Legacies left them by Christ in his last Will and Testament The Saints are called the Heires of the Promises Heb. 6. 17. And if they would bee filled full of joy in the day of their distresse they must bee frequent in reading these Legacies The Promises are as it were the breasts of God full of the Milk of grace and comfort And it is our duty to bee sucking out by meditation the milke of grace and comfort contained in them That which the Prophet saith of the Church of Christ may as truly bee said of the Promises of Christ. Rejoyce O yee people of God and bee glad all yee that have an interest in the Promises Rejoyce for joy all yee that are mourners in Sion that yee may sacke and bee satisfied with the â—easts of their consolations that yee may milke out and bee delighted with the abundance of joy and comfort contained in them The Promises are the Saints Aqua-vitae as one calls them the Saints Cordials the Saints Planke to swim to Heaven upon the Saints Fiery Chariot to carry them up to Heaven And the great reason why they walke so uncomfortably so disconsolately and so unbeleevingly in the time of their tribulation is because they do not smell of these 〈◊〉 they do not chew these Cordials they do not read over these spiritual Legacies they doe not by serious meditation and consideration sucke out the comfort comprehended in them For as fire will not warme us unlesse wee tarry at it and a Bee cannot sucke out the hoâ—y that is in a flower unless shee abide upon it no more can any Childe of God receive supportation and consolation from the Promises in the houre of temptation unless hee seriously and solemnly ponder and meditate on them There is a double difference between a presumptuous sinner and a poor humble distressed Childe of God 1 A presumptuous sinner studieth nothing but the promising Word Hee sleights the commanding and the threatning Word The Word commands him to keep holy the Sabbath day not to love the world not to lust but hee turnes a deaf ear to it The Word threatneth to wound the hairy scalp of every one that goeth on in his wickednesse but because God is patient and long-suffering therefore hee regards it not But as for the Promising word hee snatcheth at it hee doth not truly lay hold on it but snatcheth at it before it belongs to him and Spider-like sucks the poyson of sin out of it and makes of it a Cradle to rock himself asleep in sinful courses Because God hath promised That whensoever a Sinner turnes from his sins which hee hath committed hee shall surely live and not dye therefore hee delayes and prorogues his turning from sin But now a poor distressed humble Christian fails on the contrary part hee pores upon the commanding and threatning Word but never ponders the promising Word God saith hee commands mee to love him with all my heart and soule to wash my heart from iniquity to love my enemies to cut off my right hand and to plucke out my right eye c. But I cannot performe these commands therefore surely shall never bee saved God saith hee hath threatned to curse every one that continueth not in every thing that is written in his Law to do it and therefore surely I am accursed But hee never studies nor ponders the promising Word for if hee did hee would quickly know three things for his everlasting comfort 1 That there is nothing required by God in his Word as our duty but God hath either promised to bestow it upon us as his gift or the Saints have prayed to God for it as his gift God commands us to love him but hee hath promised to circumcise our hearts to love him c. Deut. 30. 6. God commands us to fear him to turn our selves from our transgressions and to make our selves a new heart and a new spirit But hee hath promised to give us a new heart and a new spirit to put his fear in our hearts that wee shall never depart from him and to turn us from our evill wayes The Saints of God also have prayed unto God for this as the fruit of his free mercy Ier. 31. 18. Lam 5. 21. There is nothing commanded in the Covenant of works but God hath promised in the Covenant of grace in some measure to work it in us for hee hath promised to work all our works in us and to write his Law not one Commandement of it only but the whole Law in our hearts and to put it in our inward parts and to cause us to walk in his wayes 2 That God under the Covenant of grace will for Christs sake accept of less than hee requires in the Covenant of works Hee requires perfection of degrees but hee will accept of perfection of parts hee requires us to live without sin but hee will accept of our sincere endeavours to doe it If there bee a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that hee hath not 2 Cor. 8. 12. 3 That though hee cannot in his owne person perform all that God commands yet Iesus Christ as his Surety and in his stead hath fulfilled the Law for him and that God will accept of Christs perfect as a cover for his imperfect righteousnesse That Christ hath redeemed him from the curse of the Law being made a curse for him That the Threatnings of the Law are Serpents without a sting and that Christ hath taken away the power and force of them Did a broken-hearted and wounded sinner ponder and meditate on these things they would fill him full of joy and comfort Hee would flye from the Covenant of Works to the Covenant of Grace from his owne unrighteousnesse unto the righteousnesse of Christ and from the commanding and threatning word unto the promising word hee would say Lord Thou commandest mee to walke in thy Statutes and to keep thy Lawes This I cannot do of my selfe but thou hast promised to cause me to walke in thy ways and to write thy Law in my heart Lord give me power to doe what thou commandest and then command what thou wilt 2 A presumptuous Sinner is alwayes studying the promising Word to bolster up himself in sin but hee never studies his sins and iniquities to repent for them and from them Hee meditates on the Promises to harden his heart in sin but not at all on his sins to humble himself for them and to turne from them But now on the contrary A poore distressed Christian pores upon his iniquities and corruptions but never mindes himself of the Promises and this makes him live so dejectedly and disconsolately A wicked man studieth his Corruptions too little A distressed Christian too much If hee did study the Promises as much as he doth his corruptions hee would not walk so uncomfortably Wherefore if ever you would
