THE CONTENTS THe Introduction to the words of the Text. Page 1. The Psalmists two-fold Experiment his Malady and Relief a Demonstration that God is good to Israel Page 2 The Particulars contained in the Text with the Observations raised from each Particular Page 4 The first principal Doctrine That God is the Rock of a Saints heart strength and portion for ever Page 5 Divided into two Branches Page 6 The first branch that God is the Rock of a Saints heart strength proved by Scripture ib. Explained in three particulars 1. He is the Author and giver of all strength 2. He is the increaser and perfecter of a Saints strength 3. He is the preserver of a Saints strength ib. Six Positions laid down by way of Demonstration Page 7 1. All strength is in God originally and fully ib. 2. The Israel of God have a peculiar interest in the strength of God Page 8 3. According to the Saints communion with God and Gods influence into them such is their strength Page 9 4. According to the fulness and extent of Grace promised in the Covenant of Grace such is Gods influence into the hearts of his people for their strength Page 13 5. According to that mutual Transact that is between God the Father and his Son Christ Jesus both on Gods part and on the Believers part so doth the Covenant give forth its vertue and grace to the Believer Page 14 6. According to the Spirits Revelation of this Grace in the Heart such is our sense and feeling thereof and according to our sense and feeling thereof such is our comfort Page 18 Vse of Instruction to all true Believers 1. To account God their strength 2. To give God the glory of their strength Page 19 The second Branch of the first principal Doctrine That God is Israels portion for ever proved and explained Page 40 Demonstrated by shewing how God comes to be a Saints portion Page 44 The Vse of Inference is in three particulars 1. That the people of God are the richest people Page 52 2. That the people of God are a truly happy people Page 53 3. That the people of God cannot be made miserable ib. The second Vse is of Instruction to teach us 1. Where to have a Portion for our selves and ours Page 54 2. That if we would have God to be our portion we must be his Page 56 The third Vse is of Direction and Counsel to Gods Israel 1. To learn the distinction to the height between God in himself or God in the Creature and the Creature without God Page 59 2. To be content with such things as they have Page 61 3. Not to be solicitously or distrustfully careful for what they want Page 62 4. Above all to be thankful for the enjoyment of God Page 63 The second principal Doctrine That Divine Relief flows from God to his people according to their necessity Page 64 The particular Cases wherein a Christian stands in need of Divine Relief are failing of the Flesh and failing of the Heart Page 65 Divine Relief flows in divers wayes when the comforts of a mans life fails him Page 66 Divine Relief flows in divers wayes when the outward man fails Page 75 Divine Relief flows in when the Vnderstanding fails Page 87 When the Will fails Page 94 When the Memory fails Page 102 Divine Relief flows in when the infused habits fail Page 110 God works four things for the Christians good by his decay in Grace and falling into Sin Page 114 1. Hereby God discovers that corruption that is in the Heart ib. 2. Hereby God teaches the Soul where its strength lies Page 115 3. The falls of Christians through the weakness of Grace and the power of Sin are made notable Antidotes and Preservatives against final Apostacie ib. 4. These falls and decayes settle him faster and make him root deeper in Christ Page 116 Four Cautions entered hereupon Page 118 Divine Relief flows in when the Animal Spirits fail through Disappointment Page 122 When they fail through the hiding of Gods face Page 124 When they fail through a sense of Sin and Gods displeasure for it Page 128 When they fail through a sudden passion of fear Page 132 When they fail through some strong temptation of Satan Page 136 The Doctrine confirmed by three Reasons The First Taken from that near relation that is between God and good men Page 140 The second taken from Gods design in all his peoples straights and necessities Page 142 The third taken from the beautifulness of Relief in the time of necessity Page 144 A grand Case put by a Christian that doubts of his Interest in God because he hath no experience of Divine Relief flowing into him according to his necessity resolved Page 145 Vse 1. From this Doctrine is inferr'd the woful state and condition of those who have no Interest in God Page 152 The second Vse is of Comfort to all that have an Interest in God Page 154 An Objection against taking Comfort from this Doctrine drawn from the Christians unworthy walking of former Relief answered Page 155 Jehovah Iireh OR THE Saints Relief In a Time of EXIGENCY Held forth in several Sermons Preached at Stowe Market in SVFFOLK By Samuel Blackerby Minister of the Gospel and Vicar there LONDON Printed for Nevil Simons at the Princes Arms in S. Paul's Church Yard 1674. SERMON I. The Saints Relief in a time of Exigency Psal 73.26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever