of Mankind that they may come to him as needy Creatures and take all out of his hands Man's great errour which occasioned his fall was that he would live alone apart from God be sufficient to his own Happiness We greedily catched at that word Ye shall be as Gods Gen. 3. 5. the meaning was not in a blessed Conformity but a cursed Self-sufficiency Man would be his own God desired to have his Stock in his own hands and would be no more at God's finding Gen. 3. 22. The man is become as one of us to live as an Independent being Well then to cure this God would reduce him to an utter necessity that he might bring him to an entire dependance and might come as a beggerly indigent Creature expecting all from God putting no confidence in his own Righteousness for his Justification nor natural power and strength for Sanctification Gal. 2. 19. I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God The rigorous Exaction of perfect Obedience under the hazard of the Curse of the Law maketh them dead to the Law the Curse of the Law puts them so hard to it that they are forced to fly to Christ to be freed from Condemnation and the spiritual Nature of the Law as 't is a Rule of Obedidence driveth them to see there is nothing in themselves tending to Righteousness and Holiness to the glory of God without the power of his Spirit They that serve in the newness of the Spirit Rom. 7. 6. God bringeth us at last to this Matth. 19. 26. With men 't is impossible but with God all things are possible Well then when we are brought to see our Impotency we are at a good pass and lie obvious to his Grace 4. It implies an earnest desire after Grace and that is a good frame of heart when not satisfied with common Benefits David was not satisfied with his natural Being but seeketh after a spiritual Being What 's that he prayeth so earnestly for but an inlightened Mind and a renewed Heart and all that he might be obedient to God Thus we are more fitted to receive Grace A Conscience of our Duty is a great matter in faln Man who is turned Rebel against God and a Traytour to his Maker who is impatient and self-will'd and all for casting off the Yoke Psal. 2. 3. Well to have an Heart set upon Duty and Obedience that 's the next step the third was a sense of Impotency now this fourth a desire of Grace such the Lord hath promised to satisfy Matth. 5. 6. these open unto God and are ready to take in his Grace Come as Creatures earnestly desiring to doe your Creatours Will and in the best manner and will God refuse you Because I am thy Creature teach me to serve thee who art my Creatour 5. There is one thing more in this Plea a perswasion of God's Goodness to his Creatures This is the very ground and reason why this Plea is used Psal. 145. 9. The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works There is a great deal of fatherly care and mercy to his Creatures till by their impenitency persisted in against the means of Grace they render themselves uncapable of it The first battery which Satan laid to Man's Heart tended to undermine the sense of God's Goodness to the Creature as if God were envious Gen. 3. 5. Doth not God know that in the day ye eat thereof as if God envied their Happiness this the Devil would instill To have good thoughts of God is a great means to reduce us and bring us back again to him We frighten our selves away from him by entertaining needless Jealousies of him as if he sought our Destruction or delighted in it Surely he will not destroy a poor Soul that lieth submissively at his Feet and is grieved he can no better please him and serve him the man that had hard thoughts of God neglected his Duty Matth. 25. 24 25. I know thou wast an austere Master therefore I hid my Talent in a Napkin that is the legalism and carnal Bondage that is in us which makes us full of Jealousies of God and doth mightily hinder and obstruct our Duty The Use is to press you to come to God as Creatures to beg relief and help for your Souls this will be of use to us in many Cases 1. To the Scrupulous who are upon regenerating that are not sure that the work of Grace is wrought in them you cannot call God Father by the Spirit of Adoption yet own him as a Creatour come to him as one that formed you your desire is to return to him 2. 'T is of use to Believers when under desertions and God appeareth against them in a way of Wrath and all God's Dispensations seem to speak nothing but Wrath yet come to him as the Creatour Lord we are the work of thy hands if you cannot plead the Covenant of Abraham which was made with Believers plead the Covenant of Noah which was made with Man and all Creatures Isa. 54. 9. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more goe over the Earth so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee nor rebuke thee there may be a great
sincerely with him 5. It directeth us how to expect this blessing in what manner only in the way and manner that it is promised Zeph. 3. 3. Seek righteousness seek meekness it may be you shall be hid not absolutely but as referring it to Gods will There is the keeping of the outward man and the keeping of the inward man As to the outward man all things come alike to all the Christian is safe whatever becomes of the man the Lord will keep him to his heavenly Kingdome 2 Tim. 4. 17 18. That which the Christian desires mainly to be kept is his Soul that he may not miscarry and blemish his profession and dishonour God and do any thing that is unseemly I say we cannot absolutely expect temporal safety The righteous are liable to many troubles therefore in temporal things God will not always keep off the temporal stroke but leave us to many uncertainties or at least hold us in doubt about it that we may trust his goodness When we trust God we must trust all his Attributes not only his Power that he is able to preserve but his Goodness that he will do that which is best that there may be a submission and referring of all things to his will as David 2 Sam. 15. 26. If he say I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him do unto me as seemeth good unto him God will certainly make good his promise but this trust lies not in an absolute certainty of success However this should not discourage us from making God our refuge because better promises are sure enough and Gods keeping us in suspence about other things is no evidence he will not afford them to us it is his usual course and few instances can be given to the contrary to have a special regard to his trusting Servants and to hide them secretly They that know his name will find it that he never hath forsaken them that put their trust in him Psal. 9. 10. It is the only sure way to be safe whereas to perplex our souls with distrust even about these outward things that 's the way to bring ruine and mischief upon our selves or turn aside to crooked paths Well then you see what respect the word hath to this priviledge that God is a shield and a hiding place The word discovers God under these notions the word invites and encourageth us to put God to this use the word assures us of the Divine protection it directeth us to the qualification of the persons that shall enjoy this priviledge they that can trust God and walk uprightly with him and it directeth us to expect the blessing not with absolute confidence but leaving it to God III. The third thing I am to do is to shew this word must be applied by Faith I hope in thy word Hope is not strictly taken here but for faith or a certain expectation of the blessing promised What doth Faith do here Why the use of Faith is 1. To quiet the heart in waiting Gods leisure Psal. 33. 20. Our soul waiteth for the Lord he is our help and our shield If God be our help and shield then faith is quietly to wait the Lords leisure till he sends deliverance the word must bear up our hearts and we must be contented to tarry his time Isai. 28. 16. He that believeth shall not make hast will not out-run God 2. In fortifying the heart against the present difficulties that when all visible helps and interests are cut off yet we may encourage our selves in the Lord. When they were wandring in the wilderness and had neither house nor home then Moses the man of God pens that Psalm and how doth he begin it Lord thou hast been our dwelling place in all Generations Psal. 90. 1. What was wanting in sense they saw was made up in the alsufficiency of God And so here 's the use of Faith when in defiance of all difficulties we can see an alsufficiency in God to counterballance that which is wanting in sense So doth David Psal. 3. 3. Lord saith he thou art my shield and glory and the lifter up of my head Look to that Psalm it was penned when David was driven from his Palace Royal by Absolom when he was in danger God was his shield when his Kingdom and Honour were laid in the dust God was his Glory when he was under sorrow and shame and enemies insulting over him when the people rose against him and he was in great dejection of spirit God was the lifter up of his head This is getting under the Covert of this shield or compass of this hiding place 3. The use of Faith is to quicken us to go on cheerfully in our duty and with a quiet heart resting upon Gods love power and truth so David Psal. 131. 5. Into thy hands I commit my spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth David was then in great danger the Net was laid for him as he saith in the former verse and when he was likely to perish what doth he do he casts all his cares upon God and trusts him with his life Into thy hands I commit my spirit that is his life safety c. Use 1. Admire the goodness of God who will be all things to his people if we want a house he will be our dwelling place if we want a covert he will be our shield our hiding place whatever we want God will supply it There 's a notable expression Psal. 91. 9. Because thou hast made the Lord which is my refuge even the most high thy habitation Mark that double Notion a habitation is the place of our abode in time of peace a refuge the place of our retreat in a time of war Be it peace or war God will be all in all he will be a fountain of blessing to us in a time of peace he will be our habitation there where we have our sweetest comforts and then in time when dangers and difficulties are abroad God will be a refuge and a place of retreat to our souls Use 2. To perswade us to contentation in a time of trouble Though we have not a Palace yet if we have but a hiding place though our condition be not so commodious as we do desire yet if God will vouchsafe a little liberty in our service we must be content if he will give us a little safety though not plenty for here is not our full reward And therefore it is well we can make this use of God to be our shield and hiding place though we have not that ample condition which a carnal heart would fancy God never undertook in his Covenant to maintain us at such a rate nor thus to enlarge our portion if he will vouchsafe a little security and safety to us during the time of our pilgrimage we must be content Use 3. This should more encourage us against the evil of sin since God assures us of protection and
afflictions Again when Judgments are on our selves when God cometh nearer to us and beginneth to touch us with his hand we should relent presently To be sinning and suffering is the condition of the damned in Hell The Holy Ghost sets a brand upon Ahaz 2 Chron. 28. 22. That in the time of his distress he did yet trespass more and more against the Lord this is that King Ahaz If we keep our pride luxury vanity wantonness still our avarice coldness in Religion Sabbath-prophanation if we be not brought by all our afflictions to fear God the more such a brand will he put upon us yea our Judgments will be encreased and the Furnace heated seven times hotter as when the Child is stubborn and obstinate the Father redoubleth his strokes Therefore we are to beg his Spirit with his Rod that we may be the better by all his corrections Numb 12. 14. If her Father had spit in her face should she not be ashamed seven days So if our heavenly Father be displeased and casts contempt upon us c. Use 2. It reproveth those that triumph over the faln and declaim and inveigh against their sins but do not consider their own We should rather tremble and learn to fear from every Judgment executed though upon the worst of men and say Well God is a righteous God and whosoever provoketh him to wrath shall not escape unpunished But this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this insulting over and upbraiding others with their evil and afflicted condition is a-sin which God cannot endure and will certainly punish Prov. 17. 5. And he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished If God hath stricken them and the hand of Justice found them out we should be tender to them Prov. 24. 17 18. Rejoyce not when thine enemy falleth and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth lest the Lord see it and it displease him and he turn away his wrath from him Some read it Et convertat iram suam in te he turn his wrath upon thee Thine enemy is not he that thou hatest for a Christian should hate no body but he that hateth thee if we rejoyce in their evil certainly 't is a sign we hate them however we please our selves with the thoughts of forgiving them as not when he falleth so not when he stumbleth not at lesser evils that befal them Many will say They do not wish their destruction but a little evil they could be glad of which sheweth how rare true piety is God will give him like advantage against thee As the leprosie of Naaman doth cleave to Gehazi David when he heard of the death of Saul rent his Cloaths and wept and fasted 2 Sam. 1. 11 12. Therefore to feed our eyes with the misery and torment of others is no holy affection Iob disclaimed it Iob 31. 29. If I rejoyced at the destruction of him that hated me or lifted up my self when evil found him neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul. Revenge is sweet to carnal Nature but such a disposition as that cannot or should not find room in a gracious heart to evidence his integrity Iob produceth this vindication Though they that hate us be our worst enemies and should have spirits steeped in bitterness and Wormwood against us yet ought we not to rejoyce at the misery of an enemy Yea to mourn at their fall becometh us more if we would act as Christians and to fear because of it is an act of piety Therefore this old leven of malice and revenge must be purged out this being inwardly delighted when we hear of the fall of those that hate us When thine enemy falleth consider Either I my self am like him or worse or better than he If better who made thee to differ If worse thou hast cause to wonder thou art spared and to fear before the Lord. Let us therefore observe the Judgments of God executed according to his word Lactantius telleth us Quod non metuitur contemnitur quod contemnitur utique non colitur If the wrath of God be not feared it is contemned and if God be contemned he cannot be worshipped SERMON CXXXII PSAL. CXIX VER 121. I have done Iudgment and Iustice leave me not to mine Oppressours HEre is I. David's Plea II. His Prayer I. His Plea I have done Iudgment and Iustice Defensio est non arrogantia saith Ambrose he doth not speak this boasting or trusting in his own righteousness but by way of Apology and just defence 't is no pleading of merit as if God were his Debtor but an asserting of his innocency against slanderers There is Iustitia personae the righteousness of the person and Iustitia causae the righteousness of the cause wherein any one is engaged We may propound the Justice of our cause to God as the Judge of the Earth and appeal to him how innocently we suffer when we are not able to plead the righteousness of our persons as to a strict and legal qualification Psal. 143. 2. Enter not into judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Well then David pleadeth the equity and justice of his Cause and his right behaviour therein They cannot condemn him of any unrighteousness and injustice and yet endeavour to oppress him therefore he pleads Lord thou knowest where the right lyeth so far as concerneth their slanders I appeal to thee for my integrity and sincerity thou knowest that I have given up my self to do just and right things though they are thus forward to mischief I have â—…one them no wrong Hear me O God of my righteousness Psal. 4. 1. They that look to be protected by God must look that they have a good Cause and handle that Cause well otherwise we make him the Patron of sin when we suffer as evil Doers 't is the Devil's Cross not Christ's that we take up But let us see how David expresseth his innocency I have done Iudgment and Iustice these two words are often joined together in Scripture When God is spoken of 't is said of him Psal. 33. 5. He loveth righteousness and judgment and in the 2 Sam. 8. 15. 't is said that David executed judgment and justice over all Israel Muis distinguisheth them thus Iudicium adversus sceleratos Iustitia erga bonos Judgment in punishing the wicked Justice in rewarding the good Besides that David speaketh not here as a King but as a poor oppressed man The words will hardly admit of that Notion Some think they are only put to encrease the sense I have done Judgment justly exactly I suppose the one referreth to the Law or Rule it self according to which every one is to do right that is judgment a clear knowledg of what ought to be done the other referreth to the action that followeth thereupon So that Judgment is a doing of what we know an acting according to received light Ezek. 18. 5. Do that which