unmerciful and an uncharitable man is a wicked and an ungodly man Let it bee the care of all those amongst you who are rich in estate to be rich in good works Let every man lay up for the poor according as God hath prospered him remembering that saying of Christ. Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was an hungred and yee gave mee meat I was thirsty and yee gave mee drink I was a stranger and yee took mee in naked and yee cloathed mee I was sick and yee visited mee I was in prison and yee came unto mee 14 Take heed of separating from the publick Assemblies of the Saints I have found by experience that all our Church-calamities have sprung from this root Hee that separates from the publick worship is like a man tumbling down a hill and never leaving till hee comes to the bottome of it I could relate many sad stories of persons professing godliness who out of dislike to our Church-meetings began at first to separate from them and after many changes and alterations are turned some of them Anabaptists some Quakers some Ranters some direct Atheists But I forbear you must hold communion with all those Churches with which Christ holds communion you must separate from the sins of Christians but not from the Ordinances of Christ. Take heed of unchurching the Churches of Christ lest you prove Schismaticks instead of being true Christians 15 Though you never live to see the times setled yet labour to get your consciences setled Pray for the Spirit of Truth to guide you into all Truth in these erring dayes Remember that saying of Christ If thine eye bee evil thy whole body shall bee full of darknesse if therefore the light that is in you bee darkness how great is that darkness God hath given you your understandings to be the guide of the whole man As the Eye is the guide of the body and the Sun of the world so is the understanding of the man therefore you must in praying pray that God would give you a right understanding in all things Pray not onely for the grace of Sanctification but ofâ— Illumination Avoid as soul-poyson all Doctrines 1 Which tend to liberty open a door to prophaneness and are contrary to godliness 2 Which hold forth a superstitious strictness above what is required in the Woâ—d 3 Which are Antimagistratical and Antiministerial 4 Which lift up corrupt nature and exalt unsanctified reason 5 Which preach free-grace to the utter ruine of good works 6 Which lessen the priviledges of Infants and makes their condition worse under the New Testament than under the Old 7 Which are contrary to the Analogy of Faith the ten Commandements and the Lords Prayer 16 Take heed lest being led away with the errour of the wicked you fall from your own sted fastness Take heed of a threefold Apostacy of which this Nation is deeply guilty Of Apostacy 1 In your Judgements from the Truths of Christ and from the Faith once delivered to the Saints 2 In your Affections from that ancient love desire and delight which the Saints of God have had heretofore and you your selves once had in and towards the Ordinances of Christ and the godly and learned Ministers of Christ. 3 In your conversations from that humble and exact walking with God in all good duties both towards God and man which was the credit and honour of the good old Puritan in former daies Let mee speak to you in the words of the Apostles Paul and Peter Wherefore my beloved Brethren bee yee stedfast and unmoveable c. The God of grace who hath called you into his eternal glory by Jesus Christ make you perfect stablish strengthen and settle you 17 Remember that it is the will of Jesus Christ that you who partake of the same word of life and of the same Sacramental Bread and Wine should admonish one another exhort one another watch over one another bear the burdens of one another provoke one another to love and good works seek the good of one another and not your own good only That you should warn the unruly comfort the feeble-minded and support the weak That this is your duty appears from Col. 3. 16. Phil. 2. 4. Heb. 1. 24. Gal. 6. 1. Rom. 15. 2. Rom. 14. 7. 2. Cor. 5. 15. 1 Thes. 5. 11 13 14. The 12th vers speaks of Ministerial and authoritative admonition but the 13 and 14. verses of fraternal and charitative These Texts will rise up in Iudgement against thousands of Christians at the last day I do not say that you are to admonish none but those of your own Society Admonition is an act of mercy It is spiritualis Eleemosyna spiritual Almes and you are bound by the royal law of charity by the communion of Saints the communion of Churches and communion of natures to distribute these spiritual almes to all that need them as God shall give occasion But this I say you ought especially to admonish them and watch over them This is novum though not solum vinculum Some Divines think that one chief reason why the Israelites were punished for Achans sin was because they did not admonish him and watch-over him For the Israelites were commanded in the plural number Josh. 6. 