have but low and mean thoughts in themselves of Religion and the wayes of Piety which look upon Godliness at least in the power of it but as a needless and superfluous business which doe in their secret minds contemn all such as are any thing eager or zealous for it such as these there are in the world who if they see any more forward then other in doing good despise them and think slightly of them such an one as this was Michol in her carriage to King David when she saw him in the zeal of his spirit to dance before the Lord with all his might it is said she despised him in her heart that is she had undervaluing conceits of him occasionally from from that his carriage Secondly Scorners are such as do not onely slight Religion in others but also decline it in themselves and oppose themselves to those wayes which might tend to the Reformation of them Those that refuse and reject instruction and will not be advised to any thing which might promote them in a way of Salvation and this when it is come to the height of it is joyned to with Derision it self A Scorner ends in a Scoffer if he be not the more carefully prevented which is the worst and highest of all and the very next door to that sin which shall never be pardoned Now Thirdly There is a middle sort as I may betwixt either of these such as have not explicit thoughts in them of the meanness and lowness of Religion nor doe not it may be contemn it with any slight reflections upon it much less which is worse they do deride it or scoff at it but yet as to their practise do carry themselves very carelesly and indifferently to it which do not mind nor heed nor regard their own welfare and happiness nor the Admonitions which are Administred unto them as putting them thereupon These are the Scorners in a degree likewise and such are included also here in the Text not onely which do refuse wisdom in her Invitation but also which neglect her such as these they are said to scorn as well as the other Whosoever he be that is not reform'd by admonition that man scorns Admonition in the Practical Notion of it and as the Holy Ghost himself interprets whatsoever his particular thoughts and habitual apprehensions may be about it Thus we see who they are that scorn Now answerable to these three sorts and kinds of them there are three grounds for them also Scorning it hath a threefold root from from whence it does arise The first is Vnbelief and Infidelity therefore men Scorn Instruction because they do not believe Judgement and Punishment which is threatned against them They think there 's no such great evil in sin as some make of it they are secure and self-presumptuous As that Person there in the Law Deut. 22.18 19. That root that bare gall and wormwood who blesses himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart to add drunkenness to thirst The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke again that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lye upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven And the Lord shall sepâ—rate him unto evil out of all the Tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the Covenant that are written in the Book of the law Such an one as this is will Scorn any thing that is sayd unto him for the reclaiming and amending of him and reducing him to that which is good because he does not believe that there is any such danger indeed in sin as is pretended to be in it Secondly Pride and Self-conceitedness that 's another thing breeds scorning The wicked through the pride of his Countenance will not seek after God and as he will not seek after him so neither will he hearken to any that would draw him to him Pride and Scorn they are such as grow up together and the one is the Foundation of the other Those which are swollen and puff't and lifted up in their own thoughts they disdain all seasonable Admonitions which are cast upon them They think themselves too good for the word and the remembrances of it And they usually despise those persons which do tender it unto them let it be in any thing whatsoever which men use to be puff't up withal whether Birth or Wit or Wealth or what ever it be Those that pride themselves in any of these things they doe accordingly Scorn all such means as should make them better and the Dispensers of them A Scorner heareth not Rebuke Prov. 13.1 Heareth it not that is beareth not patiently and meekly Is not willing and content to hear it Nor heareth it not effectually so as to be amended and better'd by hearing it Thus he does not hear it and all because he is a Scorner one that 's high-minded and conceited in Himself Thirdly Thraldom and Addictedness to any particular lust which men are compast withal this makes them to scorn advise He that 's in love with sin will not love him that rebukes him and reproves him for his sin and that because he hinders him and interrupts him in his delightful pursuits Those which are in league with any lust they do not love to be taken off from it which Admonition it does for them it will not suffer them to fin so freely and so heartily as otherwise they would doe Every check is a restraint because it meets with the Conscience of the person upon whom it is fastened who has somewhat within himself joyning with anothers Reproof and taking part with it against himself This makes men in stead of rising up against their own corruptions to rise up against those which warn them and tell them of them Rebuke a Scorner and he will hate thee as it is in the verse before in this Chapter Again He that Reproves a Scorner gets to himself shame And he that Rebukes a wicked man getteth to himself a blot Namely which is fastned upon him by him who is reproved And this now for the opening unto you what is meant here by Scorning with the grounds and occasions of it Now further for the Punishment which is here annext unto it I say it is first of all considerable in its simple evil and inconvenience If thou Scornest thou shalt bear it Scorning is followed with Punishing as belonging unto it And there are three things in this passage which do amplifie and illustrate it unto us First The Indesiteness of it Secondly Vniversality Thirdly The Vnavoidableness The Indefiniteness of it that he shall not know what that punishment is The Vniversality in the Expectation of all punishment The Vnavoidableness in that there is no dispensation but suffer he must First I say there 's the Indefiniteness Thou shalt bear it what shall he bear It is not
young spreadeth abroad her wings taketh them and beareth them so the Lord alone did lead him c. There is a wonderful great tenderness which God expresses to his people so that when men are most cruel against them He himself is most merciful to them and expresses the greatest kindness towards them That 's for the first Expression here used in reference to their deliverance He hath taken you The second is Hath brought you and this as well as the other hath a double force in it First an Emphasis of Power brought you forth with a strong hand Secondly An Emphasis of Solemnity Brought you forth with a stretched out Arm. First There is power in it Bring you forth That is forced you forth whether your enemies would or no. Thus did God to Israel He made Pharaoh and the Egyptians to give them up whether they would or not yea as the Apostle tells us He would tells us he therefore for this purpose raised them up that he might shew his power in them Rom. 9.17 There 's no standing against the Lord when he has a mind to deliver His people He will bring them forth maugre all opposition in despite of all the powers either of Earth or Hell it self Secondly There 's also solemnity in it He brought them forth i. e. in triumph As with a strong-hand so with a stretched-out arm as the Scripture also expresses it Deut. 5.15 Stand still saith Moses and ye shall see the salvation of the Lord Exod. 14.13 Yea and not onely you shall see it but likewise others Psal 98.23 The Lord hath made known His salvation his righteousness hath He openly shewed in the sight of the Heathen He hath remembred His mercy and truth c. And all the ends of the Earth have seen the salvation of our God Now from both these expressions together Hath taken you and hath brought you forth we see the thing it self sufficiently declared unto us that God did at last deliver His people out of this Captivity under which they were He removed his shoulder from the burden and his hands were delivered from the pots as it is in Psal 81.6 8 13. Though ye have lien among the pots c. And so he does likewise with many more with them Though God suffers His servants sometimes to fall into the hand of their enemies yet he does at length free them from them This he doth upon divers considerations First out of His own bowels and compassion He will not alwayes chide neither keepeth He his anger for ever Psal 103.9 And Isa 57.16 He will not contend for ever neither will he be alwayes wroth for the spirit should fail before Him and the souls which he had made Secondly Out of respect to his People least they should be discouraged and provoked to evil Psal 125.3 The rod of the ungodly shall not lye upon the lot of the Righteous least the righteous put forth their hand unto iniquity The Lord will not too much draw out the corruptions and infirmities of His servants And then Thirdly Out of Regard to the enemies least they should insult Deut. 32 26 27. I said I would scatter them into Corners c. were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy least their adversaries should behave themselves strangely c. Let this therefore be the use which we make of it to our selves First to Expect it whereas yet it is not Secondly To acknowledge it and to improve it there where it is First I say to expect it where it is not It is that which God will do it is that which he has already done to our hands in this example before us we are ready when we fall into any trouble to think that we shall never come out of it and that there is no redemption from it well but see here the contrary in this instance of the Israelites brought out of Egypt and delivered from the Iron-furnace which though it threatned them with perpetual bondage yet we see at last had an end and consummation of it God took them and brought them forth Secondly As where it is not yet we should yet expect it so where it is we should improve it and that to several purposes First to thankfulness in acknowledging it The Spirit of God by Moses does often put them in mind of this Deliverance to draw thankfulness from them And if God's mercies have not this efficacy upon us we are then indeed very unworthy of them Secondly To Obedience which is the best expression of thankfulness Thus this Deliverance likewise is urged there in Jer. 11.4 For obeying the words of the Covenant which God commanded their fathers when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt from the Iron-furnace Thirdly To Dependence upon God and prevailing with him against another time That He which hath done so much for them already would be still pleased to do more As we find Solomon using that Argument in 1 King 8.52 For they be thy people which thou hast brought out of Egypt c. And so much may suffice to have spoken of the first General part of the Text viz. The Deliverance it self The second is the End or Consequent of this Deliverance and that we have in these words To be unto him a People of Inheritance as ye are this day In which passage we have again two particulars First The Design it self And Secondly The Amplification of it The Design it self To be unto him a people of inheritance The Amplification of it As ye are this day I begin with the first viz. The Design it self To be unto Him a people of Inheritance This is that which God aymed at concerning Israel Now this may again admit of a double Interpretation Either so as for Him to be their Inheritance or else so as for them to be His. The Scripture makes mention of either in sundry places First For Him to be theirs This is the Priviledge of God's People That the Lord himself is their portion and Inheritance and so expresses Himself to be to them Thus Psal 16.5 David speaking of himself The Lord is the portion of mine Inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest the Lot And so of Levi it is said That the Lord is his Inheritance Deut. 10.9 And the Church Lam. 3.24 The Lord is my Portion c. This is a great comfort to the Godly and to those which are most destitute amongst them to live upon the power of this truth what though they have none of the great Inheritance of the world yet as long as they have a portion in God they have that which may abundantly satisfie them and keep them from dejection forasmuch as from henceforth no good thing shall be wanting unto them He that overcometh shall inherit all things How so It follows in the next words And I will be his God c. Rev. 21.7 He that hath God for his God shall inherit all things he shall have a sufficient
they do improve their wickedness as much as they are able to their own Contentment and Satisfaction or advantage and they suck all the pleasures out of it that they can perfectly find and meet withall in it Thus they do and they have a particular Art and skill and Ability in them to this purpose Look as Godly men do with a promise and some parcel of the word of God or as they do with a gracious Frame and Temper of Spirit when they have found it they preserve it all they can and make much of it Keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people and prepare their heart unto thee 1 Chron. 29.18 Even so do wicked men with their sins when it is said here they spare it we must understand it n that sense it is spoken which is not as to matter of commission but rather as to matter of Mortification a covetous man spares his money but he does not spare his sin They do not spare to act it but they spare to kill it and to crucifie it and to subdue it in themselves As to the Acting and exercising of it this they do and do not spare but lay on as much as they can like some hunger-starved person at a feast they feed and do not spare they commit all uncleanness with greediness as the Apostle speaks in Eph. 4.18 But they spare it as to the resisting of it and as to the doing of any hurt unto it A wicked man spares his lusts as Saul did the cattel of the Amalekites which he reserved for himself 1 Sam. 15.9 or as David spared rebellious Absalom whom he desired should be dealt tenderly withall Deal Gently with the young man Absalom for my sake this he gave in command to Joab the Captain of the Host 2 Sam. 18.5 Even so do such men say in their hearts as to their sins To Governours and Friends and Ministers O spare my lusts deal gently with such a sin and corruption for my sake Therefore sparing and not forsaking are very pertinently joyn'd together in the Text the one explaining the other He spares it and does not forsake it that is he spares to forsake it sake it He does favour and allow and indulge corruption and sin in himself This a wicked man does And it is here made to be a property so to do of him But because there are two several words which are here used sparing and not forsaking we will therefore take them asunder and consider them severally and distinctly And first of sparing which as in part I hinted before does imply that Indulgence which such persons give to their corruptions shewing them all the favour that may be And it is exprest in these particulars First As to matter of search and inquiry into them A wicked man he spares his sins thus so as to examine his heart about them David sayes He communed with his own heart and his spirit made dilligent search Psal 77.6 And he perswades others to do so likewise Psal 4.4 Stand in awe and sin not commune with your own heart and be still But men commonly delight not so to do which have any guilt lying upon them They do not love to to look much into it or to be inquisitive what it is Bad Husbands they do not love to cast up their accounts nor to see what their estate is because they are afraid they shall meet with somewhat which will be displeasing to them And so it is also with bad hearts and false spirits in Religion they do not love to consider their wayes for fear their sins should fly in their faces and gall them for them They spare their sins that so their sins may spare them Spare their sins to search them that so their sins may spare them to torment them and to vex them for them Secondly As this sparing is observable as to matter of inquiry so also as to matter of resistance and opposition they are very sparing in this likewise they do as little as may be to restrain and hinder sin in the onsets of it Take a Godly man and one whose heart is taken off from sin and he hath no mercy at all for it but deals as boysterously with it as may be he desires to shew it no favour or kindness or respect at all but is most cross and opposite to it Whereas now on the otherside a wicked man he is tender of making any resistance but gives way to it as much as may be and so he spares it Thirdly As to matter of Expulsion and Ejection and Mortification they spare it so The Scripture requires men to pluck out their right eyes to cut off their right hands c. that is to destroy their dearest lusts and those corruptions which are nearest to them Now an Hypocrite he will not do this by any means perhaps he will be content to part with somewhat which he does not much care for and be willing to abstain from it but his Absaloms and Dalilahs and his Herodiasses and such sins as these Oh by all means let them alone destroy them not for there 's some sweetness to be found in them Thus he is said to spare it which is the first expression which is here considerable Secondly He does not forsake it he doth not leave it nor bid adieu unto it he never forsakes his sin till his sin forsake him and he can keep it no longer as sometimes it does in age and sickness and death Men have not then those opportunities of sin which they have had at other times for the acting and committing of them and so they forsake them But otherwise as to the Heart and Affection they forsake them never As friends they may be kept from one another by violence though never so dear but yet their spirits are still the same to each other and so it is with a sinner to his lusts he bears the same affection to them now in his restraint from them as he did before in his injoyment of them and what he cannot attain in Accomplishment he makes up in desire There 's no man can be said to forsake any sin in particular which does not forsake the way of sin for the General That is which is not converted and regulated and brought home to God As for another man let his condition be what it will be yet his corruption is still the same he is prodigal in a poor estate and he is proud in a low estate and he is Lascivious in a decrepit estate when his body withers yet his lusts flourishes and he never forsakes his sin till he forsakes himself and has any Being continued to him Now to lay both these together a sinners not forsaking but rather sparing sin in himself as we have hitherto heard and consider'd how much it makes to the aggravation of his sinful condition and misery likewise attending thereupon There 's no Greater mischief or cruelty which a
Solomon tells us and Peter councels Simon Magus to repent of his wicked thought that it might be forgiven unto him we have cause to take care of our thoughts that they may not be otherwise then such as are agreeable to the rule of God's Law Take heed of spiritual sins and such as are more appropriated to the mind or of Corporal sins made Spiritual by Fancy and Speculation Speculative revenge and Speculative uncleanness and Speculative Theft which consists in Covetous and unlawful Desires We should use our phansies and thoughts purely that so while they are not to us instruments and means of sin they may not be to us neither instruments or means of Affliction that we may not have troublesome and disquieting thoughts it concerns us to have innocent thoughts and thoughts as near as we can free from guilt and that in all the Improvements and Activities of them In matter of Judgement to have sound and sober opinions In matter of reflection to have holy and Sanctified Meditations In matter of Counsel to have honest and faithful Contrivances Every way and in every thing to submit our thoughts to the blessed guidance of the Holy Spirit of God and in a Gracious Captivity and subjection to the Obedience of Christ Thus shall we have less trouble from our thoughts then otherways we should And as this does concern all men whatsoever so more especially does it concern those whose excellency lies in their thoughts Schollers and men of parts and understanding forasmuch as these are most subject to such kind of evils as these are in the greatest Aggravations The finest wits are liable to the greatest Distractions and the more advantages any have of doing Evil the more occasions have they likewise of suffering Evil as the mind is capable of the greater Comfort and Contentment so it is also of the greatest trouble and look as it is in the body that the most exquisite Constitutions are liable to the greatest pains so in the Soul the most sublime and raised parts ar exposed to the most disquieting thoughts Thus God is pleased now and then to afford sad instances and Expressions off that others may take heed but so much for the first particular to wit the grief or evil it self which is here mentioned And that is thoughts The Second is the Amplification of this Evil and that is from the Number Multitude of thoughts Thoughts crowding and thrusting in themselves in a Violent and confused manner one upon another Que catervatim se proruunt as Austin speaks in another case such thoughts as these does he here speak off All Evils do still receive an Intention and Aggavation of themselves from the plurality and multiplicity of them And so likewise here one troublesome and molesting thought it may breed a great deale of Grief and Distraction and such as a man would fain be rid off and shake off from Himself what he could But where there are many this is so much the more Intollerable Now this is that which we have here in this place exhibited to us David had many rugged thoughts which he was perplext and troubled withall and which occasion'd so much grief unto Him It was Multitudo Cogitationum and this is that which many others besides are subject unto There are many devises in the Heart of a man as Solomon speaks Prov. 19.21 And again in Eccl. 7.29 God made man Righteous but they sought out many Inventions Many Devises and many Inventions and many Thoughts are men troubled withall There 's a variety and diversity of them This to give you some account of it from whence it does proceed is founded upon these following Considerations First The nature of the mind of man consider'd simply in it self that lays Ground for this Multiplication Man's Soul it is full of Nimbleness and Activity and Fruitfulness upon all occasions It is that which is still working and beating out somewhat or other without any Intermission And because it is also full of Inconstancy and unsettledness by reason of Sin therefore it is apt to produce a variety and abundance of thoughts It goes from one thing to another like a Bee in the change of Flowers and is never at rest and this is a part of that Vanity which is upon it this Infirmity is seen in nothing more then it is in the performance of good Duties Prayer and hearing of the word and such Religious Exercises as these wherein this multitude of thoughts does in a special manner discover it self How hard and difficult is it without a great deal of carefulness and watchfulness and preparation and circumspection for the mind to keep it self close to that one thing which is necessary and not to be called away to a variety and multiplicity of Distractions at such times as those are The Holiest men that ever have been they have much complained of this weakness in themselves as St. Austin and St. Basil c. Secondly Another Cause and Ground of this multitude of thoughts may be taken from the mutability of Conditions and variety of Objects and occasions which we meet withall in this world Our thoughts are for the most part answerable to the Estate in which we are and the occasions which are presented unto us Now forasmuch as there 's an alteration in them there 's a diversity also in these which are sutable and agreeable thereunto This is our Condition in this World that it is subject to an abundance of change sometimes things go well with us and sometimes they go another way at least we are ready to think so let them go how they will There are occasions from our selves there are occasions from our Relations there are occasions from the Church and publique Estates And this does produce Plurality and variety of thoughts in us Thirdly There is also some cause from this now and then likewise from others according as thoughts are suggested and presented and offered to the mind and this is seen in nothing more then in the Temptations of Satan who being Himself a Spirit has thereby a very great advantage over our Spirits and does sometimes put thoughts into us of his own accord and which otherwise we should never think off Yea there are some whom he does in a manner force and impose thoughts upon them against their will in his violent suggestions Thoughts of Atheism and thoughts of Blasphemy and thoughts against the very Light and dictates of Nature it self these may be said to be our thoughts so far forth as we are the Subjects recipient of them and in a passive sense but otherwise they are none of ours neither shall they be put upon our score or laid to our charge while we do abhor and reverence them no more then the words of any Blasphemer or prophane person which we hear against our minds and which we shut our Ears against yet these they are many times in great multitudes and do make up this present number in the Text. And
shall come unto my people or how can I indure to see the destruction of my kindred This has still been the temper and Disposition of men of Publick Spirits to have multitude of thoughts about the Publick and the State of the Church and Commonwealth And that 's now the Third Explication of Davids thoughts in this present Text and how far forth it holds true of Him is this subject of this present distemper so as to say his thoughts In the Multitude of my thoughts But then again further in that it is said here My thoughts there is somewhat more which is hence observable of us then as yet we have taken notice of and that is as David was not onely the subject of these Distractions but likewise the occasion and promoter of them also They were his own thoughts which wrought this trouble in him which now he was in and he might thank himself as we may say for it They were his Thoughts not onely in a passive sense as received into him but they were his thoughts also in an Active sense as procured by him and so it serves to shew unto us another peice of distemper which many mindes are subject unto and that is in a manner voluntarily and of their own accord disquieting themselves either by fetching in such kind of thoughts as are to their annoyance and disquiet or else by too much yielding and giving way to discouraging thoughts which are suggested and injected into them God has given us in some measure and degree a kind of command over our own thoughts so that although it be not in our power to prevenr such and such thoughts from being offer'd yet it is in our power to forbear from inviting them and calling them in and so likewise of dwelling and staying upon them when they are presented at first yea further it is in our power likewise to prevent the offering and tendering of real thoughts unto us antecedently and in the occasions of them by avoiding evil objects and actions and discourses and communications and such things as these thus far it is in our own power to keep out Evil thoughts from being presented unto us while we forbear to do any thing whereby we may provoke the Lord in just Judgment to give us up to Evil thoughts now this is that which is to be feared that David was not altogether clear and innocent in no more are divers others besides They are distracted and troubled in their thoughts and themselves are the causes of it in not watching over their thoughts as they should from whence they may very truly say with him here in the Text My thoughts in a peculiar manner and with a witness And so ye have the third particular observable in this first General namely the subject or occasion of this Grief and that is David himself My Thoughts The fourth and last is the intimacy or closeness of it and that we have in this word within me The Hebrew word is Be-kirbi In medio mei The Arab. Be-kalbi in Corde meo And so likewise the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In my very heart This is added by way of further intention and aggravation of the present evil and distress it might have been enough one would have thought to have said In the Mutitude of my thoughts no more but so and have left the heart out or the inward parts for all men know that the mind properly alone is the subject of such distempers as those are but the Psalmist is willing to add this in way of redundancy as carrying these special hints and intimations along with it First To shew the secrecy of this Grief It was that which every one did not see or take notice of and so was less obvious to pity and commiseration Those evils which are External and in the Body every one is ready to bemoan them and to bewail them and to take notice of them and to shew a great deal of Bowels towards those which are afflicted with them but these griefs which are inward and in the mind they are such as are known to none but to God Himself The heart knoweth its own grief saith Solomon Prov. 14.10 That is it knows it and none knows it besides Now such was this grief here of Davids it in his heart and so it was secret 2ly Here is hereby denoted the settledness and radication of this evil it was within him and it was within his heart that is it was deeply rooted and fasten'd and such as had a strong ground-work and foundation in him such were these troublesome Thoughts they were got into his very inwards and bowels and so were not easily got out again Thus in Job 17.11 where our Translation renders it the thoughts of my heart The Hebrew Text hath it the possessions of My heart Moraske levavi Thus are such thoughts properly Possessiones Cordis They are such as do take up a speciall Residence and Possession in the mind of those which are afflicted with them Thirdly Here is hereby also signified the Impression which they had upon him and the sense which he himself had of them They were such as did grievously afflict him and pierce him and went near unto him they went to his very heart and toucht him as it were to the quick through the grievousness of them as he speaks in another place concerning the reproaches of his Enemies Psal 42.10 As with a sword or killing in my Bones mine Enemies reproach me while they say daily unto me where is thy God Thus were Davids thoughts at this instant they were within him in this respect also to wit in regard of their impression And so ye have the last particular in this first General to wit the Intimacy or Closeness of this present Grief within us And so also for the first General in the Text propounded to be considered by us and that 's the Malady in the multitude of my thoughts within me Now the Second follows and that 's the Remedy in these words Thy Comforts delight my Soul Wherein again we have two particulars more First The Physick it self and Secondly the opperation of the Physick The Physick it self Thy Comforts the operation of the Physick Delight my Soul We begin with the first viz. The Physick it self Thy Comforts Sanchummeka Consolationes tuae Now thus it may be here Considered by us two manner of ways First Particularly and Distinctly as it lies here before us in this Clause Secondly Connexively and Relatively in conjunction with the clause immediately going before First To take it distinctly and simply in it self Thy Comforts He speaks here to God and gives Testimony to his Comforts in this his present condition My thoughts but thy Comforts we may raise thoughts of our selves but it is God one-can settle them we may torment our selves but it is God onely can relieve us none can comfort but God For the opening of this further to us we must know here that this
satisfie us and content us though we had nothing else but them If God will but forgive us our Sins and change our Natures and put his Grace into our Hearts and give us the Seal of his Spirit that we are his Children certainly we may very well bear with him in the denyal of many other things besides unto us and therefore let us not limit and confine God too much in this particular but let us leave it to his Holy Wisdom and providence who knows what is best for us better then we do our selves and in the supply of his own Gracious Spirit and presence with us can make up to us all things else whatsoever we can desire And further where we do injoy these Comforts let us preserve them all we can and take heed of parting with them let us not be prodigal of Spiritual Comfort or careless or negligent of it If we do herein we forsake our own Mercy and are Enemies to our own greatest Good Let us take heed of offending and displeasing the blessed Spirit of God and of grieving him whose office it is to comfort us Lastly Let us see also here what cause there is for us to look after true Godliness and Religion and to become true Christians indeed that so from hence we may come to partake of these Divine Comforts which we do no otherwise then so far forth as we have the Spirit of God in us and are become his Children Those which are Strangers in Religion they are also Strangers to the Comforts of Religion and to the sweetness which is in that Condition so that though there be Comforts Enough in God yet they have no Interest in them nor no Ability whereby to derive them and to convey them to themselves therefore let us look to that by all meanes Yea and moreover to abound in Grace and Holiness all we can for as we come to be partakers of Gods Comforts by being Godly and Religious so we partake of them the more as we are Godly and Religious in greater measure The closer we walk with God the more comfort we have from him not onely hereafter in Heaven but also now at present here upon Earth which should therefore be a further spur to incite us hereunto And so much for these Comforts in the first Notion considered absolutely and distinctly The Second is by considering them connexively in reference to what went before in the beginning of the verse In the Multitude of my thoughts The words in the Hebrew are Be-rov or as some would have it Ke-rov The one makes it to be in multidine as our Translations render it to us the other makes it to be secundum multitudines as the Vulgar Latin following the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It makes no great matter which there being but little difference betwixt them according as they run in the Text whether in the sound or in the sight From both together we have a singular commendation of these Divine Comforts which David was now refresht with in three particulars First For their Concomitancy Secondly For their Opportunity Thirdly For their Conveniency each of these are in this expression First Here is their Concomitancy by making in to be as much as cum In my thoughts that is altogether with them and so it does imply thus much unto us That the children of God they are never wholly and absolutely disquieted and dejected in themselves but as God does in his providences suffer them now and then to be troubled with sad thoughts so at the very same moment and instant of time does he administer comfort more or less unto them They have some light in their greatest darkness and they have some refreshment in their greatest sadness and they have some comfort in their greatest Distraction In the very midst of judgement upon them does God remember mercy towards them This is the state and condition of Gods people God does secretly uphold their hearts from sinking when it seems to be never so ill and sad with them This proceeds from his singular love and indulgence towards them who does not afflict his servants willingly nor does not desire to lay upon them any more then they may be able to bear If we should have all thoughts and no comforts there were no subsistance or holding out but God does now graciously mitigate and qualifie his dispensations towards us that so the spirit may not fail before him nor the souls which he has made as Himself gives that very reason and account of it Isa 57.16 He corrects in measure Isa 27.8 This teaches us both to expect it and also upon occasion to acknowledge it it serves both to excite our patience and thankfulness First Our patience in expecting it and making account of it when we fall at any time into trouble let us not aggravate it and make it worse then it is for it is neither so much as it might be nor yet so much as we deserve And therefore let us take heed of charging God foolishly in this particular as we are many times subject to do if we do but a little reflect and consider how it is with us we shall find that it is so as is here presented to us namely Comforts and some glimpse of mercy in the greatest sorrows And this is the great difference now betwixt the condition of men here in this world and of the damned in Hell those sad creatures there they have the thouhgts but not the comforts they have the destractions but not the qualifications there is sorrow without any refreshment but those which live here in the world especially those which are Gods children they have a mingling of some sweetness with their greatest grief And this Secondly excites our thankfulness and calls us to the acknowledgement of it upon all occasions and to bless God for it as David else-where does in Psal 119.75 I know O Lord that thy Judgements are right and that in faithfulness thou hast afflicted me And that 's the first particular which is commended to us in these Comforts viz. their Concomitancy The Second is their opportunity In the Multitude of distracting thoughts That is just when they were come to their height and extremity in me The Comforts of God are seasonable and observe the proper time for their coming neither too soon nor too late not before that were too soon nor after that were too late But in That is just in the very point and nick of Time This is another thing here spoken of In the Thoughts and in the Multitude of the Thoughts not in the indifferency of thoughts but in the perplexity not in the Paucity of thoughts but in the Plurality our extremity is Gods opportunity In the mount will the Lord be seen when we have thought and thought and thought all what we could and know not what to think more then does God delight to tender and exhibit his Comforts to us There are divers instances and examples