against troubles Besides maintenance there is protection in the promise If we had Faith to believe this it would effectually quiet our minds in all our necessities and streights and perplexities Man can do much bring them low even to a morsel of bread we need not much desire the best things of the world nor fear the worst need not be covetous nor fearful Where Faith is in any life and strength it moderateth our desires and fears 'T is an ill part of a Believer to hang the head II. Second Point from that Clause David's eyes were to Gods salvation That Gods word being past his people do and must wait for the accomplishment of it The lifting up of the eyes implies three things Faith Hope and Patience all which do make up the Duty of waiting for help and relief from God 1. The lifting up the eyes implies Faith and confident perswasion that God is ready and willing to help us 2 Chron. 20. 12. But our eyes are unto thee Psal. 123. 1 2. Unto thee I lift mine eyes O thou that dwellest in the Heavens The very lifting up of the bodily eye towards Heaven is an expression of this inward trust so David in effect saith From thee Lord I expect relief and the fulfilling of thy promises So that there is Faith in it that Faith which is the evidence of things not seen How great soever the darkness of our calamities be though the Clouds of present troubles thicken about us and hide the Lords care and loving kindness from us yet Faith must look through all to his power and constancy of truth and love The eye of Faith is a clear piercing Eagle eye Heb. 11. 27. Moses endured as seeing him that was invisible A man is very short-sighted before 2 Pet. 1. 9. He that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off can only skill in the things of sense and reason see a danger near him as Beasts or a bait while 't is before him a Brute thinketh of no other or else goeth by probabilities as it seeth things by the light of reason in their causes But Faith seeth things afar off in the promises Heb. 11. 13. at a greater distance than the eye of Nature can reach to take it either for the eye of the body or the mind Faith will draw comfort not only from what is invisible at present but not to come for a long time 't is future as well as invisible its supports lye in the other world and are yet to come 2. There is hope in it for what a man hopeth for he will look for it if he can see it a coming The earnest expectation of the Creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. 19. the stretching forth of the head Iudg. 5. 28. They looked out at the window and cried through the Lattice Why is his Chariot so long a coming So by spiritual hope there is a lifting up of the eyes or a looking out for what God hath promised or an intent observing all together Our conversation is in Heaven from whence we look for a Saviour Phil. 3. 20. Faith keepeth the eye of the mind fixed upon the promise and is ever looking out for deliverance Psal. 121. 1 2. I will lift mine eyes to the Hills from whence cometh my help my help cometh from the Lord which made Heaven and Earth Thence they look and wait for succour it must come out of Heaven to them They see it they can spy a Cloud a coming that which a man careth not for he doth not look for David saith I will pray and look up Psal. 5. 3. Hope hath expectation of the thing or object hoped for 3. There is patience in it in persevering and keeping on our looking till mercy come With faith and ardency in expecting Gods help Looking and waiting is to be conjoined notwithstanding difficulties till it procure deliverance Psal. 123. 2. Our eyes wait on the Lord who will have mercy on us This lifting up of the eyes doth not imply a glance or once looking to Heaven but that we keep looking till God doth help Isai. 8. 17. I will wait on the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Iacob and I will look for him There is a constant depending and patient attending upon God notwithstanding the present tokens of his wrath and displeasure As a man withdraweth himself from a party and will not be seen of him nor spoken to by him but the resolute Suitor tarrieth to meet and speak with him So Mic. 7. 7. Therefore I will look unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my salvation My God will hear me Not give over upon every discouragement as a Merchant doth not discontinue trading for every loss at Sea Certainly 't is not faith and hope unless we can endure and bear out Natural courage will bear out for a while but not long A little touch breaketh a bubble and a sleight natural expectation is soon discouraged but to hope against hope to pray when God forbids praying to keep waiting when we have not only difficulties in the World but seeming disappointments from Heaven it self when the promise and Christ seem to be parting from you and refuse you yet then to say I will not let thee go until thou bless me as Iacob said to the Angel Gen. 32. 25 26. when God saith let me alone Use. Let us turn our selves towards God for help and have our eyes on him and keep them there Psal. 141. 8. But mine eyes are unto thee O God the Lord in thee is my trust leave not my soul destitute Let us not give way to discouragements though God delay us so long till all our carnal provisions are spent no Meal in the Barrel nor Oil in the Cruise and we are brought to the last Morsel of Bread though brought to complain for pity to them that will shew none but pour Vinegar into our Wounds yea till our spiritual provisions be spent faith will hold out no longer hope can do us no service patience lost and clear gone we fall a questioning Gods love and care I say Though we grow weary let us strive against it acquaint God with it renew Faith in the word of promise There is an holy obstinacy in believing To get this eye of Faith 1. There is need of the Spirits enlightening Nature is short-sighted 2 Pet. 1. 9. A man cannot look into the other world till his eyes be opened by the Spirit of God Ephes. 1. 17 18. The Father of Glory give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints There needs spiritual eye-salve to get this piercing eye to look through the Curtain of the Clouds 2. When your eye is opened you must keep your eye clear from the suffusions of lust
of preservation He is Lord alone because he preserveth all things Neh. 9. 6. Thou even thou O Lord alone thou hast made heaven and the heaven of heavens with all their host the earth and all things that are therein the sea and all that is therein and thou preservest them all At whose Table are we fed at whose cost and expence are we maintained upon whom do we depend every moment for being and operation Acts 17. 28. In him we live and move and have our being Heb. 1. 3. He upholdeth all things by the word of his power he doth every moment continue what he gave at first Things were not made that they should act and subsist of themselves as the house abideth when the Inhabitant is dead and gone A daily influence is necessary As the Beams depend on the Sun so do we every moment upon God every day we are bound to serve him If God should turn us off for preservation to our selves how soon should we return to our original nothing God is disengaged if we serve him not If out of indulgence he continues our Beings what vile ingratitude is it not to serve him Isai. 1. 3. The Oxe knoweth his Owner and the Ass his Masters Crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Would you maintain a Servant to do his own work Since we live upon God we should live to him 3. A right by redemption 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. And ye are not your own for ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which is Gods If a man had bought another out of slavery all his time and strength and service belonged to the Buyer Christ hath bought us from the worst slavery with the greatest price and shall we rob him of his purchase This was his end he did not redeem us to our selves but to God not to live as we list to exempt us from his dominion that is impossible Saul promised to make him free in Israel that would destroy Goliah 1 Sam. 16. 25. But to be free from Gods dominion cannot be that was not Christs end in redeeming us but that we might be put into a capacity to serve God Well then when God hath such a right in us we ought to obey him Secondly Consider what an honour 't is to be Gods servants Servire Deo regnare est The meanest Offices about a Prince are honourable No such honourable employment as Gods service both in respect of the person whom we serve the Great God and the service it self 't is a service of righteousness and holiness Luke 1. 74. This is no drudgery our Natures are ennobled the liberty and perfection of humane Nature is preserved by this service And then for the quality of our reward there is no such wages no such reward in any service Iohn 12. 26. And where I am there shall my servant be If any man serve me him will my father honour Here is true honour fitted for great spirits that will not stoop to trifles and indeed Gods servant is the only great spirit The most eminent Servants in the Court of Kings have but a splendid and more gaudy slavery in comparison of God Thirdly What an happiness as well as an honour both in respect of our present Communion with him and future Fruition of him The Queen of Sheba said of Solomon's servants 1 Kings 10. 8. Happy are the men and happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and that hear thy wisdom Happy those indeed that serve God they are friend-servants Iohn 15. 15. Henceforth I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I call you friends for all things that I have heard of my father I have made known unto you In regard of intimate Communion they are treated as Sons though they be servants Now 't is very comfortable to be taken into Gods bosome and to have access to him upon all occasions Besides the reward and wages in the life to come Gods Servants have great Vales Our Earnest is better than the Worlds Wages Consider Fourthly What an hard master we were under before Rom. 6. 17. But God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin You have obeyed many masters Tit. 3. 3. Ye were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures You that were at the beck of every bruitish lust and were carried to and fro with so many contrary passions and affections that have left so many wounds in your Consciences alarmed by terrours every day when you denied your selves nothing thought nothing too much or too dear to spend or part with in a sinful course Fifthly If once we come to chuse his service we shall find a difference between the Lord and other Masters 2 Chron. 12. 8. Nevertheless they shall be his servants that they may know my service and the service of the Kingdoms of the Countries The sorrow of the one the sweetness of the other the misery of the one the blessedness of the other the bondage of the one the liberty of the other they that forsake or refuse Gods service shall soon find worse masters God hath ways enough to punish our stragling from Duty and slighting his service either by putting us under hard task-masters some that shall turn the edge of authority against us push with the horns of a Lamb a barbarous enemy making us to be mutual oppressours of each other or by giving us over to Satans power or our own hearts Iusts Sixthly Christs service is not hard nor heavy Matth. 11. 28. My yoke is easie and my burthen light notwithstanding all your prejudices against it These men live as they list they think this a sweet liberty to be guided by their own wisdom and live according to their own wills according to their own ends and that it 's better than to be curbed Psal. 2. 3. But after a little while they have other thoughts they will find the bitterness of such a Course On the contrary the more we try the service of God the sweeter we shall find it to be 1 Iohn 5. 3. And his Commandments are not grievous And Prov. 3. 17. Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace Our work is wages and our very work carrieth a reward in the bosome of it So sweet and comfortable it is Now for directions 1. If we would be Gods servants we must sincerely wholly and absolutely give up our selves to do his will and never more to look upon our selves as our own masters to do what we please but wholly to study what will please God Isai. 56. 6. they joined themselves to the Lord to serve him to love the name of the Lord and be his Servants Rom. 6. 16. Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey There is a solemn dedication made we take up his service
