an hundred times and his days be prolonged yet surely I knovv that it shall be well with them that fear God How will ye prove that because he fears before him but it shall not be vvell with the wicked neither shall he prolong his days which are as a shaddow because he feareth not before God No approbation lyes in the bosom of forbearance Another Scripture that gives a dreadful refutation to them that take forbearance for pardon is that Psal 50.21 These things thou hast done and I kept silence thou thought that I was altogether such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Now consider this all ye that forget God lest I tear you in peices and there be none to deliver There is a refutation of all the wicked mans dreams anent God and his forbearance And if ye would have a third Scripture take the forecited place Rom. 2.4 5. Thou despisest the riches of his goodness forbearance and long suffering not knowing that it leadeth thee to Repentance but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up to thy self wrath against the day of wrath Thou may treasure up other things as thou will for thy advantage but thou shalt find thou treasurest up wrath to thy ruine thou may think because thou prospers in Sin God approves of thee as the saying is prosperum faelix scelus virtus vocatur Wickedness is called a virtue because it thrives yet remember that forbearance is no Pardon 4. In taking up the nature of pardon negatively Consider That God's pardoning of particular Sinners whereby he restores them in favour is not to be confounded with National Pardons which God gives to Nations This pardon is many times spoken of in Scripture though by analogy we may draw them to a particular pardon So the scope of that place Num. 14.19 runs another way than to particular Persons and respects a National Pardon Pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people sayes Moses according to the greatness of thy mercy as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even untill now I have pardoned according to thy word sayes the Lord but truly as I live all the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. I have pardoned but yet I will punish and vindicat mine honour So that passage Psal 78.38 But he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not when they deserved That was a pardon of the Nation or a National Pardon Now a National Pardon amounts only to this when the Lord forbears to root out a Nation as the Lord threaten â—o Moses that he would root out Israel in that forecited place Num. 14.12 That he would Dis-inherit them and make of him a greater Nation and a Mightier than they when he keeps them in their own Land as he did Israel and does not root them out or when he continues with them the priviledge of a Church though he plague them and weed out a godless generation from among them as he did out of Israel that in the space of 38 years time there was not a man of them left that were 20 years old and upwards when they came out of Egypt save Caleh and Joshua So the Lord may pardon a Nation and yet punish them he may by his Judgments weed out the generality of a Generation and send them to the Pit which may consist with a National pardon when he doth not cut off the Nation or suffers them to enjoy the priviledges of a Church But the pardon of a particular Sinner is when he sits down at God's Footstool and Judges himself and closes with Christ for righteousness and that 's another thing And 5. In taking up the nature of pardon Negatively We must beware of confounding the pardon of Sin with the removal of Sin the prosecution whereof would lead me to speak Positively wherein pardon of Sin consists to the guilt and pollution of Sin and the different acts of God about both but because that will give the rise to other Questions I shall remit it to another occasion only here ye shall distinguish these three The filth of Sin the power of Sin and the guilt of Sin The filth of Sin is the foul stain that Sin leaves behind it The guilt of Sin is the Offence done to God and the Obligation to punishment resulting thereupon the power of Sin is the Tyrrany that Sin exercises over the Sinner Now when I say we are not to confound the pardon of Sin with the removal of Sin ye would understand it aright I grant that God strikes at the guilt of Sin and the power of Sin both at once which is this in plain languege that a pardoned sin must not be a reigning sin where the vertue of the blood is applyed for pardon the power of the blood will also be applyed for the subjugating of sin and putting it from the Throne and therefore in the by ye may take it as a noble evidence of pardon when sin is subdued or if it be not subdued yet ye are engadged against your own sinful disposition that it prevails not with your consent but for the filthiness of sin though it be stricken at as soon as any of the former Regeneration layes the Ax to the Root of that Tree yet it remains in the Saints till death make the separation Paul Rom. 7. Hath a Law in his members rebelling against the Law in his his mind till Death but the pardon of sin is attainable before death and given in Justification and afterward upon the justified persons Repentance for particular faults and therefore consequently it is not to be confounded with the removal of sin sin may be pardoned and pardon of sin is consistent with the sight of the filthiness of sin for which the soul is abased before God dayly after Regeneration though sin doth not reign and that 's it wherein the pardon of sin consists even in the taking away of the guilt of sin and the souls obligation to wrath though the filth of sin remain SERMON XI Psalm 130. Verse 4. But there is forgivenness with thee I Am now insisting upon the refuge to which the man abased with the conscience of sin betaketh himself who when he hath reflected upon Gods proceedings in strict Justice according to the tenor of the Covenant of Works with sinners and who when he hath found that if God should thus mark iniquity none even the most godly should be able to stand he subjoyns this as a blest aftergain in mans deplorable case But forgivenness is with thee In prosecution of this great truth that there is pardoning-mercy with God to be a relief for Self-condemned sinners I have spoken to two of the five heads that I proposed to be spoken to upon it 1. I have spoken to the Consideration of that which is pardoned that is Iniquity Sin or Transgression or call it by what name ye will 2. I
people of God that they do not forget prosperity and learn to have their desires spiritual and to make up the want of all things in God if they were spiritual in their desires whatever their difficulties were it would be all a matter to them if they got more of God if all their difficulties and wants did run in this channel to pursue for more of God to have him not to be their terror but their hope in an evil day Though they should want the Ordinances he should be a sanctuary to them Though men should curse What then It is all a matter if he bless Though they should be counted the off-scourings of all things contemned reproached no matter if their names be written in Heaven O spiritual desires would not only further an issue but be a present issue in all difficulties but hardly are the children of men out of one of three snares either they are mad on their Idols while they have them or they are mad for the loss of them when they want them or when they are restored to them they surfeit on them as Israel did on flesh in the Wilderness Therefore while their desires are not spiritual carried forth on God and heavenly things to make up the want of things earthly It 's no wonder their delivery be foreslowed of these things and will be forslovved till they cleanse their desires of vvhat they are so much vvedded to and cause lamenting over their buried Idols knovving it vvill be a plague to them to have them restored SERMON XXIV Psalm 130. Verse 5. