GOD Acknowledged OR THE TRUE INTEREST OF THE NATION And all that Fear GOD. OPENED In A SERMON Preached December the 11th 1695. Being the Day Appointed by the KING for Publick PRAYER and HUMILIATION With Some Additions By BENJAMIN KEACH Psal. 65. 2. O Thou that hearest Prayer to Thee shall 〈…〉 come Psal. 46. 10. Be Still and Know that I am GOD. LONDON Printed for William 〈…〉 GOD Acknowledged OR THE The TRUE INTEREST of the NATION and all that Fear GOD Opened in a Sermon c. Prov. III. VI. In all thy ways Acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy Paths WISDOM in this Chapter particularly in the first Verse giveth to her Son most needful and necessary Counsel which ought to be observed by all who would be Truly Wise viz. My Son forget not my Law but let thy heart keep all my Commandments By Wisdom in several places of this Book of Solomon is meant Jesus Christ by Law here may comprehend Christ's Doctrine his Word and Holy Precepts In the second verse he lays down a precious motive to stir up all understanding Persons thus to do For length of days and long Life and Peace shall they add unto thee That is Length of Good Days a Joyful Life and Peace shall attend thee In the third verse He gives another Holy Precept Let not Mercy and Truth forsake thee bind them about thy neck write them upon thine heart By Mercy and Truth Is meant That which ought to be in the heart of Man and as these two are frequently joyned together as they are in God so they ought always to be in us not Mercy without Truth but both together Mercy denotes all that Benignity Clemency Compassion and Charity and readiness to do good to others according to the place or station where we are set or are placed Truth may comprehend that inward Sincerity Faithfulness and Uprightness of heart which should be in us to God and Man according to the Holy Precepts of Gods Word and Rules of Justice and Righteousness and these should be written or engraven upon the Fleshly Tables of our Hearts and so they will be as a Chain of Gold about the Neck or a precious Ointment to the Soul In the fourth Verse We have a Blessed Motive and Encouragement to do this So shalt thou find Favour and a good Understanding in the sight of God and Man In a serious and constant Exercise of Religion we shall meet with Gods Acceptance and attain unto a solid and spiritual Understanding which will render us Honourable among all good Men. In the fifth Verse He subjoyns another Indispensible Duty Trust in the Lord with all thine Heart and lean not to thine own Understanding He hereby shews that we should wholly rely upon Gods Wisdom Strength Promises and Providence for Help and Relief in all our Affairs and Dangers and not to think we can by our Wisdom let our Understanding be never so great acute and clear accomplish our Designs or manage our Affairs To which he adds the words of my Text viz In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths In the Text are two parts 1. We have a Duty enjoyned In all thy ways acknowledge Him 2. A Promise or Motive annexed And He shall direct thy paths As to the Explanation of the Words consider these things following 1. The Subject on whom the Precept or Duty is enjoyned Thou my Son or Sons it may refer to one single person or to any one man that would be wise and succeed well in his Affairs or Enterprizes in whatsoever he takes in hand or it may comprehend any wise and pious community of men Civil or Ecclesiastical for that which is the duty and true Interest of any one true Son of Wisdom as so considered is the duty of all in every place or station where they are set whether in Church or State 2. Observe the Object Acknowledge Him That is the Lord as repeated in the Context Trust in the Lord So here Acknowledge Him i. e. He that is your Creator your God and only Counsellor 3. Consider the matter of the Duty or what the Duty or Precept is In all thy ways acknowledge him That is Know him Own him Acknowledge his Being his Wisdom his Power his Soveraignty and expect Counsel and Success from him 4. The Universality of the Duty In all thy ways Acknowledg God Seek to him Consult with him and that not only in one or two main cases that are of the greatest moment or in some difficult Exigencies but in all thy ways whatsoever thou attempt to do for thy Self Family Church or State thou must Acknowledge God Cry to him Consult with him who sits upon the Throne who is the Mighty Counsellor and Everlasting Father and only Potentate and great Ruler of the World In all thy Designs and Undertakings whether it be about the things of this Life or about matters and things that concern the Life that is to come Secondly You have the Motive And he shall or he will direct thy paths He will give thee Wisdom and Counsel and shew thee a right way and Bless thee and