house as he that hath none If the Spirit of God be thy master thou shalt learn though never so blockish 3. Wisdom stands upon the Threshold or at the Door of Gods Word as ready to open the treasures of knowledge The entrance of thy word giveth light No sooner is a Soul entred into the Spirits School but he becometh a Proficient on first acquaintance with Scriptures he seeth great light Yea she sendeth abroad to invite Comers Prov. 9. 3 4 5. She hath sent forth her maidens she crieth upon the highest places of the City Whoso is simple let him come in hither as for him that wanteth understanding she saith to him Come eat of my Bread and drink of the Wine which I have mingled Therefore go on with thy Duty He that sent an Interpreter to the Eunuch to guide him when reading part of Isaiah's Prophecy which he understood not will direct and guide thee in the knowledge of all necessary truths Psal. 25. 8 9. Prov. 2. 2 3 4 5. 4. It is a good advantage to be sensible of our blindness Rev. 3. 17 18. Because thou sayest I am rich and encreased with goods and stand in need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked I counsel thee to buy of me Gold tried in the fire that thou mayest be rich and white raiment that thou mayest be cloathed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve that thou mayest see The first thing a man seeth is his own blindness nakedness and wretchedness Iohn 9. 39. And Iesus said For judgment I am come into the world that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blind Many times they which conceitedly think they see are made blind Those that are ignorant and humbled under the sense thereof Christ will open their eyes but they that are conceited of their own parts and knowledge their hearts are darkened more and more and they are given up to follow their own fancies The simple may see further than others because they swell not with the presumption of their own wit Surgunt indocti rapiunt Coelum cùm nos Doctrinâ nostrâ detrudimur in Gehennam Sometimes simple people are more forward and earnest than others and men of weak parts and small breeding may have strong affections A blunt Iron when heated may enter deeper into a board than a sharp Tool when cold Great Doctors and Rabbies are proud and careless and poor broken-hearted sinners are warm and serious Your labour will not be in vain SERMON CXLIV PSAL. CXIX VER 131. I opened my mouth and panted for I longed for thy Commandments HERE is the use that the Psalmist maketh of the former commendation of the Word it is wonderful and mysterious clear and perspicuous now he declareth his great affection to it These words were used by Nazianzen when his Father committed to him the care of the Church of Nazianzum he beginneth his Speech with it Orat. 8. as being a word of more than ordinary comfort and Grace and direction David was in a fainting condition through the passionateness of his desire I longed and that longing caused a languor as all strong desires do His affection wrought upon his Body or else affected his Soul as bodily refreshments desired and wanted do the Body I opened my mouth and panted for I longed for thy Commandments In the Words there are I. The vehemency of his passion I opened my mouth and panted II. The reason or cause of it For I longed for thy Commandments 1. I opened my mouth and panted A Metaphor taken from men scorched and sweltred with heat or from those that have run themselves out of breath in following after the thing which they would overtake The former Metaphor expressed the vehemency of his love the other the earnestness of his pursuit he was like a man gasping for breath and sucking in the cool Air. Iudaea was an hot Countrey and therefore such expressions are frequent The like expressions that come somewhat near it are those 2 Cor. 6. 11. O ye Corinthians our mouth is opened to you our heart is enlarged When he did vehemently desire their profit And Iob saith They waited for my speech as the rain they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain Iob 29. 22. A vehement passionate desire affects the mind as an insatiate thirst the Body Thus will they be affected that are sensible of the wonders of the Law and enlightened by it The reason of this passion I longed noteth an high degree of desire What did he long for Gods Commandments that is the saving knowledge of the Doctrine of salvation or to find the use benefit light comfort and power of the word of God Doctr. That Gods Children have strong and vehement affections and desires after the comfort and benefit of the word of God Here is 1. Opening the mouth and 2. Panting as for fresh Air and 3. Longing for the Commandments All three expressions imply an intensiveness of affection Surely David prized holiness at a greater rate than we do or else he would not use expressions so strange to us See the like Psal. 119. 20. My soul breaketh for the longing it hath unto thy judgments at all times Desire is the stretching forth of the soul to the thing desired Now his soul did so stretch towards these spiritual comforts that it did even break and crack again in the stretching So Psal. 42. 1. As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God Harts are thirsty Creatures especially when chased or having eaten Serpents Considerations First The soul never worketh better than in the strength of some eminent affection In all things that we take in hand we do but so so act but chilly and weakly while we have a listless and remiss will but when the force of affection is upon us the soul is carried on strongly either in abomination or prosecution for affections are the forcible and vigorous motions of the will Now the soul never doth well but under such an affection Were it not for affections our Nature would be sluggish and idle as Plutarch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like a Pilot at Sea without a Wind. The Ship moveth slowly when there are no Winds stirring to fill the Sails Or like a Chariot without Wheels or Horses or a Bird when her Wings are clipped They spur us on to what we affect Men are heavy and lazy because they have no affection Exod. 36. 2. And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab and every wise-hearted man in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it Man findeth a force within himself his heart maketh him willing the stronger the affections the better the man acteth with greater strength and vivacity for they are the vigorous motions of the will
nothing There we must begin They that have not the favour of God are left to their own sway and their own hearts and counsels but those whom he loves know his secrets and are guided by his Spirit 3. The connexion He prays not for one but for both for God giveth both together consolation and direction and we must seek both together for we cannot expect God should favour us while we walk in a wrong way and contrary to his will First Let me speak of the first Petition Where I might observe First The matter of the Petition Make thy face to shine Secondly The Person Upon me Thirdly The Character by which he describeth himself Thy Servant First As to the matter Make thy face to shine It is a Metaphor taken from the Sun When the Sun shines and sheds abroad his light and heat and influence then the Creatures are cheered and revived but when that 's obscured they droop and languish What the Sun is to the outward World that is God to the Saints Or else here 's a Metaphor taken from men that look pleasantly upon those in whom they delight And so the Lord gives a smile of his gracious countenance upon his people indeed it alludeth to both For the allusion to the light and influence of the Sun is clear in the word shine and the allusion to the pleasant countenance of a man upon his child is included in the word face The phrase may be understood by what is said Prov. 16. 15. In the light of the Kings countenance is life and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain That place will illustrate this we have in hand Look what the smiling and pleasing aspect of the King is to those that value and stand in need of his favour that is the favour of God to the Saints The same form of speech is used in other places as in the form of the Priests blessing Numb 6. 25. The Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee And in that prayer Psal. 67. 1. God be merciful unto us and bless us and cause his face to shine upon us Selah Well then the thing begged is a sense of Gods love Secondly For whom doth David beg this For himself Cause thy face to shine upon me David a man after Gods own heart But did he need to put up such a request to God 1. Possibly God might seem to neglect him or to look upon him with an angry countenance because of sin and therefore he begs some demonstration of his favour and good will David had his times of darkness and discomfort as well as others therefore earnestly beggeth for one smile of Gods face 2. If you look not upon him as under desertion at this time the words then must be thus interpreted He begs the continuance and encrease of his comfort and sense of Gods love Gods manifestations of himself to his people in this world are given out in a different degree and with great diversity Our assurance or sense of his love consists not in puncto an indivisible point it hath a latitude it may be more and it may be less and Gods Children think they can never have enough of it therefore David saith Lord cause thy face to shine If it did shine already the Petition intimates the continuance and encrease of it Thirdly He characterizeth himself by the notion of Gods servant as Psal. 31. 16. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant save me for thy mercies sake We must study to approve our selves to be the Lords servants by our obedience If we would have his face shine upon us we must be careful to yield obedience unto him The Points are four I. The sense of Gods favour may be withdrawn for a time from his choicest servants II. The Children of God that are sensible of this cannot be satisfied with this estate but they will be praying for some beams of love to be darted out upon their souls III. They that are sensible of the want or loss of Gods favour have liberty with hope and encouragement to sue out this blessing as David did Lord make thy face to shine upon thy servant IV. Gods Children when they beg comfort they also beg Grace to serve him acceptably I. The sense of Gods favour may be withdrawn for a time from his choicest servants David puts up this petition in point of comfort There 's a twofold desertion in appearance and in reality First In appearance only through the misgivings of our own hearts We may think God is gone and hides his face when there is no such matter as through inadvertency we may seek what we have in our hands Thus a Child of God thinks he is cast out of the presence of God when all the while he hath a full right and place in his heart Thus David Psal. 31. 22. We think God hath forgotten us neglects us casts us off hath no respect for us when in the mean time the Lord is framing an answer of Grace for us One chief cause is misinterpreting Gods Providence and our manifold afflictions The Lord sometimes frowns upon his Children as Ioseph upon his Brethren when his affections were very strong so the Lord covers himself with frowns and anger the visible appearance of it speaks no otherwise Secondly It may be really when he is angry for sin Isai. 57. 17. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth As the Fathers of our Flesh shew their anger by whipping and scourging the Bodies of their Children so the Father of our Spirits by lashing the Soul and Spirits by causing them to feel the effects of his angry indignation Or else withdrawing the Spirit of comfort suspending all the acts and fruits of his love so that they have not that joyful sense of communion with God as they were wont to have Now the reasons why Gods people may want the light of his countenance are these 1. God out of Sovereignty will exercise us with changes here in the World Even in the inward man there we have our Ebbs and Flows that we may know Earth is not Heaven He hath an Eternity wherein to reveal his love and to communicate himself to his people therefore he will take a liberty as to temporal dispensations Isai. 54. 8. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer He hath an everlasting love and kindness for us therefore here in the world he will exercise us with some uncertainties as David concealed his love towards his Son Absolom when yet his bowels yerned towards him Here he takes liberty to do it because he will make it up in Heaven All your changes shall then be recompenced by an uninterrupted comfort 2. To conform us to Jesus Christ. We should not know the bitter agonies our Redeemer sustained
Trouble for in the 146 verse 't is save me but in the 149 verse 't is quicken me which implyeth the vigour of the Spiritual Life or Grace to keep Gods Statutes Whether for the one or the other David would be heard Thirdly Here is a promise of Obedience I will keep thy Statutes Which is mentioned either as the end and scope of his Prayer That I may keep thy Statutes or as an Holy Vow and Promise which the Saints are wont to mingle with their Prayers I will c. He would diligently serve God if the Lord would hear him First I begin with the Allegation or Description of Davids Carriage in Prayer David devoured not his Grief nor nourished his Unbelief but opened his heart unto God and that in an affectionate manner He did not Call but Cry Crying noteth Vehemency and Earnestness and is opposite to careless Formality and Deadness The Note from thence is Doctrine That there is a Holy Vehemency and Fervour required in Prayer Here I shall shew I. That we may Cry II. That we must Cry III. Wherein it Consisteth I. We may Cry in our Afflictions David doth so for help and relief and it is not inconsistent with Patience for us to do so For our Lord Jesus had his Cries Heb. 5. 7. in the extremity of his Sufferings without any impeachment of his Courage and Patience So did Iob Chap. 30. 28. I went mourning without the Sun I stood up and I cryed in the Congregation It argues we have a sense of our Condition and are under a pinching necessity and therefore may complain to God though not of God They are sullen and obstinate and senseless that have no feeling and so no complaint to make when God lasheth them II. We must Cry For 1. The Spirit of Grace was given for this end Rom. 8. 15. Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father not say but cry He assisteth us by Groans Rom. 8. 26. The Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered And such a spirit of Prayer should we all labour for to come to God with affection and humble and sensible Groans if we cannot come with the Pomp of Gifts There is good sense in brokenness of Heart though it be accompanied with brokenness of speech for God knoweth what a groan meaneth and will not refuse the work of his Spirit 2. Because the Saints have all done so Their way of Praying is Crying Psal. 18. 6. In my distress I cryed unto the Lord. Psal. 34. 6. This poor man cryed unto the Lord. And Psal. 130. 1. Out of the depths have I cryed unto thee O Lord. And Psal. 55. 17. At noon will I pray and cry aloud and in many other places Others can say a Prayer but they cry it out 3. These Cryes are heard and answered as in all the former places so Psal. 22. 5. Our Fathers cryed unto thee and were delivered Psal. 34. 17. The Righteous cry and the Lord heareth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word to help is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to run to the Cry An Arrow drawn with full strength will pierce deep 4. Other Prayers are not comely It doth not become God to whom we pray Dead service doth not become the living God Mal. 1. 14. Cursed be the deceiver which hath in his Flock a Male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corruptthing For I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts and my Name is dreadful among the Heathen Slight dealing in Gods service argueth mean thoughts of God It doth not become the spirit by whom we pray as in the first Reason Nor doth it become the Blessings for which we pray God will not give a Mercy till it be valued if we be indifferent and pray for things of course without any esteem of them we bespeak our own denyal Then we undervalue the Grace we seek if we seek it so as if we cared not whether we obtained our request or no for Forms sake we must say something When things are prized we are earnest and God will have us earnest to Ask Seek and Knock Matth. 7. 7. if you have good things you must do so and will do so before you have them Nor doth it become the state of Want wherein you pray where there is real Indigence and felt Necessity it will sharpen your affections and put an accent upon your Prayers You will not tell a Tale or a cold story of your own Wants but cry aloud for help Ionah 1. 2. I cryed by reason of mine Affliction unto the Lord. And the Saints cry day and night Luk. 18. 18. A true sense of Want will sharpen our sluggish desires the hunger-bitten Beggar will not easily be put off III. Wherein this Crying consisteth 1. In the Earnestness of the Affection not in the Loudness of the Voice Gal. 4. 6. He hath sent the Spirit of his Son into our Hearts crying Abba Father 'T is a cry not of the Mouth but of the Heart It lyeth not in the lifting up of the External Voice or the Agitation of the bodily spirits but the serious bent and frame of the Spirit Rom. 8. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inward Groans and holy Meltings and Breathings of soul after God Moses cryed after God Exod. 14. 18. But we hear of no words which Moses spake We hear of Israels crying and have an account of their words hot and full of impatience ver 10. But not a word that Moses said yet he cryed unto the Lord. Israel was in streights the Red Sea before the Egyptians behind Clamabat Populus non audiebatur Tacebat Moses audiebatur saith Ambrose Moses his silence was sooner heard than their Cry Our Groans and Tears have a Language which God understands 'T is said 1 Sam. 1. 13. that Hannah spake in her Heart onely her lips moved but her Voice was not heard That 's the better Crying in sighs and groans rather than words as the Child that cannot speak will cry and make moan for the Breast God hath heard the cry of the Heart without that of the Tongue but never the cry of the Tongue without that of the Heart Quibus Arteriis opus est si pro sonitu audiamur What lungs and sides must we have if the loudness of the Voice did it A dumb Beggar gets an Alms at Christs Gate if he can but make signs when his Tongue cannot plead for him 2. This Spiritual Crying is not the earnestness of Carnal Affections that 's stirred up by the Flesh but this Cry is stirred up by the Spirit who maketh request 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. 27. God should have work enough to do if he did answer all mens Prayers some would set him a Task to provide meat for this others for that Lust. This Man prayeth heartily for his Pleasures another for Honour another for Preferment another to satisfie his Revenge A Carnal Spring may send