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope AS in handling the former tvvo Verses I had a great Gospel Truth and Priviledge among my hands so in the fifth sixth Verses there is a lively description of a great and concerning Gospel-duty patient affectionat and confident waiting for God The Duty that is a great Characteristick of a godly man vvho hath a Well vvithin him that neither Summers heat nor Winters frost can dry up but as it is Zech. 14.8 In summer and winter shall it be there and vvho must prove this by his being well breathed to vvait on God vvhen his Promises and Dispensations seem to clash one vvith another vvhen his Word gives one report of him and his dispensations a quit contrair When His Word calls him The hearer of Prayer and His Dispensations say That prayer is shut out and his anger smoaks against the prayers of his people When his vvord says he that hath promised to come will come and will not tarry and his dispensations say not only that he tarrieth but that he vvill never come Here is the vvell breathed Grace of Patience affectionat and confident expectation to believe to vvait on and not to make haste and to be keeped meek in vvaiting on I have spoken to tvvo Heads here from the Psalmist's exercise he is waiting and the Object of his vvaiting he is waiting for the Lord his eyes are taken off all other things and set on God for vvhat he vvould be at and in the faith of that he vvaits on God and keeps his vvay and vvhen any thing of that kind is not accomplished to the satisfaction of sense he waits for the Lord that more enjoyment of him may make up the vvant of these things Sad Dispensations spiritualize his desires It is not any good that vvill satisfie him but it is one thing to behold the beauty of the Lord to have the communion of God and to have the light of his Countenance Novv I proceed to the third thing in the Words That is his affection in vvaiting vvaiting is his exercise the Object of it is the Lord The manner of his vvaiting is affectionat my soul doth wait I do vvait affectionatly and what the measure of his affection in vvaiting is he resumes verse 6. My soul writs for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I shall here speak to tvvo Observations and for the ground of the first Mark That the Psalmist vvhile he professes to vvait he declares that he sets himself against all haste passion and fretfulness about vvhat he vvaited in opposition to these he waits for God But now he finds it necessary to guard against another extream it might be said ye wait and are not fretted with delays and why ye are indifferent for what ye wait for it is indifferent for you whether ye get or want it and therefore ye may wait inconcernedly without wearying No says he though I do wait my affection is not asleep in waiting my soul doth wait I have affection to that which I want yet I labour to have it I have a waiting affection to it with a submissive affection in waiting for it Hence observe 1. That as patient waiting for God is opposit to passion fretfulness bitterness and carnalness on the one hand so on the other it is opposite to dulness stupidity and carelesness about what we want Here the Psalmist professeth himself both a waiter that is not wearied nor cankered and yet he is a soul-waiter with his affection aloft for what he waits for This particular may lead me to take notice of a General to be observed in the way of God's people That is that a mixed condition is their best condition for here ye have a frame made up of Patience and Affection affection running out for that it would be at and patience clogging its wings that it run not out of breath We are full of Byasses and always ready to run on extreams without this mixture if a man have affection it is ready to pick quarrels at delays if he have somewhat of patience that patience is ready to fall asleep but these two make up a sweet frame I might here take notice of these advantages or advantageous mixtures both in the frame of the Saints and in their lots in their lots take them successively we will find odd mixtures in them a rapture to Heaven and a Messenger of Satan sent to buffet them on the back of it It was needful that that eminent servant of God in his exaltation should be keeped with arms of such a messenger and beside these successive mixtures we will find few lots of the saints but a mixture may be observed in them Psal 40.17 I am poor and needy yet thought upon by God 1 Cor. 12.10 When weak yet strong Isai 40.31 When faint yet made to run and not be weary and to walk and not be faint when laid-by men yet made-up men their foot slipping yet Gods mercy holding them up Psal 94.18 Troubled on every side yet not distressed perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed 1 Cor. 4.8 9. As unknown yet well known as dying yet living as chastned and not killed as sorrowful yet always rejoycing as poor yet making many rich as having nothing yet possessing all things 1 Cor. 6.9 These are
Now what shall be said of guilts meeting with wicked men I shall say two words to this and leave the Note One is let a wicked man live never so long without minding his guilt let him have Ordinances and keep up a form of Worship This is to be adverted to that the wicked man never comes into God's presence to worship or pray to him but his iniquity is marked as if he had made a Proclamation of his sin Ponder that Process Isa 1.15 and the foregoing Verses Bring no more vain oblations saith the Lord incense is an abomination to me the new Moons and Sabbaths and calling of assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity even the solemn meeting your new Moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth and when ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of blood Thou that dare come before God without the sense of thy guilt God may look upon thee as proclaiming thy guilt And another word to the wicked shall be this that when ever a day of distress and trouble meets them though all of them will not be honoured with repentance and pardoning mercy they shall find that they have made a very sad bargain Take it in that word Jer. 2.19 Thy own wickedness shall correct thee and thy back-slidings shall reprove thee know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my fear is not in thee But I leave this Note and come to the third Observation that is that when Guilt and Conscience meets sin will be otherways looked upon than men ordinarily do or if ye will have it more distinctly take it thus That the right sense of sin will lead the sensible man to see that in sin that none even the most Godly can stand before God if God deal with them in strict Justice according to the Covenant of Works That is the very marrow of this Verse If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquity O Lord who should stand No man no not a godly man nor any other can stand And although I may if the Lord will have this purpose to resume when I come to speak of pardon and the application of pardon from the next Verse following yet this being an important truth a verity of great weight ye will bear with me though I dip a little more in it than is my ordinary What I would say on it I shall from the Text deduce to you in six particulars which I hope shall give a hint of what at the first view is more material in the words And 1. Take notice of something supposed here that is God's marking of iniquity If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquity where he makes a supposition of God's marking iniquity not that any Question or doubt is to be made of Gods Omniscience that he sees and knows all things and particularly mens sins he hath an exact knowledge of them all as when one marks things most narrowly Neither is there any supposition or question to be made of Gods seeing of sin in the godly so as to be displeased at it Antinomians would be at this they would have no sin seen in them but the scope of this Psalm evinces the contrary God notices the godly mans sin as well as others till he flee to pardoning mercy through a Mediator And David though a godly man acknowledges this Psal 51.4 Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight But the meaning of this the Lord 's marking of iniquity may be taken from the parallel place Psal 143.2 where it is thus expressed Enter not into Judgment with thy servant That 's the marking of iniquity spoken of or supponed in the Text and in short the importance of the Phrase is Gods marking of sin according to the Covenant of Works and in the rules of strict Justice and without looking on the sinner as in a Surety In this respect Gods marking of iniquity being accompanied with absolute holiness perfect purity and justice he cannot away with it nor with the sinner because of it as Psal 5.4 5. Thou art not a God that hast pleasure in wickedness neither shall evil dwell with thee The foolish shall not stand in thy sight thou hatest all workers of iniquity And Hab. 1.13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity God thus marking iniquity according to the rules of strict Justice and without looking on the sinner as in a Cautioner cannot away with it and consequently will punish it Job 11.11 He seeth wickedness also will he not consider it In order to punishment for so that Phrase is Expounded Psal 10.14 Thou hast seen it for thou beholdest mischief and spite to requite it with thine hand And it is Jehu's remark of Ahab 2 King 9.26 Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons saith the Lord and I will requite thee in this plat saith the Lord. The marking of iniquity this way is to men dreadful and ye will find in Scripture that it is a dreadful sight of trouble that some gets when it represents God thus as marking sin to pursue and punish