one to labour what he can to know it and understand it and to be acquainted with it that so he may the better avoid it as David exprest it to be his Care in another place Psal 18.23 I kept my self from mine Iniquity Where there is the greatest Inclination there had need to be the greatest Causion Thirdly From the Coherence of these words with the foregoing verses and the Demonstration Thus we see here what to judge of Staggering at Gods Promises and Providences which is the main point here intended and that is no other then an Infirmity This is mine Infirmity what does he mean by this Why this Desparing Distemper which was now upon him occasionally from his present Condition that he should have such thoughts in his mind and utter such words with his mouth as now he had and did against the ways and dealings of God This was a very great weakness and Infirmity in him and so it is likewise in any other Christian or Person besides so to do And it has these several Branches in it wherein it Consists First There is Ignorance and want of Vnderstanding Ignorance it is a peice of Weakness Especially in those matters which it is required of them that they should know now this is that which is considerable here whosoever quarrels with the Providence of God he is so far forth ignorant of the ways of God yea indeed of God Himself he does not sufficiently know or understand what an one he is for if he did he would think better of him and be better satisfied with that which is done by Him Secondly Infidelity there is that also pertinent hereunto a unbelieving person is a weak Person Faith it does strengthen and Corroberate now such Persons as these they are short and deficient in Faith to ask whether Gods Mercy be gone for ever and whether his promise fails for evermore and such questions as these they do beray much Infidelity and consequently much Infirmity Thirdly Impatience that 's also an Argument of Weakness If thou faint in the day of Adversity says Solomon thy strength is small Prov. 24.10 Not onely thy Natural strength but thy Spiritual so much Patience so much strength but so much Impatience so much Infirmity Now this does eminently discover it self in our Exceptions against God his Providence It is the Sign of an Impatient Spirit more or less and so has the just Censure of Weakness and Infirmity upon it thus in all these respects is this Expostulating with God an Infirmity as the Psalmist here expresses it to be and gives this black Character of it in this present Scripture The Consideration of this point should work us so much the more to the Hatred and Detestation of it and opposing it as much as may be we should not Cherish that in our selves which is rather Weakness then any thing else but expell it and drive it away from us and labour to recover out of it as soon as we can as men would do in the case of the Body When we Censure the Dispensation of God and and find fault with his Providence we do not prove any weakness in Him but rather discover weakness in our selves It is our Infirmity And so much of the point as it is Considerable in the simple Proposition and thing it self Now further Secondly We may look upon it in it's Reflexion as it comes here from the mouth of the Psalmist Himself I said this is mine Infirmity As it was so in it self considered in it's own Nature so it was moreover so according to his Expression about it In which again there are divers particulars Observable of us as pertinent hereunto First The Quickness of his Apprehension in that he spies and discerns this Weakness and Infirmity in himself while he says it it is Evident he spies it he discovers it and finds it out This is one thing which is observable and Commendable in Him it is a part of Spiritual strength to be sensible and apprehensive of Weakness and take notice of Spiritual Infirmities And thus did David here As for Wicked and Carnal men there is a great deal of Blindness and Ignorance upon them from whence they go on in Sin without any Reflexions but Gracious Persons who are inlightned by Gods Spirit they are made apprehensive of these matters they can distinguish betwixt Good and Evil in themselves Sees when they do that which they should do and again see when they do that which is amiss They have the Spirit of Discerning which is conferred and bestowed upon them whereby they are inabled to judg of things as they are and to be rightly opinionated of them they do not call Good Evil nor yet Evil Good as it is said of some in the Prophet Esay 5.20 Secondly Here was the tenderness of his Conscience not onely in that he discerned this Distemper and Infirmity in Himself but likewise that he check'd Himself for it for so we must here take it I said this is mine Infirmity that is I blamed and taxed my self for it that such thoughts should arise in me and he did it likewise which is here further to be added in a Justifying and acquitting of God there is no fault in him in regard of his Providence but rather the fault is in my self that do not sufficiently understand and consider him this is the meaning of it this is the manner and Disposition of the Saints and Servants of God that though they fall into Sin through Infirmity yet they do not rest and abide in it but recover and get up again They smite upon the Breast and they smite upon the Thigh when they have been guilty of any Miscarriage they do not allow or defend themselves in it but are sorrowful and Greived for it as David here was he speaks of it with a kind of remorse and trouble of Spirit And the reason of it is this because they have a principle of Grace and Spiritual Life n themselves which is ever and anon working Corruption out of them and suppressing it in them Dead men they feel nothing though they have never so many slashes or wounds made in their Bodies yet they are all nothing to them because they are Dead and devoid of life and so it is with those which are in a State of Nature and Vnregeneracy they are in the like manner Affected though they have never so many Sins upon them yet they are not at all affected with them nor lay them to heart no more then if there were never any such thing that they could be charged withall being alienated from the life of God they are past feeling as the Apostle speaks And so have given themselves over to Laciviousness to Commit all uncleaness with Greediness Eph. 4.19 But the Children of God they are alive through the work of Grace which is in their Hearts And this makes them to be so much troubled and perplexed and Afflicted in themselves for that guilt which is
upon them Thirdly Here was the Ingenuity of his Spirit I said this is mine Infirmity namely in a way of humble Confession and Acknowledgment it was in the thing it self and I signified it and declared it to be so I said it not onely to my self and in mine own Heart but as there was occasion for it I said it to others also and acknowledged it likewise to them This is another Disposition in Gods Children in regard of that Corruption which is in them to be willing to take shame to themselves that so they may give Glory to God and to acknowledg their own Infirmities that so they may manifest and more advance his Power The same words may be spoken and utter'd with a different Affection if we listen abroad in the world we shall many times heare such words as these are This is mine Infirmity But how and with what Spirit are they spoken and uttered for the most part Surely very Carelesly and Customarily and Formally and Corruptly Tell some men of such and such Sins and Miscarriages which they are guilty off they think to put off all with this by saying it is their Infirmity though perhaps it be never so Gross and Hanious a Transgression yet all is one with them it goes under the name of an Infirmity and so they think thereby to salve and make up the matter but Gods Children they speak of their Miscarriages with another frame and temper of Heart not as to Justify them but as to bewayl them not as to Extenuate them and make them less but to fasten a due Impression upon them as David here does as Loathing and abhorring them in themselves This Expression here in the Text it is not a word of Apology but rather a word of Aggravation and it further shews the Ingenuity of Gods Children not onely as to Confession it self but also as to the Nature and Quality and Condition of the Sins themselves which are confessed by them A Good and a Gracious Heart it bewails not onely its Iniquities but also its Infirmites and not onely open and Scandalous Sins which every Body sees and takes notice of but even secret and hidden faylings and the more inward Deflexions of Spirit Deadness and Hardness and Unprofitableness and Impatience and Unbelief These are the things which go near to the Soul of a good Christian as well as publique and more Notorious Offences as well as Gross and more Grivious Miscarriages Thus we see it was with David in another place as in Psal 73.22 When he was Envious at the Foolish and was troubled at the Prosperity of the Wicked these thoughts they were afterwards upon Consideration troublesom to him and he was geived in himself for them So foolish was I says he and Ignorant I was as a Beast before thee He befooles himself for his sinister thought such a Sin as if he had kept his own Counsell we should never have known he had been guilty of it The Ground hereof in the Servants of God is First That Wonderful Exactness and Curiousness and Sincerity which is remarkable in them see how it is in the Body Curious and Exact persons which are trim and neat Indeed they are affected with the least Spot or Blemish which is in their Garments not onely with Greater and wider Rents but with smaller and lesser Slits which may happen unto them Even so is it also in the Soul and as to the Concernments of the Inward man there 's the like Trimness and Neatness here also in a Proportionableness thereunto and so as to the Covering of the Body so likewise as to the Healing of it there is some which make as much of a Scratch as another would do of a deep wound as being of a far more tender and delicate Temper even so it is also here Tender Consciences they lament even Infirmities whilst hardned Hearts go away with Greater Sins Secondly It proceeds from that Love and intireness of Affection which a good Christian bears to God Love it is shy of any thing which may be offensive to the party Beloved not onely of Greater Injuryes but of smaller Vnkindnesses It 's troubled when it 's any thing defective in the Expressions of Love where it is due and it concerns it to be so and so it is also here A Godly man he has his Heart and his Soul full of the love of Christ and therefore is troubled for any thing which is displeasing to Christ not onely for unsavory Speeches but for unruly Affections not onely for ungodly Deeds but for ungodly Thoughts which have a mark also of Sinfulness upon them The Affection of a Christian is answerable to the Jealousie which is in God Now the Lord being a jealous God he does take notice even of lighter miscarriages even so does a Christian heart accordly bewail them in himself and is humbled and troubled for them Thirdly It arises also from Christian Prudence as considering whither infirmities tend and what they will come to if they be not better prevented As we see it is again in the body smaller matters being neglected and let alone they come to greater a lighter scratch it may chance to prove a mortal wound if there be not some care taken of it whereas those that complain betimes they doe thereby prevent and keep off more dangerous and pernicious distempers Even so it is in the Soul weaknesse it turns to wickedness if there be not the more heed and regard had of it by us Therefore a Gracious heart thinks it wisdom to complain of this and is sensible and apprehensive of it Now therefore accordingly it teaches us to be so likewise and that betimes Principiis obsta stop these very first Beginnings and Eruptions of sins in us Stifle these sins in the Conception before they come so far as the Birth and break forth into the outward expression Remember this that the very thought of foolishness is sin as Solomon tells us As it is the Advantage of a man above a Beast that he can reflect upon his own Actions so it is the praise of a Christian above other men that he does censure his own evil thoughts and findes fault with himself for those matters which no body blames besides And further observe here how he does more especially charge himself in this particular This Trouble which he had now about Gods Providence it was in part a Temptation of Satan who had injected this into his mind and had suggested it to him but yet he does principally and especially take the blame of it in his own particular as being likewise guilty of it This is mine infirmity it Satans malice as to the suggestion but it is my infidelity and unbelief as to the closing and complying with it The Devil could have no advantage against us as to the fastening of Temptations upon us if it were not for the falseness naughtiness and corruption of our own sinfull hearts which do in some sort yield and
the Text and that is the Duty commended Fraternal Agreements For Brethren to dwell together in Vnity The second is the Terms of this Praise and Commendation or the Particulars whereof it consists and this is taken from a twofold qualification First From the goodness of it Behold how good a thing it is And secondly From the pleasantness of it Behold how pleasant This is a very high Commendation if we rightly consider it and that not onely by taking it distinctly but likewise joyntly There are many things which sometimes are good but yet they are not very pleasant Again there are other things which sometimes are pleasant but yet they are not very good This for the excellency of it is both good and pleasant to Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dulci. We begin in order with the first and that is the Goodness of it Behold how good c. Brotherly Concord and the Improvement of it in all occasional expressions it is a very great Good This is and will appear to be so in sundry Considerations As first In regard of the Authour and owner of it which is God himself who layes special claim hereunto Therefore in Scripture we find him to be from hence denominated and intitled 1 Cor. 14.33 God is not the Authour of Confusion or of unquietness but the Authour of peace So 2 Cor. 13.11 The God of peace and love Peace it is called the Peace of God Phil. 4.7 And God He is called the God of peace each of which expressions does refer it and reduce it to him and does thereby advance it Yea He is not onely call'd the God of Peace and of Love but even love it self to advance it and to extol it so much the more as 1 John 4.16 God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him Look then how far forth God Himself is said to be good so far forth is this dwelling in Unity good also as it is commanded and owned by him as it appears thus to be Secondly It is good in the Nature of it It is good as any Grace is Good it is good morally Love it is a Fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 And so to dwell in Love and unity one with another it is a goodness reducible thereunto It is not only Bonum morale but Bonum Spiritualis It is not onely such a good as is taught by Moral Philosophy and practised by the Principles thereof but is taught by the Holy Ghost himself and is a part of the work of Regeneration and in the new Creature in us especially if we take it in the full latitude and extent of it as it becomes us to do Indeed it is true men may go very far in it out of meer Moral Principles and sometimes doe Goodness of nature and sweetness of temper and facility of Constitution and Common Civility they are great promoters of this Concord and many from the strength of these doe sometimes go beyond those which pretend at least to better But yet in the true notion it is not good nature but Grace Thirdly It is good in the Effects and Consequents and Concomitants of it it has much good attendant upon it It is Bonum utile There 's a great deal of advantage which comes by Brethrens dwelling together in Vnity especially spiritual advantage and for the doing and receiving of good Where there 's envy and strife sayes St. James there is confusion and every evil work Divisions of Mind and Affection they divide men in their work and imployment and hinder them from doing that good which otherwise they might do in their places and especially in their mutual Society and Communion one with another But now on the other side Love and Peaceableness of Disposition as it Vnites them in their hearts so it strengthens them so much the more in their undertakings and the good things which are done by them This the Divel knows well enough better then we doe and accordingly makes use of it by hindring it and obstructing it and and destroying it all that may be what 's the reason that Satan is so busie as for the most part he is in the sowing of strife and discord betwixt brethren It is for this very reason here in the Text Because Unity and Brotherly concord is good and tends to make men better He being an evil spirit does all he can in opposition to what good is which he knows he cannot hinder more effectually then by such courses as these are Which therefore by the way should teach us to be the more jealous and suspicious of him we should not be ignorant of Satans devices in this particular but rather be the more watchfull over him and over our own hearts and when we find our selvs any thing inclined to things of this nature to strife and division and contention one with another think there 's somewhat of him at the end of it And so much the rather avoyd it shun it and take heed of it We may be sure it is for no good but rather the contrary even to keep us from goodness And that 's the first Qualification from whence this Vnity of Brethren is commended Namely that it good The second is the sweetness of it because it is Pleasant It is not onely Bonum utile and bonum Honestum but it is also Bonum Jucundum it has a great deal of pleasure in it Pleasure is such a kind of goodness especially to some kind of persons as that they care not almost what they doe or part with to obtain it and all other good besides is nothing to them if it be devoyd of this Therefore for the further advancement of this Fraternal Unity to us there is this also considerable in it that it is Pleasant Her wayes are wayes of pleasantness and all her paths are peace Prov. 3.17 Thus it is with respect had to all sorts of persons whatsoever that are made sensible of it First It is pleasant to God it is such as is very acceptable to Him It is that which he much delights in wheresoever he observes it being himself as I shewed before a God of Peace he does therefore so much the more delight in peaceable persons and especially in peaceable Christians and such as do relate to himself How much do natural Parens rejoyce in the Agreement of their Children to see them loving and friendly and kind and courteous to one another oh it tickles them and joyes them at the very heart And so is it likwise with God to those which are his To see his children dwell together in Vnity it is that which is very pleasing and acceptable to Him He is exceedingly taken with it and does much rejoyce to behold it And on the other side He is very much grieved and offended with the contrary It grieves the holy Spirit of God in us when there are strifes and contentions amongst us as the Apostle seems to
hood he should do any thing which was unworthy so long as he feared God there was no cause why they should fear him for this fear of God would restrain Him And that 's the first Grace here spoken of them as the Grace of Gods Acceptance the Grace of Fear The second is the Grace of Hope or Faith of those that hope in his mercy As the Lord takes pleasure in the former so in this likewise He delights in his Servants more especially as they give greater Testimonies of their Faith and Dependance upon him The more that any cleave unto Him the more doth he take care of them and pleasure in them Thus Psal 33.18 Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his mercy where we have both expressions of the Text joyn'd together and both to one and the same purpose as to Gods delight in such persons That which we are now speaking to is the latter of them That special respect which God bears to such persons as do by Faith cast themselves upon him and leave themselves to Him They are such as he is exceedingly pleased withal and does prize and esteem above any other The Reason of it is this because they are such as doe mos advance Him of any besides Faith it gives glory to God And therefore will he incourage those who do abound in it and who are most in the reall practise and exercise of it They are such as honour him in his Truth in his Power and in his Mercy which is the Prime of all And those that honour Him He will Honour Therefore let this teach us still to Act it and to draw it forth as much as we are able let us not cast away our Confidence which hath so great recompence of Reward as we see that it hath let us nourish and cherish this Heavenly Hope in us as much as we can which will carry us above all dejections and discouragements whatsoever Let us resolve and cry out with the Psalmist why art thou cast down oh my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God And so I have done with the Text in the first Acception of it as it may be taken Absolutely and Emphatically and in the simple Proposition as expressing Gods real Delight in such and such Persons The second is by taking it Comparatively and in Opposition to other Persons or Things And this as it refers to the verse immediately going before There we find it exprest thus He delighteth not in the strength of the horse He taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man And then it follows presently in this verse The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him and that hope in his Mercy The scope and meaning whereof is this That God does not so much stand upon or accept of Humane and Natural means so as to assist and cooperate with them for his Churches Deliverance as He does delight rather to assist the Faith and Prayer of his Servants when they are void of all External Incouragements An humble standing in awe of God and a faithfull Dependance upon him and an Importunate seeking to Him it is a great deal more effectual to Deliverance then all earthly or Humane Assistance This is the Drift of this Passage and Expression which we have here before us And it is the same with that in the Scripture above mention'd which comes to one and the same effect Psal 33.16 17 18. There 's no King saved by the Multitude of an host A mighty man is not delivered by his much strength An horse is a vain thing for safety â—â—ither shall he deliver any by his great strength Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his Mercy where the Opposition is still made betwixt carnal means and spiritual and the latter advanced above the former Reliance upon God is a great deal surer then reliance upon Men. It is is usual and frequent with the Scripture to put the greatest Disparagement upon those Creatures which men are apt themselves most to trust in and to advance and cry up above all other And thus it does here in these Texts which we have now before us An horse if it be considered simply in it self it is a very useful and profitable Creature and especially in the Battel which it is in a special manner fitted and prepared for but yet without Gods concurrence with it and assistance of it it is of no force or efficacy at all Prov. 21.31 The horse is prepared against the day of battel but safety or victory is of the Lord. And here He takes no delight in the strength of an horse In which expression by a Synecdochical speech is signified the insufficiency of all Humane Refuges whatsoever and the efficacy and prevailing and sufficency of Faith it self before them Wisdom sayes the Preacher it is better then strength Eccl. 9.16 And again Wisdom it is better then weapons of war Eccl. 9.18 And in both he means Spiritual wisdom especially which is the wisdom that is from above This is better then all the strength in the world and is able both to stand out against it and to prevail over it We shall find this to be verified and made good by Divers Instances and Examples in Scripture where the Saints and Servants of God by the strength and Power of Faith and Prayer have been able to do more then all their enemies by all their Carnal and External Advantages whatsoever Thus it was with the Iraelites when they were pursued by Pharaoh and the Egyptians They had a great deal of outward strengh and advantage against them of Horses and Chariots and the like But what did these come to in the Conclusion and in regard of the Event See in Exod. 15.21 Sing unto the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously The horse and his Rider hath he thrown into the Sea According to that again in another place in Isa 21.3 Now the Egyptians are men and not God and their Horses flesh and not spirit when the Lord shall stretch out his hand both he that helpeth shall fall and he that is holpen shall fall down and they shall all fall together There 's no strength against the strength of Israel So we may see it in Jabin and Sisera Who had Nine hundred Chariots of Iron with which they came against Israel but the Lord discomfited them and all their Hoste with the Edge of the Sword before Barak Judg. 4.15.16 And it is said there was not a man of them left So the Horses and Chariots which the King of Syria sent against Elisha 2 Kings 6.14 We know what they came to in Conclusion and how little they preailed against Him The Faith of the Prophet it procured a greater strength then that which was opposite unto Him The Mountain being full of Horses and Chariots of Fire round about Elisha So likewise Hezekiah in
this Mercy and that we are inabled so to do it is that which every one cannot do even there where there is Mercy fitted and prepared and provided for him go praise God for that Thirdly That God accepts of this Hope from us and is so well pleased with it in us we have cause to praise him likewise for this to say the Lord be magnified as who rejoyces in the Prosperity so takes pleasure in the Graces of his Servants and that even at such times as he neglects the great thins of the World and in a sort despises them That the Bones of the mighty are oftentimes broken while they that stumbled are girt with strength as Hannah in her Song expresses it 1 Samuel 2.4 And so I have done with these words as in their absolute Consideration so in their Comparative and so with the whole Text it self The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his Mercy SERMON XXIX Prov. 3.17 Her wayes are wayes of Pleasantness and all her paths are Peace It is the Nature and Disposition of Artists and those which are of any Mystery or Profession as much as they can to extoll and advance that Profession which they are off and to Commend it to the Consideration of others As Paul of the Ministry of the Gentiles I magnifie mine own Office Rom. 11.13 Every one is ready to magnifie that way which he takes up to Himself above all others whatsover and this as it is observable in other things so amongst the rest especially in Religion and the wayes of Godliness Those which are the Professors of this they desire as much as may be to Commend it and set it forth to the view of other men Wisdom is justified of her Children as our Saviour tells us Thus we may observe it to be here in this Scripture which we have now before us in the Example of the wise man Solomon who being a Son of Wisdome and of special Wisdom especially that is Grace and Holiness and Religion which he here speaks off does in divers Chapters together applaud it and praise it all he can that so thereby he may invite others unto it IN these words we have described unto us the Excellency of Godliness and Religion in two particulars which may serve to make up unto us the parts of the Text. First From it's Pleasure and delight Her wayes are wayes of pleasantness Secondly From it's Tranquility and Quiet And all her paths are peace We begin First of all with the former to wit the description of Godliness from the pleasure and delight which is in it The wayes of Godliness and Religion are exceeding pleasing and delightful wayes they carry a great deal of sweetness and Contentment and pleasantness in them This is the point which is here exhibited unto us and it dâ—â—â— appear out of other places of Scripture likewise as Psal 36.8 David speaking of the Church and members of it sayes That they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Gods House and that he would make them to drink of the Rivers of his pleasures And Psal 118.15 The voyce of joy and Salvaton is sayd to be in the Tabernacles of the Righteousness So Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the Righteous and Gladness for the Vpright in Heart Esay 51.11 The redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing unto Zion and everlasting joy shall be upon their Head they shall obtain gladness and joy and Sorrow and Mourning shall flee away Esay 64.5 Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh Righteousness where you see they are both joyned together And Galat. 5.22 The fruit of the Spirit is joy Now this Truth it may be further amplyfied and made good to us in sundry particulars which do prove and confirm it unto us There is a great deal of pleasure in Religion in sundry respects Wee 'l take them in that order as they do offer and present themselves to our thoughts As First of all In the work of Grace and Regeneration wrought in the heart All the several Graces of the Spirit and the habits of Sanctification which are in us they do reflect very sweetly upon us and there is a great deal of delight and Contentment to the Soul which does see them in it self Take a man which is full of Lusts and Corruptions which bear sway in him and he is a loathsome and abominable Creature sometimes even in his own Apprehensions A wicked and ungodly man he is in some manner odious to himself and is overcome as I may say now and then even with his own stench like a man which is in filthy Rags and torn and uncomely Garments he does not like himself in them But now on the otherside a good Christian which has the Grace of the Spirit of God in him and the work of the New Creature in his Soul he is so far forth pleasing to himself Grace is a very sweet and odoriferous Qualification as it casts a sweet savor into the Nostrils of all others that stand by it so especially as I may say into the Nostrils of all those that partake of it That Soul which is indued with it is like one that has roll'd himself in a Bed of Spices who is all over sweet and delightful I might set it forth to you in all the resemblances of Comfort and Contentment look whatever it be which in the discovery and discerning of it does usually afford delight to our selves the same may be applyed to the Graces of Gods Spirit and the sanctifying Qualities which are in us not onely as odoures and sweet spices to the smell it 's pleasing to be sensible of them But likewise further as Treasures of Gold and Silver there are many which much delight in them The Rich man when he looks in to his Coffers how much contentment does he take in them even there where others deride him and laughed at him Populus mei sibilat c. Yea but now a Godly man recounting the Graces which are in him has more true comfort and content by far And that 's the First particular wherein Godliness proves so delightful In the work of Regeneration and the habits of the Spirit of God in us Secondly As there 's a sweetness in reflecting upon Grace in the having of it so especially in the Exercise of it Every Grace the more it is improveed carries a delight and pleasurableness in it in what kind soever Therefore the Psalmist tells us that in keeping of Gods Commandments there is great Reward Mark not onely for the keeping but in the keeping be-shomran Psal 19.11 There 's Praemium ante Praemium A reward before the reward even in the thing it self Sutable to the nature of the Grace is the Exhibition of the comfort yea the very Heathen and Moralists themselves so far forth as they exercised vertue and practised that natural goodness which was in them they had some kind of comfort and contentment
House of God He offered willingly thereunto And Secondly Here was a thankful Acknowledgment and Return of what he had received at God's hands And of thine own have we given thee of thine own whether we take it for the matter of the Gift the Store and Treasure it self or Thine own as taking it for the Fountain of the Gift the Affection and Heart from whence it came Both the Gold and the Grace too they were both of them from God And accordingly does David here ingenuously return them again upon him and as I may say roll them to him This is that which we now are to do for our particular look what Talents we have received look what Gifts we are intrusted with look what Actions we have at any time performed not to sacrifice to our own Nets or burn Incense to our own Drag as the Scripture speaks but give the glory of all to the Lord to whom of right it does belong and say with the Prophet David again in Psal 15.1 Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name we give thee praise And this is another rolling or committing of our Works here intended And so much likewise for the second Particular here considerable by us namely the Act conversant about the Object to wit Committing The Third and last is the Terminus Actionis as the point which it is directed unto and that is here expressed to be the Lord El Jehovah This we have handled implicitely already in the former Points but now we shall speak more explicately of it Where we may take notice especially upon what grounds and in what respect he is thus comsant mended unto us First From his Wisdom and Knowledge To the Lord as a wise God who is the Directer and Counseller of his people Men delight in the trusting of their businesses to commit them to persons of skill and understanding Why now such a kind of Person is the Lord as he professes there of himself Prov. 8.14 Counsel and sound wisdom is mine He does so far share in it as that it does properly belong to him and to him alone So 1 Sam. 2.3 The Lord is a God of knowledge and by him actions are weighed Those which have no knowledge or skill in them to commit Actions to them is to put them upon Miscarriage it self But when they are committed to the All-wise God we have security from the Consideration of his Wisdom He can foresee all the events and look into all the turnings of a business and accordingly is able to counsel and advise us in it Secondly As from the Wisdom and Knowledge of God so also from the Strength and Power of God This is another thing considerable in him engaging us to this duty of committing our Works unto him With Him is wisdom and strength Job 12.13 And again Prov. 8.14 I have understanding I have strength Wise men if they be but weak our Purposes and Businesses and Works may fail in their hands for all that But Strength joyned with Wisdom is a further Assurance and Corroboration of us And this is in the Lord our God There is no business which we can commit unto him but he is able strongly to effect it and dispatch it and go through it for us Therefore it is said that the Strength of Israel will not fail And we are bid to take hold of his Strength in regard of the fulness and eminency of it Thirdly His Faithfulness and Truth That is another thing which calls for this also Though men be skilful and likewise able have opportunities added to their wisdom yet in the mean time if they be false and unfaithful there is no trusting them or committing any thing to them But now therefore for our encouragement in this business we have to deal with a faithful God He is faithful that promised And it is the Name whereby he will be known The Faithful c. It was that whereby the Apostle Paul encouraged himself to this Duty which we have now in hand The Considerations of these two last Particulars both together God's Faithfulness with his Power 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have trusted and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day I know whom I have trusted that is I know him to be a faithful person and one that will not fail me that must be the resolution of it Among men it is not always so they many times trust they know not whom and they fail in the fastening of it They were confounded because they hoped Job 6.20 But now with God it is far otherwise This is the advantage of trusting in the Lord that he that does it he shall never be confounded And this Hope it is such as makes not ashamed as the Apostle speaks Makes not ashamed that is it is not frustrated to him who is the Subject of it as that which might prove a ground and occasion of Shame unto him as other Hope does Fourthly and Lastly Add to all this his willingness and readiness to undertake it Every one who is fit to be a Trustee in regard of the fore-named Quallifications yet is not always content to be so and to take it upon him Because there may prove to be a great deal of trouble and difficulty in it yea but now the Lord he accepts of the Trust to put it out of question nay he does not only accept but invite it as we may see here in this present place It is that which he calls for at our hands and begs and requires of us by his Spirit in the peace of his Servant Commit thy ways unto the Lord. And he does still ask it upon all turns The spirit helps our infirmities Rom. 8.26 as the Greek word taken from Burthens the present Metaphor in the Text. Now whilst the Lord is so willing to take it upon him how ready should we be therefore to give it him Considering this that he likes it so much the better in us and will take it so much the better at our hands when we put him hereto This is the Argument of the Apostle Peter which he uses to this purpose 1 Pet. 5.7 Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you For he careth for you Why therefore we would think we might spare our selves a labour seeing he cares for us of his own accord what need we care any further to cast it upon him Leave him to his own good nature and it will be done whether we think of it or no. Nay but therefore says the Apostle Let us cast it upon him Because he is so ready to undertake it let not us be wanting of our selves for the putting of him to it Thus we see how the Argument holds also from God's Readiness and Will he is content to take it upon him and so commit we them to him It is an excellent Speech of Tertullian's which he has to this purpose
for the fitness of this Person to commend our Works and Affairs unto in his Book De Patientia Satis idoneus patientiae sequester est Deus si injuriam deposueris penes eum ultor est si damnum reslitutor est si dolorem medicus est God is a sufficient Depositary of patience to thee If thou committest thy Wrongs to him he is an Avenger if thy Losses to him he is a Repairer if thy Diseases to him he is a Recoverer and so forth In all conditions and upon all occasions he is ready to hear thy complaints and to take thy supplications This shews what good cause we have to commit our Works unto him I might take occasion hence also to amplifie it from all his Relations wherein he stands with us And thus we see what good ground there is here for this Exprecton and Motion in the Text to Commit our Works to the Lord as the Term and Point this Action which it is directed unto and the Person which this Commitment and Deposition is charged withal Now further To open this still unto us we are not to take this only Specificative but also Exclusive whereby it is said here Commit thy works to the Lord. It seems to carry this sense with it that we do so commit them to him as upon the point to none else besides So that moreover there are these intimations included in it and with it First To the Lord and not to thine own self Whilst we are bid to commit our Works unto God we are thereby implicitely forbidden Self-confidence and Presumption in any thing which belongs unto us As for instance our own Wit and Counsel and Understanding Thus Prov. 3.5 Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not to thine own understanding It is a dangerous thing for us to lean to our own Understanding which is apt many times to fail us and give us the slip Carnal Policy and the Wisdom of the World such things as these they do many times prove but broken Reeds And so as for Wit so Wealth and Strength and Power such things as these it is but ill trusting and confideing in them Secondly To the Lord and not to other men There is ill committing of our Works to such also The Scripture has shewed us how ill it is for us so to do by setting a Character upon them Psal 62.9 Surely men of low degree are vanity and men of sigh degree are a lye being layed in the ballance they are altogether lighter than vanity Thirdly To the Lord and not to Fortune and Chance There are many which do blindly commit their Works and their Ways unto this which is as good as nothing at all Now it becomes not Christians so to do we should rest and relye upon God and commend our selves to His Gracious Providence which is the surest Shelter and Refuge for us that may be And thus we have seen this Point opened and enlarged in all its several Particulars Now what remains to our selves for the Use and Application of it but to perform it and to put it into practise Seeing the Spirit of God thus enforces it upon us let not us be wanting to it or negligent in it let us not deprive our selves of so much comfort and quietness as may accrew to us hereby as we shall hear afterwards only that we may do it the more effectually let us consider what Qualifications do belong to the right doing of it This Committing then which is here spoken of First It is an Act if Interest and of Persons in Covenant with God Those which are Enemies or Strangers to God they cannot commit their Affairs unto him for as much as this is an Action of special Intimacy and Acquaintance Will men trust their Jewels and Treasure or their Secrets and private Counsels with men whom they never saw before in all their lives No they will not do it nor if they should they would not do it with prudence and discretion because it were possible for them to be frustrated and disappointed And so is it here in our Addresses to God Ceatainly we can trust nothing with him except we are first acquainted with him our selves No man can commit his Works to God who has not first committed his Soul to God and given up his Person to his owning None can commit his Works in a way of Dependence who has not committed his heart and soul to God in a way of Obedience who has not resigned and given up himself to God as wholly his Therefore let us be sure to look to this as very pertinent hereunto And know for this purpose where this is done the other will follow and may very well do so because that God himself in such cases does take special care of us when we once enter into Covenant with God and because it is the blessed and happy privilege which comes to us by being God's Children He is not only the God of our Persons but he is also the God of our Performances and of our Conditions and all that comes from us He undertakes to work all our Works in us and for us not only those Works which do immediately refer to our Salvation but also even those Works which are of common and ordinary Concernment And though he may sometimes be helpful to others in them also yet they cannot so well trust him for them Persons which are out of Covenant they cannot commit their Works to the Lord which is first of all an Act of Interest Secondly As it is an Act of interest so it is also an Act of favour I mean of favour in a passive sense A man may be in Covenant with God for the General Acceptation of his Person and Justification in the sight of God and yet lie in terms of particuar distaste and displeasure from him Now this is a great Obstruction of this committing of our Works unto him That Man which has done any thing whereby he has taken off God's Countenance from him and caused him to look angerly upon him he is much hindred and has hindred himself from the kindly performance of this duty which does not only imply Interest and Acquaintance but likewise Friendship and Good Will betwixt God and the Soul of a Christian We may see it in the Example even of the Holy Man David himself who having offended God by his sins had not that freedom of access unto him nor delight in him as sometimes he had had Eccles 7.26 He that pleaseth God shall not be taken by her Oh we should by all means be careful to keep in good terms with God and to have all things right betwixt him and us not only from the sweetness which is contained in the state and condition it self but also for the blessed effects and consequents which do issue from it And especially this amongst the rest of liberty and opportunity for committing and commending of our Works and Affairs unto him Thirdly This business