THough Divine truth may be clearly understood by Divine revelation yet the heart of a Christian is then most confirmed and settled in the belief thereof and most confident to assert it when he hath had some experience of the power and life thereof in himself when he can say I know this by experience The first conception and rise of true faith and sound knowledge springeth from Divine principles revealed and explained by the Holy Spirit but the confirmation thereof flows from experiments made and had of those principles We need go no further than this Psalm for a proof hereof The Prophet whoever he was was one that was endued with a saving knowledge of Divine Principles and with faith therein I but the confirmation of his faith was made by a Divine work in which the life and power of those principles shone forth He did believe at first that God was good to Israel I but his faith was not strong and able to overcome an assault and to quench this fiery dart that Satan shot at him until he had found the truth of this principle by experience in himself So you may see vers 2 3 13 14. Sense prevails against his faith until such a Divine work was wrought in himself as terminated his faith and sense in one object Now he can with boldness and great confidence assert that God is good to Israel c. For he is able to give a demonstration thereof
also carry thee He cares not how much weight a Christian layeth on his back a true Israelite may ease himself and best please his God at once God delights not to see tears in thine eyes or paleness in thy countenance thy groans and sighs make no Musick in his ears he had rather that thou wouldest free thy self of thy burden by casting it upon him that he might rejoyce in thy joy and comfort Now true confidence in God and resting upon God will both free thee of thy burden and also bring in the strength of God to sustein and bear thee up from falling wouldest thou therefore own God as thy strength and fetch strength from God to thy soul rest upon God roll thy self upon him And that 1. In times of greatest weakness 2. In times of the greatest service 3. In times of the greatest trials First In times of greatest weakness when thou feelest thine inherent strength to fail yet be not discouraged but rest upon the rock of thy strength That is the truest act of Faith that hath no created supporters but is terminated in God alone it is no hard matter for a strong man to believe and to be confident but it is a difficult thing for a man to discern the truth of his faith when created strength is at its height take away the crutch and then you will see what he will lay hold on next to bear up his lame legs with When a Christian finds nothing in himself then to rest on God is an evidence of true faith Faith in God under poverty of Spirit is a precious faith 't is such a faith as is peculiar to the people of God such a faith as they must set on work Zeph. 3.12 I will leave among you men that are humble a poor people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. When God hath emptied a man of all self-strength and made him poor then is the time for him to trust in the Lord. God hath a way to make a rich man poor and take nothing from him and to make a strong man weak and yet not diminish his strength Quest. How doth God this Answ By giving him an humble spirit making him poor in spirit So that his heart is taken off his riches and off his strength and now such an one will trust in God But sometimes God makes men poor and brings them low indeed on purpose that they may learn to trust in God alone 2 Cor. 1.10 We received the sentence of death that we might learn not to trust in our selves but in the living God So 1 Tim. 1.5 She that is a widow is left alone and trusts in God Why truly to allude to this there is many a soul who hath been wedded to a self-strength and God hath cut it off and made her a widow one left alone that she might trust in God Rom. 7.4 O Beloved if this be your case that God hath widdowed your souls and stript you naked of all created and communicated strength that you are poor and weak helpless and comfortless now is your time to cast your souls on God for all strength to bear you up Secondly In times of the greatest and highest service and employment whether doing or suffering account God your strength by resting on him and trusting in him 1 Tim. 4.10 Therefore we labour and suffer reproach because we trust in the living God The work of the Apostles and Primitive Christians was very great and very high they stood in need of a mighty aid for it was beyond their inherent strength and therefore they did commit themselves and their work to the rock of their strength As there is no work so little but exceeds our strength so there is no work so great but there is a proportion'd strength to it to be had in God When God therefore calls thee forth to hard and high service such as makes every vein in thy heart to bleed and every string ready to crack do not think it a work beyond omnipotency's power sit not down dejected as if God required impossibilities of thee but trust him and thou shalt but bear the name