give thee good Success in all those things thou settest thy hand to do or in that work thou goest about wherein his Name and Glory is concerned and thy good From the words thus Opened I shall only observe one Proposition or point of Doctrine Doct. That it is the Indespensible Duty of every Man or all Men who are Sons of Wisdom in every thing they enter upon or go about to do to Acknowledge God which they must do if they would Prosper or meet with Success In speaking to this Proposition I shall endeavour God Assisting to do these things following 1. Shew you what it is to Acknowledgd God or open the purport of that word more largly 2. Shew you in what ways more particularly we should Acknowledg God 3. Shew you how or after what manner we should Acknowledg the Lord. 4. Give you the Reasons of the Point 5. Make Application of the whole 1. To Acknowledge God Is to own the Being of God or that God is or that there is one Eternal and Infinite Being It was a great while before Proud Pharoah would do this And Pharoah said Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go I know not the Lord I am the Soveraign Lord of Egypt and I own no other Superiour here What Lord hath Authority and Power over me to command me But the Lord was resolved to make him know him and acknowledge him before he had done with him and therefore poured forth his Plagues upon him and at last overthrew him in the Red Sea Those who will not Acknowledge God and so Grorifie his Dreadful Name he will Glorifie himself upon them at last in their Destruction And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord when I stretch forth my hand upon Egypt and bring out
to our paths in respect of Civil Affairs you may add any other way or work you go about O! How doth it concern us to Acknowledge God for Preservation and a Blessing in all things even in taking Journies by Land or Voyages to Sea and when we go out in the Morning and return in the Evening when we lie down and when we rise up or enter upon any Religious Work 1. About our Receiving Retaining or Declining of any one or more Principles of Religion VVe should Acknowledg God and Consult with him in and by his Holy VVord we ought to examine and try the Point or Principle we are about to Receive or Leave Is it according to what is written Doth God's word confirm it to be a Truth Then receive it but cry to God for VVisdom and Understanding in the Case be fully perswaded in thy own Conscience from the word of God about it On the other hand if thou upon searching canst not find that Doctrine or particular Practice thou hast received formerly is agreeable to Gods word or that 't is not in thy Judgment proveable therefrom then after seeking unto God thou oughtest to reject it though many Good Men Learned Men assert and maintain it to be Truth thou art not to consult with Men nor acknowledge them to be thy rule but God's VVord To the Law and Testimony Search the Scripture Gods word giveth Understanding to the simple Psal. 19 9 10. That is a Lamp to thy Feet and a Light to thy Paths Psal. 119. 105. Men no not Ministers shall be allowed to answer for thee at Christs Bar about any Error thou hast received and dost maintain every one must give an Account to God for himself it will not be a good plea in that day to say Lord such an able Minister held this Principle Preach'd it Practiced it God may reveal some Truth more clearly to an Aquilla and a Priscilla than to an Eloquent Apollo Act. 18. 26. 2. Thou art to Acknowledge God seek to him concerning what Minister or Ministers thou dost purpose to hear and know their Doctrine well and their Lives also see that they Preach Christ that they Preach the Gospel clearly whose main design is to Exalt Jesus Christ and the Free Grace of God and particularly that they are Sound about the Doctrine of Free Justification by the Righteousness of Christ as it is Imputed and Received by Faith alone without any mixture of Mans own Inherent Righteousness O take heed this day is Perilous there are many that are Corrupters of Gods VVord and perverters of Christs Gospel thou mayst before thou art aware be undone by dangerous Heresies 3. Acknowledge God and seek to him when thou art about to joyn thy self with some Church in point of Communion Examine their Faith their Constitution their Discipline see they all hold weight with God's word And if thou art Tempted to leave a True Church because of some offence taken acknowledge God seek to him consult with the word of God least it be from Satan a Temptation and arises from thy own Evil Heart say Shall I not be a Covenant Breaker a Disorderly Person and an Evil Example to others VVill it not offend God or stumble my weak Brother Thus reason with thy Self say Shall I consult with Flesh and Blood and gratifie my Corrupt part This may deter