it as in that poor widow 1 King 17.18 O thou man of God saith she to the Prophet art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance and to slay my Son That was a sad sight of trouble and of sin in trouble and Moses in that tragical business in the Wilderness when calamities are falling thick upon that people it is a sad sight of them that he gets when they speak Gods marking of sin Psal 90 8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee our secret sins in the light of thy countenance Thy inflicting of calamity tells us that thou art marking iniquity So much for the first thing supposed here God's marking iniquity 2. Consider here somewhat proposed That if God mark iniquity as a severe Judge according to the strict rules of Justice to punish it and accordingly do punish it the guilty man cannot stand before him This Phrase is equivalent to that Phrase in the parallel place Psal 143.2 If God enter into judgment with men no man living can be justified in his sight And a sinners inability to stand before God is a Phrase frequently made use of to point out the dreadful desert of sin as Psal 5.5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight Ezra 9.15 We are before thee in our trespasses for we cannot stand before thee because of this Psal 1.5 The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous And Psal 76.7 Thou even thou art to be feared and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry Rev. 6.16 17. The great day of the Lambs wrath is come and who is able to stand And to this also
that Phrase may allude which the men of Bethshemesh have when so many are stricken dead for their curious looking into the Ark 1 Sam. 6.20 Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God But that I may explain this a little more distinctly I shall take it up with an eye to humane Judgments or Courts among men in these four 1. Whereas a man when he is to compear before a Court he may stand in Judgment and be rectus in curia as we use to speak Why He is able to plead innocent and he may come off being found so but here a man in whom is iniquity cannot stand The sinner cannot plead sinless as it is Job 9.2 3. I know it is so of a truth but how should man be just with God If he will contend with him he cannot answer him one of a thousand There is no pleading sinless before his Barr. And in particular this is to be applyed to secret sins there is no concealing of the most secret sins when God marks them Pro. 30.20 The way of the adulterous woman is such that she eateth and wipeth her mouth and saith I have done no wickedness but God noticeth it Gehazi abuses his Masters name and goes to Fish from Naaman Silver and Raiment and comes and stands before his Master and says He went no whither but says Elisha Went not my heart with thee when the man turned again from his Chariot to meet thee 2 King 5.22 c. Men may convey their sins very closely and hide their contrivances from men but they consider not they have an Omniscient God for their Party whose Spirit is infinitly above the spirit of Elisha to follow them in all their secret pranks And that 's it that Moses lays to heart Psal 90.8 Thou hast set our sins before thee our secret sins in the light of thy countenance 2. In humane Courts when a man is made present though he cannot stand to plead himself innocent or free of the Debt he is charged with yet he may stand because he is able to pay the Debt though the Sentence pass against him but so cannot a man stand before God when he shall mark iniquity for he hath nothing to satisfie Justice for his fault and hence the man sensible of sin will not look upon the debt of sin as a trifling matter as a matter to be dallied with Those Questions Act. 16.30 What must I do to be saved Act. 2.37 What shall we do Job 7.20 I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men They import that the confession of guilt will not be a sufficient exoneration in the sensible mans account They import also that it is a concerning Case or Question how to be rid of guilt And further they import a submitting to any terms that can be exacted if they be in the sinners power to perform And here I confess Hypocrites when they are told of their fault will offer to make a mends Mic. 6.6 7. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and how my self before the high God Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings with calves of a year old Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or ten thousand rivers of oyl more than he could have offered though it had been accepted Shall I give my first-born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul O! but the sensible man will find that he can make no mends That there is no Fend against guilt but Pardon Job 7.20 I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men And why dost thou not pardon my transgression and take away mine iniquity 3. In humane Courts when a man is made present though he be Sentenced for a Debt he is unable to pay or judg'd guilty of a Crime he can undergo the punishment resolutely and in that respect he may stand in Judgment but here the sinner cannot stand before God marking iniquity that is under the burden of the desert of sin or the deserved punishment thereof without succumbing a man may undergo any punishment inflicted by an humane Court and his natural courage may support him under all that man can inflict but who can stand under everlasting wrath Who can stand before a sin-revenging God and not succumb Who can endure the everlasting torments of Hell and not be everlastingly broken So there is no standing for the guilty sinner before God but he must succumb and break But 4. as amongst men any ingenuous person called for Debt and not being able to pay or being looked upon as a monstruous Criminal by the Judge it will make him blush that he cannot stand before the Judge with confidence So here which should be the result of the former when sinners are sensible of sin and are convinced they cannot stand before God considered as out of a Cautioner it may be matter of blushing and horrour to them and should be so when they find they cannot stand before God marking iniquity This was the posture of the poor Publican who Luk. 18.13 standing a far off would not so much as lift up his eyes to Heaven but smote upon his breast saying God be merciful to me a sinner he had not the confidence to stand before God but he cryed out for pardon And this was the practice of Ezra when he went to God in behalf of the people that had corrupted themselves after Gods kindness towards them and correcting of them for their sins Ezra 9.6 O my God saith he I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee O my God for our iniquities are increased over our head and our trespasses are grown up to the heaven This I say should be the result of all the rest and would be a token for good that God would find out the way how the sinner might stand before him in Judgment If a sinner being convinced he is guilty and that he cannot undergo the punishment without crushing would blush and be ashamed if we were delivered from our brazen Brow and Whores Fore-head that we could not look up to God without shame and blushing there were hope of pardon through a Surety Thus I have done with the first two of the six particulars I proposed to be spoken to for finding out what is said in the Text There are three or four moe to be battered out with the application of the whole which I leave till the Afternoon The Lord bless what ye have been hearing SERMON VI. Psalm 130. Vers 3. If thou LORD shouldest mark iniquities O LORD who shall stand I Am as ye may remember from this Verse making out a very weighty and sad point oâ— truth that there is no standing before God marking iniquities in strict Justice according to the Covenant of Works and for finding out what is said in this Text for bottoming and clearing of this point I proposed to remark six particulars from the Text