in hand it is an Act likewise of Confidence and special Assurance The former Qualifications mentioned are requisite as a good Ground and Foundation for the commiting our Works to him This Present for a Performance of it Though a Man should be in Covenant with God and also in his favour yet if he doubted of it and called it into question he could not so readily commend his business to him therefore this must be added to the other that we may perform this so much the more fully That we make our Calling and Election sure and keep the Evidence of God's Love and Fame clear and undefaced to our selves which will otherwise much obstruct us and hinder us in this present business It is one thing desparately to cast away our Works and another thing graciously to commit them Lastly It does imply Innocency and Unblameableness especially for the Works themselves which we offer to commit unto him We must commit our Works to God upon those terms as we must commit our Souls And that is as the Apostle Peter has expressed it in Well-doing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 4.19 He that presumes at any time to commit an evil work to God he does but implicitely put God in mind to punish him and to be avenged upon him for it which will make but a very sad Reckoning and Account in the conclusion of it Besides that it is a making of God himself the holy God to be a Co-partner with him in his sin which is a most fearful and horrid Abomination Therefore when it is said here Commit thy Works to the Lord this is that which is to be taken for granted that the Works themselves be just and unblameable And so this Commitment here spoken of it is to the rest An Act of Innocency And thus we see also the several Qualifications which are required of us in the performance of this Duty The summ of all is still no more but this even to put us upon it There are two things which are here to be looked after by us First That we be above all things careful to be in such a condition and frame of Spirit and so well employed as from whence we may comfortably and to good purpose commit our works unto the Lord and then absolutely and directly and positively and in good earnest to do the thing it self Then we shall come home to the Counsel and Advice which is here given us in my Text. This as we may safely do in all things else so more especially in such kind of Works as wherein God himself chiefly and immediately is to be concerned Those Works wherein we are serviceable to him in a more peculiar manner and in which his own Honour and Glory is interessed These are such as we may with greater confidence commit to his care As ye know it is amongst men Those which are partners together in their Trade they do trust one another with the work because their mutual gain is concerned in it Even so here betwixt God and us As in the Ministery and such Services as these The same which is our Work it proves to be his Work also besides Therefore we may well Commend it to him and our selves in it Malach. 3.17 As a man spareth his Son that serveth him A Father will take care of his Son because of his Relation but then his Son that serves him over and above because of his Work Those Works whereby God and his Church are any thing advanced they may be safely committed to him And that still we may do this so much the better let us more and more inure our selves to it for the more we do it the more we may do it When we are wont to Commit our selves to God in smaller matters we shall be the better able to do it in greater when dayly and constantly and continually in our own Particulars be so much the better upon occasion in the affairs of the Church This is very Comfortable and this is that which we should bring our selves to And now I have done with the First General Part in the Text viz. The Precept or Counsel Commit thy Work unto the Lord. The Second now follows And that is the Promise or Argument to inforce it And thy Thoughts shall be Establisht Where First here is somewhat which is Imply'd and Secondly here is somewhat which is Exprest and each of them Considerable of us First Here are some things as Implyed from the Phrase and Manner of Expression for observe how the Holy Ghost here sets it Commit thy Works and thy Thoughts shall be Established In the Sutableness and Correspondency of Expression one would have thought it should have been rather said Thy Works which is likewise here to be understood as we shall see afterwards But the Spirit of God rather gives it by the Thoughts whereby there are sundry Intimations exhibited unto us I can but name them First We see here thus much That where there are Works there will be Thoughts Yea and that likewise sometimes Thoughts of Trouble and Perplexity and Distraction such as have need to be Established This is clear from the Coherence and Connexion of these two both together in the Text Thy Works and thy Thoughts This has a double ground for it First The nature of the things themselves which are such as do properly and immediately produce the one of them the other Thoughts they do breed in Works as Worms do breed in Wood especially such as the Works may be for the Condition of them If they be great Works Works of deeper importance than other they will draw along Thoughts with them that 's a business out of all question And it is very fitting they should do so likewise if we consider rightly of it It is very fitting and requisite that men should there exercise their Thoughts and intend their Minds where their business is more than ordinary Secondly There is also a ground for it in the nature of the Mind It is a peice of weakness and infirmity in some Dispositions to be thus affected and disposed in themselves That never so little Work or Business it does presently disquiet their Thoughts and set their Minds and Spirit upon the racks that they have no settlement in them Works and Thoughts do here easily meet This teaches us not to wonder at it but accordingly to prepare for it and to make account that so it will be And therefore so to dispose our selves as those which expect it And especially by putting in practise the present Duty of the Text mentioned before but so much for that Secondly Observe here from hence also this That our chiefest business lies in our Minds to compose and settle them Therefore Solomon instances in these Thy Thoughts shall be Established As who should say When that were once done all besides were done to our hand And so in a manner it is Stablish but once a mans Thoughts and then ye have done enough
Furnace This we may be sure and take notice of for our instruction we are not born Christians but made so Christiani Non nasciuntur sed siunt It is not a business of Nature but a business of Art Nor of Humane Art neither but Divine as we shall see more hereafter out of the following words of the Text The Lord tryeth the hearts And therefore this may discover to us the vanity of all such persons as have other conceits of it which think to be Gold and Silver as they come out of the impure Earth without refining in their pure Naturals No it will not be If we have no other Principles in us than which we brought with us into the World we shall never be Currant Coin in God's Account no such as he will one day take or accept from us But he will reject us and cast us away at the Great Day and time of Payment Therefore I say let us here take notice of our Conditions in this particular and see what we are Take the best of us by nature and there we are nothing but Dross no Gold nor Silver at all in us but such as is counterfeit And take us when Grace has refined us and we have many gross and drossy Intermixtures still adhering to us which will not be removed but by those means which God has sanctified and set apart for such a purpose a these here before us in the Text. These are here under a Double Specification The Fining Pot and the Furnace which have their answerable Preparations even in Spirituals The Fining Pot that is the Word of God And the Furnace that is the Rod of God Either of these does the Lord as he sees sitting take an occasion to purifie his Servants by First By his Word he desires to begin with that The word of the Lord tryed him Psal 105.29 And so it does many more besides This it has a Special Vertue through the power of God's Spirit joyning with it to reform and better the heart and to purge away its dross from it Heb. 4.12 For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart This it will shew a man his Corruption of Nature and discover to him the wickedness which is in his heart As we have divers instances hereof in the Disciples that went to Emmaus Did not our hearts burn within us And St. Peter's Converts When they heard it they wee pricked at their hearts And so the Jayâ—oâ— and divers others to whom the Word of God has been instead of a Fining Pot to separate their Corruption from them as to discover it to them Secondly By Affliction that is his Furnace Isa 58.10 I have refined thee but not with silver I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction Affliction is God's Furnace wherein he purges and purifies his Gold and takes away the dross of it And accordingly does the Scripture represent it Therefore it is called the Fiery Tryal which is to try us 1 Pet. 4.12 And the tryal of our faith which is much more precious than the gold that perisheth though it be tryed with fire c. 1 Pet. 1.7 Therefore we should so look upon it and be perswaded of it and of God's Intendments in the imposing of it The Furnace it is not for the hurt of the Gold but for the advantage to make it more pure and useful and precious to form it in some Vessel of Service and Honour sit for the Master's use and so are Troubles and Afflictions to the people of God which should make them the more patiently to bear them when he lays them upon them It is true that this is an harsh Doctrine to Flesh and Blood and we are all ready to shrink at it but Grace it will close with it so far forth as it is prevailing in any measure in us And so it should We should look upon the Furnace not so much in the heat of it but in the improvement the end of setting it up and the effect which follows upon it and then we shall be satisfied exceedingly by it as the Apostle intimates to us Heb. 12.11 There is no chastisement which for the present is joyous but grievous nevertheless afterwards it brings forth the peaceable fruit of Righteousness to those which are excercised thereby This is that which we should look upon such Dispensations as these in the love and Wisdom of God which does appoint them and the blessed and happy Fruit which does arise from them And further labor also to be bettered by every hand of God upon us that so therein we may close with his gracious Ends If God casts us into the Furnace to come out of it better then we went in be sure of that otherwise it will be so much the worse for us Yea if we be true Gold indeed it will be so with us Corruption it is hardened by Affliction but Grace it is refined Take a man that has a wicked heart and crosses they do not make him better but make him worse more impatient and obstinate and Rebellious and standing out against God and contesting with him like that wretched Jehoram 2 Kings 6 ult But a man that hath a true work of Grace wrought upon his Spirit he will be so much the better more wary of himself more compassionate to others more meek and humble tractable and obedient and thankfull These things will follow with it But so much for this as also of the First General in the Text viz. The Propsition The Fining pot c. The Second follows which is the Reddition But the Lord Tryeth c. According to the usual manner of Speech it should not be but but so But we will take it as lies before us where this Adversative Particle hath a Threefold Emphasis in it First an Emphasis of Proportion Secondly an Emphasis of Exception Thirdly an Emphasis of Designment or of Appropriation An Emphasis of Proportion First by taking but for so And so it signifies thus much unto us that the Lord is no less able or carefull to try the hearts of the Sons of men then the Goldsmith is his Silver and Gold As that does the one so does this also the other so the Lord tryeth the hearts When we speak of Gods trying of the heart it may be taken two manner of ways Either first of all in a way of Discovery or Secondly in a way of Purification He tries them to make known what is in them and he tries them to remove that which is corrupt and amiss from them to each purposes he tries them First In a way of Discovery He tries them so as to discern them and make known what they are This the Lord does and this he is said to do in Scripture not only here but elsewhere Thus Exod. 16.4 I
they might magnifie Gods Grace and Goodness and Bounty in the amendment and recovery of them as it is noted of Mary Magdalen afore-mentioned that Because her many sins were forgiven her she loved much These words here in the Text Let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy they are still to be taken in an Exclusive Sense He will so have mercy upon him if he return as he will not have mercy upon him if he doth not Whosoever he be that goes on in sin without Repentance let God be as merciful as he may be yet such a person will not be the better for it whilst he so remains but rather the worse He that despises the Riches of God's Goodness and Patience and Long-suffering he does but treasure up unto himself Wrath against the day of Wrath and the Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of God Rev. 8.24 Let us therefore lay all these things now together and take them in the right Sense and Construction and make a right Improvement of them neither giving our selves liberty in sin nor yet doubting or Despairing of Mercy The one being a Trespass upon God's Justice and the other upon his Goodness and both together upon his Truth Which hints the contrary to us in this Text which we have now handled and dispatched Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon SERMON XXXIX 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 God never makes account he does good enough to his People till he does them good in their Souls and in their inward man in reference to their Eternal Salvation and their Estate in a better Life Spiritual Blessings being the chiefest Blessings of all And such as in the injoyment of them do serve to recompense and to make amends to them for any other wants or exigences what soever which are upon them And this does the Prophet Esay here signifie to these present People whom he had to deal withall where he tells them that though God did exercise them in other respects feed them with the bread of adversity and drench them in the water of Affliction yet he did graciously provide for them as to the Spiritual and Evangelical Dispensations which in a large and plentifull manner should be imparted and communicated to them upon all occasions Forasmuch as their ears should hear a word behind them saying This is the way walk in it when they turned either to the right hand or to the left This is the Coherence of the Words with those which went before IN the Text it self we have three General Parts Considerable of us First The Monitor Secondly The Admonition it self And Thirdly The Occasion The Monitor in these words Thine ears shall hear a Word c. The Admonition it self This is the way walk ye in it The Occasion When ye turn to the right hand c. We begin in order with the First viz. The Monitor Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee This it may be taken by us two manner of ways Either in the proper sense or the Metaphorical The proper sense that relates to the word which is without us The word of the Ministery The Metaphorical sense that relates to the word which is within us the Dictates of the Spirit Now either of these may be very well understood here in this place when as the Lord signifies to his people that their ears shall hear a word behind them It is either a Promise to them of the Continuance of Ministerial Opportunities or else it is a promise to them of the Continuance of Spiritual Suggestions First We may take it in the first sense as it relates to the Opportunities of the Ministery which God promises here to this People to continue still unto them Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee that is the Ministerial Word And thus it sutes with the words which went before in the precedent verse the latter clause of it Thy Teachers shall not be removed into a corner any more but thine eyes shall see thy teachers Now it follows And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee Here 's an Accommodation of both senses as to this particular The Eye and the Ear. The Eye in reference to the Person and the Ear in reference to the Duty In reference to the Person First Thine Eyes shall see thy Teachers this was a great mercy and so to be accounted although it is not always so The World does not usually so esteem it whatever it be in it self care not much sometimes whethey see their Teachers or no or their Teachers them But yet it is not so simply in it self a very great mercy It is a favour when God does vouchsafe Teachers to us and when he vouchsafes us likewise an opportunity of beholding them when they are not removed into a corner but our eyes may look upon them But Secondly That 's not all there 's somewhat more in it besides all this Not only the advantage of the eye but the advantage of the Ear And thine Ears shall hear a word behind thee c. It is not only to see but to hear them It is not only to see that we have Teachers and to hear them but when we list or not at all But to see and to hear them to It is a mercy to see them it is a Duty to hear them Yea it is a Duty and a Mercy both where we are sensible and capable of it and therefore does the spirit of God here join them both together to make it the more full and compleat Thine Eyes shall see thy Teachers in the former Verse And thine Ears shall hear a word behind thee saying Here in this Now this latter is that which we are to speak to with Gods Assistance at this present time viz. The hearing of the Ear. That God will vouchsafe to this People this Opportunity of being made partakers of his Word and Heavenly Doctrine This is that which he here promises to them as a part of that blessing which he has reserved in store for them He had in the 18th of this Chapter signified that he would wait that he might be gracious and that he would be exalted that he might have mercy upon them This was a promise of Mercy in General But now in the Verses following he does bring it down to the particulars and to this amongst the rest o injoying the Ministery of the Word Now there two things at once which are involv'd and imply'd in this Expression First Here 's the opportunity it self A word behind thee Secondly Here 's the imbracing or closing with this Opportunity Thine ears shall hear it First Isay Here 's the Opportunity itself A word behind
us Now to shut up all with a word of use and Application and so to Conclude We have heard out of the words of the Text three things that there is such a Monotor as this is A word behind us the Effect and matter of the Admonition This is the way c. and the occasion of it When we turn to c. Now what remains to ourselves to be done by us upon these considerations two things especially This observation is to be improved by us two manner of ways First In a way of Thankfulness And Secondly In a way of Obedience In a way of Thankfulness First we are to bless God that he is pleased thus Graciously to provide for us not only to instruct us by his word and his voice sounding in out Ears in the ministerial Dispensations but also to admonish us by his Spirit and the Holy Ghost moving in our Hearts in our Christian Conversation This is a matter of great Thankfulness and Acknowledgment to us A faithful Monitor is a very great advantage it is so betwixt man and man betwixt one friend and another to have one to tell them when they do amiss and to reform them in it or to direct them where they are at a loss and to instruct them about it This is that which God Himself does for his people as we have heard all this while out of the Text which is matter and occasion of great thankfulness and acknowledgment to them which their hearts should be very much taken and affected with all It is a mercy and favour that God will afford these helps unto us Secondly We are to improve it by Obedience and closing with it seeing we have this word speaking to us let us not stop our Ears against it take heed of that do not neglect the whispers of the Spirit and of the word of God set home upon thy heart How many are there in the world which have such things as these are daily and continually sounding in their Ears in case of Omission and neglect of Duty This is the way walk ye in it These things they are to be done and perform'd by you it is not safe for you to let them alone Again in case of committing of Evil and wayes of Extravagancy this is out of the way do not walk in it ye are out of your place of your Calling of your Duty which is to be done by you Nay ye walk opposite and contrary to it How many are there in the World which in their lewd and ungodly Courses of Drunkeness Filthiness Uncleanness evil Company Consuming and such practises as these have many a sad check upon their Consciences restraining of them and a voice behind them pulling them back now let all these consider how far they hearken and give ear unto it It is a dangerous thing to stifle the motions of Gods spirit or to stop their Ear against the voice of his word No but there should be a present closeing and compliance with it As young Samuel when God call'd him speak Lord thy servant heareth so should we do in these cases we should receive and entertain his motions and turn those motions into purposes and those purposes into practises in our selves we should never suffer such good hints as these are to die in us Especially considering this for our Incouragement that as Gods motions follows his Instructions so his Assistance always follows his motions in the tenders of it Look as he never shewes us the way but he does also move us to walk in it that our practises may be answerable to our knowledg so likewise he never moves us to walk in any way which he shews us but he does likewise offer us at the same time some kind of help to walk in it Therefore now not to close with him is not onely to refuse his Counsell but likewise consequently to reject his Assistance more or less which he does exhibit to us whereby we offer a double injury to the Spirit of Grace And here further let us consider the danger and hazard of such a course as this is which is manifold and various First Gods future silence where he is not regarded he will speak no more especially having spoken to us very often for some time already past and let us think with our selves what it is to be deprived of such a Blessed motion as this is But Secondly That 's not all thare's a suffering of another voice to speak in us and if we look not to it to prevail upon us they that hearken not to the voice of God in them they are many times given up to Satan and their own Corruptions to work upon them to rule and bear sway in them This is plain by that of the Prophet David speaking in the Name of God concerning Israel My people would not hearken to my Counsell and Israel would have none of me so I gave them up to their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own Imaginations Prov. 1.30.31 SERMON XL. Esay 40.31 Butthey that wait upon the Lordsh all renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint As God is a God of strength so there is nothing wherein he does appear more to be so than in the Dispensations of Himself to his people to whom he does in part Communicate of that strength which is in himself for their greater Supportment and Incouragement in the worst Conditions that may happen unto them He delights to manifest his power in their weakness and to shew his strength in their Infirmity as he sometimes elsewhere expresses it As he himself faints not neither is weary so he gives power to them that are faint and to them that have no might he increases strength as it is in 28. and 29. verses of this Chapter Yet still he does it so as may be with the greatest furtherance and advantage to themselves As it was in the Miracle of Canaan The wine which Christ produced it was the best wine of all and better then all other before it so is it indeed in every thing else which God does and amongst the rest in this particular the strength which he does vouchsafe to his Servants It is better and surer and firmer then any other strength besides That strength which comes from God directly and in the way of the new Covenant in Christ it is far surpassing and transcendant to any Natural or Corporal strength whatsoever which is that which the Holy Ghost does here signifie and Illustrate by an Elegant opposition in this Scripture which I have now read unto you Even the Youths shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall those which have either the advantage of Age or Exercise or Bodily temper and Constitution But they that waite upon thee c. IN the whole Verse before us we have two General Parts considerable First A Proposition
to her we had then plenty of victuals and were well and saw no evil that is We were delivered because we had committed all these abominations Our iniquities make for our peace and comfort and are advantageous unto us This is that desperateness of spirit which many people in the just judgment of God are sometimes given up unto That they shall put their mercies and deliverances and preservations upon the score of their sins This proceeds from that self-love and flattery which is in mens hearts from whence they are ready to think too well of their own ways and of those things which are done by themselves and to be so far from condemning as to be rather applauding of themselves for them And this is that also which the Lord does here censure and tax in this people even their stupidity in this particular As if a Patient should conclude his taking of Poison to be the way and means for his recovery and the occasion of his restoring to health than which there can be nothing more absurd and repugnant and contradictory Thirdly and lastly Here is also their Incorrigibleness and Persistence in evil or if ye will rather their Ingratitude and perverse improvement of Gods deliverances and preservations of them And this according to this our English Translation which we have here before us We are delivered to commit all these abominations to commit them that is as an opportunity for the more free commission of them And thus now this word Say it is not to be taken so much in the mouth as in the mind or rather in the practise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greek Scholiast has it men say it even then when they are silent because their works and actions declare it Thus did this People in the Text they did carry themselves so leudly and abominably upon their deliverances as if God had delivered them on purpose that they might commit such abominations their practise it did plainly intimate and declare as much to the world Now this again is another thing which is taxed and censured by the Prophet Jeremy yea even by the Lord himself through his Prophesie Will ye say so indeed that is Will ye carry and behave your selves so as if indeed it were so What a fearful thing is this Those which are naught after afflictions and deliverances they are commonly the worst of all and are in the greater danger of punishment and judgment than any other besides And there is a double reason for it First because it is Means perverted And secondly because it is Mercy abused either of which are very pernicious First Means perverted Afflictions and deliverances from them they are Gods Spiritual Physick and Means which he has instituted to make men better and to draw them nearer to himself now when these shall drive them farther from him it must needs be exceeding bad as Physick when it is perverted it tends more to the destruction of the Patient Secondly Mercy abused Gods goodness it leads men to repentance and his love it constrains them to duty This it does in the nature of the thing it self and according to his own appointment and institution and intention in it Now when this shall be turned into wantonness and a further progress and self-indulgence in sin it soon comes to be more exasperating and provoking and exciting to punishment This were well to be thought of by all such persons as are partakers of any mercies and deliverances whatsoever in one kind or other and in particular as the season now hints it from sicknesses and diseases and distempers that they would now recall themselves from their former sins and miscarriages and iniquities which they have heretofore been guilty of and not think that they have now an opportunity to return to their former wickednesses with as much earnestness and greediness as before to think that they are restored to their health that they may be restored to their lusts to their malice and wantonness and luxury and uncleanness and idolatry and such as these as are here mention'd in the Text for if they do so God will bring his judgments again upon them either in the same or far worse degrees and make them at last effectually and in good earnest to know that they are not delivered to commit all these abominations SERMON XLII JEREM. 2.23 O Generation see ye the Word of the Lord Have I been a Wilderness unto Israel a Land of Darkness Wherefore say my people We are Lords we will come no more unto thee It is a part of great Condescension in God towards his people in his doings and dealings with them that whereas he might justly if he pleased without any more ado proceed to the punishing of them for their miscarriages towards him yet he chuses rather first of all to expostulate and plead the case with them and to convince them of the unreasonableness of these courses which are taken by them that so if it were possible he might in a manner shame them out of them This is that which we find him here to do in this Scripture which I have now read unto you which consists partly of an Implicit Protestation of his own Innocency and good carriage to them partly also of an express conceit of their perverseness and ill carriage to him O ye Generation c. IN the Text it self there are three general parts considerable First A Demand And Secondly An Expostulation Thirdly An Invitation to the view and consideration of both The Demand that we have in these words Have I been a Wilderness to Israel a Land of Darkness The Expostulation in these Wherefore say my people we are Lords we will come no more unto thee The Invitation to the view of each in these Oye Generation see ye the Word of the Lord. We begin with the first of these parts viz. The Demand Have I been a Wilderness to Israel in which for the better understanding of it seems to carry a fourfold force or emphasis with it First It hath the force of a Remonstrance or Protestation of Self acquitting or Justification Have I been a Wilderness to Israel that is I have not been a Wilderness unto them Secondly It hath the force of a Remembrance or seasonable Intimation Have I been a Wilderness unto them Nay I have rather been the quite contrary I have indeed been a Paradise Thirdly It hath the force of a Reproach or implicit Exprobration Have I been a Wilderness to Israel as indeed Israel has been rather to me And last of all it hath the force of an Appeal or Provocation to themselves and their own Consciences Have I been a Wilderness to Israel that is let Israel themselves speak what they know and think in this particular First I say it hath the force of a Remonstrance or Protestation of a Self-acquitting or Justification Have I been a Wilderness unto Israel c that is I have not been either of these unto them Here
that which is implied I will speak Secondly as a matter of necessity in that which is exprest I cannot hold my peace First to speak of the former to wit the parts affected both simply propounded as also doubled and repeated My bowels my heart These though if we take them corporally and according to a Bodily Dissection or Anatomy of them they are parts distinct yet here in this Spiritual notion and consideration of them they are one and the same and do signifie no more than the Soul and inward man yet as working likewise upon the body and outward Thus have some of the antient Expositors and Interpreters of Scripture understood iâ— as Gregory Nyssen upon that place of the Canticles Cant. 5.4 My bowels were moved in me he has this Gloss upon it ' H 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The belly or bowels here meant is the Intellectual and Discursive Faculty of the Soul So in like manner Gregory Nazianzen in his 17 Oration speaking of this place of the Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaning by his bowels his mind .. And St. Ambrose to the like purpose De Spirituali non corporeo ventre dixit propheta The Prophet did not speak of a corporal but of a spiritual belly This spiritual belly it is the Mind and Soul of Man There are three special Reasons among others which may be given by us for this expression of the Mind and Soul by the Belly or Bowels First The secrecy of it as that which is most inward and retired 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he before Greg. Naz. The Mind and Soul it is hidden and invisible as the belly and bowels within the body Thus Prov. 20.27 The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord searching all the inward parts of the belly So Psal 103.1 Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his holy name Within me i. e. in my bowels in viscerebus as some translate it And more expresly Psal â—1 6 Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom The bowels do well express the Soul in regard of their secresie That 's the first Secondly Because the Mind it does receive and digest the Thoughts as the Belly does the Meats Mens coquit curas ut venter aescas Greg. past 3. part admonit l. 3. The mind it does digest and boil out cares as the stomach does the food which is put into it and those Notions which at the first are but raw yet through meditation and often turning of them in the mind they come to be concocted Thirdly The Mind it is the Mother of Thoughts it is the fruitful Belly which doth send forth so many conceptions as the proper fruit and issue of it Vt proles in utero concepitur sic cogitatio in mente generatur says the same Author Greg. Mor. l. 12. c. 27. As the Child is conceived in the Womb so is the Thought generated in the Mind Thus in regard of this threefold Analogy and Correspondency is the Mind exprest by the Bowels or Belly so that My bowels my bowels and My heart my heart that is as much as My Soul my Soul my Spirit and my inward man There are two words here in the Text put together for the greater emphasis Bowels and Heart both the one as the explication of the other My Bowels my Heart that is My Bowel which is my Heart and indeed there is so great a nearness and affinity of these two to one another as that they are frequently put the one for the other and signifie the one by the other Thus Psal 22.14 My heart is like wax it is melted in the midst of my bowels not as if his Heart were in his Belly but in regard of the vicinity of these parts the one to the other it is thus exprest And because of this coincidency sometimes the Bowels is put for the Heart sometimes the Heart is put for the Bowels The Bowels for the Heart Jer. 31.33 I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts In their inward parts that is in their Bowels but the meaning of it is in their Hearts as the latter word explains it to us Again the the Heart is also put for the Bowels as in Jer. 48.36 compared with Isa 16.11 In Jer. 48.36 we find it thus My heart shall sound for Moab like pipes In Isa 16.11 we find it thus My bowels shall sound like an Harp for Moab and mine inward parts for Kir-hajesh There mine heart here my bowels and inward parts From both together we are to understand in one word the affections which while they are described by the Bowels it does shew 1. The retiredness of them they were such as every one did not see within the walls of the Heart Kiroth libbi as it is exprest in the Text. 2. The fixedness of them deeply rooted as low as the Bowels 3. The truth and sincerity of them without hypocrisie or dissimulation c. The second Particular in the first General is the grief of these parts both in the kinds of it My heart is pain'd and in the effect of it My heart makes a noise within me From both together we may observe thus much what work and disturbance passions and affections make in the Soul if they be not the better restrain'd they put all out of order and frame and cause great commotions of spirit in those persons which are exercised with them Indeed this of the Prophet it was not an inordinate but a regular stirring in him both because as we shall hear afterwards it was upon a just occasion as likewise that he was carried by the Spirit of God in it But yet we may occasionally from it take notice also of the tumults which do arise in the Soul from the distemper and miscarriage it self And so I say thus much How that Passion it puts all out of frame it puts the Soul out of joynt and takes off the wheels of it it is the ground of very great trouble and anguish and disquiet unto it this it is in all the kinds and specifications of it whether anger or sorrow or fear or what ever it is The excess of it is very outrageous and and such as there is no abiding or enduring of it not onely in others but in men themselves If we look into Scripture we shall find what work it has there made even in the best men in the world for example The Prophet David do but see it in him Psal 31.9 Mine eye is consumed with grief yea my soul and my belly Psal 32.3 My moisture is turned into the drought of summer Psal 38.3 No soundness in my flesh c. This extravagancy of affection it is not onely an affliction to the spirit but has also an influence upon the outward man Now there is very good use which we may make of this observation that we
may not think it needless or superfluous First We may see here how God need not go far for the punishment of wicked men for he can do it from within themselves out of their own heart and belly and bowels when he pleases they carry the matter of their judgment about them and in their own breasts that so they may so much the more tremble and stand in awe of him and take heed of provoking him Who would not fear this great God and beware of doing any thing which might offend him who is able to do thus with them who can send the plague into their bowels not onely in a bodily sense as it has been of late here in this Land and City but in a spiritual which is far worse who can punish a man with his own affections and with the very thoughts which do arise and proceed out of his own mind though there were nothing else besides Secondly We see here also what good cause we have to order and regulate our affections and to keep them within their proper bounds to take heed of Extravagancy and Extremity in any particular forasmuch as we know not what at last it may come to we know not where we shall stop and stay if we look not to our selves nor what inconveniences may follow upon it Passionate and violent persons they are the greatest enemies and adversaries to themselves if they rightly consider it neither do they need any others to torment than their own bowels Therefore let us here watch over our selves and desire of God himself to watch over us and to take care of us to quiet and pacifie and compose us and keep us in frame that so we may have a perpetual Sabbath and tranquillity in our spirits and have nothing at all exceedingly to disquiet us or put us out of that temper in which we should be So much also of the second Particular which is the grief of these parts thus affected both in the kinds and effects of it The third is the Passage or Vent I cannot hold my peace Passion where ever it is it will make way and force it self forth and so it did here in the Prophet Jeremy in speech and outward expression he spake and he could do no otherwise he was not able to be silent in the condition in which he now was This was true of him according to a double explication either first of all of the speech of discovery I cannot hold my peace that is I cannot chuse but publish it Or else secondly of the speech of lamentation I cannot hold my peace that is I cannot chuse but bemoan it and bewail it and make complaint of it Each of these is in it First the speech of descovery I cannot hold my peace that is I cannot chuse but I must publish it and declare it and signifie it abroad I find these workings in my own spirit and I cannot but I must acquaint you with them I must reveal them and make them known unto you And thus the Prophet Jeremy speaks as a Minister of the Lord and as one that was intrusted with Gods people committed unto him Those which are the Servants of God in the Ministery they find sometimes a necessity in themselves for the discovery of their own thoughts to their people and that now and then even almost whether they will or no this we find once to have been the case of this very Prophet here now before us in another place he had in a manner resolv'd in himself that he would trouble himself no more with them that he would keep his own thoughts to himself in his own mind and breast Well but see what came on 't Jer. 20.8 9. Because the word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me and a derision daily Then I said I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay Thus it proves likewise to be the case of many other of Gods Servants besides they are necessitated in this particular and that upon sundry considerations First from the strength of that conviction and the evidence of the things themselves to their minds whereof they are to speak Thus it was with Peter and the rest of the Apostles Acts 4.20 when the Priests and Elders there forbad them to preach any more in the name of Christ they made this return unto them We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard that is we have such manifest convictions of them and such impressions upon our spirits to declare them as that we cannot refrain and hold our peace we should herein be injurious to our selves if we should offer to do it And so Elihu in Job there is such an expression as this is from him Job 32.7 8. I said Days should speak and the multitude of years should teach wisdom But there is a spirit in man and and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding And again more fully in vers 17 c. of the same chapter I said I will answer also my part I will shew mine opinion I am full of matter the spirit within me constraineth me Behold my belly is as wine which hath no vent it is ready to burst like new bottles I will speak that I may be refreshed c. Secondly as they are necessitated to speak sometimes from the strength of their Conviction so moreover from the strength of their Affection their love constrains them hereunto and in particular their love to the people whom they speak unto that so they may not hide or conceal from them what is fitting to be made known unto them Thus St. Paul professes of himself to the Church of Ephesus that he had kept back nothing from them which was profitable to them but he had shewed it and taught it them And again that he had not shunn'd to declare unto them the whole counsel of God And speaking elsewhere to the Corinthians he tells them that there was a necessity upon him and wo unto him if he preached not the Gospel So Ezekiel God told him that he should speak and be no more dumb and that he had made him a sign unto the people so that his weeping and mourning it should be as it were a fore-runner of theirs c. 24. Where we have also a third account of it and that is the consideration of their Calling and the Office which they sustain they are Watchmen and Shepherds and Guides as ye heard in the morning and so not onely to give warnings of sin but likewise of judgment and not onely of spiritual danger but corporal and they should betray not only the souls but the lives also of the people of God if they should be silent and dumb in this respect Thus we see now how upon all these considerations there 's this necessity which we now speak