he will do the work no man ever failed in his work who had the strength of God for his help His strength ever rises as his work rises and the higher the service is the greater shall be his strength Esay 40.29 30 31. And therefore when God called Moses forth to deliver Israel from the power of Egypt see what he saith to him Exod. 3.10 11 observe here Moses is doubtful of his own strength and pleads that as an excuse for his refusal of the work Who am I q. d. Alass this is a work beyond my skill and ability to perform Now to this God answers by a promise of his presence I will certainly be with thee q. d. I will make up all thy imperfections and weakness in mine own fulness and strength the greater the work is the more I will manifest my self and the less thou hast in thy self the more thou shalt receive from me And therefore when Moses pleads his excuse with a particular demonstration of his inability God gives a particular answer Exod. 4.10 11 12 Lord saith Moses I am not cloquent but am slow of speech and of a slow tongue and therefore very unfit for the work I am not able to deliver thy message either to Pharao or to the children of Israel but shall rather spoil it then deliver it Now God gives a particular answer to this particular objection First by way of Interrogation Who made mans mouth i.e. Cannot I that made the mouth cure the imperfection of it cannot I give thee an eloquent and a ready tongue Secondly by way of particular promise in reference to that particular case Now therefore go and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say the like you have Matt. 10.19 It shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak Divine assistances do ever flow in according to the greatness of the work It shall be all one to thee to perform a very high piece of service for God with a strength proportioned to it as it will be to do a lesser work with a little strength Do but rest upon the rock of your strength and you will never be troubled at your work Thirdly In times of the greatest trials when thou art conflicting with spiritual or corporal enemies then rest on the rock of thy strength Sometimes a Christian is as it were drawn forth into the field to encounter with sin and Satan and these two grand enemies of the souls Salvation do set all their power and policy on work to foil and ruine him sin that sets upon him as Satans messenger and buffets him and Satan stands with his bow in his hand and shoots fiery darts at him to wound and torment his soul Now what should he do in this case why rest on the rock of his
work of God will most certainly cause a frown from God He hides his face from such as being ashamed to own them And indeed it is a shame that Satans servants should be more active and laborious in his vasallage and drudgery then the servants of God oftentimes are in their high and heavenly calling and employment I say God is even ashamed of them and therefore hides his face from them O it is very good for Christians to examine themselves when they find an ebb in their comforts whether there is not an ebb in their spirits that they are not so lively and active for God as they have been Secondly idle unactive Christians that do not lay out their strength for God are in danger of the loss of Gods assisting presence for a time To what purpose should God give in new influences when as the soul neglects to lay out his former incomes What reason hath the soul to expect that God should stand by him and give in a new supply of grace to sit still and do nothing God is not so prodigal of his grace and 't is but folly in the soul to expect it The promise runs thus the Lord is with you while you are with him i. e. when the soul waits upon God in the way of obedience and is faithful to lay out communicated strength therein to the utmost then God attends all his motions and communicates new supplies to help him forward therein but now when the heart grows dead and the spirit dull to Holy employment God withdraws himself and leaves the soul for a time Some say they must not enter upon a duty until the spirit of God moves them Why truly such men oftentimes sit still a long time without a motion from the spirit No we must attempt our duty and then we may hope for the motions of the spirit but otherwise we cannot The Holy Spirit is an active Spirit and he cannot endure to lodge in an idle unactive soul also when the soul once takes off his hand from Holy employment the Holy Spirit departs The Church never found such a sensible withdrawing of her beloved from her as when she was laid down to rest her self upon her pillow of ease and self enjoyment As you may see Cant. 5.2 6. She found it very hard to recal him and recover her enjoyment of him And so it will be with all those that are in that posture Mark her expression I opened to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone my soul failed when he spake I sought him but I could not find him I called him but he gave me no answer See here how God repays the soul in its own Coyn. She will do nothing for God and now God will do nothing for her She would not answer God when he called but was dumb and silent