So Isa. 26. 9. With my soul have I desired thee in the night and with my spirit within me will I seek thee early A man that hath an earnest desire after God he will be at it night and day when others are taking their Rest their seeking of God is early and earnest but where such strong desires are not God is little minded and regarded and of all businesses Prayer seemeth that which may be best spared That I may fully Commend Davids Practice to you I shall observe in this his Diligence I. That it was a Personal Closet or Secret Prayer I cryed I alone with thee in Secret II. That it was an early Morning Prayer I prevented the dawning of the Morning III. That it was a Vehement and Earnest Prayer for 't is expressed by crying which as Chrysostome saith noteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys. in Psal. 5. He proveth it by that of God to Moses Wherefore criest thou unto me Exod. 14. 15. And when Moses was silent yet he cryeth for crying noteth the Affection of the Mind not extension of the Voice Where I shall note that it was an earnest prayer though private and earnest though as yet he could get no Answer IV. That it was the Prayer of a Publick Person of a King and a King intangled in Wars whose Calling exposed him to a Multitude of business and distractions yet he had his times of Converse with God take all this together and the pattern will be more sit to be commended to your Imitation I. It was a Personal or Secret Prayer I cryed I alone and without Company Our Saviour that doth in Matth. 18. 19 20. incourage us to publick Prayer by the blessed effect of such Petitions where two or three do agree to ask any thing of God in the name of Christ he doth suppose that his Disciples will make Conscience of personal and solitary prayer and therefore giveth directions and Incouragement about it Matth. 6. 6. But when thou prayest enter into thy closet and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy father which seeth in secret and thy father which seeth in secret will reward thee openly He taketh it for granted that every one of his Disciples is sufficiently convinced of being often with God in private and pouring out his heart to God alone T is not if but when as supposing they will be careful of this 't is not plurally and collectively when ye pray but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when thou prayest elsewhere the Context speaketh of publick prayer or the Assemblies of Saints and of Family Worship but here he speaketh of personal prayer Church prayer hath a special blessing when with a combined force we besiege Heaven as the Petition of a Shire and County is more than a private mans Supplication but yet this is not without its Blessing God is with you in private pray to thy father in secret and he that seeth in secret observeth the carriage and posture and frame of thy spirit all thy fervour and uprightness of heart is known to him that which is the Hypocrites fear that God seeth in secret is the Saints Comfort that God seeth in secret it bindeth Condemnation upon the thoughts of wicked men 1. Iohn 3. 21. but is their support Iohn 21. 17. Rom. 8. 27. He that searcheth the heart knoweth the mind of the Spirit He knoweth the brokenness or unbrokenness of the Heart he can pick out the very language of thy sighs and groans know where thou art and how thou art imployed Acts 9. 11. Arise and go into the street which is called streight and inquite in the house of Judas for one Saul of Tarsus for behold he prayeth In such a street in such an house in such a Chamber of the house there is one a praying a notable place to express Gods seeing in secret where we are what we do and how affected And then his reward is another incouragement he will reward thee openly grant thee what thou prayest for or bless thee for the conscionable performance of this duty Openly either by a sensible Answer of thy prayers as Dan. 9. 20 21 22. or with an evident Blessing as Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the eyes of the World God highly favoured them a secret prayer hath an open blessing or in convincing the Consciences of men Pharaoh sendeth for Moses and Aaron when in distress the Consciences of wicked men are convinced that Gods praying Children have special Audience with him no Magicians sent for then but Moses and Aaron Thus God may reward them openly 1 Sam. 2. 30. Those that honour me I will honour But chiefly at the day of Judgment Luk. 14. 44. He shall be recompenced at the resurrection of the just Then is the great reward of Christians and most publick then shall every man have praise of God 1 Cor. 4. 5. Thus you see how our Lord incourageth us to Closet Prayer but let us see other Arguments to engage us to this Duty 1. All the precepts of Prayer do include Closet-prayer Continue in prayer and watch in the same with Thanksgiving Col. 4. 2. Pray without ceasing 1 Thes. 5. 17. First Gods precepts fall upon single persons before it falleth upon Families and Churches for God considereth us first as persons apart and then in our several Combinations and Societies in joyning with others the Duty is rather imposed upon us then taken up by Voluntary choice and that only at stated times when they can conveniently meet If we are to continue in prayer and to pray without ceasing we are to make conscience our selves of being often with God Every person that acknowledgeth a God that hath a Father in Heaven must come and profess his dependance upon him 2. The Example of Christ which beareth the force of a Law in things Moral We read often of Christs praying Mark 1. 35. He went out into a solitary place to pray And Matth. 14. 23. And Luke 6. 12. we read he prayed a whole night to God now let us improve this Instance Christ had no such need of Prayer as we have the Godhead dwelt in him bodily nor such need of retirement his Affections were alwaies in frame yet he went out from the company of his Disciples to pray alone to God This Pattern is very ingaging for if we have the Spirit of Christ we will do as Christ did and very encouraging for by submitting to this Duty he sanctified it for all his steps drop fatness and left a blessing and vertue behind him And it assureth us of his Sympathizing with us he is acquainted with the heart of an earnest supplicant and 't is some Comfort against our imperfections when we are with God and our hearts are as heavy as a log 't is a Comfort to think of this particular part of his Righteousness by which our defects are covered 3. I shall urge it from Gods End in pouring out the Spirit that we may pray apart and mourn apart
Morning Gen. 22. So for bad things if a man be Worldly his Worldly Desires and Affections compel him to rise early for their satisfaction Psalm 127. 3. The Drunkard is thinking early of his morning draught to be filled with Wine Isa. 15. 11. Wo to them that rise up early to follow strong drink The People when they were mad upon the Calf Exod. 36. 6. They rose up early in the morning and offered burnt-offerings to it Whatsoever hath secured its Interest in the Soul will first urge us so if Prayer be our chief pleasure it will urge us to be up betimes with God our Delights and Affections sollicit us in the Morning 3. 'T is the choicest time of the day and therefore should be allotted to the most serious and necessary imployment 'T is the choicest time partly with respect to the Body because the Body is then best refreshed and our Vigour repaired which is lessened and spent with the business of the day Our Memories quickest Senses readiest natural Faculties most acute And partly with respect to the Mind our Morning thoughts are our Virgin thoughts more pure sublime and defecate usually free from Worldly Cares which would distract us in prayer and will more incroach upon us by our Worldly business and the baser Objects which the necessity of our life ingages us to converse with and be imployed about Certainly the best time should be taken up about the best business not in recreations to be sure for this is to knit pleasure to pleasure and to wear away the sithe in whetting not in working They are brutish Epicures that rise up from sleep not to service but to their sensual Delights and Vanities as the Scripture brandeth them that eat in the Morning not for strength but Excess Eccl. 10. 16 17. The Morning is the fittest time for business now what business should we do but the most weighty and that which requireth the greatest heedfulness of Soul which is our communion with God 4. Consider 'T is profitable to begin the day with God and to season the heart with some gracious exercise as David Psal. 139. 18. When I awake I am still with thee It sanctifieth all our other business as the offering the first fruits did sanctifie the whole lump and to whom should the first fruits of our Reason and Sense restored be consecrated but to him that gave us all and is the Author and preserver of them When the World gets the start of Religion it can hardly overtake it all the day the first thoughts leave a powerful Impression upon it Mich. 2. 1. They devise evil upon their beds and when the morning is come they practise it With carnal men sin beginneth in the morning stayeth in the Heart all day playeth in the fancy all night but if you begin with God in the Morning you take God along with you all the day to your business and imployment 5. This will be some recompence for the time lost in sleeping half our lives are consumed in it our time is parted between work and sleep 'T is the misery and necessity we are subject unto whilest we are in the body that so much of our time should be spent without doing any thing for God or shewing any act of Love and thankfulness to him None of the other Creatures ever stand still but are alwayes executing and accomplishing the end for which they were made And in heaven the blessed Spirits are alwaies beholding the face of God and Lauding and Blessing his Name and need not those intermissions which we bodily Creatures do Now though this be our Necessity and so no sin to need the refreshings of sleep yet because so much of our time is lost by way of recompence the least that we should do is to take the next season and if health and bodily constitution will permit to prevent the dawning of the Morning and to be as early with God as we can All the time we can well spare should be given to God do but consider since thou wentest to bed the Sun hath Travailed many thousand miles to give thee light this Morning and therefore what a shame it is that the Sun being continually in so swift motion should return and find him turning and tossing in his Bed like a door upon the hinges Prov. 20. 14. after Nature is satisfied with sleep And that we should not rise and own Gods Mercy in the Rest of the Night and sanctifie the Labours of the day by some serious address to him This Meditation is enforced by Augustine Indecus est Christiano si radius solis eum inveniat in lecto posset enim dicere sol si potestatem loquendi haberet amplius laboravi heri quam tu tamen cum jam surrexerim tu adhuc dormis So Ambrose on this Text Grave est si te otiosum radius solis orientis in verecundo pudore conveniat lux clara inveniat occulos somnolento adhuc corpore depressos III. 'T was a Vehement and Earnest Prayer for saith David I cryed Observe Doctrine 'T was earnest though private and 't was earnest though he could get no satisfactory Answer 1. Earnest though Private in all our Addresses to God we must be serious whether men see or hear or no God seeth and heareth An Hypocrite hath a great flash of gifts in Company but is streight when alone but Gods Children are most earnest in private when they do more particularly open their hearts to God without taking in the necessities of others Christ when he was withdrawn from his Disciples then he prayed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more earnestly Luk. 22. 44. Iacob sent away his Company to deal with God in good earnest and then wrestled with him ille dolet vere qui sine teste dolet Peter went out and wept bitterly so a Christian trieth it out between God and him when he hath a mind to plead for his own Soul or for the Church therefore hath no outward reason to move him but Conscience and spiritual Affection The Pharisees would pray in the Synagogues and corners of the streets but Christ saith go into thy closet and shut the door and pray to thy father in secret Matth. 6. 7. This is the love and confidence we express to our Father in secret A man may put forth himself with great Warmth and Vigour before others that is slight and careless in secret Addresses to God In these secret intercourses we most taste our spirits and discern the pure workings of Affection towards God A Woman that only bemoaneth the loss of her Husband in Company but banisheth all thoughts of him when alone might justly be suspected to act a Tragical part and to pretend sorrow rather than feel it Some will pray in secret but customarily utter a few cold words but David saith I cried Remember there is one seeth in secret as Christ saith I am not alone Iohn 16. 32. And Mal. 1. 14. He is a God of