any thing be hinted at of their faults will claim to pardon and yet they will not give up themselves to be Children they would live Rebels and yet be pardoned But ye would come to be made Children who in Faith would pray Forgive us our sins A 2d Word which I would say from this is That as Children are dayly falling in sin so their dayly sins are pardonable There were many dangerous and damnable errors in the ancient Church concerning the sins of Church-members that come here to be reproved Some who looked upon the sins of Church-members as the old Gnosticks the Progenitors of the Libertines did they held that sins in godly persons consisted only in opinion that regenerat men do what they would if they should commit the most vile and abominable Acts they were not sins in them This is nothing but corrupt principled monstruous prophaniâ—y or monstruous prophanity rooted in a corrupt principle and those that would hold themselves out of that fearful gulf they would beware of the Antinomian principles as that God sees no sin in Believers that his Law is not to be the Rule of their walk that they need not repent c. For Libertinisme is but a new Edition of Antinomianism in Folio Others again acknowledged sin to be in the godly but they slighted repentance and therefore when scandals fell out in the church they did not require any acknowledgment of their Offence who had fallen in these scandals but while they were reiking in these abominations they entertained Church-communion and fellowship with them This was a turning of the Grace of God into lasciviousness and it is the result in part of that Antinomian principle of the remission of sins from all Eternity so that according to their opinion Repentance was not required inorder to pardon of sin but for intimation of pardon And there were a 3d. sort such as the Novatians who looked so on gross sins after Baptism as though they would seclude them from pardon on repentance nor would they seclude such sinners from making profession of their Repentance yet they would not absolve them nor admit them to Church Communion and fellowship particularly in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper but left them to God to make of them what he pleased Now in opposition to all these is the truth I am upon we confess sins after the receipt of Great mercies are very hainous Ezra 9.14 Should we again break thy commands and joyn in affinity with the people of these abominations wouldest thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us Judges 10.13 Ye have forsaken me and served other gods therefore I will deliver you no more And sin in particular after regeneration is so much the more hainous that God hath been gracious therefore the Apostle having spoken of the abounding grace of God where sin had abounded Rom. 5. At the close he begins the next Chapter with these words What shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein He abominats that after regeneration there should be a relapsing in sin yet the Text here intimats thereis forgivenness with God for the iniquities of Godly men and the Pattern of Prayer Mat. 6. Tells the Children that they may go to God and seek the forgivenness of sins which sayes they would be dayly sinning and God would allow dayly pardon on them in the due order and consequently it was horrid cruelty in the Novatians to seclude such as fall in sins after Baptism from Absolution and Church-fellowship and they would not pardon where God did pardon which made Constantine at the Council of Nice to say to Aclesus their Bishop I see no other of it but ye would make a Ladder to go to Heaven your alone and would have one with you I confess the godly are not to be hugged under their failings but their failings are rather to be aggredged yet upright Walkers as they are most tender in their Conversation so are they most charitable in passing Judgment upon others though they have their failings But there is a 3d. word I would say from this and that is to clear whether all sorts of sins in the godly are pardonable This is a case that hath troubled the Learned and may trouble tender Consciences whether when a man hath repented a sin and found the bitterness of it and hath found God's favour and pardon intimat upon his repentance he may again fall into that sin and get it pardoned over again A case I say that some who are tender may be troubled with when they have fallen in sin and thereafter have found it bitter and have been at God confessed it and believed pardon and yet they have been over-hailed in the same sin over again This I confess before I say any thing to it is a sad case it 's sad to see folks after regeneration and tasting of the Grace of God falling in the same Sins again and it 's yet sadder to see a person after he hath been smarting for it running back to that very folly particularly if it be an out-breaking Sin and the Learned could hardly find an instance in Scripture of that relapsing in Sin in the Godly it 's true Peter did thrice deny his Master and Lot was twice drunken and twice fell in Incest but none of these were after Repentance and intimation of Pardon for Peter was keeped in the hurry of the Temptation till his Sin was thrice out with him and so it was with Loâ— yet I shall give two words for clearing the case 1. That 〈◊〉 regeneration makes not the Saints perfect so neither do I see a ground that a Saint his repenting for a particular fault should keep him from a relapsing in that fault and needing of pardon It is true Psal 85.8 God's speaking of peace to his people is with a caution That they turn not ogaîn to folly But to say if Repentance be true a man will not fall in that folly he hath repented it is not Scriptural Regeneration is our initial Repentance and if that do not prevent falling in Sin it is no wonder that a particular Act of renewed Repentance do it not all the Repentance grief or sorrow that a person hath attained to for Sin is but a creature that except God concurr cannot keep him from falling in sin and God hath not made an absolute promise so to concur with a penitent that he shall not again fall in the same Sin How often doth a penitent when he hath repented to day of his passion pride wandering of mind in duty c. fall in the same Sins to morrow and if he may notwithstanding of Repentance fall into lesser faults why may he not after Repentance fall in grosser we find also godly men after their repenting for their failings falling in grosser out-breakings David after he had repented his falling in trouble and his
using sinful shifts to be out of it fell in these gross and scandalous sins of Adultery and Murther and he that fell in these sins after repentance for other escapes why might he not after repentance have fallen in these same sins over again if the grace of God had not prevented it for though Repentance for particular faults leave behind it an impression of the bitterness of these sins and make them to be loathed which will make it more improbable they will be relapsed in yet it is not impossible otherwise true Repentance being for all sin it should prevent relapsing in any Sin A 2d word which I shall say for clearing the case shall be this that as true repentance is not to be measured by relapsing in sin so it is contrary to Scripture to determine that relapsing in sin after Repentance is unpardonable It 's not the sin against the holy Ghost and therefore pardonable Isai 55.7 Our God will multiply to pardon Even as often as the sinner repents and comes agaâ—n to him to seek pardon were it till seventy times seven times as he bids us forgive others when they sin against us Matth. 18 22. and Hos 14.4 He hath promised to heal backslidings Now these are after Repentance when his people fall back in the same sins out of which they have been recovered by Repentance and for instances of this ye shall only ponder these two One is 2 Chron 18. Jehosaphat his joyning in affinity with Achab for which he is reproved by a Prophet Ch. 19.2 And his Repentance is apparent in the reformation he fell about And yet Chap. 20.35 He falls in the same Sin in joyning with Achaziah to make Ships to go to Tarshish in Eziongeber which were broken for which he was also reproved repented and was pardoned Another instance is that of Jonah A man that fled from the presence of the Lord when sent to Niniveh and is brought to Repentance for that sin in the belly of the Fish Chap. 2 Yet he falls in the same sin Ch. 4.2 Not in fleeing away from God but in repining at his mercy and in his opinion declaring it was needless to go to Niniveh and justifying his former fleeing away These are two clear instances of relapsing in sin after Repentance and Pardon for it This I would not have abused I may have occasion hereafter to speak to what prejudice relapsing in sin brings with it as that it will bring former pardon in question and under debate and though a penitent may be pardoned yet it 's dangerous to bourd with sin after God hath spoken peace to return to folly and to proclaim that all the bitterness folk have found in sin is nothing only I cannot conceal the truth of God from any that may be under a Temptation that having repented such and such sins they have relapsed in them and therefore as they question their Repentance so they think they are to expect no more pardon ye have it cleared from Scripture that these are but Temptations That God would multiply to pardon upon repentance Isai 55.7 And though folks have played the harlot with many lovers and among hands have rewed their wandrings they may return again unto the Lord Jer. 3.1 Now I have done with the first general head of this Doctrine concerning the remission of sin To wit the consideration of that which is pardoned I proceed to the second general Question and that is anent the Author of pardon or who it is that pardons iniquity even God There is forgivenness with thee says the Text That is as I exponed in the entry it 's thy property in opposition to all pretenders it 's thy Property and Prerogative when both the Law and the Conscience have condemned to pardon and forgive Sin This is a truth that was held fast in the Jewish Church when it was most corrupt Therefore Mark 2.7 When Christ pardoned the man sick of the Palsie The Scribes say Why doth this man speak blasphemies Who can forgive sins but God only And it 's one of God's Titles Exod. 34.6 7. That he forgives iniquity transgression and sin and he taketh it to himself as his Prerogative Isai 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions and Matth 9.2 c. Christ in curing the Palsie man paralels the pardoning of his sins with the healing of his disease as proofs of his Deity shewing that both were alike difficult and proved him to be God I must here clear a seeming difficulty that is That pardon of sin is attribut to others both Ministers and private persons It 's attribute to Ministers as John 20. 