and now God will not answer her when she calls She would not seek him when he offered to be found of her and now he will not be found though she seek him She would not lay out that strength for God which she had and now he denies her that strength which she wants Thirdly An idle unactive Christian is in danger of falling into some powerful temptation When a man once leaves off working for God Satan will presently set him to work If thou canst not find in thine heart to pray meditate believe repent and walk close with God the Devil will find thee work to thy cost The truth is the soul of man can't lie still it must move and act Now if it be taken off from that which is good it will fall to that which is naught Little did David think what a bait Satan had laid for him when he went up to the roof of his house and there walked from thence did those two horrible sins of uncleanness and murther take their rise When a man goeth forth out of his Chamber in a morning with a purpose to spend a day idly and vainly he little thinks what the issue thereof may be before night An idle unactive Christian tempts Satan to tempt him and Satan never goeth up and down unprovided but according to the temper of the person or the season of the year or the place of a mans converse or the age of his life fits and prepares such a snare for him as may most undoubtedly catch him to the breaking of his peace and the wounding of his conscience And indeed the less any Christian works for God the greater advantage Satan hath to work upon him When thou intermittest thy seasons of praying and conversing with God in his Holy Ordinances then the roaring Lion comes and makes a prey of thee Thou art then meat for his tooth And know this that sins of Commission do for the most part if not always take their rise at sins of Omission Thou dost not perform that which God commands and Satan provokes thee to that which God hath forbidden Thou straglest and wanderest out of Gods way and 't is no wonder if this high way adversary take thee up Fourthly Thou art in danger of having thy heart more corrupted hereby The heart of the best is bad enough but by idleness it will be worse Standing water will soon corrupt and so will an idle unactive spirit The less a Christian is imployed in Holy Duties the worse will his heart grow more prone to evil and less disposed to good When a Clock stands still long the wheels will contract rust and put it out of Order Even thus it will be with the heart of man when it is not in continual motion towards God and often wound up into an heavenly frame it contracts abundance of filth that puts it out of order and renders it unfit for holy action it his hard to get the heart into a good frame for communion with God if a Christian take never so much pains with it but if it be in never so good a temper it will soon be out again if a man take not as much pains to keep it so as to get it into it The corruption that is in mans heart will quickly overtop his grace if he stirs not up himself to oppose it An idle Christian cannot continue a good Christian long Fifthly If thou beest idle and unactive thy Spiritual strength will much abate So much as thou abatest of this Christian work so much will thy spiritual strength abate He that will not work when he can will not be able to work when he would For as grace is strengthened by exercise so it decays by idleness And it is a just judgement of God to take away our Talents from us when we do not improve them for his advantage Matt. 25. Branch 2. God is Israels portion for ever Now in the handling this truth I shall do three things 1. Prove it by Scripture 2. Explain it 3. Give you the grounds and reasons and so apply it First For proof turn to that of David
and makes them instrumental to carry on a most glorious design How often doth God convince and affect the hearts of sinners by those Lectures which he reads to them out of the book of the creature Yea sometimes the wheelings and turnings about of States and Nations in the world sometimes the changes that come upon mens persons or estates are strangely improved for the change of their hearts Sometimes an evil feared or felt a good hoped for or enjoyed expectation frustrated or hope deferred comforts multiplied or turned into crosses prayers heard or denyed are sanctified and bless'd for spiritual and soul-advantage yea there are many men had not been happy if others had not been miserable the fall and ruine of some hath proved the rise of others Oh the wheel in the middle of a wheel Thus you have heard something of the motion of this divine wheel I but you do not see it For Thirdly This is a mystery a very great mystery for it is a wheel in the middle of a wheel a wheel that no mortal eye ever saw a wheel that the most sublime understanding cannot reach and as the wheel it self is a divine secret hid in the brightness of its own glory so is its motion And therefore saith the Psalmist Psal 77.19 Thy way O God is in the sea thy paths in the great waters and thy footsteps are not known And again Psal Thy way is in the Sanctuary I in that Sanctuary into which none can enter but the high Priest unless