begin in order with the first viz. the Persons mentioned those that sigh and cry c. from whence we may observe thus much That such persons there are that do so and it is their duty so to do even to sigh and cry for the abominations all of them that are done in the midst of the City We read of divers in Scripture which have been noted for this disposition in them Thus it is said of just Lot that he was vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked For that righteous man dwelling amongst them in seeing and hearing vext his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds as it is in 2 Pet. 2.7 8. David he beheld the transgressors and was grieved because they kept not Gods word Psal 119.158 and rivers of water ran down his eyes because they kept not his law in verse 136. of the same Psalm Jeremy his soul wept in secret places for their pride c. Jer. 13.17 And Paul his spirit was stirred in him at Athens when he saw the City to be wholly given to idolatry Acts 17.16 Thus have the Servants of God been still affected with the abominations of the places and people whom they have lived withall and amongst whom they have at any time converst And this it hath proceeded thus in them upon divers and sundry considerations First out of their inward hatred and antipathy even to sin it self The children of God being born again and become new creatures and having grace in their hearts they cannot but abhor any thing which is opposite and contrary hereunto from that new nature and spirit which is in them Look as on the other side wicked men they are troubled at the slourishing of Religion where they see any to improve in goodness and to be any thing more forward in piety their hearts and spirits rise as it were against them and boil in them from the devilish disposition which is in them and hatred even of goodness it self So here those that fear the Lord they are as much troubled at the improvements of sin from that work of Regeneration which is in their hearts Secondly Out of love to God and a tenderness of his honour and glory Where abominations are at any time committed there God is exceedingly dishonour'd his Laws are slighted his Attributes are question'd his Name is blasphem'd Now those that are good themselves they have a great regard hereunto Those that are Gods children they are very jealous of Gods honour as any other children besides are of the honour of their earthly Parents and so accordingly they cannot but grieve when there is any trespass at any time upon it Those that areotherwise they shew but little love and affection which they bear unto him Thirdly Out of respect to themselves and their own advantage The more sin there is abroad the more are all men concerned in it not evil men but good who are from hence in so much the greater danger and that in a twofold respect both as to matter of defilement and of punishment They are more in danger from hence to be polluted and they are more in danger from hence to be afflicted and this makes them to be so much troubled at it First In order to Defilement they are more in danger from hence to be polluted Great and reigning sins and abominations are usually great temptations which do hazard the souls of many persons that converse amongst them and therefore there is cause to be grieved for them What is it that which makes men now so troubled to hear of the spreading of certain sicknesses and diseases Why it is because they think that themselves may haply come to feel them and to be infected with them that which befalls others they think at last it may light upon them And so is it likewise with gracious persons as to spiritual distempers when they hear of such corruptions and wickedness which are abroad in the world they are therefore much afflicted with them because they fear lest they themselves should be any thing defiled from them they are jealous of their own hearts in case of the prevailing of such sins and so do grieve and mourn for and under them And this they do it in order to defilement as being in danger to be polluted Secondly In order also to Punishment as being in danger to be afflicted Common and publick abominations they beget common and publick plagues and judgments which follow thereupon This those that are wise and prudent Christians know and discern well enough Evil men understand not judgment but they that seek the Lord understand all things says Solomon Prov. 28.5 Fools make a mock of sin and those that are wicked and ungodly they are commonly hardned and secure in the midst of the greatest wickednesses that are commited Because they do not suffer for them presently therefore they think they shall not suffer at all Yea but the children of God they are otherwise perswaded they know that sin will sooner or later come to a reckoning and when they see it to increase in the world they foresee the judgments that attend it and therefore tremble at the sight of it as knowing that God is so much the more provoked by it and so will at length proceed to the punishment of it There are two things in the increase of sin and the spreading of more nauseous abominations which to this purpose do very much affect the children and servants of God the one is they are conscious of Gods anger and displeasure in the cause of them And the other is as they are prognosticks of Gods wrath and judgment in the effects First I say as they ar consequents of his anger and displeasure for so they are There is nothing which is more redious to Gods children than the anger and displeasure of God Now reigning abominations they are a symptom and discovery of that they are a sign that God is very much offended with those places and persons where he suffers them and permits them to be in them and gives them up to them We many times make light of it but believe it for any people to be given up to more notorious wickedness is the greatest argument of Gods anger that can be and in that regard a special ground for mercy to those that are good As it is a sign of God's anger against a person to be given up to strong and strange lusts An whore is a deep ditch and he that is abhorred of God shall fall into it so it is a sign of Gods anger against a Nation when he gives them up to more eminent sins and abominations in any kind whatsoever And so there is very great cause to grieve at it But secondly As those raging abominations they are the consequents of Gods anger in the causes of them so they are the Prognosticks of Gods wrath in the effects they do as good as foretell some judgment ere long to be brought upon
natural condition Surely such as ever were so they would be otherwise affected However men may be haply perswaded in an ignorant and secure condition when they have no sight or view of sin or of the wrath of God against it so as to rest satisfied in such a Righeousness as this is yet when their consciences are opened and awakened they will have other thoughts of it and discern the insufficiency which is in it In the time of sickness in the hour of death in the approaches of Judgment when they are leaving and forsaking the world going to give up their accounts to God at his Tribunal then this confidence in their Pharisaical Righteousness will vanish and come to nothing then they will see what little stress or strength is to be put in it as that which will not be able to afford them any peace of conscience or satisfaction of spirit Thirdly It does occasionally deprive men of the means of Salvation and set them so much the further off from true happiness The Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees meeting together with the corruption which was stil inherent in them it was thus far prejudicial to them Therefore our Saviour tells them That the Publicans and Harlots went into the Kingdom of God before them Matth. 21.31 Not as if Whoredom and Oppression were better abstractly considered than moral Righteousness or in their own nature did more dispose unto salvation But that in regard of the Subjects in which they were they had accidentally a more happy effect for Publicans and Harlots being convinced of their own unrighteousness did from hence so much the more eagerly look after the Righteousness of Christ whiles Scribes Pharisees being conceited of their own righteousness had the Righteousness of Christ hereupon in greater contempt and contemning Christ's Righteousness did thereby put away from them eternal life And thus have we seen the point explained and enlarged unto us That Pharisaical Righteousness is insufficient to everlasting salvation Now the consideration of this Truth may be thus far usefully improved First We see here the misery and unhappiness of all such persons as are defective and coming short of this Righteousness If they cannot come to Heaven who do not go beyond such persons as the Scribes and Pharisees were what may we think of such as do not indeed go so far If those who are no more than merely Civil shall be shut out of Heaven what shall we say to those who are absolutely wicked and prophane What room will there be found in that holy place for such as these surely such as they must needs perish without recovery whiles they continue in such a condition Our Saviour by this comparison does not take men off from Moral Righteousness which is very requisite and necessary for them and comely and commendable in them wheresoever it is No but he does rather carry them on to somewhat further As the Apostle Paul speaking of Ministerial qualifications Covet earnestly the best gifts but yet shew I unto you a more excellent way So our Saviour here speaking of Christian qualifications he does not simply disparage Morality or Civility no more do we with him But he requires somewhat else besides to be joyned with it which is superiour and transcendent to it Therefore absolutely to be deprived of it does admit of no excuse whosoever they be that live in waies of wickedness and prophaneness in murther and drunkenness and uncleanness and injustice and oppression and such sins as these are they are sad and miserable creatures They which do such things they shall not inherit the Kingdom of God as the Scripture has peremptorily told us And they shall so much the harder inherit it as such as are better than they are are as if we heard excluded from it which therefore should so much the more effectually work upon them to bring them to reformation and amendment of life If Formality shall be shut out of Heaven what will become of prophaneness If coldness in Religion shall be punisht what shall become of Atheism and no Religion at all If those who keep the Law in the letter of it celebrate the Sabbath heat the Word receive the Sacrament give alms to the poor and perform such outward duties as these shall notwithstanding some of them be debarred of eternal salvation what will become of thee that never mindest any of these things that livest as if there were no God or Hell or Heaven or day of Judgment surely thy case must needs e desperate whilest thou so continuest For we must take in this with it that there are differences and degrees of punishment as there is also of sin for the preventing of an objection which may be truly made to this purpose for some people perhaps when they hear this that Pharisees with their Civil Righteousness shall be kept out of Heaven may be ready to make this Reply that then we had as good be absolutely prophane for we can then be but so excluded But such as these must know that their punishment shall be so much the greater as their wickedness is the more And though both shall be cast into Hell both one and the other yet these latter shall have greater damnation and shall be more the children of Hell as the Scripture expresses it And that 's the first Use which may be made of this Point Secondly This serves to call men to an account for the righteousness which is in them and to humble them under the reflections of it If such righteousness as this which we have now mentioned will not serve to bring men to Heaven then we see here the sad condition of such persons as have no more to say for themselves than this comes to that think their case to be good in reference to Eternal Salvation because they come up to some formalities of external obedience because it may be they have some knowledg in the Doctrine of Religion or because it may be they abound in some outward performances therefore they think that they are presently heirs of Heaven and have the Kingdom of God belonging to them as theirs Alas if it be no more than so with them their righteousness does not exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees And if it does not so we see here what a censure our Blessed Saviour passes upon them as those who shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven That so they may be taken off from a condition of carnal security wherein at present they seem to be involv'd It is true that civil righteousness it has many other accommodations with it which are not to be deposed It keeps up Order and Peace and Unity betwixt men and men It preserves Families and Societies and States and the like without which men would be no beter than so many Salvages and Tygers and Bears and wild creatures there would be no living and subsisting in the world But yet as to matter of
he must dye for all these This night shall thy soul be taken away from thee This we have set forth unto us in Ps 49.6 and so forward They that trust in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches none of them can by any means redeem his Brother nor give to God a ransome for him that he should still live for ever and not see corruption for the redemption of their soul is precious and it ceaseth for ever So in Eccl. 8.8 No man hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit neither hath he power in the day of death and there is no discharge in that war If no man hath power not the rich man not the wealthy man not the man of a great estate let him get as much as ever he can grasp yet he shall never see death he shall never be able by his wealth to free himself from that All a mans riches are not sufficient to preserve his life Again not to save his soul When a man is to appear naked before the dreadful Tribunal of Christ and to give account of all the actions which he hath done whether they be good or evil It is not a whole world which will avail him or do him any good The treasures of wickedness profit nothing in Prov 10.2 Riches avail not in the day of wrath in Prov. 11.4 When God shall set home sin upon the conscience and proclaim his fierce wrath and judgment against a poor wretch when he shall pronounce a sentence of cursing and condemnation upon such a soul as has walkt perversly against him all the riches and estate and wealth which such a man is able to make they can never help him to peace There 's nothing but the blood of Christ apply'd here by Christ's Spirit which is here able to avail when a man 's going out of the world the world it self will then be made appear to be wholly insufficient and they now and then to have the least contentment from it which have the most portion in it Oh that I could but sufficiently fasten these things upon your hearts If riches cannot save a man's soul why should men hazard the loss of their souls to come by them why should men take so much pains and care as they do to obtain them why should men put so much trust and confidence and reliance in them surely men do not consider what their precious souls are Thou fool thy soul shall be taken away from thee Methinks this one word it should strike a serious horror and amazement into every mans conscience What is the hope of the hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his soul In Job 27.8 What is a man profited though he gain the whole world and lose his own soul in Matth. 16.26 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul as it is there also in that place All the tidings could have been brought were not answerable for sadness to this They shall take away thy soul from thee because that this taking away it was not a meet taking away but it had somewhat else at the end of it Take it away to punish it and take it away to torment it and take it away to inflict vengeance upon it It was not so much the separation of the soul from the body as the separation of the soul from the Lord that was that which was terrible and fearful and hideous indeed This is the first observation All the wealth a man has is not able to preserve his soul Secondly We may observe this that God takes away mens lives many times when they least suspect it This covetous wretch in the Text. thought least of death then when it was nearest unto him He was thinking of many years when he had not behind many hours he was thinking of his barns when he had a foot in his grave Thus it has been also with many others besides when they have been pleasing themselves in their enjoyments God has then taken away their souls when they have been promising and forecasting some great things to come to themselves God has then been preparing their deaths Thus it was with Belshazzar in Dan. 5.5 Whiles he was drinking Wine and praising the Gods of Gold and of Silver it is said in the same hour there was an hand writing came out against him and in that very night was Belshazzar King of the Chaldeans slain So likewise again Herod when he was sitting in his Pomp upon his Throne in his glorious apparel and priding himself in the shout and applause of the people it is said that immediately the Angel of the Lord smote him because he gave not God the glory in Acts 2.23 Thus it was also with Sisera whiles he was sleeping securely in the Tent Jael came upon him with an hammer and stroke a nail through his temples that he died And so I might instance in many other examples besides there 's nothing almost more usual This God will have to be that he may teach us that we are dependant creatures and that our times are in his hands that no man might think of himself more highly than he ought to think but think soberly and meekly therefore he usually disappoints men in their greatest expectations where they do not take him to counsel There 's nothing a surer evidence and fore-runner of any ones miscarriage than an absolute and peremptory determination upon any thing without reference to God No he will have us to know our selves to be but men and accordingly think of our selves This should therefore teach us to take heed of boasting of to morrow or of promising our selves any certainty and assurance in any thing below Alas for ought we know we may be stript and depriv'd of our lives and we know not how soon There 's nothing more ordinary among men than to resolve long before hand and to project to themselves what they will do for time to come And there is nothing more ordinary than for men in such cases as these many times to have their lives taken from them when men settle themselves in a condition as I may so speak and think when they are come to this they shall now be sure to make their mountain strong and think they shall never be moved as David said then 's the very time usually for God to disappoint them Therefore take heed of this setling and resolving afore-hand of any thing I know there 's a lawful forecast and providence which ought to be used and it is such as is both needful and commendable but take heed of this Soul take thy rest take heed of thinking thou hast goods for many years take heed of saying with Peter It is good to be here for then in all probability and likelihood art thou going away God will not have us to dream of rest in a place of disquiet nor God will not have us to think of certainty in a condition of
humility and subjection Lastly She heard his word This is not to be taken as meant only of outward hearing but with all inward and special qualifications as First Attention She attended to the things which were spoken as is said of Lydia Secondly Delight She had a sweet savour and relish of them and complacency in them Thirdly Reposition She retain'd them and laid them up in her heart As Mary the Mother of Christ She laid up all these things in her heart not a forgetful hearer Jam. 1.25 And thus much for the carriage of Mary the Sister of Martha So much for that The Second is Martha's carriage her self which was very different from it But Martha c. In which verse we have again two things observable First her own behaviour for her own particular she was cumbred about much serving And Secondly her censure of her Sister yea of Christ himself about it Lord doest thou not care that my Sister hath left me to serve alone c. First I say Here is her own behaviour for her own particular She was cumbred about much serving that is in the friendly entertainment of Christ's person She saw such a worthy Guest as this was now come to her house and all her thoughts and care was taken up how to give them the best welcome that she was any ways able to do This simply considered in it self was no fault or miscarriage in her but rather an argument and token of her good affection But accordingly as it is here qualified in her so it had somewhat which was vicious in it First Luxury and excess She was too large in her entertainments It may be she provided more than was fitting for such a time This is that which many are to blame and faulty in they think they cannot make their friends welcome except they load them and cloy them with variety of dishes I do not deny but that God does vouchsafe us now and then a more liberal use of the creatures than at other times but yet there is a reason and moderation in all especially according to the condition of the times wherein we live which do call for more restraint and abatement than others do as we may see in Isa 22.12 13 14. This might be one miscarriage in this good woman She was excessive in regard of the measure And therefore some when Christ afterwards says One thing is necessary they interpret it one dish but that 's a little too gross Secondly Curiosity for the manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 She was cumbred about it She was too punctual and curious and exact in her preparations that she thought nothing good enough It may be to a too much undervaluing of the creatures themselves and unthankfulness for them which many now and then are too too guilty of likewise and it is a very great fault in them But Thirdly Which we shall see more afterwards There was a turbulency and unquietness of spirit This is that which is too often seen in many persons in such performances they do too much distract themselves and others about them and there are divers grounds of it Sometimes it proceeds from unskilfulness as those things which people have no skill in they are troublesome to them to go about them Sometime it proceeds from unaccustomedness as those things which they are not used to they are disquieting when they undertake them But more especially it does arise from a weakness and impotency of mind as we shall see more hereafter As it is the disposition of many people that they can do nothing but they are presently troubled and distracted about it this was the fault of this Martha And so much for her own behavior The Second thing here considerable is the censure of her Sister's carriage yea upon the point of Christ himself wherein also there were many weaknesses and infirmities involved at once As First There was a spice of pride and vain-gloriousness in her obsequiousness Lord doest thou not care that my Sister hath left me to serve alone As who should say Doest thou not take notice of how much pains I take to entertain thee Whiles she finds fault with her Sister she does implicitly commend her self which is often-times the end of such speeches This good woman had a little tincture of ostentation and boasting in her mingled with her entertainment of Christ which is apt to cleave now and then to the best that are it is a worm which too often breeds in this sweet wood A kind of pride in well-doing especially there where there is an excellency and singular eminency above other persons as here it was She saw she outstript her sister in this service and now she would needs be commended for it This we may toke notice of here not to justify such kind of affections where-ever they are but to shew the weakness and frailty of our nature in this particular And that those which are any thing more or less guilty of it may accordingly both be humbled for it and strive against it The remedies of this distemper are these First a reslexion upon our weaknesses and failings other ways Secondly a consideration that all we do is a due debt Thirdly that others may be better in other respects c. That 's the first Secondly Here was a spice of envy and censoriousness of her Sister's forwardness in Religion Lord doest thou not take care that my Sister c. Here was a quarrelling and contending with her Sister as one weakness brings in another From pride comes contention Prov. 13.10 And this is joyn'd with envy and censure and emmulation She would needs be thought the best of the two and she pleased her self in her own good performances and hence falls upon her Sister This is another infirmity which is oftentimes seen too much in those which are otherwise good a kind of envying and emmulating of others This we shall find in the Disciples of Christ themselves Our Saviour had much ado sometimes with them they were ready ever and anon to go together by the ears in this business And so with all Censoriousness Martha which here followed her business and houshold-affairs she censures Mary her Sister which attended upon the Doctrine of Christ And this is that which we shall often-times find and observe in the World that those which are great Husbands or Housewives and are taken up in such kind of employments they are very forward to pass their censure and verdict upon the hearers of the word and those which do much attend upon special means I know very well there may be an unseasonableness even in this but yet it is not so often as sometimes it is conceived to be And where there 's one neglects the world for the looking after their souls there are hundreds which loose their souls for attending too much upon the world And that 's a second infirmity here observable Thirdly Here was a spice also of impiety in interrupting the good
was this that his Servant Job was a perfect and upright man one that feared God and eschewed evil and still held fast his integrity It was le-balgno chinnam To swallow him up without cause and therefore it was that he could not perswade him to it We should all endeavour that it may be so with us That though God may always find cause himself to destroy us and swallow us up yet that Satan may never find cause to provoke him and perswade him thereto from careless and uneven walking and conversing before him And that may be the first thing considerable in this expression of desire viz. Satan's restraint He was limited and confined by God whose leave must first be ask'd in this particular Secondly As here 's Satan's restraint so moreover his malice and boldness of attempt Magnis tamen excidit â—usis He ventures high Two things there are that do commonly encourage men in asking and in putting up their requests the acceptableness of the thing ask'd and the acceptableness of the person that asks it neither of these are here in Satan in asking of God his children and therefore a bold request It is not only a bare and single desire but this desire drawn out into a Prayer which is somewhat more Even Satan himself prays take notice of that So sometimes may those also which are Instruments of Satan as to the outward action and substance of the performance But what kind of prayer is it and what does it tend unto That he may have Peter and the rest of the Apostles and do what he pleaseth with them He desires of God that he would give up these his Servants into his power This was a very insolent request As if a man should ask leave of a Father that he might cut his child's throat Such was this desire here of Satan So it was also there concerning Job Thou movedst me against him Job 2.3 This I say was a very great boldness yet such as was in Satan towards God in regard of Job as here in regard of Peter and the rest One may desire that which he is loth to signify that he desires Many an one desires that which he is ashamed to ask And many an one desires that which he scorns to ask especially if he must ask it of an enemy And yet thus does Satan here of God He asks his servants of him This is a sign he has a good mind to you and it should teach us the more to look to our selves and to overcome desires with desires impudence with prayers How much more reason and encouragement have God's children to pray to God for themselves than Satan to pray against them But so much also for this Before we proceed any further we may here take notice of one thing more which is The word of attention Behold This is ordinary and frequent in Scripture by way of Preface and Introduction But here as I conceive it hath some further Emphasis with it which is to excite and awaken Peter and to make him the more look about him in his present condition And there are these things observable from it First here is implyed Peter's ignorance and present unadvisedness He was not aware of this attempt of Satan So is it likewise with many others of God's servants Satan does secretly lay siege unto their souls and they do not discern it It is a great piece of skill to know indeed when we are tempted and to be apprehensive that we are under a temptation There are a great many persons which are so which yet do not perceive it nay there are many which think the quite contrary which are very secure in this particular and so secure as that they take and interpret Satan's temptations even for the motions of God himself This is a very dangerous condition and such as these have need to be admonished and warned most of all and therefore here Behold Secondly We see here also the love of Christ who helps our ignorance in this particular and advises us where we are less regardful This as he did then by word of mouth so as I said before he does still likewise by his Spirit in our hearts if we will but hearken and listen to him in those suggestions Thirdly Here 's also as sometimes the eminency and conspicuousness of the temptation It is such as is very obnoxious and open to all mens eyes so that one may easily see and behold it if they will but give heed unto it But so much also for that It is a sign he hath a mind to you and some hope of you or else he would never do as he does To come now to the object it self of this desire To have you he hath desired this this is I say very pertinently added to make up the fulness of the sense and accordingly we may take notice of it There are two sorts of Satan's temptations and so answerably there 's a double having of them which may be here understood by us First there are temptations to sin And Secondly there are temptations for sin and both here included And so to have you two manner of ways To have you to corrupt you To have you to afflict you First To have you to corrupt you Satan has desired this To have you so to have interest in you to have influece upon you to have service from you Satan has much wish'd for this To have you that is to have you for his turn This is that which as near as he could he would obtain of the servants of Christ he would have them out of the hands of Christ in his own enjoyment and possession This is that which he would fain have if he might have what he desired It is not that he would have your estates or your liberties or your lives only No but he would have your selves and he would have your souls He would have you and the best part of you He would have you and all of you at his command You and you indefinitely that is every one of you one as well as another And you and you extensively that is you in every part of you your whole soul and body and spirit There is nothing which God has of you but Satan would have of you too He would corrupt and defile your whole man This may serve as a very good item and caution to the servants of God in regard of the temptations of Satan and their own yieldings to them to be well advised and consider of them The Devil in the baits which he lays whereby to catch and insnare poor souls he makes them often to believe as if he were very modest in his requests and demands of them only that they should do such and such actions for such a particular time and that 's all that he would ask of them Nay but that 's not all which will content him he desires to have them themselves with the whole bent and inclination of their souls
He desires to have you and you so as to have you at his beck and will and command There 's no such Tyrant as Satan where he once gets â—ooting into any soul Therefore this should teach us still to be wary and jealous of him Having this warning given us by Christ for what he said to his Disciples he said to all of us we should accordingly make use of it and that is to watch and to take heed to our selves Let us take heed of promising our selves safety in the midst of the greatest danger but rather consider the attempts which are made against us and by whom For we wrestle not against Flesh and Blood but against Principalities and Powers against the Rulers of the darkness of this World against spiritual wickedness in high places When we consider what our enemies are what advantages are upon them and what they aim at and propound to themselves even the undoing of poor souls certainly all this should awaken us and make us look to our selves He that now can find in his heart to be secure he is not asleep but plainly dead This were enough to make us look about us that Satan would have us to corupt us but yet that 's no all He would have us to afflict us too That 's another Branch of his desire which is here also included and given notice of in this warning of Christ's As Satan would weaken our Faith so also darken our comfort And as he would draw us into sin so likewise trouble us and torment us for it He aims at this These are fiery darts of the wicked which the Scripture makes mention of to us in Eph. 6.16 Look as on the one side the Holy Ghost He is first a Spirit of Holiness and then he is a Spirit of Joy First a Sanctifier and then a Comforter So on the other side Satan the evil Spirit he is first a Spirit of wickedness and then a Spirit of Sadness First he perswades to sin and then he carries on to despair and fills the soul with horror for sin Yea not only does he afflict for sin and labour to disquiet for that but even also to afflict there where sin has not indeed that forcing as in others it has He labours to make salse representations to Believers of their estate and condition and of the affection of God towards them that so they may walk dejectedly and uncomfortably all their days Because he hears that comfort is a vigorous condition and that the joy of the Lord is heir strength therefore he labours all he can to hinder them and to intercept them of it That so whiles they walk uncomfortably they may walk unprofitably and be less useful and serviceable in the places in which they are as by this means they come to be Therefore we should remember to be jealous of him here likewise and in all trouble of spirit labour to discern and understand how far Satan mingles himself with it what is from the Spirit of God convincing and reproving for sin and what is from the evil Spirit in enlarging the matter of trouble to us beyond its due measure and bounds This was the care of the Apostle Paul in the business of the excommunicated Corinthian who was now humbled and cast down for his sin he was careful that he might not be overwhelmed with over-much sorrow and he gives this reason for it lest Satan should get an advantage against us for we are not ignorant of his devices 2 Cor. 2.11 It is usual with Satan thus to fiâ—h in troubled waters and so to abuse poor afflicted souls which we should mind both as to others and to our selves Satan would have you to afflict you That 's the first Branch in this passage to wit the design it self Satan hath desired you The Second is the Amplification of it And to sift or winnow you as wheat This it may be taken two manner of ways either in a bad sense or in a good If we take it in a bad sense so it signifies the intent of Satan by that which he desires If we take it in a good sense so it signifies he event of Satan and that which though against his mind and beyond his intention he does actually effect and perform First Take it in a ill sense As Satan's intent so to winnow you is to shake and remove you Look as Corn when it is winnowed it is shaken from one side to another and never lies still even so does Satan with the Disciples of Christ and endeavoured to do at this present time to shake them nd toss them up and down with his violent temptations and the variety of them This expression shews the unweariedness of Satan in his attempts upon the Godly and his several courses which he takes with them to annoy them He shifts them and he removes them from one temptation to another now on this side and then on that so that they never are quiet and at rest As he did thus with Christ himself as we may see in the story of his temptations so he does thus also with the Members of Christ This teaches us to labour therefore for so much the more constancy and solidity and settlement to be well rooted and fasten'd in Christ and by a Spirit of Faith to hold upon him that so none of all the shakings and concussions of Satan whatsoever may be able to do us any hurt but we may still stand stedfast and immovable and hold fast our profession without wavering Thus may this expression be taken in an ill sense and so as expressing to us Satan's purpose and intent But Secondly It may be also taken in a good sense and so as expressing to us the event of Satan's practises though beyond his own desire and intention The winnowing of the Corn in the Fan it is not for the hurt of it but for the good of it And therefore the Gospel is in other places of Scripture compared to a Fan whereby the Wheat and the Chaff are separated and distinguish'd one from the other Thus in a sense also are Satan's temptations And so these words He hath desired you to sift you as wheat are to be understood thus He hath desired to do that with you which shall be to you as the winnowing of the Corn. And so we learn thus much by it Two things especially First That the temptations of God's people they are great advantages and benefits to them as it pleases God to order and dispose them They purge them from that dross and chaff and corruption which otherwise would adhere unto them And they also serve as separations many times of the precious from the vile according to the effect which they have upon them And they fit them also for future service Secondly We see here how also God out-wits Satan and destroys his own plots by himself who in that way wherein he thinks to do Believers greatest mischief he does them many times