Quickning David ever and anon reneweth his request and he is loth to be denied and therefore before he saith Quicken me he saith Hear my Voice Doctrine II. The main Argument which Gods Children have to plead in Prayer is his own favour and Loving-kindness That 's David ' s Argument in the Text Hear my voice according to thy loving-kindness Doctrine III. The Mercy and Loving-kindness of God manifested and impledged in the Promises of the Gospel doth notably incourage us to ask help from him For David doth not only say according to thy Loving-kindness but according to thy Judgment For the first Point One Blessing which the Children of God do see a need often and earnestly to ask of God is Quickening Here I shall inquire 1. What is Quickening 2. Give you some Reasons why the Children of God do see a need so often and earnestly to ask it of God I. What is Quickening 1. By Quickening some understand restitution to Happiness for a Calamitous man is as one dead and buried under deep and heavy Troubles and their recovery is a life from the Dead or a reviving from the Grave so Quickning seemeth to be taken Psal. 71. 20. Thou which hast shewed me great and sore Troubles shalt quicken me again and bring me up from the depths of the Earth 2. Othersunderstand by Quickning the renewing and increasing in him the Vigour of his Spiritual Life That he beggeth that God would revive increase and preserve that Life which he had already given that it might be perfected and consummated in Glory That he might be ever ready to bring forth the habits of Grace into Acts. The Use which we should make of it is to press you 1. To be sensible of the temper of your Hearts and see whether you want Quickning yea or no The feeling of spiritual deadness argueth some life and sense yet left You have attained to so much of life and do retain it in such a measure as to be able to bemoan your selves to God Most observe their bodies but very few their souls if their Bodies be ill at ease or out of order they complain Men that go on in a Track of Customary Duties see no need of quickning therefore this humble sense is a good sign Matins and Vespers coldly run over never put us upon the feeling of indispositions but onely Duties done with some spirit and life As a Smith blows not the Bellows on cold iron or a dead Coal Who would seek quickning when not serious in the work They that go on in the cold wont of Duties never regard the frame of their Hearts 2. When you want quickning ask it of God He brought us into the state of Life at first and therefore every moment we must beg of him that he would quicken us that he would continue it and perfect his own work Cant. 1. 4. Draw me we will run after thee There is no running no preserving the Vitality of Grace without his renewed influence Psal. 22. 29. None can keep alive his own Soul Therefore when we find this deadness or decay of Life to whom should we go but to the fountain of Life to repair it no Creature doth subsist of itself or act of itself 3. Ask it earnestly David prefaceth a general Prayer before this request and saith hear my voice as loth to be denied Many ask it of Course rather use it as a mannerly form when they are entring upon holy Duties than a broken-hearted request See you desire it heartily Psal 119. 40. Behold I have longed after thy precepts quicken thou me in thy righteousness A mans heart is set upon it and will not sit down with the distemper as contented and satisfied with a dead frame of Heart quickning is for longing Souls that would fain do the work of God with a more perfect Heart 4. Expect this Grace in and through Jesus Christ who came down from Heaven for this end Ioh. 10. 10. I am come that they might have life and might have it more abundantly That was his end in coming into the World to procure life for his People and not only bare life but liveliness and comfort yea glory hereafter He died to purchase it for us Ioh. 6. 51. This is my flesh which I give for the life of the world His Incarnation and taking on him our Nature is the Channel and Conduit through which the quickning virtue that is in the Godhead is conveyed to us And his offering up himself in that nature by his Eternal Spirit doth purchase and merit the Application and Anâ—…unciation of this his quickning virtue to our souls and prepareth him to be fit meat for souls That same Flesh and Humane Nature of Christ that is offered up a Ransom to Justice is also the Bread of Life for souls to feed upon Souls are fed with Meditations upon his Death and Sufferings the Bread which he giveth by way of Application is his Flesh which he gave by way of Ransom every renewed act of Faith draweth an increase of Life from him 5. Consider how God worketh it in us The Father of Spirits loveth to work with his own tools These three agree in one The Spirit the Word and the renewed Heart The one is the Author the other the Instrument and the last the Object There is the Spirit acting and the Habit of Grace acted upon and the Word and Sacraments are the instruments and means For God will do it rationally and by a lively light God forceth not the nature of second causes against their own inclination 't is pleasing to him when we desire him to renew his work and to bring forth the actings of Grace out of his own seed and to blow with the wind the breath of his Spirit on the Gardens that the spices may flow out Cant. 4. 15. if one of these be wanting there can be no quickning Not the Spirit for he applyeth all and doth all in the Heart of Believers 't is from him that we have the new life of Grace and all the activity of it Gal. 5. 25. If we live in the spirit let us also walk in the spirit Then there must be a renewed Heart for God doth first infuse the principles of the new Life and gracious habits and power into the soul. Next he doth actuate those powers or stir them up to do what is good otherwise we do but blow to a dead Coal Then the Word and Sacraments come as Gods means which are fitted to work upon the New Creature These are full of spiritual Reason and suited to the sanctified understandings of Men and Women 6. Consider Gods loving-kindness how ready he is to grant this He will not deny the gift of the Holy Ghost to them that ask him Luk. 11. 13. 'T is an Argument not a Pari but a minore ad majus God is more able and willing to give than earthly Parents who are but half Fathers This is a spiritual and necessary Blessing
shall be my people and I will be their God As those two Kings made a league Offensive and Defensive 1 Kin. 22. 4. I am as thou art and my people as thy people and my horses as thy horses So God will be ours as really as we are his you shall have a propriety in God as God has in you not absolutely indeed the same but enough for your Comfort you were his before the Contract and to be at his Command but he is not at your Command you may supplicate and humbly sue out the Effects of your Right in God and may be sure of speeding when it is for his glory and your good We have a Right to God and all that is in God but not a Right over him as he hath over us We have Propriety and Interest in God but not Dominion as we have over the Creatures or as God hath over us He will let out his goodness grace and mercy to us and for us God still keepeth the rank of a Soveraign and yet treateth us as Friends Iam. 2. 23. Abraham believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousness and he was called the Friend of God Yea Children Ioh. 1. 12. But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name When we give up our selves to God to serve him we enter our selves Heirs to all the Priviledges of the Gospel and may lay Claim to them II. By Union with Christ. Such as are under the Covenant of Grace are made Members of the Mystical Body of Christ The Union the Scripture sets forth by the Similitude of Head and Members Rom. 12. 5. So we being many are one body in Christ and every one members one of another Vine and Branches Ioh. 15. 1 2. I am the true Vine and my Father is the husbandman every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit Stock and Graff Rom. 6. 5. Body and Garment Gal. 3. 27. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. The converting of Meat and Drink into our Substance Ioh. 6. 56. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him House and Indweller Eph. 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith As the Members receive Sense and Motion from the Head the Branches Sap from the Root and the Graff liveth in the Stock so we receive all Life and Being from Christ Christ first giveth himself to us and with himself all things we must have himself first for it is he in us becometh the Fountain of Life Gal. 2. 20. I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me The hope of Glory Col. 1. 27. Christ in you the hope of glory Now this indeareth us to God and makes us near to him Ioh. 17. 21. That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us Christ is God-Man in one Person and we are united to him Mystically though not Hypostatically and so God and we are brought near together For we are in him as he is in the Father not with an exact equality but some answerable likeness we are immediunited to Christ and by Christ to God III. The Inhabitation of the Spirit that is the fruits of Union as Union of Confederation the same Spirit that dwelleth in Christ dwelleth in us 1 Cor. 6. 17. He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit It is by the same spirit that the Union is brought about the same spirit that dwelleth in Head and Members this is the Foundation laid on Christs part for all our Communion and Commerce with God 1 Ioh. 4. 13. Hereby we know that we dwell in God and God in us because he hath given us of his Spirit We cannot know our Communion with God as the Author of Grace by any other gift he maketh his first entry this way uniting us to himself by his Spirit IV. The mutual Love between God and them God loveth them and they love God and so they are near and dear to one another 1 Sam. 18. 1. The soul of Ionathan was knit with the soul of David and Ionathan loved him as his own soul. Such love is here between Christ and Believers and between them and God God beginneth he loveth first and best and most no Father or Mother loveth their Children so tenderly as God doth them Isa. 49. 15. Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee No Husband loves his spouse as Christ doth the Church Eph. 5. 25. Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it not only gave himself to the Church but for it alas when we are at our best we love God too little There is a strong love which the Saints have to God and Christ they cannot live without him are always crying Abba Father Gal. 4. 6. And because ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father They cannot brook his absence are dejected if they cannot hear from him at every turn 7. There being such a ground layed for our nearness all familiar intercourses do pass freely between God and us through Christ by whom and through whom are all things and we by him 1 Cor. 8. 5. Our Commerce with God is in Donatives and Duties 1 On Gods part it is seen in his readiness to hear our Prayers Isa. 58. 9. Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer thou shalt cry and he shall say here I am God is at hand when we knock at Heaven gates he answereth presently saying and what would you have If God should make an offer to us as Ionathan did to David 1 Sam. 20. 14. Whatever thy soul desireth I will do for thee we would think then we should never want more what would the World give for such a promise from an earthly Potentate You have it from God if you like the Condition Psal. 37. 4. Delight thy self in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart Thou canst not desire any thing regularly and consisting with the Condition of the Covenant with thy delight in God but thou shalt have it In an holy sense you have God at command to do for you what you would have as if you had his Soveraignty at command Iob 22. 27 28. Thou shalt make thy prayers unto him and he shall hear thee and thou shalt pay thy vows Thou shalt also decree a thing and it
shall be established unto thee and the light shall shine upon thy ways Decree and it shall be established speak the word and it shall come to pass Is it for us to enact Decrees to appoint what shall be Their Prayer is a duplicate or counterpart of Gods Decrees God guideth their hearts to ask such things as are pleasing to him God is ready to help us to give supplies in all our Necessities he is remembring us for good upon all occasions especially in our low Estate when we have none to help he will help Isa. 59. 16. And he saw that there was no man and wondred that there was no Intercessor therefore his arm brought salvation unto him and his righteousness it sustained him It was when he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey he cannot be safe unless he be wicked and none will bestir himself in the behalf of Truth and Right or own the good Cause by speaking a word for it therefore God himself would take the business in hand Psal. 105. 14. He suffered no man to do them wrong They that are Gods Confederates he hath a watchful Eye over them they are under his Defence and Protection an afflicted People are more sensible of God's Presence Help and Assistance than others are for streights and troubles are means to open mens eyes and waken their senses now you will ever find God with you when he seemeth most to forget you But especially in Duties of Worship the Visits of Love there and the entertainment at Gods Table Psal. 65. 4. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach to thee that he may dwell in thy Courts we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house even of thy holy Temple They have many sweet experiences of God which they find not elsewhere there he doth Comfort Quicken and Revive them Psal. 36. 8. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house thou shalt make them drink of the rivers of thy pleasures God biddeth them welcom to this Table and will not send them away empty indeed there they come to feel joyes unspeakable and glorious Not that we should build always on sensible experiences or tye God to our time or make an Essay of Curiosity but if they humbly resolutely wait upon God according to the incouragements of his Promise first or last they shall have a full meal and God will own them and fill their hearts with goodness Thus in answering their Prayers helping them in streights visiting in Duties 2 On our part it is delightful to Converse with God 1. In Holy Duties Isa. 26. 16. Lord in trouble have they visited thee they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them Iob. 22. 21. Acquaint now thy self with him and be at peace thereby good shall come unto thee We have no Reason to be strange to God for if we were acquainted with our selves we should find daily and hourly some errand to the Throne of Grace To forget him dayes without number sheweth we have little knowledge of God or of our selves Be sure to look after a desire to enjoy God in the Duty My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the courts of my God my flesh and my heart cryeth out for the living God Psal 84. 2 3. To rest in an empty Ordinance sheweth we do what we do rather to pacifie Conscience than satisfie spiritual desires God is to be our End and Object whom we are to seek and serve abs te sine te non recedam 2. In a course of Holiness how can two walk together except they be agreed Amos 3. 3. Loveth what he Loveth Hateth what he Hateth Suitableness of disposition is the ground of intimacy 1 Ioh. 1. 7. If we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another God saith I will dwell in them and walk in them walk as ever before God Gen. 17. 1. I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect Secondly How we come to be brought into this nearness The Reason of doubting is because every man is born a stranger to God Psal. 58. 3. The wicked are estranged from the womb they go astray as soon as they be born speaking lies Sin causes a distance between God and us Isa. 59. 2. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear Man is averse from God without God Christ Covenant or Hope or any good from him Christ represents our Apostate Nature by the Prodigals going into a far Countrey the breach groweth wider every day and the distance is increased by actual sin The wicked are far from God Hos. 7. 13. Wo unto them for they have fled from me destruction unto them for they have transgressed against me While matters stand thus between us and God there is no Hope the rigour of Divine Justice and the Terror of a guilty Conscience will not give us leave to look for any Communion with God Ans. In this hopeless and helpless estate the Lord Jesus had pity on us the great End of the Mediator is to bring us to God 1 Pet. 3. 18. For Christ hath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God And therefore he is said to be the way to the Father Ioh. 17. 6. I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the Father but by me He hath taken our case into his own hands and doth partly by his Merit and partly by his Spirit bring about this nearness and fellowship between God and us 1. By his Merit he bringeth us into a state of Favour he opened the door by his death Eph. 2. 13. But now in Christ Iesus we who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. To go to God offended and appeased by no satisfaction is terrible to the guilty Creature but Christ hath made our peace so that we have access into this Grace wherein we stand Rom. 5. 1 2. Therefore being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. By whom also we have access by faith into the grace wherein we stand This door which he hath opened by his death he keepeth open by his constant Intercession Heb. 7. 25. Wherefore he is able to save unto the uttermost all those that come unto God through him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for us which our repeated provocations would otherwise daily and hourly shut and close again 1 Ioh. 2. 1. These things I write unto you that you sin not and if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and so all distance is removed and poor Creatures may comfortably come to God 2. There is a great averseness in our hearts and we need not only leave to come to God but an heart to come to God we