thee from it 3. Acknowledge God and Seek to him when thou comest to hear the word of God Preached say Lord 't is thou must prepare my heart to meet with thee this day O open thou my Understanding incline my VVill move upon my Affections deliver me from Drousiness Deadness Unbelief from all kind of Pride Conceitedness from Prejudice against the Minister or any Truth that he may deliver that I want Light in What I know not teach thou me 'T is not man can reach thy heart not the Ministers Voice that can make thee Hear and Live but the Voice of Christ 't is God that can turn thee from Darkness to Light from the power of Satan unto God Thou mayest reform thy way or get some degree of Reformation by thy natural powers improved by the word Preached but 't is God alone must change thy Heart a new Heart must be created in thee by God's mighty and glorious Creating-Power and his Spirits operating Influences it is God that commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness that must shine into our Hearts to give us the Light of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. 6. We have this Treasure in earthen Vessels that the excellency of the Power may be of God and not of us verse 7. Do not trust to thine own Power nor rebellious Will 't is God must make thee willing he must draw thee move thee before thou canst come to Christ Faith is not of our selves 't is the gift of God Ephes. 2. 8. 9. 't is God must turn thee from thy evil way and change those vicious Habits that are in thee and in all Men naturally Can the Aethiopian change his Skin c. Turn thou me and I shall be turned O! thus acknowledge God cry to him who works all our Works in us and for us 'T is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but of God that sheweth Mercy Rom. 9. 17. Did Men thus acknowledge God he would soon direct their Path and give Success to them in their Duties Ministers should also acknowledge God in their Gifts and Endowments what have they which they have not received and their own Insufficiency 5. We should acknowledge God when we come to draw near to him in the Holy Supper of the Lord it is he that must prepare our Hearts for this his sacred Ordinance also The preparation of the heart in man and the answer of the tongue are from the Lord Prov. 16. 1. What Heavenly Comfort do we meet with or have we met with at one time more than at another How lively are our Spirits and active our Graces when God vouchsafeth his Divine Influences and quickens us in our Duties Did we muse the Fire might soon burn 'T is God must deliver us from vain Thoughts worldly Thoughts when we draw near to him and stir up our Affections and raise our Spirits therefore thus let us acknowledge him that we may set under Christ's Shadow with delight that his Fruit may be sweet to our Taste But no more as to these more ordinary ways of ours whether Civil or Religious but to proceed to that which is the chief Work of this day We ought to acknowledge God in divers special Cases 1. As in choice of Ministers to watch over us and take the care of our Souls we should acknowledge God who hath promised to give us Pastors after his own heart to feed us with knowledge and understanding Jer. 3. 15. 2. In choice of Magistrates to rule us or to represent us in National Synods and
Afflictions Troubles Reproaches Trials even all kind of Adversity to cōme from God for whoveer may be the Instruments yet God is the only Agent and Orderer of them 13. And lastly To Acknowledge God is to love him above all and to seek unto him in all we do and to strive to promote his Glory he that is our chief Good should be our last end our ultimate end in all we do we should aim at the Glory of God and to carry on with all uprightness his Interest to the utmost Power that is in us in the places and stations where we are set by him Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart with all thy Soul and with all thy Strength So much as to the first thing proposed to be opened namely What it is to acknowledge God Secondly I shall shew you in what ways of ours more particularly we should acknowledge God or wherein we should acknowledge him 1. In entring upon no Civil nor Religious Action without consulting with God in and by his Word we should put this Question to our own Hearts viz. Is the thing that I am a going to do good is it warranted by the word of God is it according to his Will will it tend to his Glory is it not only lawful but is it also expedient if the matter I am a going to do be not justified by the word of God though my end may be good yet the thing is evil may I do it and not offend God or will it not hurt my Brother or cause him to stumble Were such Questions put by all Men to their own Hearts it would prevent many Evils in Men's Civil Actions Also when Men enter