18. Keep your selves from the accursed thing c. Hee was one of the body and because they did not watch over him they communicated in his sin and in his punishment There is an excellent Law in this Nation That every Parish shall provide for its own poor And by parity of reason it is as just and equal That every Congregation should chiefly and especially look to the souls of their own members to warn them admonish them exhort them and watch over them That you may the better discharge this duty you must labour to bee acquainted one with another as far as your Callings and Relations will give you leave It is a great and common sin and much to bee lamented That there is so little knowledge and acquaintance between those that are of the same Congregation They sit in the same Pew together partake of the same Sacrament and yet converse no more together than if one lived at York and the other at London And when they do converse together it is a meer civill and outward converse as amongst sober heathens But there is very little Religious society between them for the spiritual edification one of another Now this must needs bee a great sin For how can you watch over one another edifie and admonish one another How can you support the weak comfort the feeble-minded if not spiritually acquainted one with another And yet it is not my opinion that every member of a Congregation is bound to know every fellow-member I beleeve it was not so in the Church of Jerusalem or of Samaria It is incredible to think that they all knew one
purpose read over these Sermons and study them in time of health that you may injoy the benefit of them in the time of sickness Lastly Let mee intreat you to praise God in my behalfe that hee hath been pleased out of his free love to uphold mee amongst you in my Ministerial imployment for these Eighteen years And to continue your earnest prayers unto him that hee would make my labours more usefull and successful that hee would guide mee that I may guide you that hee would not onely make but keep mee faithful in these back sliding times and teach mee so to preach and so to live that I may save my self and those that hear mee Your Servant in the Work of the Ministry Ed. Calamy Books lately printed for Thomas Parkhurst at the sign of the three Crowns â—ver against the great Conduit at the lower end of Cheapside Four profitable Treatises very useful for Christian practice viz. The Killing Power of the Law The Spiritual Watch. The New Birth Of the Sabbath By the Reverend William Fenner late Minister of Rochford in Essex The Journal or Diary of a thankful Christian wherein is contained Directions for the right method of keeping and using according to the Rules of Practise A Day-book of National and publick personal and private passages of Gods Providence to help Christians to thankfulness and experience By Iohn Bendle Minister of the Gospel at Barstone in Essex large Octavo Here followeth the Sermon preached at the Funeral of Mris. Elizabeth Moore the 27th of February last at Aldermaenbury The Godly mans Ark OR City of Refuge in the day of his Distresses SERMON I. PSAL. 119. 92. Unless thy Law had been my delights I should then have perished in mine Affliction THis Psalm out of which my Text is taken exceeds all the other Psalms not only in length but in excellency so far in the judgement of Ambrose as the light of the Sun excels the light of the Moon As the Book of Psalms is stiled by Luther An Epitome of the Bible or a little Bible So may this Psalm fitly bee called An Epitome of the Book of Psalms It was written as is thought by David in the dayes of his banishment under Saul but so penned that the words thereof suit the condition of all Saints It is penu doctrinae publicum unicuique apta convenientia distribuens A publick store-house of heavenly doctrines distributing fit and convenient instructions to all the people of God and therefore should bee in no less account with those who are spiritually alive than is the use of the Sun Air and Fire with those who are naturally alive It is divided into two and twenty Sections according to the Hebrew Alphabet and therefore fitly called A holy Alphabet for Sions Schollars The A B C of godliness Sixtâ—â— Senensis calls it An Alphabetical Poem The Iews are said to teach it their little children the first thing they learn and therein they take a very right course both in regard of the heavenly matter and plain stile fitted for all capacities The chief scope of it is to set out the glorious excellencies and perfections of the Law of God There is not a verse except one onely say some Learned men in Print but are therein deceived but I may truly say Except the 122. and the 90. verses in this long Psalm wherein there is not mention made of the Law of God under the name of Law or Statutes or Precepts or Testimonies or Commandements or Ordinances or Word or Promises or Wayes or Judgements or Name or Righteousness or Truth c. This Text that I have chosen sets out the great benefit and comfort which David found in the Law of God in the time of his affliction It kept him from perishing Had not thy Law been my delights I had perished in my affliction The word Law is taken diversly in Scripture sometimes for the Moral Law Jam. 2. 10. Sometimes for the whole Oeconomy Polity and Regiment of Moses for the whole Mosaical dispensation by Laws partly Moral partly Judicial partly Ceremonial Gal. 3. 23. Sometimes for the five Books of Moses Luke 24. 44. Sometimes for the whole Doctrine of God contained in the Scriptures of the Old Testament Joh. 7. 