check our fears when trouble is near God is also near to counterwork our Enemies and support his People Zech. 3. 1 2. And he shewed me Ioshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him And the Lord said unto Satan the Lord rebuke thee O Satan even the Lord that hath chosen Ierusalem rebuke thee is not this a brand pluckt out of the fire Where there is Satan to resist there is an Angel to rebuke as extremities draw nigh God draweth nigh When Laban with great fury followed after Iacob God followed after Laban and stepped between them and commanded Laban not to hurt him When Paul was like to be torn in pieces in an uproar God runneth speedily to his help 2 Cor. 1. 9 10. But we had the sentence of death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the Dead who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us When Danger cometh to be Danger indeed you will find him a present help Use. 2. To quicken us and encourage us actually to draw nigh to God with the more Confidence that is let us address our selves to converse with him in his Ordinances for his Favour Mercy and Blessing that we may not stand afar off but come boldly To this end Consider whither we come by whom we come in what manner we must come or draw nigh to him 1. To whom we draw near to God as reconciled in Christ. If God were inaccessible it were another matter but divine Justice being satisfied in Christ we come to a Throne of Grace Heb. 4. 16. Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need Gods Throne is a Throne of Justice Grace Glory To the Throne of strict Justice no sinful man can approach to the Throne of Grace every penitent sinner may have access to the Throne of Glory no mortal Man can come in his whole Person his heart may be there so it is said Heb. 10. 19. Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Iesus as Petitioners are admitted to the Prince in the Presence Chamber the way to the Throne of Glory lyeth by the Throne of Grace we pass by one unto the other In short Christ stood before the Throne of Justice when he suffered for our sins Penitent sinners stand before the Throne of Grace when they worship him in Faith after the Resurrection we shall ever stand before the Throne of Glory and ever abide in his Presence Our business now is with the Throne of Grace to give answer and dispatch our suites There is a threefold Throne of Grace the Typical which was the Mercy-seat Psal. 80. 1. Thou that dwellest between the Cherubims shine forth the Real which is Christ Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Iesus the Commemorative which is the Lords Supper where is a representation of Wisdom and Obsignation of the Grace of Christ in the New Testament This Throne of Grace is set up every where in the Church it standeth in the midst of God's People as the Tabernacle did in the midst of Israel For God is always in all places nigh unto such as call upon him in Truth Ioh. 4. 23. The hour is coming and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him Access to God may be had every where therefore let us come 2. By whom we come by Jesus Christ Eph. 3. 12. In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him upon the account of his Merit and Intercession We should come without fear or doubt to him de facto as if his blood were running afresh 3. How we come with a true heart Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having an heart sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our bodies washed with pure water SERMON CLXX PSALM CXIX VER 152. Concerning thy Testimonies I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever IN this Verse is a further Illustration of the last Clause of the former he had said there thy Commandments are ipsissima veritas now he amplyfieth that saying from Gods Ordination and Appointment Concerning thy testimonies I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever The Prophet ends this Octonary and Paragraph with some triumph of Faith and after all his Conflicts and Requests to God goeth away with this Assurance that Gods word should be infallibly accomplished as being upon his own experience of unchangeable and unerring certainty Two things you may observe in the Words First The constant and eternal Verity of Gods Testimonies Thou hast founded them for ever Secondly Davids Attestation to it I have known of old that it is so What the Word of God is in itself and then what is the Opinion of the Believer concerning it 1. What the Scriptures are in themselves 1. For their Nature they are Gods Testimonies or the significations of his Will 2. For their Stability they are Founded there is a great Emphasis in that word and that by God thou hast founded them 3. For their Duration and everlasting Use in that word for ever of an Eternal Use and Comfort II. Davids Attestation or Perswasion of this I have known of old I here observe 1. His Perswasion 2. The date and standing of his Perswasion it was ancient I have known of old 1. His Perswasion I have known there is a twofold Knowledge the Knowledge of Faith and the Knowledge of Sense both agree with the words 1. The Knowledge of Faith I know that my Redeemer lives that is I believe it what we read concerning thy Testimonies other Translations read by thy Testimonies I have known by thy Testimonies the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have been perswaded of this by thy Spirit out of the word it self 2. The Knowledge of Sense and Experience I my self have known by sundry Experiences heretofore which I shall never forget 2. The Date and Ancientness of this Perswasion of old it was not a late Perswasion or a thing that he was now to learn he always knew it since he knew any thing of God that God had owned his Word as the constant Rule of his proceedings with Creatures in that God had so often made good his Word to him not only by present and late but old and ancient Experiences Well then Davids perswasion of the Truth and Unchangeableness of the Word was not a sudden humour or a present fit or a perswasion of a few days standing but he was confirmed in it by long Experience one or two Experiences had been no Tryal of the Truth of the Word they might seem but a good hit
it appear this is Gods Testimony for that word that is propounded to be believed as such cannot be perceived by ease neither is it known of itself to the Understanding neither is it demonstrable by evident Reasons as to make infallible Conclusions The Word 's giving Testimony of itself doth not solve it indeed one part may give Testimony to another and one Revelation be confirmed by another as the New Testament giveth witness to the Old and confirmeth its Authority but how shall we know that to be Gods Testimony I Answer we have it 1. Partly from the self-evidencing light of the Scriptures themselves they have passed Gods hand and have his Signature upon them as all his Works make out their Author There are Characters of his Wisdom Power Goodness and Holiness impressed upon them 2 Cor. 4. 2 3 4. By manifestation of the Truth commending our selves to every mans Conscience in the sight of God But if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not left the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them The Gospel being the result of Gods Wisdom and suited to the heart of man for whose use it was calculated it hath something in itself to commend it to our Consciences It cannot be imagined that the hand of God should pass upon any thing and there should be nothing of his Character left on it to shew it came from God Look upon any fly or gnat any flower of the field or pile of grass And you may see some impressions to discover the Author of them So certainly if God shall set himself to write a book or set forth a frame of Doctrine to do man good surely he hath discovered his Wisdom and Holiness and Grace therein and that in plain and legible Characters that if man were not prepossessed and leavened with Prejudice and Corrupt Affections he could not choose but see it That there is such an objective evidence or aptitude in the Doctrine it self to beget faith in those that consider it is plain from that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 4. 2 3 4. By the manifestation of the truth we commend our selves to every mans Conscience in the sight of God without Miracle or other Confirmation if they had a clear eye 't is light which discovereth itself and all things else The reason why it is not seen is not in the Object because of any defect there but the faculty the visive faculty their eyes are blinded with Worldly Lusts. Well then when things are spoken so becoming the Nature of God and so agreeable to the necessities of Man and with such an evidence of Reason not to the Law only but also to the Gospel as to establishing of a way of Commerce between God and us and exempting us from the grand scruples that haunt us though these things could not be found out by humane Wit yet now they are revealed they carry a great suitableness thereunto 2. And Partly by the Testimony of the Spirit this is one way of confirming the Truth of the Gospel Acts 5. 32. We are his witnesses of these things and so is the holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that obey him Where the Apostles are mentioned as one sort of witnesses and the Holy Ghost as another the great office of the Spirit is to testifie of Christ Jesus Ioh. 15. 26. Even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me The Doctrine of the Gospel concerning Christs Coming and Power is so great a Mystery that 't is not believed and received in the World without the Spirit Upon the beginning of Christs Ministry in his Baptisme the Spirit appeared in the form of a Dove now the Holy Ghost doth two wayes bear witness of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Artificially and Inartificially Artificially per modum argumenti and Inartificially per modum testis Partly as he doth afford sufficient matter of Confirmation and Conviction in those miraculous operations in the primitive times And also as he doth perswade the heart and convince us of the Truth of the Gospel 3. There is Experience of the Truth of the Word in Gods hearing Prayers Psal. 65. 2. O! thou that hearest Prayer unto thee shall all flesh come Fulfilling Promises Psal. 18. 30. Thy word is a tryed word he is a buckler to all that trust in him Punishing the Wicked Hosea 7. 12. I will chastise them as their Congregation hath heard Rewarding according to the Rules set down in the Word Rom. 1. 18. and Heb. 2. 3. but of this by and by Thirdly Why we must understand consider and believe Answ. Both in order to our Comfort and Duty 1. Comfort If the Certainty of the Scriptures were more understood believed and thought of we should be more fortified against fears and sorrows and Cares and Discouragements whencesoever they do arise for as fire well kindled doth easily break forth into a flame so assent freely laid doth fortifie the heart against trouble 'T is very notable when the Apostles would raise the joy of Faith they plead the certainty of the Doctrine they delivered for it was comfortable in it self suitable to the Necessities of man all that needed was to assure others of the truth of it See 1 Ioh. 1. 1 2 3 4. That their joy might be compleat and full upon this certainty of evidence and compleat demonstration we could not be so comfortless and dejected if we were perswaded of the reality of these things So 2 Pet. 1. 8. believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious We should love Christ and rejoyce in the believing confident expectation of enjoying of him and where this is firmly believed afflictions cannot damp or hinder this joy A firm trust in the Promises of the Word will fill a man with Comfort and strengthen him against all difficulties Psal. 56. 4 10. 2. Our Obedience would be better promoted 't would be a remedy against boldness in sinning and coldness in Duty Heb. 3. 12. Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil heart of Unbelief in departing from the living God You cannot drive a dull ass into the Fire Prov. 1. 17. Surely in vain is the net laid in the sight of any bird Men do not believe the everlasting verity of the Scriptures and therefore are so bold and venterous they think they shall do well enough after all Gods Threatnings Zeph. 1. 12. And it shall come to pass that I will search Ierusalem with candles and will punish the men that are settled upon their lees that say in their hearts the Lord will not do good neither will he do evil Secondly Coldness in Duty how do the Scriptures reason against Neglect Heb. 2. 1 2 3. Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard lest at any time