upon any Religious Duty they should consult the word of God see whether the thing be warranted hath God commanded me to do this thing have I Precept or Presedent to justifie me in doing of it Brethren we are not to consult Men General Counsels nor Ancient Fathers but the Word of God 't is not Custom here will carry the Cause though it be of some hundred of years standing if from the beginning it was not so nor is it sufficient though many Learned Men nay Holy Men assert it to be a Truth if it be not written in God's Word Where God hath no Tongue to speak we should have no Ear to hear nor Hand to do but alas some Men more consult their own Carnal Reason and Interest their own Profits their own Passions than God's Word and his Glory many peruse their unwarrantable blind Zeal like Paul when a Pharisee who verily thought he ought to do many things against the Name of Jesus of Nazareth though it was to the making a fearful Slaughter of Christ's blessed Members 2. Men should acknowledge God in all their Purposes or about what they think to do or intend to do before they put them into Execution Man sometimes purpose and God disappoints Go to now you that say to day or to morrow we will go into such a City and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain whereas you know not what will be on the morrow 3. Men should before they enter upon any Action Civil or Religious seek to God by Prayer for VVisdom and Direction and also for Strength Aid and Assistance and they that do not this do not as they ought Acknowledge God and thus I say in a more general way we should do though it be in the smallest matters and in the doing of things that are Lawful to be done if they would have Success therein But to descend to some few particular things and cases about the doing or entering upon the doing of which we should seek to God and so in a right way Acknowledge him 1. When any Young Men or any Persons begin to set up for themselves or to Trade in the World they should Acknowledge God or seek to him for Counsel and Direction about that Affair that they may succeed well therein and receive a Blessing from him for in vain do Men rise up early and sit up late unless God be sought unto and is pleased to prosper them in their Undertakings How was Jacob Blessed as a Shepheard which was his employment who in all he did Acknowledged God and called upon him Riches got and not by the Almighty or in a lawful way will prove a Curse to him that getteth the 't is a God Provoking Evil to say in thine heart My power and the might of my hand hath gotten me Wealth but thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for it is he that giveth thee power to get Wealth Deut. 8. 17 18. Riches and Honour which are a Blessing and tendeth not to puff up a Man or Woman cometh from God 2. Men and Women should Acknowledge God in changing their condition this is a great thing and the Comfort of Mens Lives much consist in this matter A Prudent Wife is from the Lord Prov. 19. 14. But alass now a days People in this matter act like to the wicked Men of the old World They take them Wives of all which they choose Gen. 6. 2. Which is charged upon them as a great sin and one cause of the Destruction brought upon them by the Flood How did Sampson suffer by his Dalilah whom he chose because he liked her well perhaps she was fair but he consulted not with God but How well did Abraham's Servant succeed in obtaining a Wife for Isaac his Master's Son by Seeking unto God and Acknowledging him You Young Men and Women that truly Fear God see you to it that you in the choice of Yokefellows Acknowledge God consult his VVord choose such that are Godly such that Believe in Christ let his VVrod be your Rule in this matter Be not unequally Yoaked with Unbelievers your Peace with God and the Comfort of your Lives depend on this matter do not as the Sons of God in the old world did and as Sampson did viz. Choose such as you like but such as God likes and approves of 3. We should Acknowledge God in Removing from one place to another from one Countrey to another or from one Habitation to another or from one Trade or Employment to another We should first seek the Kingdom of God Will this remove make for the profit of my precious Soul Will it turn to the Glory of God It should not be What Air or what Earthly Profit may I find there where I am going but is the Gospel Preached there in the Purity of it can I have communion with godly Christians there or Will not my Spiritual Loss be more than my Earthly gain so in the other case say Will not more snares attend that Calling I am about to enter upon Shall I not run my self into Temptations by doing it Doth not my present Employment bring me in Food and Rayment and ought not I therewith to be Content I only mentino these few Cases as