23. As the Father hath sent me even so send I you receive ye the holy Ghost whosoever sins ye retain they are retained and whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them But certainly it 's God only can loose a man from everlasting wrath due to him for sin and it 's the Word of God only can declare whom God will pardon Only as Ambrose sayes well Ministers are Judges in the matter of pardon but without any absolute Authority in that matter And for clearing of this ye would distinguish betwixt the external Court in the Church and the internal Court in the Conscience In the external Court in the Church Ministers have a power from Christ to remit scandals to scandalous persons upon their serious profession of Repentance to take in a man that hath fallen in a scandalous sin upon the profession of Repentance and to remit the scandal In the â—nternal Court of the Conscience Ministers have a Ministerial power upon scandalous sinners their repentance Ministerially to declare they are pardoned upon their Repentance they walking according to their Commission Whose sins they bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever they shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Mat. 16.19 and 18.18 But Ministers ex pleniâ—udine potestatis as the Pope speaks have not an absolute and illimited power to pardon whom and when and as they will They are but Delegats and must walk according to their Commission in pardoning of sin or rather pronouncing pardon of sin neither have they power of pardong sin upon conditions of their own devising such as Pennances Pilgrimages visiting of Rome in the year of Jubile c. where to mark it in the by the Papists method in this is preposterous They first pardon and then enjoyn pennance and such things as Christ hath not prescribed Neither must they take Money and dispence with Repentance a fruit of Faith upon which pardon is promised This is but a cheat to hold their Kiâ—chen reeking Caesar Borgia the Son of Alexander the sixth when he had lost an hundred thousand Crowns at the Dice he passed it in a sport saying Those are the sins of the Germans that is they had been purchased for the remission of their sins Again it is attributed to privat persons and for privat Persons their pardoning
faith he staggered not at the promise through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God And Paul Rom. 8.24 when he had told that we are saved by faith adds but hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for Hope and Faith are only for things invisible to any other sense or faculty And for the continuance of trials it is clear that it's Faith must see the issue as Hab 2.2 with Heb. 10.37 Write the vision and make it plain on tables that he may run that readeth it speak out my promise why For the vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lie though it tarry to sense wait for it c. And how shall this be done The just shall live by faith If it be enquired how it comes to pass that the Lord puts the mercies of his people so far out of sight by the greatness and long continuance of trouble That it is only Faith that can discern the issue I shall briefly clear this to you in four words 1. He doth it that he may acquaint his people with the solid truth of his promises that he may let them see and bring them to know experimentally that his promise is not a blaâ—lume but though all things in the world were against us it 's a true word it 's a tryed word like silver purified seven times in the furnace Psal 12.6 and shall have an accomplishment The longer folk rest on the Bible and the more they try it they will esteem of it the more It 's of Divine Authority to which I shall speak a word afterwards when I come to that of the Psalmist where he calls it his Word 2. For this end the Lord gives this work to the faith of his people that he may acquaint them more and more with himself in whom they believe that when they are put to the Bible to live by faith in his Word they may study his Divine Attributes his Veracity that cannot lie his Omnipotency that in greatest difficulties can commad deliverance to his people his infinite Wisdom that can by contraries bring out his Wisdom about their delivery and by this means they have a great advantage when they are brought to know God the Author of the Promises better Hence Psal 9.10 â—t's said They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee They that know him will put their confidence in him And Paul 2 Tim. 1.12 said For the which cause I suffer these things nevertheless I am not ashamed How is that For I know whom I have believed and am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him to keep against that day therefore I am not ashamed therefore my confidence succumbs not 3. The Lord by giving Faith this work brings his people experimentally to know the worth of Faith and that 's a necessary Lesson we will not â—y get Sailing near the Shore within sight of Land but must Lanch forth into the deep that Faith may be put to it and in this case what advantage is it to know the worth of Faith Psal 27.13 I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living What had become of me if I had not believed And that gave him to know the worth of Faith which had an excellent advantage And Psal 28.7 My heart trusted in him and I was helped I never tryed Faith but it brought me some ease and relief though not a compleat out-gate And 4. The Lord give faith this work that he may get much glory of his people by their dependance hoping and believing Thus Rom. 4.20 Abraham was strong in the faith giving glory to God Thou thinks it would honour God much if thy mouth were filled with songs for deliveries sweet comforts love-blinks c. I grant these are sweet and speaks his praise but God is more honoured by believing when thou wants these and hath only his naked word to lean to thou then glorifies God more eminently though not so satisfactorily to thy self when thou sticks by believing in continued difficulties when thou art tempted to cast away confidence All I say from this Branch and come to the 2d shall be to tell you that were these things believed we would not be so ready to stumble whatever our difficulties were when sense and carnal reason were laid by and non-pluss'd with want of all appearances and probabilities of an issue But who are they who when they are left on a word of God do not find themselves at a loss and as ye use to speak at the next best whereas if we considered that this were God way to exercise his people with such great and continued Trials that their Issues and Out-gates from them may be the Object of Faith and not of Sense or carnal Reason and particularly were this studied our being holden long at work hinging on would not tempt folk to weary and give over waiting on God a thing which many of us have cause to mourn for and many fear that if God refine us with silver we will discover more than we thought had been in us O consider it that ye stumble not weary not fret not quite not your confidence in great continued troubles it is an evil not so much to be dung from your confidence as to take the pet to cast it away and give way to discouragement and lie down and die But to press this I come to the second Branch in the Point That as the Tryals of Gods people may be such as only Faith can see an out-gate so when they are so Faith if it be chearfuly employed will apprehend a promised delivery in greatest difficulties it will make a man wait on God in the saddest exercises without succumbing and to say this with the Psalmist I wait c. for I hope in his word If a man be living by Faith and so a just man Though the Vision tarry to sense it will make him wait for it and expect it because at the appointed time it will speak and not lie And for the grounds on which this truth is founded amongst others take these three 1. That let Tryals be never so great and long continued they alter not the ground of Faith the ground that Faith goes on still continues the same Whatever befal the people of God they get not a new Bible or a new God all the gloomy days that past over them has not blotted out one Promise or Attribute of God and these things they see in God and his Promises in a fair day they may see them to be the same in a foul day now if the ground be the same if the Promises be the same if God be the same if our Rock have not sold us Faith closing with that ground must wait for a delivery were the Tryal never so great and long continued