Sin Oh that men did regard this as they ought considering that to despise Commandments is to despise the Lord himself and what it is for poor Worms to despise the God of Heaven and Earth Nay that God that is our Judge He hath power to cast both Body and Soul into Hell Fire the God whom we are bound by so many Ties to Obey 2. When swayed by Delight and Profit against the Course of our Duty Esau sold his Birth-right to keep him alive yet despised it Gen. 29. 31. And Heb. 12. 16. 3. The Case is more aggravated when we cast a Precept behind our Backs for a light Pleasure or small Profit the greater is our Contempt to break with God for a little Trifle sell the Righteous for a pair of shoes Use. II. Is to press us to get this blessed frame of heart to stand in Awe of the Word 1. 'T is a great curb in actual Temptations Gen. 39. 9. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God 2. 'T is a great help in Reading and Hearing Acts 10. 33. Now therefore we are all present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God 3. A great help in Humiliation and suing out our Pardon Psal. 130. 3 4. If thou shouldest mark iniquity who could stand but there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared For Means to get this Awful frame of Heart 1. Faith is necessary sundry Articles of Religion have influence upon it Gods Power Matth. 10. 28. Fear not them that can kill the body but fear him that can cast both body and soul into hell fire God's Providence that he observeth humane Affairs and accordingly doth Reward and Punish Hos. 7. 2. And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness now their doings have beset them about before my face And Heb. 2. 2. And every transgression and every disobedience received a just recompence of reward A day of Judgment Rom. 2. 5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up wrath against the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God Eternal recompences of Heaven and Hell or the state of the World to come Those who believe not these things are bold and venturous and out of a daring Confidence will put it to the Trial whose Word shall stand Gods or theirs Ier. 44. 28. And all the remnant of Iudah that are gone into the Land of Egypt to sojourn there shall know whose word shall stand mine or theirs which shall be fulfilled or made good Heb. 11. 8. By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet being moved with fear prepared an ark to the saving of his house 2. Love is necessary for Reverence ariseth from Love David was afraid to displease so good a God to whom bound by so many Ties Surely Love breedeth a greater tenderness than a bare sense of danger Hos. 3. 5. Fear the Lord and his goodness That which maketh a wicked man presumptuous maketh a Child of God Awful he hath to do with a good God and therefore would not offend him nor cross his Will 3. An humble penitent Spirit is necessary for this frame of Heart Iosiah when he heard the words of the Law he rent his Clothes 2 Kings 22. 11 19. Because thy hâ—…rt was tender and thou humbledst thy self before the Lord when thou heardest what I spake against this place I have heard thee saith the Lord. And 2 Chron. 34. 27. Because thy heart was tender c. Troubled at Gods Anger to some nothing is of less Consideration with them 4. A good stock of Knowledge or frame of Divine Truths Psal. 119. 11. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee Prov. 6. 21 22. Bind them continually upon thy heart and tye them about thy neck when thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee and when thou wakest it shall talk with thee A Treasure of knowledge not only got by heart but impressed on us by his Spirit the great New-Covenant-blessing Heb. 8. 10. is Gods Law written upon the Heart by the finger of the Spirit as before on Tables of stone on the directive and imperative powers the Heart and Mind and this maketh us conformable to it in Heart and Life Gods Law is said to be in the Heart of the Godly that maketh them willing to obey Psal. 40. 8. His law is in my heart Tender to offend Psal. 37. 31. The law of God is in his heart none of his steps shall slide He loveth what is commanded and hateth what is forbidden he hath a sense of it to keep from usual guilt 5. Advised Consideration and Watchfulness Let thine eyes look right on and thine eye-lids streight before thee ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy wayes be established When you are about to do any thing examine and consider it whether God alloweth it yea or no Will it please or displease honour or dishonour God If he disallow forbear how safe profitable or comfortable soever it be if he allow it then engage this holy Fear must never be laid aside Phil. 2. 12. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling 1 Pet. 1. 17. Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear SERMON CLXXVI PSALM CXIX VER 1â—…2 I Rejoice at Thy Word as one that findeth great Spoil IN the Text First An Assertion or Declaration of his delight in the Word I Rejoice at Thy Word Secondly An Illustration of it by a Similitude taken from those who have gotten some notable Prey and Booty as one that findeth great Spoil First The Similitude is very expressive taken from the joy which a Conquerour in Battel doth find in the Spoil of his defeated Enemies The same similitude is used Isaiah 9. 3. They joy before thee according to the joy in Harvest as men rejoice when they divide the Spoil He speaketh there of the highest joy in a time of Peace joy of the harvest is the greatest joy In a time of Warr victory obtained after an hazardous Fight and rich spoil and booty gotten to heighten that joy several circumstances concur 1. Deliverance after a doubtful conflict No man goeth to War but carryeth his life in his hands and the event is very uncertain now when 't is unexpectedly determined on our side there is great rejoycing 2. The joy of victory especially to be victorious in a Battel 3. There is Booty and Spoil whereby men are enriched and so profit as well as pleasure 4. The joy of Honour and Triumph over faln Enemies 5. Peace and Ease from toil All these make the joy of victorious men in a Battel to be a great joy Secondly 'T was a fit similitude for David to use who was a great Warrior and so a man not unacquainted with the joy of victory A gracious heart spiritualizeth every occasion that falleth out in their ordinary
hearts towards spiritual and heavenly things Ioh. 6 45. They shall all be taught of God 1 Thes. 4. 10. Ye your selves are taught of God to love one another 1 Ioh. 2. 27. The anointing teacheth you all things As the Heathen Cato would have none to teach his Son but himself for he said that Instruction was such a benefit that he would not have his Son beholding to none for it but himself Oh 't is a blessed priviledge to be taught of God! to be made wise to Salvation and not only to get an ear to hear but an heart to understand and learn by hearing not only the power to Believe but the very Act of Faith itself Gods teaching is always effectual not only directive but perswasive inlightening the mind to know and inclining the Will and Affections to imbrace what we know he writeth the truth upon the heart and puts it into the mind Heb. 8. 10. He sufficiently propoundeth the Object and rectifieth the Faculty imprints the Truth upon the very Soul But how doth God teach in the very place where Christ speaketh of our being taught of God he presently addeth Ioh. 6. 46. Not that any man hath seen the Father Gods teaching doth not import that any man must see God and immediately Converse with him and talk with God and so be taught by him no God teacheth externally by his Word and internally by the Spirit but yet so powerfully and effectually that the Lesson is learned and deeply imprinted upon our Souls this teaching is often expressed by seeing now to a clear sight three things concur an Object conspicuous a perspicuous Medium and a well disposed Organ or clear Eye in Gods teaching there is all these The Object to be seen plainly in the Scriptures are the things of God not Fancies but Realities and by the light of the Spirit represented to us and the Eye of the Mind opened A blind man cannot see at mid-day nor the most clear-sighted at midnight when objects lye hidden under a vail of darkness the object must be revealed and brought nigh to us in a due light and God secretly openeth the eye of the Soul that we see heavenly things with Life and Affection The Author then sheweth the Mercy when God will not only teach us by Men but by his Spirit II. The Objects known the highest and most important matters in the World the gracious Soul is savingly acquainted with 't is more to have the knowledge of the profoundest Sciences then of some poor and low employment as Themistocles said to know a little of true Philosophy is more than to know how to play upon a fiddle But now to have the saving knowledge of God and of the life to come is more than to have the most admired Wisdom of the Flesh than all the Common Learning in the World and therefore how much are we bound to praise God if he will teach us his Statutes more than if we knew how to govern Kingdoms and Common-wealths and to do the greatest business upon Earth Two things do commend the object of this knowledge 1. It is conversant about the most high and excellent things 2. The most necessary and useful things 1. Things of so high a nature as to know God who is the cause of all things and Jesus Christ who is the restorer of all things and the Spirit who cherisheth and preserveth all things especially to know his heavenly operations and the nature and acting of his several Graces Ier. 9. 24. Let him that glorieth glory in this that he knoweth me saith the Lord. There is the excellency of a man to know God to conceive aright of his Nature Attributes and Works so as to Love Trust Reverence and Serve him Alas all other knowledge is a poor low thing to this God hath written a book to us of himself as Caesar wrote his own Commentaries and by Histories and Prophesies hath set forth himself to us to be the Creatures Creator Preserver Deliverer and Glorifier This is the Knowledge we should seek after common Craft teach us how to get bread but this book teacheth us how to get the Kingdom of heaven to get the bread of Life the meat that perisheth not Law preserveth the Estates and Testaments of Men but this the Testament of God the Charter of our eternal Inheritance Physick cureth the Diseases of the Body this afflicted Minds and distempered Hearts Natural Philosophy raiseth up men to the contemplation of Nature this of the Maker of all things and Author of Nature History the Rise and Ruine of Kingdoms States and Cities this the Creation and Consummation of the World Rhetorick to stir the Affection this to inkindle Divine Love Poetry moveth natural delight here Psalms that we may delight in God These are the only true and sublime things as Light is pleasant to the Eye so is Knowledge to the Mind but where have you the knowledge of such high things what are the mysteries of Nature to the mysteries of Godliness to know the Almighty living God and to behold his Wisdom Goodness and Power in all his Works surely this is a sweet and pleasant thing to a gracious soul but especially to know him in Christ to know the Mistery of the Incarnation Person Natures and Mediation of Christ. 1 Tim. 3. 16. Great is the mistery of Godliness This is a mistery without Controversie great to know the Law and Covenant of God Deut. 4. 6. This is your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the nations who shall hear these statutes And the sanctifying work of the Holy-Ghost by which we are wrought and prepared for everlasting Life 2. So necessary and useful to know the way of Salvation the Disease and Remedy of our Souls our Danger and the Cure our Work and our Wages the business of Life and our End what is to be believed and practiced what we are to enjoy and do these are the things which concern us all other knowledge is but curious and speculative and hath more of pleasure than of Profit To know our own Affairs our greatest and most necessary Affairs these are the things we should busie our selves about 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One thing is necessary Luk. 10. 42. Other things we may well spare Now what is necessary but to know our Misery that we may prevent it our Remedy that we may look after it in time our Work and Business that we may perform it our End that we intend it and be incouraged by it What course we must take that we may be everlastingly happy Well then if God will shew us what is good Mich. 6. 8. and teach us what is good that we may know whither we are a going and which way we must go if he will give us Counsel in our reins to choose him for our portion Psal. 16. 5. We ought to bless his name So the 11th Verse Thou wilt shew me the path of Life though ignorant of other things we are
make this Petition to God to beg his watchful Providence and Shepherd-like care over us and we may do it with Encouragement to be heard of God if our Hearts are unfeignedly set to keep his Law that God will hear us and keep us from our wandring Doctrine That a Christian that is obedient for the main yet may run into many Faylings and Errors of Life David was right for the main course of his Life he professeth here he did not forget Gods Precepts he did not cast off the Yoak of his Law but yet in particular acts he acknowledgeth he did erre and fail and went astray like a lost Sheep And so many who are Gods own Servants that do not forget his Precepts may thus erre and go astray First In our Natural Estate man is of a straying nature apt to turn out of the way that leadeth to God and true happiness The Holy Ghost sets forth the Degeneration of Man-kind by the similitude and embleme of a strayed or lost Sheep Luke 15. and Isa. 53. 6. All we like Sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way Mark he speaks of our Estate by Nature Collectively and Distributively Collectively and in Common All we like Sheep have gone astray And distributively Every man to his own way We all agree in forsaking the right way of pleasing and enjoying God but we disagree as each one hath a by-path of his own Some are running after this Lust Some after that and so are not only divided from God but divided from one another whilst every one makes his own Will his Law quiequid velit licet As the Channel is cut so corrupt Nature in every one finds an Issue and Passage Psal. 14. 3. They are all gone aside they are altogether become Filthy there is none that doth good no not one Some run this way some that way some are enslaved by Pleasures others are captivated by the Honours of the present World and some are opprest by the Cares of this Life Every man hath his way of sinning and running away from God But however the Emblem and Similitude of the Holy Ghost is to be considered that our departing from God and his ways is like the straying of a sheep what doth that note 1. In general it implies this that we are brutish in our sin and defection from God led by sense fancy and appetite and therefore our Condition could not be exprest but by a Comparison fetched from the Beasts Silly Sheep are carried away by their fancy and appetite from the Flock Psal. 49. 12. Man being in Honour abideth not he is like the Beasts that perish that is he abode not in the Honour of his Creation some would render it for a Night Adam abode not for a Night What we translate Man is Adam the excellency and dignity wherein God had set us he became like a Beast How is man like a Beast we are governed by our Sences and lower Appetites The Sences are grown masterly and inordinate so eagerly set upon their Objects that they will not be reclaimed and mans Life just like that of the Bruits it is things of the same nature we value and adhere unto Terrene and Earthly things the Comforts of the Animal Life and as we have the same objects so the same ends to enjoy our sensual pleasures and satisfy our Fleshly Minds as long as we may now what is this but to suffer the Beast to ride the Man to put Reason and Conscience in Vassallage and Subjection to Sense and Appetite 2. This Similitude is used to shew our proneness to erre There is no Creature more prone to wander and lose its way without a Shepherd then the Sheep Sheep are Creatures subject to straying if they be not kept in the Pasture so all Men are obnoxious to Erring and Straying Ier. 14. 