are to be looked upon by us not distinctly only in themselves but conjunctively with reference to those which went before Peter's conversion of himself and Peter's strengthening of his Brethren which go hand in hand together and have a mutual respect to each other as they here lye in the Text and so have also all others besides So that there are two things which are here observable of us First here 's an enlargement of Personal Conversion to Fraternal Confirmation he that is converted himself he must withal strengthen his Brethren Secondly here 's a confinement of Fraternal Confirmation to Personal Conversion He that will strengthen his Brethren he must himself first be converted Each of these are signified to us in this connexion First I say Here 's an enlargement of Personal Conversion to Fraternal or Brotherly Confirmation He that is converted himself he must strengthen his Brethren He that has partaken of God's Grace in his own recovery from temptation and the consequents of it he ought to endeavour as much as may be to be useful and helpful to others whom he converses withal to this purpose It is one thing which we have here before us in this expression When thou art converted strengthen c. Our Blessed Saviour took care here for Peter that he should be converted and that he should endeavour to convert himself but he would not have him to stay here no but to labour moreover for the conversion and restauration of others Being converted himself that his Brethren should be converted with him There are two evils in temptation which it does commonly cause to those which are overtaken with it And so consequently there are two Benefits which are caused by strengthening after it First in matter of Grace and Secondly in matter of Comfort Temptation it makes a breach upon both it makes a breach upon our Grace as it does corrupt us and defile us with sin and it makes a breach upon our Comfort as it does afflict us and fill us with horrour and fear of punishment Now in either of these respects it is the duty of those who are themselves delivered from temptation and so in the sense of the Text converted to strengthen their Brethren This was the practice of the Prophet David and that which he aim'd at himself in this condition As we may see in Psal 51.12 13. Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation and stablish me with thy free Spirit Then will I teach Transgressors thy ways and sinners shall be converted unto thee David being refresht himself would instruct others and being converted or restored himself would convert and restore others Sinners shall be converted unto thee that is in the study and endeavour after conversion David could not assure himself that all those whom he taught and instructed should be really and actually converted no more than any other Teacher besides can promise himself But he means in regard of the course and way which should be taken for it They shall be converted so far as I can help it and can any way further their conversion which I will be no way defective in Thus did David in his present condition and so should others do likewise As they see any stand in need of assistance more than others in such and such conditions so to be helpful to them And that in divers respects First in a way of Faithfulness as closing with that end for which they are converted themselves The reason why God does bestow such a measure of Grace or comfort upon this or that particular Christian it is not for himself only but for others that so they may be so much the better or comfortabler for his sake The Scripture speaking of Believers says that they are members one of another Now we know that in a natural body the parts and members of it they have a mutual respect to each other for the decency service and succour one of another and the abilities which are given to one they are for the good and advantage of all the rest The eye it does not see for it self but for the whole body and the ear it does not hear for it self but for the whole body Whatever excellency one does partake of it is for the improvement of the whole Even so is it likewise or at least so it should be in the mystical Body which is the Church Whatever good any one Christian partakes of it is for the good and advancement of his Brethren As the Apostle speaks of Comfort 2 Cor. 1.4 Who comforts us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God God comforts some of his children that so they may comfort the rest and so he reduces some of his children that they may reduce the rest Unless therefore we are careful to do so we do not comply with God in his ends for which he bestows such Blessings upon us as it becomes us to do As every one hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another as good Stewards of the manifold Grace of God says this Apostle Peter himself in 1 Pet. 4.10 Secondly In a way of Thankfulness When thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren upon this account likewise we cannot better testify our acknowledgments of God's goodness in the bestowing of Grace or comfort upon our own souls than by imparting and communicating it to others True thankfulness it hath for the most part joy with it And joy it is a spreading affection it delights to diffuse it self abroad it is not easily kept or contain'd within its own bounds As we say of moyst things in nature that difficulter suis fermicus continentur even so is Grace and spiritual comfort in a spiritual heart it delights to disperse it self to its Brethren Ye know how it was with the Lepers of Samaria when they had light upon the Syrian spoyls they could not satisfy themselves in a secret enjoyment of the benefit of that providence to them but took care for the divulging of it and making others to be partakers with them of it Even so should we do likewise as any good news or tydings of Salvation is brought home to our selves Thirdly Out of zeal to the Glory of God we should endeavour others conversion that so God may have more Glory by it The more that Sinners are converted the more is God honoured And that should take with a gracious heart Herein is my Father glorified c. says our Saviour This is that which we should all be very much fired and inflamed withal to set us on work in this business as we see it was not only with David but also with Paul and divers others of the Saints Lastly Out of love to our selves and our own good Qui docet indoctos c. The more we strengthen others the more indeed do we confirm our selves whether in Grace or Comfort We
lose nothing by such improvements as these are but gain by them rather and they return upon us with so much the greater advantage that so we may be encouraged thereunto in the practice of them This Oyl it encreases in the spending and this Bread in the breaking of it And to him that thus hath it shall be given We should therefore be perswaded to put this duty in practice upon all occasions God has made and appointed us for the good one of another and not only for our selves therefore as we have any thing our selves we should mind one anothers good in it As the Ministerial official parts of the body The heart and liver and stomach they do not only receive nourishment for themselves but for the whole body So should we which are Christians in spiritual things As the Heavens what light and influence they have in themselves they bestow upon the earth even so should we do to those which are below us especially in these places of society We see how active evil men are in that which is evil Those which are themselves perverted they 'll be sure to pervert their Brethren and make others as bad or perhaps a great deal worse than themselves And why should not we then do the contrary in matters of goodness What a shame is it for the children of this world to be in this sense also wiser in their generation than the children of light Oh! let us cast off this sluggishness and remisness from us let us make it our business to make others partakers of the same Grace and comfort with our selves This is done divers ways as First by discovering and laying open the flights of sin and the subtilties of the spiritual enemy The reason why many miscarry and are surprized with spiritual evils is because they are not aware of the danger which is incident to them and which themselves are subject unto They are apt to think that there is no such great hazard in such ways as are undertaken by them as indeed there is Now here it concerns us being our selves converted to admonish them and warn them of it Peter who had now unadvisedly gone into the High Priest's Hall and mingled himself with the evil company which he met withal there in that place he was better fitted to advise others to take heed of such kind of temptations Exhort one another daily whiles it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin Heb. 3.13 Secondly By quickening and exciting and stirring up one another to good we do hereby strengthen our Brethren There 's nothing does more strengthen men in goodness than the practice of goodness And there is nothing which does more promote and advance this practice in them than the quickening and exciting of them Therefore it is the Apostle's Exhortation in Heb. 10.24 Let us consider one another to provoke to love and to good works We should be putting one another upon good as much as we can and thereby settle them in it yea we should encourage them and hearten them in it by convincing them of the great good and advantage which comes by it This is a means to confirm and strengthen them What strengthens men at any time in evil why it is the apprehension of little hurt in it and as they conceit a great deal of contentment The same would also confirm men in good if it were truly and really understood which we should therefore labour and endeavour to assure them and perswade them of and to fasten upon them Thirdly By imparting and communicating of our own Experiences we do hereby likewise strengthen our Brethren when we shall shew them what good we our selves have found by such and such good courses This is a means not onely to draw on but to confirm others with us And so when we shall shew what comfort we have felt in such and such like cases our selves this is a means to comfort our Brethren and to give satisfaction to them Therefore we shall find the Prophet David to be mindful of this practise in Psal 66.16 Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my Soul As persons which are themselves recovered of such and such a sickness or distemper they are apt to tell what has done them good and thereby to refresh their Neighbours which are exercised with the like infirmities Even so should it be also with Christians in their spiritual conditions In case of temptation to sin I have found benefit by such a word of Command which has restrain'd me from it And in case of temptation for sin I have found benefit by such a word of Promise which has comforted me in it When I have been ready almost to sink in my self an to faint under such an affliction such a Divine Truth or such a Divine Attribute has been a Cordial and a Relief unto me and kept me up When Christians do thus mutually impart and communicate their Experiments to each other they do hereby wonderfully establish and confirm each other in good whether as to point of Grace or of Comfort And then further Not onely by imparting but by comparing these Experiences together one with another I was just in such a case my self and found these workings in me as you have done for your particulaâ— Why this is now a great Confirmation It appears from hence that Religion is no matter of meer fancy or imagination but has a Truth and Reality in it because it is thus uniform and consistent to it self as it is in one man as well as another Thus we see what ways those which are themselves converted may strengthen their Brethren To help us and enable us hereunto we must labour especially for such Graces as are conducing to the practise of it As first A Spirit of Discerning whereby to judge aright of the case and condition which our Brethren are in It is a great part of skill in a Physician to be able to find out the Disease and to know the just temper and constitution of his Patients Body and so is it also for an Healer of Souls All kinds of Remedies are not to be used to all kind of Persons some have need of one kind of help and others have need of another which is a piece of spiritual wisdom and prudence in our selves to be able to discover There is a word in season which must be spoken to the weary Soul or else it will do no good Isa 50.4 Secondly A spirit of love and tenderness and condescention There is a great deal of meekness required in a Spiritual Strengthner and Restorer Gal. 6.2 Restore with the spirit of meekness Men which are rough and austere and which stand too much upon their own terms they 'll never do good to others No there must be a yielding and bearing and pitying in such works and ways as those are There must be a putting on of the
does it freely and willingly and of his own accord without any thing in us either to move him or mind him of it or to perswade him and engage him to it There 's nothing so free as Grace in the Collations and Distributions of it It is bestowed without any worth or Dignity in us at all to Promerit it This may appear if we shall consider but the Persons upon whom it is bestowed who are often times such as have nothing in them tending hereunto whether we take it as to worldly qualifications or else to moral It is very free in either Consideration As to worldly Qualifications first of all the Aposte Paul has here informed us how that not many wise men after the Flesh not many mighty not many noble are called But God hath chosen the foolish things of the World to confound the wise c. And Secondly as for moral Qualifications God sometimes makes choice of such as are the greatest Sinners where he passes by some other Persons of greater Civility Matthew the Publican Mary Magdalen the Harlot Saul the Persecutor the Barbarian Jaylor That Gods Spirit should blow upon these whiles it blew over others which were better what does this speak unto us but that it bloweth there where it listeth Into what can we possibly resolve it but into the will and good pleasure of God! Look what St. Paul says sometimes of the common gifts the same may we say also of the sanctifying But all these worketh that one and the self-same spirit dividing to every man severally as he will 1 Cor. 12.11 And again Vnto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gist of Christ Whatever Grace any man partakes of he has it purely from the Spirit of God who of his own accord bestows it upon them And therefore it is said in 1 Cor. 2.12 We have received the Spirit of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God All we have it is of free grace and it is freely given and conferred upon us The consideration of this point may be thus far useful to us First as it may teach us where to acknowledge all that we receive If any have more Grace than others let them see here how they came by it not by Merit but by Gift not by any thing as deserving it in themselves but from the goodness of the Spirit of Godas bestowing it upon them and therefore not to attribute it to themselves but to Him who is the Author and Giver of it as St. Paul himself gives us an example in 2 Cor. 15.10 By the Grace of God I am that I am and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain Yet not I but the grace of God which was with me Secondly We have here an account of the difference and variety of Christians both from one another and from themselves we see why one Christian abounds in Grace more than another and we see also why the same Christian is better at one time than he is at another Both are from this ground in the Text because the Spirit bloweth there where it listeth And every one to this purpose should rest satisfied in this equal dispensation God may do with his own as he pleases and he pleases thus to do with it that so hereby he may shew his own liberty and freedom in this particular We are able to move no farther in good than the Spirit of God helps us so to do As ye know it was in the Vision in Ezekiel as the Spirit moved the living Creatures which were in the wheels so the wheels went when that went they went and when that stood still they stood still with it Ezek. 1.2 Even so is it here in these motions of the Soul we are so far forth more lively in regard either of Grace or Comfort as the Spirit of God is pleased to breathe and to infuse either of them into us And without Him we are able to do nothing as may be worth any thing to us Therefore thirdly Let us also make this use of it To be depending upon him for it If we cannot do any thing without his blowing and his blowing be onely there where he pleases we see what cause we have to keep in good terms with him and to do nothing which may be displeasing to him for if we lose his favour we lose his influence and his assistance which is the effect of it it is where he lists and onely there where he blows And therefore make much of him and wait upon him take heed of grieving so good and so gracious a Spirit as this is and besides who is so useful to us and necessary for us And further Fourthly let it teach us also tenderness and compassion towards others who it may be do not partake of so much grace or comfort as our selves For it is God and his Spirit who makes this difference betwixt us it is not we our selves Let us take heed of insulting too much over others weaknesses forasmuch as it is that Grace that distinguishes us and makes that difference that is betwixt us And that 's the second thing also in this motion its freeness that it is not engaged The third and last is its Efficacy or unresistableness that it is not nor cannot be hindred Whereever the Spirit of God will blow there is no standing out against it it blows where it lists that is it obtains whatsoever it endeavours Who hath resisted his will Surely none at all to any purpose Indeed corrupt Nature sometimes opposes the motions of Gods Spirit and that even Conversion in it self reluctates and strives against it but all in vain where he sets to the work Look as it is not in the power of a Child to hinder his own first birth even so it is not in the power of a sinner to hinder his own new birth where God undertakes and sets himself to it because his Spirit it does effect whatsoever he pleases Who hath gathered the wind in his fist as Agur makes the question in Prov. 30.4 Surely it is not Man but God Look as no man can hinder the wind or stop the blowings and motions thereof so neither can any man hinder the Spirit and stop the motions and influences thereof that they should not prove effectual This is a comfortable point in all contrary blasts whatsoever Satan who is the evil Spirit he has his blowings too and he oftentimes blows very hard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Chrysostom speaks but yet he does not blow where he lists nor can his blowings prevail against this blowing which we have here before us in this present Text which carries all before it and shall overturn and overthrow whatsoever stands in opposition to it It is said of Antichrist the man of sin and who is a great instrument of Satan that the Lord shall consume him with the spirit of his mouth and destroy
in this particular They have not all obeyed the Gospel for Isaias saith Who hath believed our report Rom. 10.16 This is the greater ground and argument of thankfulness to those who do believe indeed and may put all upon the serious search and examination of themselves Seeing Faith is not common to all let us be sure that it does belong at least to us and that our selves have a share in it for our particular It is that which many presume upon and take for granted but it concerns us to be upon certain terms in a point of so great importance and consequence as that is how we should find our selves in the number of those Believers That 's the first thing the Emphasis of Restriction The second is the Emphasis of Enlargement Many and not a Few and so it shews us the multitude of Converts which were made by Christs Sermon This is that which God is pleased sometimes in his wisdom and goodness to dispose that many shall be brought home unto him We have it often signified unto us in Joh. 2.23 Joh. 4.39 Joh. 7.31 Joh. 10.42 Joh. 12.42 and many more which might be added The Acts of the Apostles are full of the number of people which were brought to the knowledge and faith of Christ There was cause for it in the first layings of the Church especially for the founding and making of it and the spreading of Christs truth through the world and therefore it pleased God so to order it As also for the better encouragement of one another that Christians might not think themselves solitary and lest alone from the paucity of them therefore would God have many to be converted But this will admit of a further Illustration if we shall consider not onely the Number but the Quality of these persons here converted and the disposition which was remarkable in them For many pliable and tractable and ingenuous and good natur'd persons such as these to yield to Christs Doctrine might not seem to be so strange a business but these people here in this Chapter they were of another temper obstinate and captious and quarrelsome and malicious persons and yet for all this wrought upon by him We see here there 's no standing out against the Word and Spirit of Christ when he is pleased to put forth himself The most obstinate and refractory that are shall be brought in unto him Who would ever have thought that such a stubborn barbarous fellow as the Jaylor should have been a Disciple of Christ and yet you see how it proved to be with him Acts 16.33 and so it has been with divers others besides These Jews here in the Text they were full of opposition and contradiction nay they were set on purpose to quarrel with his Doctrine and they never exprest more spite and malice than they did here in this Chapter all along through the course of it and yet for all that there were many of them taken with Christs Doctrine which he preached unto them What 's the use which we may make hereof to our selves It comes briefly to this First from hence to take men off from too much confidence and applauding of themselves in their sinful courses and hardning of themselves against the Ministery There are many which are so setled in their wickedness as that they seem with themselves to scorn and to despise all admonitions and to be Armour of proof against the Word of God What they afraid of a Preacher and thought to be such as should yield to the Ministery of a weak man like themselves They scorn it and disdain to think of it Well but let them not be too self-confident for all that they know not how it may be with them if ever God awaken their Consciences and set his word effectually upon their hearts they will be then as those converted Jews who before some of them were full of perversness Secondly Here is still encouragement to Ministers to hearten them and quicken them in their work that they be not dejected and cast down in themselves for there 's none too stiff for the Grace and Spirit of Christ As it is Ezek. 2.6 Son of man though they be briers and thorns and a rebellious house yet be not afraid thou salt speak my word unto them God has his number even among such as these yea and a great number too Many believed on him even of perverse and obstinate Jews which were prejudiced against him But farther to take in all with us we may look upon these persons here converted not onely as the persons whom Christ directed his speech unto especially but also such as came in and were Auditors and Hearers by the by many of these believed on him And so there 's another Point in it which is this That occasional Hearers are sometimes wrought upon in the Ministerial Dispensations There were many of these persons which little thought of Conversion when they came hither to this present Assembly and Discourse of Christ which came onely out of novelty and curiosity and affectation to hear what was said Now many of these were caught at the Sermon This is not to justifie such kind of comings as those are but to shew Gods Wisdom and Providence in the ordering and disposing of them that those who many times come to Church for nothing less than to get good by the Word but rather to see such a face or such a fashion yet now and then before they are aware have their Consciences touch'd and strucken by it It is that which is greatly taken notice of by many persons even now at this day amongst Believers We have divers who when they see the Church open come into it to see onely what is done and run from one Church-door to another and gaze about them and stay for a while but sometimes it pleases God to meet with them by some word which is spoken here unto them He is found of them that sought him not and manifest to them that asked not after him Isa 45.1 So much for that And so I have done with the first part of the Text viz. the Success of Christs Ministery Many c. The second is the Occasion or Season of this Success As he spake these words I call it the Occasion and Season both because indeed there is both in it and both observable of us But we may draw it out into three branches There are three things here observable of us First the determination of the Performance and that was Preaching Discoursing or Arguing As he spake Secondly the determination of the Doctrine those words in particular which then came from him As he spake those words Thirdly the determination of the Time and Instant of it As he spake in the very moment of speaking First Here 's the determination of the Performance As he spake for the Honour of Preaching The Miracles of Christ did no good upon them they had seen his mighty works and not a whit the
advantage of them so that where they will be troubled they shall be And where he at any time discerns any proneness or inclination in them to it he is ready as much as may be to promote it and set it on further that they may be troubled more He loves to fish in troubled waters and to add sorrow to sorrow for the greater perplexity of Gods People Hence he raises a great many fears and jealousies and suspitions in them whereby the more to afflict them Thirdly From the weakness of Grace Therefore it is that Gods Children are apt and subject now and then to be inordinately troubled in themselves because Grace is but weak in them We see how it is in the Body that those who are but of weak constitutions as Children and such as they a little matter troubles them and proves offensive unto them And so it is likewise in the Soul and Spirit and inward man Where Christians are but weak they will be disquieted and easily upon every turn put out of frame Thus it was now at this present with the Disciples of Christ They were as yet but weak Christians in regard whereof he tells them elsewhere that he forbore to speak of some things unto them This is the case also with many others They are but Children and Babes in Christ and therefore apt to be troubled Nay even those who have Grace in the greatest measure if we take it comparatively yet their Grace is but weak and slender in them here in this life as a ground of this perplexity in them Their Faith and their Love and their Heavenly-mindedness and their Zeal and their Patience all in a manner but weak and therefore are their Hearts full of fears and perplexities and disquietings in themselves as a consequent of it The use which we are to make of it is accordingly to take notice of it both in our selves and others that so we may be both humbled for it and prepared against it For it is that which the best that are they are prone to if they do not the better look to themselves It is that which we have dayly and continual experience of every moment How soon we are dejected and cast down and out of heart in our selves upon any occasion such a tenderness and moleities and softness and delicateness there is upon us as that the least thing that is it troubles us and fils us with disquietness And that 's the first thing here observable from these words viz. A Christians Disposition He is apt and subject to be troubled as appears from this Caution or Prohibition of Christ to his Disciples The Second is his Duty and that is not to be troubled or afraid Christians they should by all means shun and take heed of this trouble in themselves Let not your Heart be troubled neither let it be afraid Not troubled for the evil which is present and already upon you not afraid for the evil which is expected or looked for for time to come Here 's a Caveat both against Grief and against Fear Each of which are such Passions as in the miscarriage and exorbitancy of them have much evil and sinfulness in them We 'l joyn them both together in the handling of them as coming both to one and the same effect Where that we may rightly understand the Point we may not conceive as if our Saviour did here plead for a Stoical apathy or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a senselessness and stupidity of Disposition from whence men are altogether mindless and regardless of the condition in which they are This is so far from the mind of Christ as that he does rather exceedingly abhor it and abominate it in those it is in We see how even He himself sometimes was troubled as he consesses and acknowledges it of Himself And he did so far forth express his participation of our Humane Nature in Him Therefore it is not Trouble simply which he here prohibits but the inordinacy of it which therefore we should avoid For the better opening and prosecuting of this Point which we have now before us there are two things which we shall do with Gods assistance First shew how far we may or ought to be troubled Secondly shew how far we may not or ought not to be troubled for there is somewhat considerable as to both First then how far we may and ought There are two things which are the proper objects of Trouble which it is exercised and conversant about Sin and Misery And accordingly it is not unlawful but very requisite and warrantable for a Christian in a due manner and measure to be troubled for either of these as he hath occasion for it First A Christian may be very well troubled in point of sin yea and ought so to be That which troubles all the World as to the ground and matter of trouble as sins does it ought not to be slighted by a Christian but he is much to be affected with it Whether in himself or in other men as he does discern and observe it to be in them For himself first That which He is guilty of for his own particular it ought to go very near unto him It is that which the Servants of God in Scripture have been very much troubled for when they have considered it and reflected upon it as we may see in divers instances and examples David Psal 38.3 4 There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine Anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin for mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me Peter Math. 27.75 When he had deny'd his Master and remembred the words of Jesus unto him He went out and wept bitterly Paul Rom. 7.24 Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Thus have the Servants of God been much troubled when they have thought of their sin First As a dishonour in reference to God and a grief unto him whose Glory is or should be very dear unto them Through breaking of the Law thou dishonourest God Rom. 2.23 And by this deed thou hast made the Enemies of the Lord to blaspheme 2 Sam. 12.14 This it should go very near to a Christian Heart If I be a father where is mine honour Can we call our selves the Children of God and have no sense of the honour of God surely this is very unsuitable No it becomes us to be much troubled for sin so far forth as it is a dishonour to God as his Name is occasionally reproach'd and blasphemed by it And then not only as a dishonour to him but likewise as a grieving of him for so it is Isa 63.10 They rebelled and vexed his holy spirit therefore he was turned to be their enemy and fought against them Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed c. Eph. 4.30 Shall sin grieve God and shall it not grieve us
shall it trouble his Spirit and shall it not trouble ours What an inconsistent thing is this Surely if there were nothing in it but this that it is a dishonour and grief to God we had great cause to be troubled with it and for it But then Secondly In reference to our selves there 's great matter of trouble in it so as a wounding of our consciences and a breaking of our peace and a darkening of our assurance and an hazarding of our salvation and a great interruption of our converse and communion with God When we shall but sit down and consider with our selves the sad effects and consequents of sin in all particulars which it does create and produce to those who make bold with it and that take scope and liberty in it we have very great reason to be very much troubled for it Thirdly In reference to our Brethren who sometimes suffer from it and are the worse for it The sins of Christians are not only terminated in themselves and rest in those who are the immediate subjects of them but extend themselves also to others who are infected with them And this is also a matter of trouble to those who are guilty in this respect when men shall consider that they make others the Children of Hell as well as themselves and sometimes more according to the improvement which may be made of it this should go very near unto them and affect them and be very irksom to them in the reflexions upon it especially as they may stand in nearer Relation to them as Children or Brethren or Servants or Friends c. Thus may and ought Christians to be troubled for their own sins and miscarriages And so likewise which is here pertinent hereunto with the sins of others a gracious heart will be much troubled for these when it takes notice of them As just Lot he was vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked Sodomites That Righteons man dwelling amongst them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds As the Apostle Peter records it of him 2 Pet. 2.7 8. Though he was clear himself he was troubled for them And so Paul when he came to Athens Act. 17.16 His spirit was stirred in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put into a paroxysm when he saw the City there to be wholly given to Idolatry David Psal 119.158 I beheld the Transgressors and was grieved because they kept not thy Word And v. 136. of the same Psalm Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Laws Sin it is very just cause and ground and occasion of trouble to us whether our own or other mens Secondly As sin so also misery and affliction and calamity This is an occasion of it likewise Our strength is not the strength of stones nor our flesh of brass as Job says of himself in Job 6.12 We have sense and feeling in us as men and so accordingly may be very well troubled with that which is offensive thereunto There is no chastening of it self which is joyous but grievous Heb. 12.11 neither did our Saviour here expect that his Disciples should be altogether unsensible of their present condition which was now exceeding sad in regard that himself was departing and going away from them I might very well take occasion from hence to speak of afflictions at large how far forth they may be just grounds of trouble to Christians But I will confine my self only to the Text and that which is implyed in that as an occasion of present trouble to the Disciples to wit the taking away of Christ from them It was that which they not only might but ought to be troubled for And that in three respects especially which we may here take notice of First as it was the loss of a good Man Secondly as it was the loss of a good Friend Thirdly as it was the loss of a good Master First As it was the loss of a good Man They had great cause to be affected with that and in a sort troubled at it that they were likely to lose such a man as Christ was The loss of good men in the world is a thing which should very much affect us when it falls out to us Help Lord for the godly man ceases for the faithful fail among the children of men It was the complaint of the Prophet David Psal 12.1 And the Prophet Isaiah complains of it that there is no more trouble of mind for it Isa 57.1 The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart And merciful men are taken away none considering that c. There 's a Stake out of the Hedge a Stone out of the Building a Pearl out of the Chain For godly men and righteous men to be removed and taken away whatever the world may think of it and may sometimes rejoyce at it through the madness of it yet it is a great affliction and misery to it and such as it has cause to be much grieved and troubled at For such as these they are fences and hedges and pillars and bulwarks to the places where they are Secondly As a good Friend there was another notion of Christ to them As one whom they had special acquaintance and converse withal and interest in Goodness at a distance and in some remoteness it is not so much observed or regarded but when it comes nearer us in a companion and associate here we are commonly more sensible of it both in the enjoyment as also the deprivation As there 's no need of losing godly men so there 's no need of losing friendly men especially in a world of ungodliness and an unfriendly age and generation The loss of such it was ever troublesome and still is so even to this present day Thirdly As the loss of a good Master and Teacher and Instructer of them That dropt very sweetly upon them upon all occasions A resolver of their doubts a remover of their scruples an informer of their ignorance a comforter of their dejections to lose and let go and part with such a one as this was as Christ was now unto them It was matter of trouble indeed it was the loss and departure of Christ signanter emphatice which had the stang and grievousness and aggravation of this same trouble in it And here I might now very seasonably take an occasion to speak of desertions and the withdrawings of Christ from a Peliever what a sad condition it is and how just a ground and occasion of trouble and disquiet unto him in the thing it self simply considered In Joh. 20.13 When the Angels at the Sepulcher said to Mary Magdalen Woman why weepest thou She saith unto them Because they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him As who should say Have I not think ye cause to weep when-as Christ himself is taken away from me yes indeed and so she had and so hath