still the fore-start of it from the beginning it was not so says Christ Mat. 19.8 What Book so antient as the Book of Moses out of which the rest are to be proven The Hebrew was the most antient Language Moses who wrote in the Hebrew Language was dead long before the Theban War and Siege of Troy the first thing written by the Heathen and for the antiquity of the matter it is the most antient the matter first whereof it treats concerning the Creation of the Heaven and the Earth the Creation of Man and his fall the effects whereof the Heathen have felt though they could not ascend to the cause The History of the Worlds Creation being first Man that was made the sixth day could not have known unless God had revealed it unto him Nay Tit. 1.2 It speaks of Promises made by God that cannot lie before the World began and that these are not Impostures of men their accomplishment in every age makes out 2. For the Instruments imployed in transmitting the Doctrine of the Scriptures to us some of them were learned as Moses Daniel Paul though all their Learning could not reach that Doctrine but generally they were simple illiterat men and to convince us further their Doctrine was of God they could not be deceived they would not deceive and though they would they could not deceive 1. They could not be deceived Why Either they had their Doctrine from God and a good Spirit or from Sathan and an evil Spirit if they had it from God and a good Spirit as indeed they did have it they could not be deceived and from Sathan and an ill Spirit they could not have it for he would not inspire Doctrine in men so destructive to his Kingdom and interest 2. As they could not be deceived so neither would they deceive when impostures comes out to cheat others any with half an eye cannot but see some design in their cheat but what design could the instruments employed to carry this Doctrine have They walked not in craftiness they handled not the Word of God deceitfully they affected not humane Wisdom but by manifestation of the Truth commended themselves to every mans Conscience as in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4.2 The world saw they reaped no advantage by their Doctrine but a sore skin they relinquisht all their own interest and worldly advantages in their faithful discharge of their trust And 3. As they could not be deceived and would not deceive so though they would they could not deceive and that because these things they preached and wrote of were not done in a corner but before all they came not out as the Papists to tell of miracles in corners which none saw but themselves but of things done in the open view of the world so that if they had vented any untruth there were myriads of men to witness against them and give them the lie Apian confesses many things concerning the Jews The Pharisees confesse of the Apostles Acts 4. That a notable miracle was wrought by them which was manifest to all that dwelt at Jerusalem and none could deny it The Philosophers and Heathens confessed that many things were true of the Christians But 3. Let us consider the matter of the Scriptures and O! what beams of Divinity will we find shining there look on it in the bulk no such systeme of Doctrine concerning God and his Attributes the Creation of Man and Providence the Fall of Man and his Redemption concerning mans Duty the immortality of the Soul the resurrection of the Body Eternal Life and happiness c. as this Book holds out Consult all the Philosophers all the Druids and Brachmans all the Magicians that ever spoke or wrot of Divine things and put all their Doctrines together in one they cannot parralel this Book and the matter contained in it it is such a compleat Transcript and System of Doctrine and this proves it to be of God Why Could the mind of man what way soever have found out what is in this Book no certainly these wonders of Nature parts abilities would never have left it to some poor illiterat Fisher Men to discover that they should bring forth such transcendent sublime Truths demonstrats the Scriptures to be the word of God Look upon it in the parts the Histories contained in it though written by so many several men living in so far distant ages places of the world yet have a wonderful harmony holding out a true Chronology and supputation of time which proves their divine authority and infallible verity Here ye have a true History of what the Heathen involved in Fables for if it were fit to insist on it I could clear their first Saturn was Adam and the next Noah whose three Sons Shem Ham and Japheth were Transformed by them Ham into Jupiter Japheth into Neptune and Shem because they hated the blessed race into Pluto and that all their other Fables are but obscure and dark intimations of the Histories which in the Bible are clear and plain here we have Histories not so much concerning great Kings and Princes as of poor Believers not so much concerning things that occurred as the Providence of God in bringing them about And as Scripture Histories are exact true and distinct So Scripture dogmata and Doctrines are so clear many of them and so consonant with Natures light that in some measure they may be known by it as that there is one God the first cause of all That it is reasonable he should be served c. That reasonable Creatures have immortal souls and die not as beasts which made the Heathen to cry out as Deut 4.8 What nation is there so great that hath statutes and judgments so righteous and others of them though they be not known by natural reason yet they are not contrary to principles that are naturally known concerning the Power Wisdom and Goodness of God and being revealed will be acknowledged to be very rational Thus though man know not the way of Redemption but by Divine Revelation yet he may find himself an object of pity which alone can be expected from God and of justice if he find not out some remedy Again though some mysteries transcend the Light of Natural Reason as the Trinity of Persons the Incarnation of Christ c. Yet that will not bring the Doctrine in question partly because no Doctrine even of the Heathens but it hath its own secrets and partly because there are many things in nature which we see are and yet we cannot tell why what and whence they are But further consider the Scriptures and as we will find them clear as to the Histories and Doctrines therein set down so as to the Prophesies therein contained we will find an exact answerableness of so many future events to their predictions in the Word The Heathens hold their amâ—â—guous Oracles so adapted to the events that they might put their own Commentars upon them
used by the Papists against us concerning the Spirits testimony it is not by way of Enthusiasme or any new Revelation but by way of gift from God opening our eyes to discern the wonders of his Law and so it is not required to prove the Scriptures to be Divine but to assure us they are Divine because there be some to whom the Gospel is hid not that a saving work of the Spirit is requisite to take up these evidences of the Divinity of the Scriptures for a temporary may taste of the good Word of God and yet fall away Heb. 6. But a common illumination of the Spirit is necessary to take up these evidences the Scripture gives of its Divinity Now I have been long upon this Head which is Doctrinal and though it be so it shall not be in vain if it be a mean to fix your Faith and Hope in this Principle that the Scriptures are the Word of God and of Divine Authority The Scriptures are the Word of Truth by which we are begotten Jam. 1.18 His Law is the truth Psal 119.142 The Scriptures are a more sure word of prophesie whereunto ye do well to take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place 2 Pet. 1.19 When David is comforting himself against the rising of enemies like the mighty Waters and Waves of the Sea he says Thy testimonies are very sure Psal 93.5 And then they are a tryed word Psal 12.6 The words of the Lord are pure words as silver tried in a furnace of earth purified seven times Ye would reduce these things to