10. They love to wander it s a delight to us to be pleasing our Flesh and gratifying our Carnal Senses So Psal. 95. 10. It s a People that do erre in their Hearts We do nor only erre in our Minds but erre in our Hearts To erre in our Mind is to erre out of Ignorance but to erre in our Heart is to erre out of Sensual Obstinacy so are we carryed away with the Desires of the Flesh think our selves never better then when we run away from God Ah the best of us is soon out of the way If God takes off his Guidance and leaves us to our selves we are apt to Transgress the Bounds wherewith God hath hedged up our way and make it our Business still to be running away from the Chief Good into the Bushes and Thickets of Carnal Error wherein we are entangled 3. Our inability to return and set our selves into the Right Way again for we stray like Sheep not like Swine and Dogs Swine and Dogs though they wander they will find the way home again but a Sheep is irrecoverably lost without the Shepherds Diligence and Care Ier. 50. 6. My People hath been lost they have gone from Mountain to Mountain they have forgotten their resting Place So should we run and keep running away from and forget our Resting Place I remember Austin in his Meditations hath this Passage Domine errare potui redire non potui Lord I could go astray by my self but I cannot return of my self The sheep easily straggle but it is the Shepherd must bring home the lost Sheep upon his own Shoulders Luke 15. 5. And to this we may apply that of the Prophet Hosea 13. 9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help We could destroy and ruine our selves but we cannot recover and save our selves The shiftless Infant can defile himself but 't is the Nurse must cleanse it and we our selves can fall from God but to recover us to God that 's the Shepherds Care 4. It shews our readiness to follow evil Example A Sheep is animal sequax a Creature that runs after the Drove they run out of the Gap one after another and one Stragler draws away the whole Flock When the Apostle speaks of the sinful state of Man-kind Eph. 2. 2 3. He reckons up Example as one walking according to the Course of this World according to the Prince of the Power of the Air the spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience In that place there 's the Devil the World and the Flesh. There 's the Prince of the Power of the Air and there 's the Course of this World that I quote it for now there 's Satan Corrupt Example and Evil Inclination all which are Depravers of Man-kind and all concurr to our ruine and destruction we easily swim with the Stream and the Torrent of Common Example do as others do and so mutually propagate and receive taint from one another Imitation is not the Whole Cause of Sin but Propagation and Inclination of Nature yet Imitation and Example doth much to the perverting of the World
word as it is an excellent Doctrine suited to mans necessities as the stony ground received the word with joy Mat. 13. 20. certainly he hath yet a purer gladness than meerly that man that is vers'd in natural studies O but when a man can reflect upon the promises as having an interest in them that delight which flows from faith and is accompanied with such a certainty surely that 's a more pure delight than the other and doth more ravish the heart they have more intimate and spiritual joy than others have 5. It is a joy that ends well Carnal rejoycing makes way for sorrow the end of that mirth is heaviness Prov. 14. 13. It is a poor forced thing saith Cooper A man in a burning Fever is eased no longer by drinking strong drink than while he is drinking of it for then it seems to cool him but presently it encreaseth his heat so when men seek ease and comfort in troubles from outward external things though they seem to mitigate their heaviness for the present yet they encrease it the more afterward 6. It is not a joy that perverts the heart Carnal comforts the more we use them the more we are ensnared by them Eccles. 2. 2. I have said of laughter it is mad and of mirth what doth it For what serious and sober use doth carnal rejoycing serve There is no profit by it but much hurt and danger therefore Solomon preferreth sorrow before it Eccles. 7. 3. Sorrow is better than laughter for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better But now the more of this delight we have the more we delight our selves in the word of God the more we love God the better the heart is 7. It is a delight that overcomes the sense of our affliction and all the evils that do befall us and therefore it is said of the heirs of promise that they have strong consolation Heb. 6. 18. The strength is seen by the effects therefore it is strong because it supports and revives notwithstanding troubles It establisheth the heart notwithstanding all the floods and storms of temptations that light upon it 1 Thes. 1. 6. it is said of them that they received the word with much affliction and joy in the Holy Ghost Secondly How do we find it in the word His testimonies are my delight The word requires this joy in troubles and the word ministers it to the soul. It requires this joy Jam. 1. 2. Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations We are not only with patience to submit to Gods will but also to rejoyce in it So Mat. 5. 12. When men persecute and revile you and say all manner of evil against you falsly for my name sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad Many times when other ways of persecution cease yet there is reviling Those that have no strength and power to do other injuries yet have such weapons of malice always in readiness Some being not good Christians themselves will defame those that are so that so when they cannot reach them in practice they may depress them by censure when they cannot go so high as they they may bring them as low as themselves by detraction Nowthough this be a great evil we should bear it not heavily but cheerfully rejoyce and be exceeding glad in hope of the promises Rom. 5. 3. We glory in tribulation A true believer that hath received the word of God as the rule of his life and guide of his hopes he can not only be patient but cheerful glory in his tribulation A carnal man is not so comfortable in his best estate as he is at his worst Again it gives us matter and ground of joy God speaks a great deal of comfort to an afflicted spirit It was one end why the Scriptures were penn'd Rom. 15. 4. that we through patience and comfort of the Scripture might have hope And Heb. 12. 5. Have you forgotten the consolation that speaks to you as children The great drift of the word is to provide matter of comfort and that in our worst estate But now what are the usual comforts that may occasion this delight and joy in the Holy Ghost in the midst of deep affliction 1. The Scripture gives us ground of comfort from the Author of our afflictions who is our Father and never manifests the comfort of adoption so much as then when we are under chastning Heb. 12. 5. The consolation that speaks to you as children And Joh. 18. 11. The cup which my father hath put into my hands shall I not drink it It is a bitter Cup but it is from a Father not from a Judg or an Enemy Nothing but good can come from him who is love and goodness it self nothing but what is useful from a Father whose affection is not to be measured by the bitterness of the dispensation but by his aims what he intends If God should let us alone to follow our own ways it were an argument we were none of his children 2. The necessity of afflictions 1 Pet. 1. 6. Ye are for a season in trouble if need be Before the Corn be ripened it needs all kind of weathers and therefore the Husband-man is as glad of showers as sun-shine because they both conduce to fruitfulness We need all kind of dispensations and cannot well be without the many troubles that do befall us 3. The nature and use of affliction it is a medicine not a poyson it works out the remainders of sin Isa. 27. 9. By this therefore shall the iniquity of Iacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin Afflictions are useful and help to mortification It is a file to get off our rust a flayl wherewith we are thresht that our husk may flye off a fire to purge and eat out our dross He verily for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness Heb. 12. 10. If God take away any outward comforts from us and give us graces instead of them it 's a blessed exchange if he strip us of our garments and clothe us with his own Royal Robe as holiness is God himself is glorious in holiness now that we may be partakers of his holiness surely that 's for our profit 4. For the manner of God's afflicting it is in measure Isa. 27. 8. In measure when it shooteth forth thou wilt debate with it He stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east-wind So Jer. 46. 28. Fear thou not O Iacob my servant saith the Lord c. So 1 Cor. 10. 13. God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above measure His conduct is very gentle as Iacob drove on as the little ones were able to bear Gen. 33. so doth God with a great deal of moderation measure out sufferings in a due proportion not to our offences only but our strength as a father in correcting his children regards their weakness as well as their wantonness laying
less upon the more infirm though alike faulty 5. Another comfort which the Scripture propounds is the help we shall have in affliction to bear it partly from the comforts of his spirit and partly from the supports of his grace 1. By way of Consolation The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost at such a time Rom. 5. 3. Cordials are for those that are fainting In time of trouble we have most sensible experience of Gods love God deals with his children many times as Ioseph did with his brethren he calls them Spies and puts them in prison but at length he could hold no longer but tells them I am your brother Ioseph so God seems to deal roughly with his people and take away their dearest Comforts from them I but before the trouble be over he can hold no longer but saith I am your God your Father and exceeding great reward His bowels yern towards us and he opens his heart to us and sheds abroad his love in our consciences 2. Partly by the supports and influences of his grace Psal. 138. 3. In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthnest me with strength in my soul. When David was in trouble this was his comfort though he could not get deliverance yet he got support God is many times gone to appearance but he will never forsake us as to inward support and strength Heb. 13. 5. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee 6. From the fruit and final issue of all 2 Cor. 4. 17. This light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory He that can find Christ in his afflictions and can see Heaven beyond it needs not to be troubled All the notions of Heaven are diversified why that they may be suited to those divers trials and many evils we have in the world Sometimes it is exprest by glory and honour to counterbalance the disgrace which Gods children meet with here that the reproach of men may not make us more sad than the eternal glory may make us comfortable Sometimes it is exprest by substance because sometimes Gods children are poor and suffer loss of goods Heb. 10. 34. Sometimes it is call'd our Redemption our Countrey to comfort us in exile and banishment for the name of Christ Heb. 11. 14 15. Sometimes it is called life eternal because we may be called to suffer even to blood Thus the word offereth this comfort against all the evils that befall us that we may counterbalance every particular trouble with what the promises hold forth concerning our blessed hopes USE Well then let us exercise our selves in the word of God and let all his promises be as so many Cordials to us To this end get an interest in these promises for the heirs of promise have strong consolation Heb. 6. 18. There is strong great real and pure comfort but it is to the heirs of promise So Rom. 5. 4. Not only so but we rejoyce in tribulation Who are those those that are justified by faith in Christ v. 1. To others afflictions are the punishments of sin and an occasion of despair not of rejoycing I but when we are interested in reconciliation with God then we take this comfort out of the word of God 2. It informs us of the excellency of Gods testimonies above all outward enjoyments When we have them to the full they cannot give us any solid true peace of conscience nor cure one sad thought Now beg of God that he will comfort you when all things else fail When the labour of the Olive shall fail I 'le comfort my self in the Lord my God Hab. 3. 18. I say when we are under any burden nay when we are under any sorrow for sin when afllictions revive stings of conscience or else the word hath awakened them yet there 's comfort to be had by running to the word of God 3. It shews us what is the property of believers to delight in the testimonies of God when all things go cross to them Temporaries when things run smoothly they have a comfort in the word O but when the afflictions of the Gospel fall upon them they fall a murmuring presently But a true believer can hold up his head and though he hath much affliction yet he can have much joy in the Holy-Ghost and a great deal of comfort from the word of God There follows another benefit Thy testimonies are my Councellors or men of my counsel From thence observe Doct. 2. That one great benefit we have from the word of God is counsel how to direct our affairs according to his will For the clearing of this let me lay down these Propositions 1. That our great interest is to keep in with God or approve our selves to him 2. Whoever would keep in with God needs counsel and direction in all his ways 3. The only good counsel we can have is from God in his word 4. The counsel God hath given us in his word is sufficient and full out for all our necessities Prop. 1. That our great interest is to keep in with God and approve our selves to him in all our actions for God is the scope and end of our lives and actions as the thing prest that we may walkworthy of God in all well-pleasing Col. 1. 10. God being our chiefest good must be our last end therefore in every action there must be an habitual purpose and in all actions of weight and moment there must be an actual purpose to please God Every ordinary affair must be carried forth in the strength of the habitual purpose but in all actions we would make a business of there must be an actual purpose And because his Authority alone can sway the Conscience which is under his dominion therefore it concerns us in all things to exercise our selves that we may have a good conscience void of offence both towards God and man Acts 24. 16. And again we are to approve our ways to God and to keep in with him because to him we are to give an account 2 Cor. 5. 9 10. There will a time come when every action of ours shall be taken into consideration and weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary with all our principles and ends therefore we strive we are ambitious so the word signifies our great ambition should be living or dying to be accepted with God Again Surely it should be our business to approve our selves to God in every action because all the success of our actions depends upon his concurrence and blessing Now we shall find this is often asserted in Scripture When a man's ways are full of hazards likely to be expos'd to great opposition your great work is to keep in with God approve your hearts to him Prov. 16. 7. When a mans ways please the Lord he will make even his enemies to be at peace with him God hath a mighty power over the spirits