capacities and therefore he sometimes tells them that he had many things to declare unto them but they could not yet bear them but what-ever they were capable of learning he was not backward of instructing No more should any other Teachers or Instructers be besides And accordingly should those who are Learners give heed unto them and stir up themselves to the minding and regarding of them The contrary whereof is that which the Apostle taxes and finds fault with in the Hebrews professing that he had many things to say to them which were hard to be uttered because they were dull of hearing For whereas for the time they might well have been teachers of others one had need now to teach them again what were the first principles of the Oracles of God and they were such as had need of milk and not of strong meat Heb. 5.11 12. This is that which we for our particulars should be careful that we be not guilty of but to be answerable to the duty and industry of our Teachers in their instructing of us as they also are to be answerable to the pattern and example of Christ which is here propounded unto them That 's one expression of his regard respect unto them namely in the faithfulness of a Teacher in instructing them in what was to be known But then secondly here is also signified to us the faithfulness of a Minister in informing them of what was to be expected If it were not so I would have told you that is I would not have deluded you deceived you with vain hopes making you to look for that which ye should never partake of or enjoy but I would have dealt plainly and freely with you and told you how things were indeed that accodingly you might expect This is that which Christ seems to intimate in this present expression and there is this observable from it that Christ always acquaints his Servants with the worst still beforehand He does not lead them into a fools Paradise and make them believe they shall have that which shall never come near them no but he does manifest the truth and reality of those things unto them This he does both in matter of Evil and in matter of Good In matter of Evil first he tells them aforehand what afflictions are likely to befall them in his service Thus ye see he did with his Disciples in divers places of the Gospel that they should be persecuted and hated of all men for his sake and what sad things should happen unto them as so many Sheep amongst so many Wolves in Matth. 10.16 c. This he did that so he might fit them and prepare them for such conditions and that they might not seem strange unto them when they fell upon them but might see them to be so as he had said And here now is a different carriage in Christ from the course and carriage of the world and of Satan who is the Prince of the world The World it puts the best foot forward and Satan who is a Broaker for it he makes still the best of it and puts the fairest colour and gloss upon it represents that which is delightful but conceals that which is distasteful tells men of the pleasures and profits which are to be found in it but tells nothing of all the dangers and hazards that do attend upon it that so thereby he may the better ensnare men and involve them in evil Yea but Christ now as there is occasion for it makes a discourse of the troubles which are in his service Again farther as in matter of evil so in matter of Good likewise Christ does not hide this neither from his Servants where it is expedient for them to know it but does inform them and acquaint them with it for their greater encouragement He tells them what they may expect from him as he did his Disciples in the Gospel Matth. 19.28 You which have been with me in my tribulation ye shall be with me hereafter in my Glory And so in the Book of the Revelations Him that overcometh I will do thus and thus for him make him a pillar in the temple of my God and he shall go no more out And I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the City of my God which is the new Jerusalem coming down from heaven and I will write upon him my new name Thus is Christ pleased to acquaint his Servants somewhat aforehand with their future state and condition Indeed he does not do it so distinctly and in all particulars that 's not so sutable to their present state here in the world wherein they are saved as it were by hope and to walk by faith rather than by sight But as to the general nature and condition of Heaven that he does even now in some sort make known unto them Eye hath not seen nor ear heard c. But God hath revealed those things to us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things even the deep things of God 2 Cor. 2.9 10. And the reason why Christ is pleased thus to do is for the furtherance of us in his service and to make us so much the more cheerful both in doing and suffering his will It is a great motive and argument to make us stedfast and unmovable always to be abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as we know that our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 Therefore we should hence learn to strengthen and comfort both our selves and one another with such meditations as these are As St. Paul speaks to the Thessalonians 2 Thess 5.5 Remember ye not that when I was yet with you I told you these things Even so may Christ also say to us He has told us what good things he will bestow upon us in another world and therefore we may live in the hope and certain expectation of them and assure our selves that if it should not have been so he would not have said so Satan and the world and mens own hearts may sometimes suggest those things to them which neither are nor never shall be but Christ who is Truth it self will not do so he will never make things better than they are not worse neither but give a true and just and exact representation of them as he does here signifie unto us This accordingly shews us what course is to be taken by us in all the doubtings which are at any time upon us when we are apt sometimes to question the reality of such things as these are and think them as they did of the news of Christs Resurrection to be but idle tales Let us here for our better settlement and establishment run to the word of Christ and consider what he has said to this purpose and tending hereunto If he has not said it it is no mater who says it else his word is to take place with us above any ones word
an open and familiar manner So likewise of Jacob. Gen. 32.30 he relates it concerning himself I have seen God face to face and my life is preserved And therefore he called the name of the place Peniel which signifies the face of God So likewise the Prophet Isaiah in Isa 6.2 I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up c. And that we might know what Lord he means he adds presently afterwards in the fifth verse Mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts not Adonai onely but Jehovah that is the true God These and such like places of Scripture which sometimes we meet withall they do seem to imply as if God sometimes had been seen by men And therefore we must speak somewhat for the explanation of this passage here before us and the reconciling of it with those other Scriptures that at first hearing seem to contradict it Now this will best be done by removing Truth from Falshood and by considering how far it does hold good and again how it does not hold good that any man hath seen God c. For in a different sense and respect there is a truth in either Proposition which may be observ'd by us We may for methods sake reduce the terms of Explication to three Heads First to the Object Secondly to the Act. And thirdly to the Medium When we have fully considered of these three we shall be able to understand this Proposition which we have now before us according to its true proper and genuine meaning First the Object that is here express'd to be God No man hath seen God Now God in this Text is not to be taken Essentially but Personally God that is God the Father the First Person in the Blessed Trinity no man hath seen Him at any time It was not the Father that appeared to the Patriarchs but the Son who though invisible also in his own Nature yet by way of Preamble to his Incarnation would appear unto them in humane shape or in the similitude of an Angel and thus he appeared to Jacob Hosea calls him an Angel Hos 12.4 So the Holy Ghost is said to have appeared in the shape of a Dove at the Baptism of Christ in Matth. 3.16 and of cloven fiery tongues on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2.3 4. These two Persons the Son and the Spirit they have sometimes appeared and been seen but the Father never took upon him any visible shape but hath always and altogether remained invisible namely as to Dispensation That 's the first thing here considerable viz. the Object God Secondly here is considerable the Act which is denied to this Object and that is Sight hath not seen This is to be taken in the full latitude of seeing whether corporal or mental whether with the eyes of the body or with the eyes of the mind no man hath seen God either of these ways First not with the eyes of the Body he cannot be seen so For the act seeing presupposes the Object to be visible now this God is not because he is a Spirit and so hath neither corporeal Light nor Colour nor Figure nor any thing else which is requisite to the visibility of any Object No nor secondly with the eyes of the Mind can he be seen here neither namely as to his Divine Substance and Essence There is a two-fold kind of seeing of God which our minds in some respect are capable of but neither of them reaching or extending to this which we now speak of The one is the sight of God by the Light of Nature and Humane Reason and the other is the sight of God by the Light of Grace and Divine Revelation which is a further advancement of it First take it as to the Light of Nature and Humane Reason There is thus far some kind of sight and knowledge of God which even the Heathens themselves did partake of as the Apostle Paul declares to us sufficiently in the first Chapter of his Epistle to the Romans But this comes short of the sight of him in his Essence which is here now intended There are three manner of ways especially which Divines do usually assign to Reason for the discovery of God the one is by way of Causality the other is by way of Negation and the third is by way of Eminency But each and all of these are I say very imperfect and defective First by way of Causality when as by the Creatures whereof God is the Cause we do contemplate the Creator But notwithstanding this Knowledge the Essence of God is invisible For the Effect cannot show the Essence of its Cause but when it is the same with it in kind and has the whole virtue of the Cause in it The Creature shews that there is a God from whom all things receive their Being but what this God is it doth not show And so the sight of God on our part it is but short in the way of Causality The second is by way of Negation or Remotion when considering the imperfections of the Creatures as Mortality Passibility Peccability and the like we do remove these from God in our minds and conceive him as wholly free from them and uncapable of them as who cannot die suffer nor sin But this does not yet discover to us what God is but onely what He is not And no Privatives are de Essentia positivi We are still to seek of the Essence of God for all this The third and last is by way of Eminency when as considering the several perfections which are scattered and disperst through the Creatures we do attribute them and ascribe them to God after a more eminent and transcendent manner As because Goodness and Wisdom and Holiness are Perfections of the Creature therefore we conclude them to be in God in the highest degree when we call him most Good most Wise most Holy and so of the rest But neither hereby do we yet attain to the sight of God in his Essence because none of those are predicated of God and the Creature after an univocal manner and they do onely shew what manner of one he is but not what he is And thus for the sight of God by the Light of Nature or Humane Reason as being here deficient The second is the Light of Grace or Divine Revelation whereby we come also to the Knowledge of God but yet not of his Essence neither whiles we are here in this world And this again is of two sorts either Ordinary or Extraordinary Ordinary in the Discoveries of Faith Extraordinary in that which is caused from Prophetical and immediate manifestation by God himself First there is the discovery of Faith and the sight of God by that This is that whereby Moses is said to have seen him that is invisible Heb. 11.27 but this but an obscure and imperfect sight of him and therefore sometimes opposed to sight 2 Cor. 5.7 We walk by faith and not by sight as
there an obstruction on our part for our seeing and beholding of God after such a manner Now the use of this Point may be drawn forth into a varions improvement First as a confutation of that fond conceit of the Anthropomorphites certain Hereticks of old who would make God like unto man ascribing to him humane shape and bodily lineaments If he were so he might then be seen by the eyes of man which it is here said he cannot be That which they ground their errour upon which is such parts mention'd in Scripture as Eyes and Ears and Hands will not hold they being taken in a Metaphorical sense and not properly Seondly It is a confutation also of Papists in their Idolatrous Worship of God under the Image of a Man God himself presses this as an Argument against such kind of practises as we may see in Deut. 4.5 Take ye therefore good heed unto your selves for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you And so which is pertinent hereunto it is likewise against all apprehensions in the mind of God in the likeness of any visible Object and teaches us how we should in our thoughts conceive of him namely as he is revealed in his Word as of an Eternal Essence most Holy most Wise c. who made all things and governs them by his Infinite and Almighty Power Thirdly seeing no man can see God perfectly whiles he is here below it should make us therefore so much the more to cherish that imperfect sight of Him which at present is vouchsafed unto us in our communion with him by his Spirit and in the exercise of the grace of Faith We should see him as much as we can till we can see him better Whiles we cannot look upon him directly let us at least look upon him in his reflections look upon him as he shines forth in the Gospel and in the face of Jesus Christ wherein we have a glorious view of him according to that state and condition in which we are It is the priviledge of us under the New Testament above them which were under the Old that we now all with open face may behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord and may be changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord as it is in 2 Cor. 3.18 We should look upon God in his Ordinances in his Creatures and in his Children wherein he has represented himself to us and whereby in a sort we may have communion with himself if we love not them whom we have seen how shall we love him whom we have not seen 1 Joh. 4.20 Lastly Seeing here in this present life God becomes thus invisible to us that we cannot see see him and yet notwithstanding our happiness does consist in the vision of him it should make us to breathe and long after that blessed place and state and condition wherein we shall see him face to face as the Apostle Paul gives us an instance and example in himself in Phil. 2.23 and in 2 Cor. 12.2 c. And further we should so order and frame our lives at present whiles we are here below in the flesh that we may be made meet at last for the beholding of such a sight as this is We should by all means labour and endeavour to be pure in heart because that such shall see God Matth. 5.8 And we should follow after peace and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 And as we desire when he appears to be like him and to see him as he is so having this hope in us we should be careful to purifie our selves even as he is pure as the Apostle John exhorts us 2 Joh. 3.2 3. And so now I have done with the first General Part of the Text which is the Defect premised in those words viz. No man hath seen God at any time The second is the supply of this Defect propounded in these The onely begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him where what is wanting on our parts we have very happily made up to us in Christ In this passage it self there are two branches further considerable First the Person mentioned Secondly the Action which is attributed or ascribed to this Person The Person mentioned that is Christ in these words The onely-begotten Son who is in the bosome of the Father The Action attributed to this Person is the discovery of the Father unto us in those words He hath declared him First to speak of the former viz. the Person mentioned who is Christ and this Person is here exhibited to us under a double description First from his Relation and secondly from his Residency From his Relation that is that he is the Onely-begotten Son of the Father From his Residency that is that he is in the bosom of the Father First here is considerable his Relation whereby Christ is here described unto us and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the onely-begotten Son Thus we find him called in other places by this Apostle There is two things at once in it First that he is begotten And secondly that he is the onely-begotten He is the begotten first of all Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee it is the speech of God to Christ Psal 2.7 and it is again recited by the Apostle in Heb. 2.5 The manner of this begetting is to us incomprehensible and so ineffable but we may take it according to these following conceptions of it as pertinent to it First that God the Father begat the Son of his very Substance very God of very God And hence hath the Son the Name of God fastned upon him The Word was God Joh. 1.1 and God blessed for evermore Rom. 9.5 Yea he has the name of Jehovah which is attributed to none but to him that is the true God Gen. 19.24 c. Secondly God the Father communicateth his whole Essence to the Son He begat another Self of Himself even that which Himself is In which respect the Son of God saith I and the Father are one The Father is in me and I in him Joh. 10.30.38 Thirdly God the Father's begetting of the Son it is truly and properly Eternal I was set up from everlasting says he Prov. 8.22 c. I was brought forth before the hills c. as I shewed the last day This Generation of the Son of God it is coeternal with God himself which is further considerable unto us Lastly This Divine Generation it denoteth an Equality of Nature and Essence in those Two Persons the Father and Son Hence in Phil. 2.6 it is said that being in the form of God he thought it no robbery to be equal with God No robbery because it was his due and of right belonging to him as of the same Essence That which lies upon us is to adore this great Mystery and to stand in
our Nature is so highly advanced as to be taken into union with the Nature of God himself for so it is whiles it is taken into conjunction with the Son of God Our Nature is hereby ennobled and raised to a very high pitch even in this respect above the Nature of the blessed and glorious Angels themselves which has no such conjunction Secondly as to the intimacy of affection it is a most sweet and comfortable point as any else is besides and none like it that Christ is thus dear to his Father for by this means we are so likewise from our union and relation to him Christ being in the bosom of the Father and we being in the bosom of Christ therefore that affection which the Father bears to Christ he does proportionably bear to us also for Christs sake and in respect to him And thus we have it expresly in Joh. 17.26 That the love wherewith thou lovest me may be in them and I in them What a wonderful sweet point I say is this especially if it be throughly digested and we should improve it and make use of it upon all occasions and set it in opposition against all doubtings and suspitions to the contrary When Satan would go about to perswade us to question the love of God towards us and our own misgiving hearts are ready also to joyn with him in this particular let us have recourse to this present Argument and Consideration which we have here now before us of the love of God to Christ and think that whiles he loves him he cannot hate us who by Faith are united to him and who have Him also given to us Because he looks upon us so far forth as one indeed with Him And we should be content with that love likewise which God afforded to Christ and not think he does not love us if he deals but with us as he did with Him afore us by suffering us to fall into sad and afflicted conditions as he sometimes did with Him God did not put Christ out of his bosom when he suffered him to be tempted to be persecuted to be reproached and shamefully used no nor then when he seem'd himself in a manner to desert him no more does he do so with any others that are Members of him he does not forbear to love them notwithstanding these his dealings with them If the Adopted Sons of God be no worse dealt with than was once His Natural they will have no cause to complain of the want of Gods love unto them at all but to satisfie themselves with it because when he dealt worst of all with him he bare an intimate affection to him And so as for the Certainty and Constancy and Perpetuity of the love of God towards us it holds likewise here that as Gods love to his Son is eternal as lying in his bosome so it is eternal likewise towards those who are his Members as in whom he loves them and as neither can separate or remove Gods love from the one so neither can it do it from the other who has respect unto it the Superstructure being answerable to the Foundation Thirdly From the nearness of Christs presence we may raise matter of comfort from hence also as that therefore we have one still at hand to stand by us upon all occasions we need not be afraid of any evil which may surprize us unawares or Adversary which may take advantage against us for He is near that justifies us as it is Isa 50.7 What ever accusations may be brought to God against us he is in his bosom to take them off Lastly From the Communication of Secrets we have great comfort here likewise that therefore there can be no secret kept or concealed from us which is fitting for us our selves to know The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him Psal 25.14 and his secret is with the righteous Prov. 3.31 To you it is given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven c. Matth. 13.11 and Eye hath not seen nor ear hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive the things which God hath prepared for them that love him But God hath revealed these things to us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things 1 Cor. 2.9 10. And again Matth. 11.27 No man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him And He has hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes But so much may suffice to have spoken of the first Branch in this second General to wit the Person mentioned and that according to his two-fold description First from his Relation the onely begotten Son And secondly from his Residence In the bosom of the Father The second is the Action attributed to this Person and that is in these words He hath declared him Which words may again be taken two manner of ways and so at this time looked upon by us First by way of simple Proposition And secondly by way of emphatical Appropriation The Son hath declared the Father and it is he upon the point alone that hath declared him First To look upon this clause in its simple and absolute Proposition where we have signified to us That Christ the onely begotten Son and that is in the bosom of the Father hath indeed declared him According to the common form and regularity of Speech the words should have been set thus No man hath seen God at any time but the Son he hath seen him But the Evangelist chooses rather to say declared him as being a word of greater comprehension and expressing both the perfection and Sufficiency of Christ himself as also the extent of it to us for our benefit and advantage There are three things at once which are included in this expression He hath dclared him First it is a word of Knowledge Secondly it is a word of Communication And thirdly a word of Perspicuity First He hath declared him it is a word of Knowledge which is implied and involved in it If Christ had not known the Father himself he could not have revealed him to others but whiles he declares him he does first of all discern him Christ being in the bosom of the Father and so intimate with him and to him he does fully and perfectly know him and understand him yea so indeed as none in a manner does know him but he as we have it in the place before cited In Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Col. 2.3 Those Mysteries which are said by the Apostle to be hid in God they are not hid from Christ but he has a distinct knowledge of them yea he has the knowledge of God himself in the full extent and infiniteness of his Essence Secondly He hath declared him it is a word of Communication As he hath known him so he hath made him
of Vtterance a third has a gift of Interpretation one is better in the Applicatory part another is better at the Expository This diversity and variety of gifts wherein all are excellent and it is very hard to say which is best it comes from the Spirit of Christ as the same Apostle also tells us in the same Chapter All these worketh one and the self-same spirit dividing to every man severally as he pleaseth 2 Cor. 12.11 Secondly As for the various Distribution so likewise for the Succession As these gifts in several persons so likewise in Ages and Periods of Time and Generation one after another It is very considerable this That Christ does so order it in his Providence that his Church shall still one way or other be furnished and provided for in the world the Prophets in their Age the Apostles in theirs succeeding Ministers in theirs and that in each of these in the withdrawing of one there hath still been the substitution of another for the preservation and upholding of the work Elijah translated but Elisha left behind him Jeremy imprisoned but Baruch inlarged Paul in bonds but Timothy at liberty John the Baptist removed but Christ continued Christ himself departed but his Spirit coming in his room I will not leave you comfortless but I will thus come unto you The Use of all this to our selves is with thankfulness to acknowledge the love and goodness of Christ in this particular and to improve it to our best advantage not to carp or cark or quarrel with the gifts of our Ministers or to compare them or set them one against another as we are apt to do but rather to bless God for them in the various ordering and distribution of them and to partake of that good from them which God affords us for the good of our Souls which is to walk answerably to Christs dealing with us in this particular And that 's the first conveyance of Christ's Spirit to wit In the distribution of the gifts of it The second is in the Distribution of Graces Christ comes by his Spirit in them not onely in his gifts of Edification but in his gifts of Sanctification Faith and Love and Patience and Humility and the like We find that after Christs Ascension there was a greater measure and abundance of these Religion was now more Spiritualiz'd and Christians themselves were now raised to a more heavenly and spiritual frame of Soul than before they had been As the Word of God grew and multipi'd so likewise the Improvements of it and the Graces of those who had the priviledge of being partakers of it It is said of the Romans that their faith was spoken of throughout the world Rom. 1.8 Of the Corinthians that they were enriched in all graces 1 Cor. 1.4 5 c. The Apostle commends the Colossians for their faith in Christ and love to all the Saints in Col. 1.4 c. Thirdly In the distribution of Comforts Thus did Christ come by his Spirit especially not onely as he was a qualifying Spirit furnishing them with all Gifts not onely as he was a sanctifying Spirit induing them with Graces but also as he was a comforting Spirit filling their hearts with joy And thus he did This is that which is principally stood upon here in this Scripture as we may see in the Connexions of it thus in verse 16 17. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth c. The sadness of Christs departure it was scattered by the presence of the Comforter which was interpretatively his own presence with them Thus in all these respects did Christ himself come to them by his Spirit in its Gifts and Graces and Comforts Now to improve this still so much the more and that it might be a full Argument to them for the pacifying of them I will not leave you comfortless I will come unto you we may take this in further with it that it is considerable under a two-fold Emphasis the one Discretive and the other Consequential The Discretive Emphasis is this Ye have no cause to be very sad or uncomfortable for though I go from you yet I will come unto you The Consequential Emphasis is this Ye have no cause to be sad or uncomfortable for because I go from you therefore I will come unto you my coming to you is both the consequent of my departure and following upon it And again my coming to you is also the effect or result of my departure and flowing from it First Take it in the Discretive Emphasis Though I go away yet I will come There was good reason why they should be satisfied from that that he was not quite and utterly lost or gone irrecoverably but cum animo revertenti with a full purpose of coming again or if not of coming in his Person yet of coming in that which was better at least for them and that was of coming in his Spirit which he here intends and which we have spoken to all this while His going had no cause to disquiet them whiles it had his coming following upon it to them Secondly Take it in the Consequential Emphasis Because I go away therefore I will come This was that which was here also considerable as it follows afterwards Christs going in his Person was the cause at least sine qua non of his coming in his Spirit if he had not gone that way he had not come this Thus we have it in Joh. 16.6 7. Because I have said these things to you namely of my going from you therefore sorrow hath filled your hearts Nevertheless I tell you the iruth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you But if I depart I will send him unto you That is if I do not go I shall not come but if I do go I then shall And that 's the second Explication of his coming the coming of him in his Spirit To this last of all we may add a Third with which I conclude and that is his coming in Glory at the last day This is very frequently and emphatically call'd in Scripture the coming of Christ and it is that which may very much pacifie and satisfie Believers in his present absence and keep them from being sad and comfortless that he will come thus This is that which he makes mention of in the three first Verses of this Chapter and wherewith he does labour to comfort them Let not your heart be troubled c. I go to prepare a place for you And if I go to prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also This is in other words call'd his Appearing and Revelation and such like phrases as these This in the meditation of it is very comfortable to all true Saints and Members
which are more useful and necessary for us to be known by us which we should labour to know The naughtiness and deceitfulness of our own hearts the depths and decrees of Satan the will and pleasure of the Lord and what is acceptable to him To know God and to know our selves and to know the things that concern our everlasting peace and salvation But to know the times and seasons in this sense as we have explicated it it does not concern us to know them nor to labour or endeavour to know them and to be acquainted with them And that so much the rather upon this account that so we may the more vigorously apply our selves to those other things which I have now mentioned as are more needful to be known by us For this we may observe in daily experience that superfluities and impertinencies they do usually expel necessaries whiles mens time and days is employed in those things which are of less consequence they commonly omit and neglect those things that are of greater importance And so amongst the rest it it here in this particular which is one main reason as we may conceive why Satan does oftentimes put men and fasten them hereupon that so whiles their minds are taken up about enquiries after the time they may the more easily neglect the thing and the business which the time it self does especially refer to Therefore we should from hence be awakened from the prevention of this curiosity in us and what God would not have us to know And that may be one improvement Secondly As it meets with mens curiosity so it also meets with their presumption As with their curiosity in enquiring so especially with their presumption in resolving and concluding hereupon It is not for you to know it therefore it is not for you to determine it There are a great many persons sometimes who do not only make a search into this mystery but also now and then do absolutely and positively fix it and set it to such a particular time and year of the world As to some to four some to five hundred years after Christ some to the six-thousandth year of the World and some also to this present year of sixteen hundred sixty-six after Christ And there are divers that do fasten it here but all both in one and t'other speak by rote and have no solid ground making for them It was a Point which the Church of God was troubled withal by some kind of persons even in the Apostle Paul's time as we may see by what he writes to the Thessalonians in 2 Ep. 2. ver 2. Where he beseeches them that they would not be soon shaken in their minds either by word or by spirit or by letter as from him as if the day of Christ were at hand for it was not so Where we see how both some did then suggest it as also how the minds of Believers were troubled at it And he gives them a reason against it and that was because the man of sin that is Antichrist was not yet revealed as we may see in the following verses of the Chapter Now as there were reasons against that time so there are also as good reasons against this As then that the man of sin was not yet revealed so now that he is not yet destroyed There are divers passages and providences which are necessarily antecedent to Christ's coming which are not yet accomplish'd as the fall of Antichrist the calling of the Jews the fulness of the Gentiles and the Preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom in all places of the world These and the like considerations do make against the fixing of it to this particular time And therefore it should take us off as from all curious inquisitions so all peremptery determinations Because as it is here exhibited to us It is not for us to know the times and seasons c. But yet that we may still further understand our selves in this present business It will not be amiss for us to take in these further hints and animadversions with us First It is not for you to know but it is for you to believe not to know the time but yet to believe the thing to believe that this day will come though we know not when it will come There are abundance of people in the world who are so far from fastening upon any particular time for Christ's coming to judgment as that they are ready to think with themselves that there is no time for it at all that because he is not come yet that he will come never Thus the Apostle Peter foretells us of the scoffers that should be in the last days walking after their own lusts who should say where is now the promise of his coming for since the Fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation 2 Pet. 3.3 4. And too many such scoffers as these there are in these days of ours who do not believe any such thing as this is nor are really perswaded of it but we must take heed of such a mind as that is It is not for you to know but 't is for you to believe Secondly It is not for you to know but it is for you to expect not to know justly when it will be but to wait the time for the being of it And because we do not know therefore to wait to be always upon our watch and in readiness against the coming of our Master Watch therefore because ye know not in what hour the Lord will come and ye know not the times and seasons of being called to a final account whether he will come at evening or at midnight or at morning Especially which is here very considerable as to any man's particular time and season for that cannot belong to any man whosoever he be That 's the end of the World to such a person which is the end of his particular life in it And therefore let the general day of Judgment be where it will be he may be sure the day of his particular judgment cannot be very far off And it concerns him to be always in a waiting and expectation of it As Job resolved for his part All the days of my appointed time says he will I wait till my change cometh Job 14.14 It is not for you to know when it will be but it is for you to live as if it should be out of hand This present year which is now upon us we should so order and dispose of as to our lives and conversations as if we did verily and assuredly know that Christ would this year come to judgment This Doctrine of the uncertainty of his coming is not to cherish our security but rather to provoke our affection It is to be supposed and taken for granted that he will come at last and therefore what manner of persons ought ye to be in all manner of conversation and godliness looking for and
regard of the world of no great descent so likewise for his conversation in the world it was after a poor and mean fashion Foxes had holes and the birds of the air had nests but the son of man knew not where to lay his head This was another thing which made them to forsake him and to withdraw from him Those which are worldly-minded themselves they look at nothing else in others but worldly accomplishments Thirdly His Company and Converse that was another thing which rendred him offensive that he had society with Publicans and Sinners whereas indeed he had it for no other end but only for their good not as delighting in their sinfulness but rather as taking occasion to take them off from it But lastly and especially which is that that is here mentioned in the Text he was offensive in regard of his Death Christ crucified was an offence unto them that he who was called the Saviour of the World should suffer death from the hands of men this they looked upon as a contemptible business and they now began to scorn that Doctrine which brought such tidings unto them This we see made good in the mockings which they cast upon him on the Cross it self If thou be the Son of God save thy self c. And thus we see how Christ was a stumbling-block or scandal in point of Cavil or Exception Secondly He was so likewise in point of Temptation he was a scandal or stumbling-block to the Jews as he was an occasion of sin unto them and this he was as Christ crucified also an occasion not as given by him but as made and taken by them First as being themselves instrumental in the very act of his Crucifying for so some of the Jews had been Their wicked hands as the Apostle Peter plainly and roundly tells them had crucified him and put him to death And was he not then truly a stumbling-block and a scandal unto them in this regard what greater sin could there be than the crucifying of the Lord of Glory and the putting of the Son of God to an open shame why this now some of them did and so fell into a grievous sin But then secondly that was not all that they were active themselves in crucifying him but further in that being crucified they took occasion from hence to abhor him and so much the more to withdraw from him so that now he is indeed a stone of stumbling to them and they stumble at this chief corner-stone as the Scripture speaks This is the great misery and wretchedness of wicked men that they are so far from being the better as that they are the worse for the Mysteries of Salvation and their hearts are now so much the more hardened as these things are tendered and exhibited unto them As the Apostle observes of the Law it was an occasion of sin unto him Rom. 7.10 Thus he was a scandal also in point of Temptation Thirdly A scandal also in point of Destruction Christ crucified and the preaching of him was to the Jews an occasion of ruin and plunged them so much the deeper as it fell out in condemnation And that because they rejected this means of Salvation which was now offered unto them this the Apostle himself signifies unto us in Rom. 9.31 32 33. Israel which followed after the law of righteousness hath not attained to the law of righteousness Wherefore Because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the law for they stumbled at that stumbling-stone as it is written Behold I lay c. And so the Apostle Peter again 1 Pet. 2.7 8. A stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to them which are disobedient This was Christ crucified to the Jews He was through their own sin and corruption instead of a Saviour a Destroyer and instead of a means of recovery an occasion of great mischief and ruin Now what 's the Moral of all this to us For I suppose the Spirit of God intends somewhat more than the bare history and narration and what is written before in this kind it is written for our learning There is somewhat which we may take notice of as profitable for our own instruction from this of the Jews and that 's this That the means of Grace and Salvation are to corrupt and perverse hearts the occasions of greater ruin and destruction Christ who by Gods appointment was a precious and chief corner-stone is to the Jews a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence They break their shinns at this stone and are bruised by it This is a truth in sundry Particulars wherein it is made good take it in what you will almost and so you shall find it This very Doctrine it self of Christ crucified It is such as by many persons is wrested to their own perdition and destruction For what do divers sorts of people conclude from hence why that therefore they may live as they list and give no account of their carriage Christ died and therefore they think that hereby themslves are discharged upon what terms and conditions they please This is the Cross of Christ a stumbling to them they are ruined and undone by it and occasionally more involved in condemnation And so as for the Death of Christ so also for the Remembrance of this death which is exhibited to us in the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper which we are now to approach to Those which are yet in their sins even this is also a stumbling-block to them He that eats and drinks unworthily he eats and drinks damnation to himself not discerning the Lords-body as the Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 11.29 The word in the Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies judgment and it respects either temporal or eternal it being in a sense true of both First Temporal judgment forasmuch as in the profaning of this Ordinance he provokes God to inflict many temporal evils upon him For this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep as it is vers 30. Profanation of the Ordinances is an occasion of many corporal diseases But then se condly also spiritual and eternal there are such evils as these which are oftentimes consequent hereupon and I join them both together as relating one to the other First Spiritual and that even here in this present life in a judgment upon the soul and spirit Careless and unworthy Communicants they do much prejudice themselves here both in reference to Grace and Comfort for Grace instead of improving in this they improve more in sin and their corruptions encrease more upon them than they did before When a man comes conscionably to this Ordinance and receives it so as he should do it is a means through the Blessing of God for the weakening of corruption in him and for the strengthening of the Graces of Gods Spirit but when he comes carelesly and hand over head it proves the contrary to him Let a man have any Grace