the Veil be rent Hence comes the prophetick Spirit to be of use in its time for had men been able to foresee the plotting and contrivances of divine providence or to trace it in its workings the Spirit of Prophecy had not been so necessary as it was And therefore God raiseth up an Ezekiel and by an immediate vision instructs him that he might let the people understand their future state and condition and indeed 't is in Gods light that we see light 'T is true external wheels are visible instruments and agents may be seen I but as the wheel within the wheel is invisible so are all its workings upon the wheels untill they are brought off And therefore is that counsel given Prov. 27.1 Beast not thy self of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth Time travelleth with divine counsels and in its season brings them forth I but little do men know what is in the womb thereof untill she be delivered And therefore saith the Lord Es 55.9 As the heavens are above the earth so are my wayes above your wayes and my thoughts above your thoughts And indeed an infinite mind must needs have transcendent conceptions and thoughts such as are above the reach of a finite mind Now the wayes of God being correspondent to the thoughts of God they must needs be very dark and mysterious unto us And hence it is that men talk so much of dark and complexed providences Not that there is any daskness in them Non caeco impâ—tu volvuntur rotae the wheels are not carried on blindly No! but because their motion is above our apprehension And therefore 't is said ver 18. As for their Rings they were so light that they were dreadful Things that are above our reach are not only Soul-amazing but sometimes Soul-terrifying and do put us in a posture of fear and trembling When we know not what to think of things we are apt to dread them that which is an object of admiration is sometimes a cause of fear and dread Hence it is that sometimes those providential administrations that are big with Soul-merâ—iâ—s and refreshing comforts are by our dark understandings mis-represented and rendred as dreadful to us as if they were nothing else but signs of divinâ— wrath and vengeance Even as Christs walking upon the Sea towards his Disciples for their relief and comfort put them into a pannick fear because they thought that they had seen a Spirit However whether this be alwayes the effect or not yet this is certain that providential plots and works are very high very mysterious We may say more truly of God then we can of any man that he walks in the clouds that of the Psalmist Psal 18.9 if full for the purpose He bowed the heavens and came down and darkness was under his feet And again He made darkness his secret place For the truth is nothing of God or the counsels of God is further known then he is pleased to reveal And so the Apostle argues 1 Cor. 2.11 For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man which is in him even so no man knoweth the things of God but the spirit of God Hence it is that four things fall out frequently 1. Carnal reason confuted 2. Carnal confidence and hope disappointed 3. Unbelief reproved 4. A well grounded faith honoured and confirmed First Carnal reason is often confuted by the mysteriousness of providential administration for they often tell the rational and wise men of the world that their apprehensions and assertions are a meer non sequitur And therefore Saint Paul 1 Cor. 1.20 Triumphs over them with four sarcasmal questions Where is the Wise Where is the Scribe Where is the Disputer of this world Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this-world Where are they alas they are forced to get into an hole and to hide their heads as men confounded and amazed one act of providence scatters them and makes them fly at least strikes them dead dumb They that were continually scribling cannot now write And they that thought themselves the only wise and knowing men now see that they know nothing And they that would never be quiet but would be ready to quarrel with every one they met with that were of a contrary opinion and spake wisdom among them that are perfect are now silent for that which they accounted reason and wisdom appears to be folly and that which they accounted folly appears to be reason and wisdom Oh what a change doth a divine providence work in some mens heads at least what a check doth it give to some mens apprehensions And hence is that counsel given by the Lord himself to all such men Zech. 2. ult Be silent O all flesh before the Lord for he is raised out of his holy habitation And oh that men were so wise as to take this counsel in due time Secondly Hence it is that carnal confidence and hope is often disappointed Men sow the wind and reap the whirl-wind expect good and meet with evil look for light and behold darkness So Mich. 1.12 The inhabitants of Maroth waited carefully for good but evil came down from the Lord. Thirdly Hence also it is that unbelief is often really reproved O fools and slow of heart to believe is a frequent message that an unbeliever meets with in the very acts of divine providence Men will not believe that such and such