your practice and seek to have the Word of God to be found that which it is called in your experience But that which I intended to have insisted upon is to leave a sad check upon the generality of you that see so little of God in your Bible Something hath been said to hold forth the Divine Authority of the Scriptures but I confess it 's but a spilt commendation that hath been given this word yea it fears me more hath been said than even ye that have Bibles discern O will ye consider how men of old have experienced the Divinity of this word and have found it to be of God and have fallen down and confessed worshipping God saying God is in you of a truth 1 Cor. 14.25 All the fores that Christianity now hath do not contribute to make the Word so successful as it hath been in times of persecution wherefore it is so soon passed from by many in times of trial because the Divine Authority thereof is not stamped on hearts and God is not made use of and imployed to write it upon the heart Let this be looked upon partly as the practical use of what ye have heard partly to excite you to bless God ye have this Word Ye are not behind so long as ye have your Bibles though ye were straitned in many other things and partly to humble you that ye may blush and be ashamed that the Divine vertue and efficacy that wont to accompany the Scriptures is so little found in this generation and upon your hearts SERMON XXIX Psalm 130. Verse 5. And in his Word do I hope WAiting for God being the great and trying task of of the godly man as ye have heard who afterhend his wrestling with the deeps of difficulties and with insupportable pressures of guilt must learn also by patient waiting for God to wrestle with delays to the answers of Prayer or the longed for outgate prayed for whether as to issue or comfort These that are put to this trying task and seriously engaged in it had need to be well supported that they may bide it out till they meet with the end of the Lord. This is it which I am now upon in these words wherein the Psalmist after that he hath profesâ— he is waiting waiting for the Lord that his soul doth wait he adds in the next place an account of his support in waiting that therefore he waited because he hoped in the Word of God I wait c. I have spoken already to the first general Doctrine in these words that patient waiting on God cannot be gotten cherisht without the exercise of Faith and Hope no man can say I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait but he that can say he hopes and trusts in God I wait saith he because I hope I have also near put a close to what I would say from the second general Obervation to wit that this Faith and Hope that supports the patient waiter for God that sends the believer and carries him thorow in waiting for God till the outgate come must take the Word for its ground and measure I wait because I hope and hope because I have the Word of God for the ground of my hope Ye may remember that from this I have spoken to these three which I wish may not evanish with the Preaching 1. That really needy Saints put to wait for God and in waiting for him put to live by Faith and Hope will be much conversant with the Word of God they must learn to be acquaint with the Scriptures to know what is there for their direction or encouragement or both 2. That these who would wait for God in the way of believing and hoping must learn to judge of things according to the Word and be determined by the Word that it may be the ground of Faith and beget Hope otherwise it will be to little purpose for a man to be acquaint with the Scriptures from end to end if he improve it not but starve beside his allowance And 3. For this end such as are put to wait for God and to have their encouragement from the Word that they may lean weight upon it they would be fixed in this Principle that the Word of God is of Divine Authority and infallible certainty they would believe and hope in in it as Gods Word In his Word do I hope And as the day before I pressed upon you thâ— use of your Bibles that ye might be better acquainted with them and with the grounds of your Faith and Hope therein contained so the last day I insisted long to give you a right impression of the Bible that it is the Word of God and of Divine Authority the Historical verity whereof being granted which cannot rationally be denyed the Scriptures will prove themselves to be of Divine Authority and I would now intreat you to study these two Sermons well that ye may have the Divine Authority of the Scriptures fixt upon your hearts that ye may lay weight on them feed on them and converse with them with more delight And then what shall I say for the need of proofs for the Divine Authority of the Scriptures when the efficacy of it upon your hearts shall be a proof thereof as the effects and success of it of old is a standing Witness that it is not the word of man but the Word of
delighting in these sins that procured it 3. The scope of the Point leads me to press this that when an Israelite is in misery and finds the hand of God pursuing him he would take another look of things than to look upon them as insuperable though he cannot expede himself yet with God there is redemption when thou hast essayed to shake off the yoke of thy transgressions that thou hast wreathed on thy own neck and hast laboured in the very fire and wearied thy self for very vanity as the word is Hab. 2.13 Sit not down hopeless look not on thy case as not only deplorable but desperat call not thy wound grievous and thy bruise incurable for with God there is plenteous redemption to break these bonds that to thee are insuperable Only remember in the 4th place that thou take the right way to an out-gate thy bonds will sit fast by thee not only till thou resent thy folly in drawing them on but till thou run to him to set thee at liberty the language of all thy bondage and the bonds wherewith thou hast bound thy self thou may take up in that Psal 107.13 when he brought down their heart with labour and there was none to help then they cryed to the Lord in their trouble and he saved them out of their distresses Thou art brought in bondage through thy folly thou uses means to be out of it but thy difficulties continue insuperable every essay thou makes to be quit of them miscarries but see that it be not because thou art not at the right door with them no marvail they continue till thou come to him with whom is plenteous redemption So much for the 2d Point That the man put and allowed to hope in God is under such a bondage of sin and misery as he cannot extricat himself out of it till God interpose and redeem him The 3d Observation implyed in that which is supposed here anent hopers in God is that of all bondage and slavery the bondage of sin is the greatest to the Israel of God to the man that is called and allowed to hope in God On this account it is that the Psalmist doth not content himself to say There is plenteous redemption with God in the general but there must be a particular Promise subjoined That he shall redeem Israel from all his Iniquities That there be redemption in and with God will not content an Israelite except there be in it a redemption from sin because redemption from sin is Israel's great business and affair I shall not need to confirm the truth of this either from Scripture proofs or instances where we find the Saints especially troubled with sin amongst the croud of their exercises sin hath been their great exercise Nor shall I need to stand to give reasons of the Point as that sin is the greatest evil the fountain whence all our misery and bondage flows and they that seek relief from their bondage without seeking redemption from sin are like these that seek to dry up the stream miskenning the fountain But passing these I shall speak a word first in general and then in particular to the Israel of God how sin is taken up by an Israelite in a right frame as the greatest bondage and slavery In general I recommend more conscience making of sin and more exercise about sin a thing I fear little in practice amongst the generality ye will get men in times of difficulty with their hands on their loins having pangs and crying out as a woman in travail by reason of affliction who will have very few thoughts of sin and less exercise about it there is oft times much trembling of mind where there is little trouble of conscience or none and ye would beware of confounding these two A mans mind may be troubled and confounded and put through other when he hath the answer of a good Conscience as being at peace with God through the blood of Christ and a mans mind may be troubled when his conscience is asleep and hath no exercise for sin and therefore in times when there may be much anxiety and vexation in folks mind about dispensations of Providence let not the great business be trouble but sin and whatever ye meet with take that along with you Isai 27.9 By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin The conscience of sin and exercise about it would take away the clamour diâ— that 's about trouble a conscience troubled about sin will soon justifie God in inflicting any trouble on body or mind and will say as Ezra 9.13 Thou hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve And a man at peace with God though he have tribulation in the world and exercise of Conscience for sin yet in Christ he shall have peace but a vexed and discontented mind about trouble without any exercise or trouble of conscience for sin may make a man evil company to himself bad enough company to others whom he hath to do with in the world SERMON XXXVIII Psalm 130. Verse 7. Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy c. HOpe in God as it is the mans wealth who confesses himself to be a pilgrim stranger on the earth for he is saved by hope not an hope that is seen for then it should be no hope Rom. 8.24 So there is no undertaking that the saints may have more encouragement for than to hope in God it is that which many times comes between them and sinking and giving it over as in the Psalmist Psal 42.5 Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted in me hope in God for I shall yet praise him and whereas the world may think the hope of the Saints a blind guess and say of their souls there is no help for them in God and temptation within or probability without may confirm or seem to confirm the worlds verdict yet to a right discerner it hath a fair field to go on and a broad board to feed on Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy c. I am yet as ye may remember detained on some truths imported here concerning right hopes in God As 1. That on the account of emptiness and misery at home they are left upon God with whom there is mercy 2. That upon the account of bondage and pressures from which they are not able to extricat themselves they are left on God with whom is plenteous redemption And 3. That among all the pressures necessitating them to look to God for Redemption There is none pinches them so hard and sticks so close to them as sin so that there is need of a particular Promise of redemption from that I left in the morning with a general word from the last of these That sin and the bondage we are under through sin should be more our exercise
of the Word when folk know not their wealth contained in their Charter When folk are like Hagar beside the Well and yet like to cast their Ishmael from them like to die for thirst because their eyes are not open to discern it Ignorance undoes many folk because they know not their allowance And another hazard upon the other hand that by pressing you to be acquaint with the Scripture I would have avoided and that is the hazard of mistaking and over-reaching when folks lusts and carnal expectations would make a light and ground of expectation to themselves when they look for what God hath not promised or hath not absolutely promised or not always these are dangerous we had need to have our expectations well bottomed lest a disappointment founded on a mistake make us to misbelieve that which is really promised a crush in a carnal expectation may make us look on the Bible as a poor Cordial in difficulties we would therefore guard against both ignorance and mistaking or over-reaching A 2d Direction is That when ye have found any thing in the Bible that is useful for you your first work would be to prize the certainty of what is contained there I spoke to this at great length on these words v. 5. In his Word do I hope That the Scriptures are the Word of God of Divine Authority but I can never enough press it folks that have their Treasure and Store-house in the Bible prize the Bible look on it as the word of him that cannot lie as a tryed word as silver tryed in a furnace of earth purified seven times Psal 12.6 That many have ventured their all upon and never found crack nor slaw in to speak so and Ministers had done with their task if the certainty of this truth that the Scriptures are the Word of God were believed and if thou cannot get the Promises believed will thou look out on the threatnings that thou discerns to be accomplish'd and thou needs not doubt of a promise so long as thou hast a threatning which thou seest verified Ponder that word Zech. 8.14 15. Thus saith the Lord as I thought to punish you when your fathers provocked me to wrath and I repented not So again have I thought in those days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah fear not If ye doubt of my promises that are not yet accomplish'd take a confirmation of them from my threatnings which ye found verified A 3d Direction I would give them that are looking for the accomplishment of what is in or with God and he hath promised is that having found out what is contained in the Scripture and prized it as of infallible verity and certainty then put to your Faith to it that he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquity for he hath said it I cannot give you this Direction more succinctly than the Lord gives it to Habakkuk who when he had prayed against the Caldeans Chap. 1. he is bidden Chap. 2.2 to write the vision and make it plain upon tables speak it out conceal it not that he that runs may read it For v. 3. the vision is yet for an appointed time it will not come presently but at the end it shall speak and not lie though it tarry wait for it there is Faith's work now because it will surely come it will not tarry Ye may remember I spoke also to this when I was upon these words And in his word do I hope But in following it out now I shall only touch on three or four words concerning Faith's looking out to what God shall do and make out to Israel And 1. I would have you looking on Faith as the most eminent and honourable of employments though not the most sensible and satisfactory There is much work my a fall in Saints hand which may be sweeter and may go better with them but no work is so eminent and accceptable to God So it is said of Abraham Rom. 4.20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God And Joh. 20.28 When Thomas after he had evidenced he was a man that would not believe without seeing the print of the nails and thrusting his hand into Christs side he makes a great phrase and says My Lord and my God Well says Christ Thomas because thou hast seen me thou hast believed but blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed Thomas ye might have been more acceptably imployed in giving me credite although ye had not gotten sensible satisfaction 2. Another word is that distrust is the in-let to all folks miscarriages in a stormy time a man is even as tint as if he were in the Sea bottom as to any acceptable acquitting of himself to God in his work before his promise be accomplish'd When ever he is over-power'd with unbelief then he is ready to say There is no hope we will walk every one in the imagination of his own heart Ponder that word Heb. 3.18 19. To whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest but to them that believed not So they could not enter in because of unbelief There the thing that held the people out of the promised Land and made them perish in the Wilderness unbelief And compare it with 1 Cor. 10.6 to 11. Where ye find them lusters idolaters fornicators tempters of Christ murmurers To tell that make once folk unbelievers and ye may make them any of these or all of them upon a suitable temptation There is no ill turn that occurs but an unbeliever capacitats himself for it if mercy in God prevent it not And a 3d word concerning this exercise of Faith and I shall add no more is that it says not a little to the granting or denying of a delivery to the hastning or for-slowing of an issue this exercise of faith If unbelief keep out of the promised Land and make Israel fall and wander in the Wilderness fourty years as in that Heb 3.18 Then blessed believing hastens the performance of the promise Luk. 1.45 Blessed is she that believed for there shall be a performance of these things which was told her from the Lord. Little knows folk how God may be provocked to make their unbelief the rule of their allowance that when they bod little they shall see as little No but God may and often doth shame the unbelief of his people and make their false eyes see that they were in the wrong to him but certainly unbelief of its own nature is obstructive of the performance of promises and if many die in the Wilderness they have as their carnal confidence on the one hand so their unbelief and despondency on the other to blame for it And I shall add more if unbelief withhold not the accomplishment of the promise it may have a black issue when the accomplishment of the promise comes to the man that entertains it And as to