is that which we have here before us Christ is to them which are called both the wisdom and power of God By Christ here we are not to understand Christ essentially and in reference to his Person although that be also a truth but Christ Ministerially and by way of Dispensation that is Christ here in this place and he is so the wisdom of God Christ in the work of his Mediatorship and Christ in the Dispensation of his Ordinances he is the wisdom and power of God to them which are called And here again there are two things more in it First That Christ is so absolutely and considered simply in himself he is the power and wisdom of God that 's here implied So secondly that Christ is so Relatively with respect had to them which are Believers to them which are called he is the wisdom and power of God more especially we may see it in both and both are here exhibited to us in this expression here in the Text. First He is so absolutely and considered simply in himself in the whole office of his Mediatorship It was falsly and injuriously attributed to Simon Magus when he gave himself out to be some great one They all gave heed unto him from the least unto the greatest saying This man is the great power of God But it is true of the Son of God indeed and particularly as the Saviour of the world Here the power and wisdom of God did abundantly shew forth it self in him and that in all the parts of it For the power of God first this shewed it self First In his Incarnation when he was born of a pure Virgin what a mighty power was this tha could so trespass upon the rules of nature for the bringing about of his purpose it was such as the Virgin Mary her self when it was first propounded could not apprehend How shall this thing be says she seeing I know not a man Luk. 1.34 Secondly In his Crucifixion and Death there was the power of God in that also which sustained him and held him up without sinking under the heavy burden of the wrath of God which was laid upon him for our sins To which we may likewise add the attendants and concomitants of his Death the vail of the Temple torn from the top to the bottom the Earth quaking the Rocks rent the Graves opened the dead appearing the Thief repenting the Centurion admiring what were all these but so many evident and underiable effects of the Power of God Thirdly In his Resurrection Christ was the Power of God there also Rom. 1.4 Declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the Resurrection from the dead So 2 Cor. 13.4 Though he was crucified through weakness yet he liveth by the power of God Fourthly In his Ascension and coming to Judgment Mark 14.62 And Mat. 24.30 Lastly As in that which was done opon him so also which was done by him in his working of Miracles Preaching sending his Disciples abroad into the world All power is given me both in Heaven and Earth c. Mat. 28.18 Thus was Christ the Power of God Secondly He was the wisdom of God as God in him did shew forth his wisdom and as in him were hid all the treasures both of wisdom and knowledg Col. 2.3 And here Christ was the wisdom of God in divers Explications As First In chusing such a fit and accommodate means for the reconciling of his Justice and Mercy both Secondly In chusing such an unlikely and unexpected means and thereby confounding the wisdom of the world Gods wisdom was much seen in that Thirdly In furnishing of Christ with all such Gifts as were fitting him to perform that office which he had laid upon him Christ was the wisdom of God also thus And thus was Christ both Gods Power and Wisdom considered absolutely in his own Office Secondly He was so also Relatively in order and reference to Believers To them which were called he was the power and wisdom of God This is somewhat more Now this again Christ was said to be in a double Explication First He was so to them Estimative in the Apprehensions which they had of him in their minds they reckoned him and accounted him and esteemed him to be Gods wisdom and power Secondly He was so to them Effectivè in the influence which he had upon them for their persons He was in all his gracious operations effectual to these purposes unto them First I say he was so Estimativè in the apprehensions and opinions which they had of him they counted him to be both the wisdom and power of God where we may observe the different apprehensions which before conversion and after conversion people have of the ways of God The Jews which were not as yet called to them Christ was a stumbling-block that is they looked upon him as weakness and the Greeks which were not yet converted to them Christ was foolishness they looked upon the Gospel as a fond and silly business But now those which were called or as some would have it the same being called Eisdem vocatis so Erasmus c. To them he is wisdom and power This I say affords us this lesson That those which are called and converted they have honourable appehensions and estimations of the things of God and Religion and do think otherwise of them than they did in their unregenerate condition So the Apostle Paul himself Act. 26.9 Gal. 1.15 Phil. 3.7 8. The reason of this Difference is this Because that now after conversion men have a new understanding put into them and see things with other eyes than they did before they have the spirit of God to enlighten them and to reveal those things unto them which others are insensible of This may therefore teach men not to be too peremptory in their contempts of the Gospel never to wonder too much at those which have other thoughts of it if ever they be that which they should be it will be so likewise with them Christ to them which are called is the power and wisdom of God Estimativè Secondly He is so to them which are called Effectivè in that he has an answerable influence upon their persons and that in each particular First He is the power of God to them 2 Cor. 13.3 Mighty in you And that again in sundry respects First In his Death the mortifying of their lusts and the crucifying of their corruptions in them by vertue of Christs Death and Crucifixion Thus Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ c. And Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him c. It is the observation of Chrysostom to this purpose that what was done in Christ by nature the same is done in us by analogy As therefore Christ died and was crucified himself so by the vertue and power of this his death is sin crucified in us not only meritoriously but effectively in that his death
as to be preferred before the other the more excellent way before the better gifts and so likewise should we upon all occasions do our selves labour for those gifts most which tend most to edification and labour more to edifi◠with our Gifts than to glory and boast of them more to profit and to advance the Church than to promote and set out our selves This is that which we should give our selves to But so much my suffice to have spoken of the first particular in this second general and that is the thing it self which is propounded to wit the more excellent may The second is the Proposition of it That we have in this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shew it unto you Shew it How did he shew it Two ways as we may conceive more especially First He shewed it in Thesi and Secondly he shewed it in Hypothesi First he shewed it in the Proposition and Secondly He shewed it in the practice in the Rule and in the example He shewed it in his Doctrine and Ministry declaring as much unto them and he shewed it also in his life and conversation as giving them an example of it in himself for his own particular He gave it them in the Rule and he gave it them likewise in the Pattern for the better inforcing of the Rule upon them that so he might be no ways wanting unto them for their instruction and direction herein each of these ways he shewed this way unto them First He shewed it them in his Dictrine and by way of simple proposition he publisht it and declared it unto them and that at large here in this Epistle in the Chapter immediately following he shewed it them by rhetorical inlargements and amplifications Though I should speak with the tongue of men c. And so if we please we may understand that phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here in the Text not only as referring to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but also to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to the way only but to the shewing of it According as St. Basil of Caesarea seems to carry it in his Epistle Ad Neocaesarienses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I do in an Hyperbolical manner shew this unto you which he does indeed in the very next words that follow etsi linguis c. Here I might by the way shew you which I have also observed lately elsewhere an use of Rhetorick and Hyperboles in such discourses as these are so it be done in a grave and sober manner without ridiculousness and affectation there is good warrant and authority for it but I shall at this time pass over that The Apostle shewed unto these Corinthians the most excellent way and he shewed it first of all in his Doctrine Here are divers things which from hence I might very pertinently insist upon as First In that the Apostle speaking of Piety and Religion says here Demonstro Vobis we see here that Religion is capable of Demonstration It is such as may be clearly evidenced and demonstrated and made good to those who will not be pee◠vish and refractory and perverse A good and sound Christian he does not go upon conjectures only and meer guessings and doubtings and uncertainties but has firm footing for his treading he is sure and very well perswaded of the way in which he walks and is able to shew it to others If men will mot be peremptory and obstinate there is such an Autopistie and authority in Religion as does command their assent unto it so as they may as well deny a demonstration as they may deny that Here are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Clemens Alexandrinus speaks Words and Reasons that do compel yieldance to them Again secondly In that the Apostle here speaking of his Preaching and Writing and Ministerial Dispensation says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shew it unto you We see here in what kind of way Preaching and Teaching is to be carried namely as the Apostle does also express it in another place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Demonstration of the spirit and power 1 Cor. 2.4 It is not enough for us simply to propound truths but as near as we ean to evidence them and demonstrate them and make them clear and to deliver them in such a manner as whereby we may convince the gainsayer of the truth of them I shew it unto you Therefore we are here especially to take heed of any thing which may be any hinderance or prejudice hereunto and that is as the Apostle has noted an affectation of the enticing words of mans wisdom This St. Paul in that place before mention'd does oppose to this demonstration of the spirit and in the 17th verse of the first chapter he tells us that it makes the Cross of Christ to be of none effect As too many flourishes about a Letter keep the Letter it self from being discerned or as Chrysostom makes the comparison 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Look as fair and beautiful bodies when they are set out with paint and colours they do lose of their native beauty and comeliness so likewise the Word of God when 't is too much tricked up with humane illustrations it loses of that demonstrative power and efficacy which is indeed in it and becomes no more than an ordinary discourse Thirdly Here 's a further Rule likewise for Ministers in order to the matter of their Doctrine and the things themselves which are delivered by them whatever they teach men besides especially to build them up in Grace and to press such points home upon them as do tend to the furthering and promoting of a godly and holy conversation St. Paul would stir up these Corinthians to the coveting of the best gifts they could Oh! but he woule be sure in the mean time not to forget to propound unto them the most excellent way Yet I shew unto you or moreover the word in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as who should say I have not as yet done with you I have somewhat more to say to you than so And thus he shewed it First of all in Thesi in the bare and simple Proposition Secondly He shewed it also in Hypothesi in his own practice and example this we may gather from the next Chapter Though I should speak c. without charity c. Though I should is here as much as I do not and I is not only persona supponens but persona proponens and this is another kind of shewing which does belong to all Ministers else whosoever they be Without which the other shewing will do little or no good at all The Apostle Paul as he was a sound Teacher so he was likewise a Follower of that which himself did teach This is requisite to be thereby to make our Doctrine more effectual and full of success Who will believe our report when we do not believe it our selves As we give just occasion to suspect when we report that which
read these their doom in Mark 8.38 Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels Mark not only ashamed of me but ashamed of my words that is of my Doctine and Truth and the profession of it He that 's ashamed of these of him also will Christ be ashamed when he will wish to be owned by him Again Others there are who though they own Truth yet will do little for it as to the defence and preservation of it though as a ravish't Virgin it crys out for their aid and relief yet they refuse to be helpful to it but are content to see it even undone before their eyes There are few which have tender bowels towards truth or active hands for the promoting of it Now this is that which the Apostle takes upon him here in this Text in the behalf not only of himself but also of his fellow-labourers and brethren that they were such as did not only declare all actings against it but close with all opportunities for it Not any thing against the Truth but for the Truth Nay further which seems also to be included their necessary inclinations hereunto for so we must likewise take it We can do nothing against the Truth but for the Truth that is we cannot but do for the Truth as there 's an Impotency to opposition so there 's an impotency likewise to neutrality and remisness and indifferency of spirit According to that of the Apostles Peter and John in their reply to the Priests and Elders which prohibits them to Preach any more in the Name of Jesus We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard Act. 4.20 This is the temper of a gracious heart that it 's all inflamed with a love to Truth and cannot as there 's occasion and opportunity administred to it but express and shew it self for it as it was sometimes with the Prophet Jeremy Jer. 20.9 His word was in his heart as a burning-fire shut up in his bones he was weary with forbearing and could not stay or as it was with the Apostle Paul when he came sometime to Athens and saw the City wholly given to Idolatry It is said his spirit was stirred in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was put as it were into a Fit of a Feaver through his zeal and ardency of affection upon that occasion This has been the condition of Gods Servants in such cases as these are as we may see especially in the story of the Martyrs they could not withhold but they must shew themselves for truth sometimes even in the greatest dangers and hazards which were incident unto them from that rooting and settlement and foundation which it had in their hearts But so much for that and so I have done with the Affirmative Proposition likewise But for the Truth And now that I have seemed to go through the whole Text. I might very well begin it again and make a new Sermon upon it For the Truth of it is we are not yet come to the point nor to the scope of the Holy Ghost in this place We have hitherto handled the words absolutely and in the general notion of them but there is a Relative Consideration of them which is to be observed and taken notice of by us which is yet behind and intimated in the Connexive for as to the joyning of this Verse and the former both together and to make them dependant upon one another he had said in the Verse before Now I pray to God that ye do no evil not that we should appear approved but that ye should do that which is honest though we be as reprobates Now he adds For we cannot c. He speaks it of the exercise of his ministerial authority amongst them which he signifies to be in him not for himself so much as for them nor for his own respect and advancement but for the glory of God the good of the Church and the advancement of the Truth which is chiefly and especially and principally regarded by him And therefore if at any time he were more sharp and severe with them whether in the reproving or punishing of offenders he did still desire herein to approve himself as one that aimed at Justice and Piety and Vertue in that Administration as the main ground and end for which that Power was indeed bestowed upon him This is the proper and genuine and direct sense of these words as they here lye before us We can do nothing against the Truth but for the Truth which are nothing else but a limitation of the Apostolical and Ministerial Power And that again twofold First As considered in the office and Ministry it self And secondly As considered in the persons namely himself and his fellow-Apostles and Ministers which were then the subjects of it For the first viz. The office and Ministry it self There is here in these words a limitation fastened upon that whiles it is said We can do nothing c. and thereby signified thus much That Ministerial Authority is not extended beyond Christian Edification The Apostles could do nothing but what was consonant and consistent with Religiou whether consider'd in the Doctrine of it or the practice This is that which is here exhibited to us and it is agreeable likewise to other places of Scripture as in 2 Cor. 10.8 For though I should boast more of our Authority which the Lora hath given us for edification and not for your destruction This was the end for which that Authority which he had was ordained and whereunto it did tend not destruction but edification so 1 Pet. 5.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not as Lords over Gods Heritage or over ruling your several lots and divisions but as ensamples to the flock that is not for our own private advantage but for the good and benefit of the Church This is true as to either parts of the Ministry whether of Doctrine or Censure First If we take it of Doctrine that is limited and bounded by this Ministers they have a Didactical Authority and authority of teaching God has committed this unto them and to them alone there 's none have authority of dispensing the Mysteries of Faith and Religion but those only who are especially called and designed thereunto But yet this Authority even to such and such persons it is limited and restrained to the Truth We can here do nothing against the Truth but for the Truth Ministers have not power to impose any Doctrine or Maxim whatsoever upon the people to be believed by them but what is agreeable to the Word of God and the Will of God laid down in the Scripture they may not make any new Article of Faith or require assent unto it Thus we have it also in 2 Cor. 1. 24. Not that we have dominion over your faith
three Discourses in their Pockets or perhaps in their heads it may be none of their own when all is done and put them out of one of them and there 's an end of my Preacher he has no more to say for himself This rawness and shallowness and idleness and insufficiency does not become the servant of the Lord who like a good Scribe instructed to the Kingdom of Heaven is to bring out of his Treasury things both now and old and new as well as old to be as much as may be furnished to every good work A workman that needs not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of Truth 2 Tim. 2.15 We speak not for the allowance or patronage of any exorbitancies but in the due observation of circumstances We urge here the rehearsing and repeating of the very same Doctrines according to that of the Apostle Paul in another place Phil. 3.1 To write and so to speak the same things unto you to me indeed is not grievous but for you it is safe That 's one thing in this particular As we said before so say I now again his constancy as to the matter of his Doctrine The second is as to the Quality of it The same for the nature of it and coming to the same effects as I said before c. that is I am still in the same mind that I was in before and I Preach the same to you as I Preach'd before This is that which is commendable in a Preacher to pitch upon that which is the right and to hold himself to it not to change and alter and vary upon every turn but to be firm and constant in the Truth Ye shall have some kind of persons in the world that as they never hold long in one opinion themselves so neither are they constant to the Doctrines which they teach and communicate to others that what they write or Preach one year they cross and contradict the next change and alter their Doctrines according as they conceive it may most conduce to their own ends and the designs which they propound to themselves such as these discover themselves to have no principles in them to be meer empty blanks in which ye may write what ye please but in the mean time at a very great distance from this spirit of the Apostle Paul as he is here represented unto us Not that men should hold to their Doctrines and Opinions whatsoever they be whether true or false When we plead for Constancy Persistence and Perseverance in the same points it must be understood according to the nature and condition of the points themselves which it is applied unto for men may be sometimes too peremptory and immovable from their former Tenets and be fierce and vehement for them which is not approvable in them Those who through non-attendency or seducement have by chance fallen into some by and sinister opinion which they have taken up to themselves and with themselves led others into it they do with a great deal of commendation renounce it and withdraw from it but this gives no warrant at all to that which is contrary It 's ingenuity to retract error but it is Apostacy to depart from Truth and has the reward of Apostacy with it The latter end of such persons being worse with them than the begining as St. Peter tells us It having been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after they have known it to turn away from either the holy Commandment or the holy Truth delivered unto them c. 2 Pet. 2.20 21. But that 's the first particular wherein the Apostle exprest his Constancy Constancy to the Doctrine which he taught As we said before c. that is now as we Preach'd so we preach again I am the same in the Truth which I delivered The second is Constancy to the Censure which he imposed As I said before so say I now again that is as we curst before so I curse now again I am the same in the Threatning which I denounced and so it relates to what preceeds spoken universally before as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the same verse Curses and Execrations of others they do for the most part proceed from a troubled and distempered spirit and are such as which men when they are cool and come to themselves they are ready to retract and revoke and begin to be somewhat sorry for them and to repent of them because they are sent forth in rashness and heat of blood But this of the Apostle Paul was not such there was no such disorder as that in it but was free from all kind of passion and violence and distemper and inordinate affection and therefore he still owns it and sticks to it and is peremptory in it As I said before so say I now again let him be accursed We see here by the way in what manner and with what kind of spirit Ecclesiastical Censures should be inflicted namely so as the inflicters of them may upon good grounds stand unto them and make good what is done by them that they may not play fast and loose do and undo as they list and make the keys of the Church turn round in the lock but to be more solid and serious and grave and well-advised and constant in a business of so high a nature and concernment as this is such punishments as these as they should not be imposed lightly and rashly upon every occasion so neither should they be lightly removed and remitted and taken off It was the great abuse of such things as these were which prevailed in some later times where the greatest Censure of all Excommunication and giving up to Satan as it was inflicted for every trifle so it was also upon as easie a matter dispenst with and reverst by those that inflicted it to the great ignominy and scandal and contempt of Gods own Ordinance and the just offence of God's own People such carriages as these are do not become the Ministers of Christ who are intrusted with such a Power as this is which is committed unto them no but rather to understand what they do that so they may be more constant in it and not upon every turn waver and divert from it lest as those Disciples in the Gospel James and John who would have presently in all haste called for fire to come down from heaven upon the Samaritans to consume them they receive this check from Christ for their presumption Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of Luk. 9.54 55. And so again likewise are we to be wary as I hinted before of all rash and private imprecations of one man against another as being such as we cannot for the most part so well assert and maintain and stand to or say as here in the words of the Apostle As we said before so say I now again as being herein condemn'd oftentimes in our own consciences in such cases checking us
perhaps you were very little or nothing at all affected with it Now ye are ashamed This now it may admit of a various and manifold Explication First Now since the time of your Conversion and Regeneration and coming home to God Secondly Now since the commission of your sins and the intermission or the withdrawing of the temptation Thirdly Now since the experience of Gods Goodness and the sense and apprehension of his special love and favour towards you since these all or either of these ye are now ashamed of those things which formerly had no impression upon you or at least which ye did not look upon as any great matter of shame unto you First I say now that is since the time of your Conversion and Regeneration and coming home to God Conversion as it makes a change in a mans condition so also in his affections it makes him to have other thoughts and apprehensions than formerly he had and in particular in point of shame he is a shamed of those things which before he did not regard And whereas before sin was nothing with him now he looks upon it as the greatest reproach can befal him A man after Conversion will be ashamed and confounded in himself for those ways which he walked in before Thus it was here with these Romans yea thus it was with the Apostle Paul himself when he looked back sometimes upon his former condition before his Conversion he was ashamed to think of it and he speaks of it with a great deal of abhorrency and indignation as we may see in Act. 26.10 11. 1 Cor. 15.9 1 Tim. 1.13 14. Thus it proceeds upon these following Considerations First The clearer discovery of the nature and condition of sin it self which is the ground and matter of shame shame in the affection is according to the apprehension of it in the occasion those that are not thoroughly convinced and perswaded of any thing to be shameful they are not consequently ashamed of it but those which are so they will be affected with it And this is when it is apprehended to be filthy and base in â—â—self as the Philosopher describing this affection sets in forth unto us that it is properly imployed about those things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which seem to have some vileness in them and which are apprehended so to be Why thus now is it with a man which is converted in regard of sin He looks upon it as a shameful business and proportionably is ashamed of it he sees sin in its colours and in its nature what it is by the light of Gods Spirit assisting him and inabling of him so to do which another does not It 's a good observation of Chrysostom's which he has to this â—urpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Every sin does then indeed appear how vile and filthy it is when you empty it and strip it off the affection of him that commits it Tell an angry man when he is cool of the words which he spoke in his passion and then he will be ashamed Then a drunkard when he is sober the things which he did in his cups and then he will be as contented bring an unchast person to his harlot when his lust is over and he will then abominate both her and himself and so he goes on These Romans when they â—â—ere here converted the Apostle dares appeal to themselves and needs no other witness besides for the confirmation of that which he said If people had but the same thoughts of sin in the committing as they are likely to have after it they would never be guilty of it There 's a double light which is communicated to a Christian as pertinent to this purpose the one is whereby he sees the filthiness of sin it self and the other is whereby he sees himself as guilty of sin Where either of these is wanting there is not this shame which we now speak of when either we see not sin in it self or see not our own interest and propriety in it as belonging to us then we shall not be affected with it no more than a blind man is with those spots which are upon his garments but where both these concur there is blushing and shame of heart and thus in a person converted Secondly This shamefacedness does arise from a serious and due apprehension of the Omniscience and Omnipresence of God Those which many times are not much ashamed of things simply considered in themselves yet when they think they are taken notice of by others this is a means to work shame in them Now a good Christian he is sensible of this he has set God always before his eyes that thereby he might be restrained and considers him as everywhere beholding both the evil and good Therefore it is emphatically exprest there in Ezra and twice repeated in the place before cited O my God I am ashamed and I blush to lift up my face to thee O my God if we had real and daily and constant apprehensions of him as present with us as it becomes us to have it would make us ashamed of doing any thing which were unworthy of Christians from the sense of his presence This is more than to set before us some Cato or Socrates or Seneca or any such persons as those were as the Philosopher advised in such a case Thirdly A Christian after conversion comes to be ashamed of his ways and courses before from the height and nobleness of his Principles and that spirit of Grace which is now in him over what formerly he had Men when they come to be men and are grown up to years of maturity and riper understanding they are ashamed to think of those toys and tricks which they plaid in their child-hood and Scholars when they come to some perfection they are ashamed of those exercises which they made in their former and younger time and all from this Consideration because they are now better qualified and more inabled than formerly they were even so is it also with a Christian upon conversion and turning t6o God He is not now the same man that heretofore he was and therefore the same things will not satisfie him or give him content but he is apt to quarrel and find fault with them yea to blush and to be ashamed of them when he reflects and looks back upon them especially his sins and evil courses which is that we speak of at this time because he has a new nature in him which does bear in most direct opposition and contrariety to all such courses as these are Yea further which is also pertinent hereunto a gracious person has an holy reverence and awe of himself which does encline him and carry him hereunto it was that which some of the Heathens did sometimes advise unto in their Moral Philosophy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all others reverence thy self This a good Christian does and from hence comes to blush and to be ashamed of
or matter of conceit but such as has a bottom with it when we become true Christians Christ is formed and framed in us Look as there 's a great deal of difference betwixt a Tympany or Mole or false conception and a true birth so is there likewise a great deal of difference betwixt a meer formal professor and a true believer for the former hath only as it were the picture and shadow of Christ upon him the other hath Christ formed in him So that as Christ sometimes replied upon his Disciples when they took him for a Ghost or Spirit Luk. 24.39 Behold says he my hands and my feet handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me to have Even so may a true Christian say to any one that shall question his condition and take him for a meer image or counterfeit in Religion Behold and see if it be not thus and thus with me He has flesh and bones as it were appearing in him there 's Christ in all his lineaments to be seen upon him and Grace it enters as we may so speak into the substance of him He is in deed and good earnest that which he makes shew of and seems to be We are created in Christ Jesus unto good works as it is in Ephes 2.10 Therefore let us according hereunto examine and search our selves see what truth of Religion there is in us There 's many which have a bare outward profession and title but that is all they have a form of godliness as form is taken for outward appearance but they have not Godliness formed in them as form is taken for the inward substance Grace it is not thoroughly rooted and incorporated into them which is here implied that it ought to be Now as long as it is so with them they cannot be that which they should be whiles Christ is said to be formed hereby is denoted the substantiality of Religion Secondly The enlargement and spreading of it as running all along which I intimated before through the whole man He that is a true Christian he has every part sanctified in him he which has not he is no better than a monster Christ has somewhat of every thing in him eyes and ears and tongue and heart and all The Apostle Paul elsewhere expresses as much unto us Rom. 6.19 For as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness Your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity there 's the old man formed in them and defiling every part of them your members servants to righteousness and holiness there 's the forming of Christ So 1 Thes 5.23 Sanctifie youwholly c. Thirdly Here 's also Activity and Operation Till Christ be formed in you that is till you be animated by Christ as producing the actions of spiritual life in you Whosoever is a true Christian he has Christ living and acting in him more or less and he brings forth answerable fruits unto Christ There 's an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a supply of the spirit of Christ Phil. 1.19 which does actuate him and put him forward Religion is an inward business Christ in those which are his members does exert and draw forth Grace in them Lastly Here 's also permanency and inherence whiles Christ is said to be formed in us hereby is signified our constant abode and continuance in him and his in us that as the forms of things they are unseparable and unremovable from the things themselves which they are forms unto so is Christ and the Grace of Christ from the heart of a Christian and he cannot sin with a total Apostasie or falling away from Christ because the feed of God remaineth in him as the Apostle John tells us 1 Joh. 3.9 This is the difference now betwixt true and sound Christians and other men Take a worldly person and he is joined to Christ by common profession as bearing his name upon him but he is not knit and united to Christ by faith Christ has no settlement or foundation in him but for a true believer he is as it were bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh He is incorporated and ingrafted into him and formed in him And because he is so therefore he is sure never to depart or to fall away from him From all which considered by the way it will appear unto us whence all those mistakes proceed which are sometimes in the world concerning the Doctrine of Perseverance and the Saints standing or falling in point of Grace it is from hence that the nature of true Grace and Conversion is not rightly either understood or at least considered and thought upon which if it were it would soon put an end to such-like disputes as these are and of it self determine them to us As long as men shall look upon Religion as a thing meerly taken up it is no wonder that they should conclude a departure and falling away from it but when they shall consider that it is setled and rooted here they will not easily yield to a possibility of losing of it whatever is natural it is constant and permanent in the subjects of it and so it is â—ere with Grace which is as it were a second nature you may as soon separate light from the Sun or heat from the fire or life from the soul as you may do Grace from a Christian heart in which it is wrought and riveted and imprinted and transformed into it Thus you see how many things are at once included in this expression of Christs being formed in us But here it may be further demanded how far forth and in what manner this is done in what respects did the Apostle undestand that Christ should be formed in these Galatians and so consequently in all other Christians To this I answer in two especially First In respect of the Doctrine of Christ that they should be moulded and formed into that And secondly in respect of the Spirit of Christ that they should be also wrought upon and fashioned by that First In respect of Christs Doctrine that they should be moulded and formed into that this is one manner of way in which Christ was to be formed in them For this was that now which they were in a great measure departed from they had forsaken the Doctrine of Christ through the seducement of the false Teachers amongst them and were returned to the Law of Moses which they did expect Justification from Now the Apostle would have them to be formed and reformed in this particular He would have them to be well setled and confirmed in Evangelical Truths and the Doctrine of the Gospel of Christ This was that in the first place which we may here conceive as commended unto them so it concerns us to be in like manner who profess our selves Christians to be well acquainted and instructed and grounded in all the Articles
but to sin also thereby to humble him and bring him low and to shew him the vanity and sinfulness of his own corrupt heart But now when a man walks in the spirit and is careful to keep close to God God will free him from such evils as these Again secondly It holds also on Satans part who in this case has not this incouragement to tempt as thinking he shall but lose his labour and do all to no purpose It is true indeed that Satan is not easily put out of heart in regard of his temptations nor yet does he always forbear men because they have more grace in them nay therefore does hereafter sometimes so much the more violently set upon them he throws his sticks the fastest at those trees which have the most fruit upon them because he thinks thereby he shall have the greater booty but yet where he sees Grace in the activity and the exercise and improvement of it in a spritual way he is not so much heartened and incouraged and provoked to tempt men as otherwise he would be Resist the Devil says St. James and he will flee from you Give him but the least advantage and he will be sure to take it and improve it to the utmost but resist him an give denial to him and then he is gone Why thus now do those that walk in the spirit they leave no hole for Satan to come in and they put on all their spiritual armour whereby they stand against the wiles of the devil Ephes 6.11 Thirdly Walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh that is ye shall not have leasure or opportunity to fulfil them The more business a man has in goodness the less vacant he is to sin and has less time for the committing of it This a man shall be sure to find upon tryaland experience of it That man that truly walks in the spirit will find so much work for him to do in a spiritual course for the watching of his own heart for the getting of a farther stock of Grace for the serving of God in his relations and the place wherein God has set him as that he will find but little leasure for the lusts of the flesh at all And this is another Explication Lastly Walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh that is ye shall be kept from the thing it self in regard of the immediate influence and efficacy of a spiritual Conversation which it has in the nature of it for the restraining and preserving of the heart from any sinful miscarriage This ye shall not as to actual accomplishment we shall find to be true according to all the former senses and explications which we have given of this walking in the spirit take it in which ye will and ye shall find that in the practise of it Ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh First Take it in the Graces and Principles of the spirit Walk in the spirit so and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh The more spiritual we are in our Principles the less carnal shall we be in our Conversation This is clear from the words that follow in the next verse to the Text the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other so that ye cannot do the thing that ye would Ye cannot do the things that ye would it holds true of either part not only as to the doing of good ye cannot do the things that ye would that is whereby ye would with your sanctified will because the flesh which is in you is an hinderance and impediment to you but also as to the doing of evil ye cannot do the things which ye would neither that is which ye would with your corrupt will because the spirit which is also in you is here a curb and restraint upon you Look as the inherence of sin and corruption remaining in us keeps us from a full and perfect walking in the spirit so the infusion of Grace and Holiness abiding in us also keeps us from an absolute fulfilling of the lusts of the flesh Again Secondly Take it also in the motions and suggestions of the spirit and they all take us from the fulfilling of the lusts of the flesh whether we understand it of the suggestions of Counsel or whether we understand it of the suggestions of Comfort they do either of them hold us back in this particular First The suggestions of Counsel the directions and excitements of the spirit they are such as if we follow them we shall be sure never to fulfil the lusts of the flesh which by the way shews the horrible blasphemy and wickedness of some persons in the world which would make their lusts of the flesh to be the motions and suggestions of the Divine Spirit What a grievous and fearful thing is this yea and how false is it too and incongruous the Spirit of God is an holy Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spirit of Holiness it self as the Scripture stiles him and therefore he does not nor cannot provoke men to that which is unholy no but it is the desperate vileness and rottenness of their own corrupt hearts together with the spirit of Satan of joyning and complying with them and improving of them Satan hath fill'd thy heart to lye against the Holy Ghost as Peter to Ananias So likewise secondly for the suggestions of Comfort which the Spirit of God does let in into us if we walk after them also we shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh spiritual comforts and consolations they do not breed security and presumption or make men the more to abound in sin as some men vainly pretend against them no but where they are in reality and good earnest they make men so much the more to avoid sin and to be more shy and fearful of it To take heed of doing any thing whereby we should deface our evidences and lose that sweet and comfortable testimony of Gods love which he does vouchsafe unto us This is the proper improvement of such experiences as these are in the hearts of those which are God's People as also the proper consequence and connexion of the things themselves The Consideration of this point in hand may be thus far useful to us as it may serve to put us upon the search and examination of our own hearts and ways we may see what our selves are according to this Doctrine There are many which pretend to the Spirit and to the walking in it Well but how are they now as to this particular whereof we now speak the fulfilling the lusts of the flesh When men give themselves over to these without any curb or restraint at all Can they say and say with any truth that they walk in the spirit Certainly no such matter He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk even as
the judgment which on any is past by us We should so far reckon and esteem of any and of our selves as we have of this in us This it suits with the scope of the Text by comparing it with that which went before The Apostle had to deal with some in the Church of Galatia which stood much upon their Jewish Prerogatives and priviledges which they did partake of in that respect which did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made a fair shew in the flesh in ver 12 of this Chapter Gloried in their circumcision and conformity to the Law of Moses In answer to whom he adds the following words God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ c. And in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature And then he adds As many as walk by this rule that is as we may well understand it by this rule as to matter of judgment and estimation of any ones person This is that which we should be mindful of though respect is also to be had to other Considerations yet we should principally value any as they have more of grace and goodness in them walk by this rule in point of Censure Thirdly In matter of practise and the things which are to be done by us consult also with this rule Consider whether that which we do or not do be agreeable hereunto First Be sure to know and to consider what the new creature is and wherein it consists and then examine whether such and such actions do comply with it according to this we should either provoke or restrain our selves where we find our selves slack or remiss to our duty quicken our selves upon this Consideration that our Principles require better from us where forward and carried to evil check our selves also from this argument as being contrary to the new creature in us This is the state and condition of a Christian and of one that is indued with saving-grace that he cannot do those things which others take liberty in nor omit what others discharge themselves from but has a necessity upon them from whence it is that we read o◠such expressions as these in Scripture We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard Act. 4.20 And we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth 2 Cor. 13.8 Here 's can and cannot with a Christian in such cases as these are because he is under a law even the law of the spirit Rom. 8.2 That which he cannot do with a good conscience he cannot do at all A Moral impotency is all one with him as a Physical and he is provoked or tyed up according to the Principles which are in him Fourthly As to matter of carriage and behaviour in every condition we must walk by this rule here so deporting our selves as may be suitable to Religion and the work of Grace in us forasmuch as that does very much fit and qualifie us for all estates whatsoever The Apostle Paul speaking of himself in Phil. 4.12 says He knew how to be abased and he knew how to abound everywhere and in all things he was instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need He was taught a suitableness and comeliness of behaviour in a variety of conditions And who and whence was he taught it surely not from flesh and blood but from the work of God's Spirit in him and by Grace wrought in his heart And so must every one else be besides and being so be careful to walk proportionably hereunto with patience and humility and thankfulness and moderation and contentment and compassion and fellow-feeling of the necessities of other men to exercise the grace of that condition in which we are This new creature if we observe it and be indeed acted by it it will lead us and carry us to such a frame and temper of spirit as this is whatever state happens unto us And so now I have done with the first General Part of the Text which is the qualification of the persons here mentioned As many as walk c. The second is the signification of the blessings or priviledges belonging unto them Peace be on them and mercy c. I call it the signification of blessings but indeed there is somewhat more in it This passage for the clearing of it to us seems to carry a threefold Emphasis with it which may be fastened upon it First In the notion of a Promise or Divine Intimation Peace and mercy unto them that is there shall be peace and mercy unto them it is a priviledg which they have interest in Secondly In the notion of a Prayer or Apostolical Benediction Peace and mercy upon them that is let peace and mercy befall them it is the blessing which I do pronounce unto them Thirdly In the notion of a compliance or friendly salutation Peace and mercy upon them that is I am peaceably affected towards them and in charity with them either of these notions or all may be comprized in this expression here before us in these present words We begin with the first As it has the notion of a promise or Divine Intimation There shall be peace c. This is the advantage of all godly men living in the Power of Godliness and walking by the Rules of Christianity that they shall have peace and mercy for their portion which shall be bestowed upon them This is that which the Scripture does signifie in divers other places as Psal 119.165 Great peace have they that keep thy law and nothing shall offend them So Isa 26.3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee c. and Phil. 4.7 The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds c. Peace it is a large word comprehending all kind of happiness and felicity in it whatsoever but we may here in this place confine it more especially to that which is spiritual Peace and mercy that is peace flowing from mercy in the pardon and remission of sin through the blood of Jesus Christ This is the peace here meant with the effects and concomitants of it as belonging to powerful Christians they shall have peace and reconciliation with God as the main ground-work and foundation of all and they shall have also peace in their own consciences as issuing and following hereupon To which also we may add as an overplus Peace with men and all other creatures so as not to be able to do them hurt but rather good even in their greatest oppositions and at last eternal peace and rest in glory to him that ordereth his conversation aright I will shew the salvation of God Psal 50.23 For the further amplifying of this unto us it ma no be amiss for us to take notice of the manner of expression by an Hebraism Peace not to them but upon them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And
Thus 1 Pet. 2.5 Ye are an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ Every good Christian he hath great interest in Heaven and can very much prevail with God through Christ in his approaches to the Throne of Grace And we have frequent instances and examples of it both in Scripture and in daily experience Secondly As to the keeping of themselves from the pollutions and defilements of the world The Priests they were prohibited the touching of those things which were unclean and so are Christians careful to keep themselves unspotted of the world Thirdly As to the teaching and instructing of others in the Communion of Saints The Priests lips should preserve knowledg Mal. 2.7 And so should every Christian also in his way and within his compass Parents and Masters of Families should be thus far Priests in them as with Abraham to teach their children and their housholds after them Gen. 18.19 c. Fourthly As to the offering up of themselves to God they must be Priests in this respect also The Priests they were used and imployed in the killing of beasts so should Christians be in slaying of their lusts and unruly affections And then the High-Priest especially he entered into the Sanctum Sanctorum so should every Christian have his heart always towards the Holy of Holies c. Lastly The Priests they still blest the people so would the mouths of Christians do others with whom they converse 1 Pet. 3.9 not railing but contrarily blessing c. The sum of all comes to this namely to raise the esteem and opinion of Gods people in the world and from hence to set an high price and valuation upon them The world it commonly looks upon the Saints and Servants of God as a base and contemptible generation but see here what names and titles the Spirit of God in Scripture puts upon them namely of Kings and Priests which have the greatest Dignity and Excellency in them of any other whatsoever These they are so to God and the Father howsoever they be to any other that is not only to his service but likewise to his Approbation The Father is here named as the first in order and fountain of the Godhead though the whole Trinity be included and intended in it So much for that And then there is this Use also of it in the close of the verse To him be Glory for ever and ever c. And so I have done also with the third and last Description of Christ in the execution of his Offices And hath made us Kings and Priests to God and his Father Now to him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen SERMON XLVIII Revel 22.17 And the Spirit and the Bride say Come This Text which I have now read unto you is a further improvement of that Scripture which was handled by us the last day and does contain somewhat in it as additional and accumulative thereunto For there we had propounded to us but only the hope and expectation of Christians as those which looked for the Lord Jesus Christ to come from Heaven out of that place of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians Chap. 3. ver 20. And here we have exhibited to us their desire and earnest importunity so that he comes not before he is welcome and he is not more certainly expected than he is gladly and joyfully entertained For the Spirit and the Bride say Come That is the Church by the secret suggestion and instigation of the Holy Ghost towards her does invite him and call for him and hasten him towards his second Appearing This is the scope and drift of the Text. IN the Text it self there are two General Parts considerable First The Persons mentioned Secondly The action which is attributed unto these Persons The Persons mentioned they are the Spirit and the Bride The action which is attributed to these Persons that is a calling after Christ they say to him Come We begin with the former viz. the Persons mentioned The Spirit and the Bride By the Spirit we are here to understand the Holy Ghost the Spirit of God which is called the Spirit by way of Excellency the third Person in the blessed Trinity And by the Bride we are to understand either the Church of God in general or every faithful and believing soul which is a member of Christ in particular These are the Persons here that speak And we must take them in a mutual reference and connexion of one with another The Spirit speaks in the Bride and the Bride speaks from and by the Spirit And so they both speak together and have the same action ascribed unto them First Here 's mention made of the Spirit and that as considerable of us under a twofold notion First Of his Presence and secondly of his Influence Of his Presence as join'd with the Bride of his Influence as assistant unto her and helping and enabling of her First Here 's the Spirits presence the Spirit and the Bride they are joined both together to signifie and intimate unto us that special residence which the Holy Ghost hath in all true Believers where-ever there is the Bride there 's the Spirit that is where-ever there is any true Christian there 's the Holy Ghost abiding in him And so the Scripture sets it in sundry places of it as 1 Cor. 3.16 Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you And so Chap. 6. v. 19. Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you So again Ephes 2.22 In whom ye also are built together for an habitation of God through the Spirit The Spirit of God resides both in the whole Church at large as also in every particular Believer as the soul is in the whole Body and also in every particular member Therefore we may accordingly know whether we are espoused to Christ or no upon this account and consideration If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 Because where ever there is the Spouse there 's the Spirit It holds both as a discovery of Churches and as a discovery of Persons As a discovery of Churches to distinguish the true from the false and as a discovery of persons to distinguish the sound from the Hypocritical Again as it is distinguishing so it is also comforting It is a great satisfaction to the Church in the present withdrawing and absentation of Christ from her that his Spirit is yet with her that he does not leave her altogether destitute in an orphan-like or fatherless condition as himself hath sometime exprest it Joh. 14.18 but that he does provide for the supply of her I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive as it is also there in that Chapter And again Chap. 16.
are upon good Grounds perswaded of our interest and relation to Christ who is so desirable and again also perswaded of his acceptance and imbracement of us as so related to him We shall then with a great deal of earnestness long after him So much for that and so much for this present Text. SERMON XLIX Revel 22.17 And let him that heareth say Come and let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely I made choice of this Verse at first but in reference to the former part of it as that which was most consonant and agreeable to the Scripture immediately preceding in the course of our Ministry And this as ye know we dispatch't the last day But I have thought it since in a manner necessary or at least very convenient to take in this part to the other to be handled with it as containing the second Branch of that Communion which does mutually pass betwixt Christ and the Church The Application of the Church to Christ that we had exprest in those words The Spirit and the Bride say Come And here now in the words that follow at this time with Gos gracious assistance to be explained by us we have the reflexious of Christ upon the Church and his desires of further fellowship and communion with her in those words which I have now read unto you And let him that heareth say come and let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely Which besides other conveniencies and correspondencies which are observable in it carries a very good agreement with that other Ordinance which has already this day been dispensed amongst us in our approaches to the table of the Lord. IN the Text it self there are three General Parts considerable First A provocation of desire or longing affection Let him that heareth say Come Secondly An invitation of access or seasonable application Let him that is athirst come Thirdly An intimation of acceptance or grateful entertainment And whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely We begin with the first of those Parts viz. The provocation of desire in those words Let him that heareth say Come Where the subject mentioned and called upon He that heareth is indefinitely exprest but the expression is to be limited according to the proper references of it which as they lye in the Context are reducible to a three-fold Object or voice to be heard First To the voice of Christ in the Ministry Secondly To the voice of the Spirit in the Conscience And Thirdly To the voice of the Spouse in the Church He that heareth that is that heareth either of these Let him that heareth c. First To the voice of Christ in the Ministry This hearing it refers to this this we have signisied to us in the verse immediately preceding the Text viz. ver 16. of this Chapter I Jesus have sent mine Angel to testifie these things unto you c. Now he that heareth this Testimony or Prophetical and Ministerial voice and that heareth it in good earnest and to purpose let him shew that he indeed does so by this influence and effect of it upon him so as to desire this coming of Christ and so there is this in it That those that are partakers of the Doctrine of Christ they should labour to be affected to the person of Christ those that have notice given them of his coming they should accordingly desire that he would come those that hear his voice they should desire to see his countenance This is one thing which seems here to be hinted to us in this present expression There are two things which the Word of God does in the Ministry of it which are especially available for the provoking of our desires after Christ The one is as it propounds the excellency of Christ and shews us what he is and the other as it reveals the purposes of Christ and tells us what he intends and both of these are joyned here together in this present Chapter the former we have in these words I am the root and off-spring of David and the bright and morning-star in the clause immediately foregoing Here is a proposal of Christ in his Excellencies and the good that comes by him the latter we have in these words wherein he sigaifies that he is minded to come in the 7th and 12th verses of this Chapter Behold I come quickly c. I come that is I mean to come here 's a discovery of interests desires and resolutions in himself Now take these two I say both together Christs Excellency and his own offer and voluntary exhibition of himself and here we cannot now but close with him Those that partake of such gracious opportunities afforded unto them they are engaged to all suitable affection for the compliance with them those that thus hear must say Come Therefore this justly meets with all such persons as are otherwise affected There are a great many of people in the world who do sometimes hear tydings of Christ and do sometimes seem to be well pleased with such points as are discoveries of him but yet in the mean time how little succour or relish of him or love and affection unto him but are as carnal and sensual and worldly and earthly minded as ever Now such as these do plainly declare that their hearing it is to little or no purpose for if it were that which it should be it would have an answerable effect with it so as to work them to some gracious breathings and longings after him Every good and right hearer of Christ is more or less inflamed with affections and desires unto Christ and is in a manner restless till he attains to some enjoyment of him And so indeed it is required and expected of him that he should be as the Text here seems to import in the carriage and laying of it which does infer the one upon the other crying and calling after Christ upon the mentioning and hearing of Christ Every one that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me says Christ and so desires that I should come to him which is all one Joh. 6.45 He that hath heard and learned that is that hath heard profitably and to purpose This is the effect that followeth upon it and it is hereby evidenced and demonstrated to be that which it is So then this is that which we should look after in all our approaches to the hearing of the Word namely to examine what work and operation it has upon our hearts and to see that the working of it be answerable to the nature of the Doctrine which is delivered unto us If it be a word of threatning that it work in us a trembling frame and disposition of spirit if it be a word of command an obedient if it be a word of promise a comfortable if it be a word of excitement an awakening still what the
signifies 408 Counsel Listning to good counsel a threefold Argument of VVisdom 224 How far the counsels of God may be known how not 258 Means tending to the knowing of Gods counsels 258 Company The danger arising by bad Company 368 Cities Why God often sends greater judgments on them than other places 401 D Despise The ways wherein God is despised 114 119 Whence despising of God springs 116 The danger of despising God 117 Dregs What they signifie 135 Death Comfort against it 192 Sinful in three cases to desire it 413 Discord The evil of it implied 197 198 Whence it springs 222 Delight What in Christians God delights in 208 The properties of Gods delighting in his people 209 Signs of Gods delighting in us 211 The ground of it or what it is 220 A threefold delight respecting Religion 221 Doubtings Whence they arise 211 Day The Sabbath a pleasant day 218 Day of the Lord taken three ways 412 A threefold wicked desiring a day of the Lord or death 412 The day of Judgment desirable on a threefold account 416 Darkness What it signifies in Scripture 352 Day of the Lord darkness to wicked men with the ground thereof 41 Day of the Lord darkness and not light threefold Emphasis in it 148 Devouring What signified by it 379 Despair Motive to a despairing sinner to hope 385 The evil of despair 385 386 Whence it springs 386 E Eye Look on Christ with a fourfold eye 7 Gods Eye what it signifies 20 Gods Eye hath three properties 21 Examples Bad their evil 46 Examination Why we should be much in self-examination 245 England See Nation Deliverance from Gun-powder-treason a great Mercy 52 62 Error Prejudicial to the soul 303 394 377 On the right and on the left hand what 302 Ezekiel Why called the son of man 401 Feasts The evils oft attending them 79 When laudable 78 Faith Incouragements to it 150 Fruitfulness Arguments to it 189 Fear The advantages of holy fear 212 Forgetfulness Of God opened in four particulars 287 Formality See Hypocrite It s consistency with prophaneness 345 The dreadful evil of it 375 Setting of the face its different notion 402 G God His standing What 6 His face What 84 140 What the hiding of his face implied 85 96 VVhy resembled to the Sun 151 How to know he is our God 111 VVhat his being our God implies 111 God speaks to the hearts of men three ways 138 298 To seek Gods face VVhat 141 His wings VVhat 149 The ways wherein despised See despise God See forward Grace or Holiness See Godliness VVhy God will certainly perfect it 113 Whence indisposition and averseness unto it springs 384 A Christians duty disposition and priviledg to grow in it 306 Motives to recover decaying grace 306 307 A threefold difference between saving-grave and meer morality 308 Helps to recover decaying and strengthen weak grace 309 God What kind of shield he is 153 Gods comforts What 165 Why called the most high 183 Gods right hand What 183 Gods songs in the night What 202 Gods counsel how taken 253 What Gods saying signifies 278 A double object of Gods guidance 301 Godliness See Grace The gain of Godliness 224 Guide How to discern between the guidance or dictates of Gods Spirit and the spirit of delusion 303 H Hearing The right hearer 139 300 Why many get no good by hearing the word Preacked 139 140 385 Heart The speaking of the heart What 119 Gods trying it What 245 How taken 252 How a grieved heart eases it self 362 Discovery of a tender heart 365 Humbling Humbling considerations 251 253 392 Head What it signifies in Scripture 124 127 Head and tail how taken 273 Hypocrite See Professor See Formality Terror to Hypocrites 246 Condemned by God and often by conscience described 347 348 371 Its odiousness 347 Its danger 349 Hell How taken 282 How to escape it 288 Heathens What to think of those who never heard of Christ 287 I Inheritance Implies three things 50 Justification Why no condumnation to justified persons 95 Infancy Mercy vouchsafed in it See Mercy Judgments When God will pour them upon a people 133 Pouring out Judgments What Ibid Why God sometimes brings great Judgments upon his own people Ibid Dregy judgments What 135 How Christians foresee them 363 Who most like to be secured and who to be exposed under publick judgments 409 410 411 Joy When holy 177 Infirmities Whence they flow 178 Men have their especial infirmities 179 Wherein infirmity consists Ibid Impenitency See Presumption The evil of it 268 Ignorance Several sorts of it supplied 383 K Knowledg THe difference between saving and meerly notional Knowledg 148 L Loving-kindness Of God taken two ways 143 146 The excellency of Gods loving-kindness 144 Love How to keep our selves in the love of God 146 M Gospel-Ministers WHy called Angels 7 Caution to them 280 402 386 362 Direction to them 404 405 366 Ministerial Qualifications 399 A sad judgment to be deprived of their persons 403 Magistrates Why compared to a head 272 Mercy Outward when given in mercy 33 Outward Mercies in themselves good things 36 40 Mercies attending our Births See Births Mercies attending Infancy See Infancy The especial mercies of God 146 295 The extent of pardoning mercy 295 Meditation Whence holy meditation proceeds 170 311 Its objects 172 Helps to it 173 175 How taken 174 Its excellency above other duties 175 Motives to it 176 See its excellency When right 364 Melancholy The evil of it in a Christian more than others 220 Mind Express'd in Scripture by bowels the reason of it 360 Why a Christian minds heaven and heavenly things 311 Marriage Touching mixt ours 368 N Touching Natural ability 294 295 397 Nation Wherein a Nations strength lies 378 A Nations gray hairs or the fore-runners of a Nations period 382 O Orphans Gods care of them 110 Obedience The properties of true obedience implied 141 Prayer AGainst praying to Angels and Saints departed 25 137 Why God oft answers prayer in kind 42 When answer of prayer in kind is done in love 43 Special seasons of prayer 138 204 Acceptable prayer 177 The power of it 213 A pleasant comfortable duty 217 Neglect of it a great evil 356 Presumption See Impenitency Whence it springs 28 98 123 263 264 350 One branch of it 348 350 Caution to presumptuous sinners 305 Peace The excellency of peace with God 96 How to get and keep pease with God 92 281 A threefold peace 221 276 279 Christian peace considered as a grace and as a priviledg 277 On what a sinners peace is grounded 278 Parents Mothers if able ought to unrse their children 109 Patents duty towards children 110 248 Promises How God makes good temporal promises implied 158 Preaching What power God puts forth in it 299 Providence How far we may and how far not know its events 258 260 Pride In Habit and naked Shoulders and Breasts reproved 265 Pardon The extent of pardoning mercy 295 God pardons repeated
All things disparaged in comparison of the one thing necessary 51 58 59 To chuse the one thing necessary an argument of four things 55 Natural ability See free-will and free-grace What it may what it cannot do 155 Pelaginas confuted 166 Natural condition A miserable condition 159 160 O Ordinances Touching those who are without Gospel-ordinances 9 Whence their efficacy arises 31 P Pharisee What their righteousness was 1 Touching Pharisaical righteousness See Rightousness Prodigies and signs 266 Punishments Degrees of punishments 4 Peace What peace Christs death obtains 275 What it implies 406 Patience Of God 29 Why God bears long Ibid Pride How it discovers it self 39 430 Proveing How taken 385 Prayer Satan sometimes prays 65 Comfort when we cannot pray See Comfort VVhy Christ prayed although he could do all things without it 72 Incouragement to it 446 Papist And Jew wherein a like 266 Transubstantiation 267 269 Against their Tradition 339 Perseverance True Christians shall persevere 76 87 369 See Grace Persevere in two things 103 Helps to it Ibid VVhence the opinion of falling away arises 369 Motives to it 408 Providence Our ignorance touching Providence twofold 111 The intricacies of Providence and the reason thereof 112 Not for us to foretell its future events 113 VVhat in Providence God will at last make manifest 114 The properties of Gods Providence Ibid. VVhen God will vindicate his Providence 115 Prophesie See Enthusiasts Not for its to foretell future events of Providence 174 213 Imagainary Revelations censured 337 Opposers of Christs prophetical office 436 Perswading How taken 305 Preaching How men come to count it foolishness 261 VVhat it is 261 337 VVhence its efficacy arises 261 VVhy it profits not without faith 263 Directions touching it 270 271 298 350 274 278 437 382 301 VVhat it is to preach Christ crucified 276 VVhence it becomes unprofitable 263 279 280 Parents Duty to their Children 266 R Pighteousness OF Scribeds and Pharisees what 12 Defectiveness of the righteousness of Scribes and Pharisees 3 10 The Principles of Pharisaical righteousness 3 VVhy Pharisaical righteousness cannot bring to Heaven Ibid. Pharisaical righteousness in a sense worse than notorious sins 4 Civil righteousness commended 5 The righteousness exceeding that of Scribes and Pharisees Ibid. Moral righteousness not meritorious of saving-grave 11 Reproof How to be administred 41 46 The best of Christians ought to be reproved 41 Cautions to be observed in reproving a good man 42 Riches Their vanity 25 Resurrection VVhy Christ is so called 144 Religion The one thing necessary 47 Motives to diligence in it See Diligence VVhat required unto being acceptably religous 56 VVhence staggering in it arises Ibid. Religion justified 59 47 91 VVhat in it chiefly to be minded 296 Relations VVhence discord between nearest relations especially arises 53 Comfort under the loss of them 132 450 Reason The impotency of humane reason 90 91 112 173 254 255 259 269 How it discovers God 133 A check to the Contemners of it 269 Rehearsed In Scripture of the same words what it implies 341 Repentance How the goodness of God leads unto it how not 353 Reward Touching it 423 S Scribes Their office 1 Stumling-block 281 Satan Why he most tempts the godly and those especially most godly 62 Why most of all be iempts Ministers 64 His winnowings what 67 Sincerity A double effect of it 101 Sinner In what respects a fool 19 His danger and misery in this life 24 426 His ignorance 90 Incouragement ot prosligate sinners to repent 108 His impotency 163 Different sinners have their different corruptions whence it is 265 Why God bestows many good things on them and bears long with them 347 How without God in the world 426 Spirit Of God why compared to wind 85 How to get its supplies 168 What it is to walk in it See Walk How it witnesseth the Truth of Scripture 435 Scepticism The danger of it 266 Scandal VVhat it is implied 281 Lords-Supper What eating and drinking damnation signifies 282 Sin An umprofitable thing in what respects 356 Whence men come to be ashamed of it 359 Its aggravations 422 Its heinous nature discovered 442 How men sin against the blood of Christ 443 Speaking A threefold speaking 411 Security The danger of it 416 417 Salvation A Christians certainty of it 433 In what sense it 's said a Child of God cannot sin 325 T Thoughts Vanity of them 18 The evil of distraction in them 45 50 Causes of distraction in them 45 52 Remedies against their distraction 45 52 Taking freely what it imports 458 Temptations Why Satan must tempts the godly and those especially most godly 62 Why he most of all tempts Ministers 64 Support under Temptation 65 72 75 79 87 Walk against them 66 74 Why God suffers his to fall into them 73 How faith helps under them 75 Whence Christians come to recover out of them 78 The evil that comes by them 80 The good that comes by them 62 Time What knowledg of the times concerns us what not 113 130 171 What times it 's not fur us to know 169 Terrors Of the Lord what 303 Thirst spiritual what it implies 455 The excellency of spiritual thirst 456 Teason Gun-powder Treason 317 Truth How taken in Scripture 328 Toleration Against universal toleration 337 Tradition When equalized with Scripture condenned 339 V Vanity OF Thoughts See Thoughts Unity Among Christians 408 409 Bounded 409 Unbelief The hainousness of it 436 Voice of Christ in the Ministry the voice of the spirit in the conscience and the voice of the spirit in the Spouse to be heard 453 454 W Way Incourage any coming on in the Ways of God why 14 Word Ingemindation of words its end 41 60 World Take heed of worldly-mindedness See Mind Why continued 106 How taken in Scripture 152 Watch. Against temptation why 66 67 Motives to it 418 Work How Christ helps to the performance of a good work 164 Good works in what respects disparaged 156 Wisdom Humance in what respects disparaged 156 Walk To walk in the spirit what 372 373 What it implies 374 400 How walking in it secures against sin 380 Touching a Christians rule to walk by 403 404 Water of life what understood by it 456 What understood by Whosoever will let him take of the water of life Y Youth Motives to early Godliness 52 Good education a great blessing 266 Z Zeal How Christians come to decay in it 421 FINIS
of that Chap. Your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things There are three or four arguments at once in those words to take us off from anxity and perplexity in this matter First From Gods Relation to us he is our Father and a Father will not be wanting to his Children in providing for them in regard of his great nearness and affection to them Children that have a Father to take care for them they take so much the less care for themselves But then Secondly Our own Necessities we stand in need of all these things A Father though he will provide for his Children yet he will not provide all kind of things for them there are many things which they may as well want as have and he will not trouble himself about them but ye have need of all these things and therefore he will not fail you Thirdly His Cognizance of our Condition that 's another Consideration A Father may be willing enough to provide for his Childrens necessities if he knew that they were in necessity indeed but this perhaps he may not do and sometimes he does not Yea but your Father knows that ye have need of all these things and he knows it before ye ask him to verse 8. of this Chap. Lastly His Ability to supply us that 's signified in the Epithet which is given him your Heavenly Father who is full of Riches and Goodness and Power and has nothing wanting to him and so will not suffer any thing to be wanting to you neither All these taken together shew the unreasonableness of these distracting thoughts which yet we are all for the most part subject unto and that 's in point of Temporal Provision So likewise Secondly in point of preservation and deliverance from any danger which at any time we are subject unto There 's a Multitude of the like thoughts here to which we are infested with all We never think our selves safe even then when we are under the safe-guard of the greatest protection David himself still to keep to the Text was thus distracted especially at that time when he was in danger from Sauls persecutions although he had but newly escaped and had been made partaker of a most eminent experience of Gods goodness to him yet he presently again thinks with himself I shall one day perish by the hands of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 Look how many dangers we are any of us capable of so many perplexing and solicitous thoughts are we likewise subject and inclinable unto occasionally from those dangers which are upon us And then thirdly As concerning our imployments and ordinary affairs what a Multitude of thoughts here does there daily increase upon us There 's none can have many businesses but they will consequently have many thoughts which those businesses will produce in them especially those whose businesses lye in their thoughts these must needs have thoughts about them if they be sensible and apprehensive of them and consider what they are and that according to the nature of the things themselves and the imployments which they are taken up in such as Davids for his particular were He that had the care of a kingdom and State and Common-wealth lying upon him he could not be without such thoughts and that a Multitude of them too which he was troubled withall Great Places and Offices they are accompanyed with great thoughts as attending upon them Thoughts how to discharge them and to perform the Duty of them and thoughts how to sustain them and how to undergo the miscarriage of them still there will be thoughts on work where there is any work at all to be done if those to whom it doth belong do well consider and advise with themselves whether in the Church or Common-wealth we see how St. Paul was affected as concerning those great businesses which lay upon himself for the Church in 2 Cor. 11.28 29. Besides those things that are without that which commeth upon me daily the care of all the Churches who is weak and I am not weak who is offended and I burn not This blessed vessel of God was even almost crackt and broken with those thoughts with were upon him And it is not otherwise in a proportion with many others besides though they may be free from troublesome thoughts otherwise yet they have enough in regard of their very work and this makes up to us the second Explication of this multitude of thoughts in the Text which the Prophet David was here troubled withall namely thoughts for his own Provision and Preservation and business in the World The Third is Thoughts as concerning the Publick state and condition of the Church and Common-wealth not onely in reference to himself and as a part of his own imployment consider'd as a Publick person but absolutely and simply in itself where himself had nothing to do for the managing of any affairs This is another property and disposition of a good man to be much affected and troubled in this respect when we once come to be Christians we come to have thoughts for more then our selves or such as belong unto us in a civil or natural Relation which call to us to have thoughts also for others namely the Church and people of God we have divers instances hereof of Godly men in Scripture and elsewhere who have had many solicitousthoughts in them in this particular Thus it was with good old Eli ye know how the case was with him It is said of him that he sate upon a seat by the way side watching for his heart trembled for the Ark of God 1 Sam. 4.13 He was very anxious and sollicitous in himself what would become of the Ark which was a Testimony of Gods special presence forasmuch as it was now in danger of being surprized by the Philistims and his Daughter in Law Phinehas's wife when she heard that it was taken indeed she regarded not the Birth of a Son in comparison when she consider'd the sad condition which the Church was now in And so for Nehemiah though himself was well and in a good condition being in favour and honour in the Court of Artaxerxes and no sickness upon him as the King himself took notice of him yet he looked very sad and discontented in regard of the affliction of Gods people and he had a multitude of disquiet thoughts because the City the place of his fathers Sepulchers lay waste and the gates thereof were consumed with sire as himself expresseth it Neh. 2.3 And so again it was likewise with Mordecai when he perceived what was done by Haman in conspiracy against his people the Jews he had no rest nor quiet in his spirit but was full of thoughts and care within himself how to free them from that ruine which was advised upon and consulted against them And he had brought Queen Hester likewise into the same condition and disposition with him Esth 8.6 How can I indure to see the evil that