49. By Law in this place is meant all those Books of the Scripture which were written when this Psalm was penned But I shall handle it in a larger sense as it comprehends all the Books both of the Old and New Testament For the word Law is sometimes also taken for the Gospel as it is Micah 4. 2. Isa. 2. 3. The meaning then is Unless thy Law that is Thy Word had been my delights I should have perished in mine Affliction David speaks this saith Musculus of the distressed condition hee was in when persecuted by Saul forced to flye to the Philistins and sometimes to hide himself in the rocks and caves of the earth Hiâ— vero simile est fuisse illi ad manum codicem divinae legis c. It is very likely saith hee that hee had the Book of Gods Law with him by the reading of which hee mitigated and allayed his sorrows and kept himself pure from communicating with the Heathen in their superstitions The Greek Scholiasts say That David uttered these words A Saule pulsus apud Philistaeos impios homines agere coactus when driven from Saul and compelled to live amongst the wicked Philistins c. for he would have been allured to have communicated with them in their impieties had he not carried about him the meditation of the word of God Unless thy Law had been my delights c. In the words themselves wee have two Truths supposed and one Truth clearly proposed 1 Two Truths supposed 1 That the dearest of Gods Saints are subject to many great and tedious Afflictions 2 That the word of God is the Saints darling and delights One Truth clearly proposed That the Law of God delighted in is the afflicted Saints Antidote against ruine and destruction 1 Two Truths supposed The first is this Doct. 1. That the best of Gods Saints are in this life subject to many great and tedious Afflictions David was a man after Gods own heart and yet hee was a man made up of troubles of all sorts and sizes insomuch as hee professeth of himself Psal. 69. 1 2 3. Save mee O God for the waters are come in unto my soul I sink in deep mire where there is no standing I am come into deep waters where the flouds over-flow mee I am weary of my crying my throat is dryed mine eyes fail while I wait for my God And in this Text he professeth that his afflictions were so great that he must necessarily have perished under them had hee not been sustained by the powerfull comforts he fetched out of the word There is an emphasis in the word Then I should then have perished that is long before this time then when I was afflicted then I
should have perished Iunius and Tremelius translate it Iam diu periissem c. I should long ago have perished Iob was a man eminent for godliness and yet as eminent for afflictions Nay jesus Christ himself was a man of sorrows Isa. 53. 3. Insomuch as that it is truly said God had one Son without sin but no Son without sorrow This our Dear Sister at whose Funeral wee are met was a woman full of many and great afflictions which no doubt would have quite drowned and swallowed her up had not the Word of God supported her therefore it was that shee desired that this Text might bee the subject of her Funeral Sermon Quest. But why doth God afflict his own children with such variety of long and great Afflictions Ans. 1. God doth not do this because hee hates them but because hee loves them For whom the Lord loveth hee chastiseth c. Heb. 12. 6. Did the Lord hate them hee would suffer them to go merrily to Hell There is no surer sign of Gods reprobating anger than to suffer a man to prosper in wicked courses God threatneth this as the greatest punishment not to punish them Hos. 4. 14. And therefore because God loveth his children hee chastiseth them in this world that they may not bee condemned in the world to come 1 Cor. 11. 33. 2 God doth not do this because hee would hurt them but for their good Jer. 24. 5. The good figs were sent into Captivity for their good Heb. 12. 10. Hee for our profit c. God hath very gracious and merciful ends and aims in afflicting his people Give mee leave here to inlarge my Discourse and to give you an account of some of these Divine aims 1 Gods design is to teach us to know him and to trust in him and to know our selves It is a true saying of Luther Schola crucis est Schola lucis the School of Affliction is a School of Instruction Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His rods when sanctified are powerful Sermons to teach us 1 To know God And this is life Eternal to know him Joh. 17. 3. It is said of Manasseh a Chron. 33. 13. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord hee was God Then when hee was caught among the thorns bound with setters and carried to Babylon before that time hee knew not the Lord Afflictions teach us to know God not only in his power and greatness in his anger and hatred against sin but also in his goodness and mercy For God doth so sweeten the bitter cup of affliction that a childe of God doth many times taste more of Gods love in one months affliction than in many years of prosperity 2 Cor. 1. 4 5. 2 Cor. 7. 4. Adde to this Afflictions teach us to know God Experimentally and affectionatively not cerebraliter as Calvin saith but cordialiter so to know him as to love and fear him and to flye unto him as our rock and hiding-place in the day of our distress It is said Cant. 3. 1. By night I sought him whom my soul loveth c. Some by the word Night understand the night of divine desertion and from the words Gilbertus hath this saying Qui quaerit in nocte non quaerit ut videat sed ut amplectatur Hee that seeks after God in the night of adversity doth not seek to see him and know him formally and superficially but to imbrace him and to love him really and cordially And therefore the Church never left till shee had found Christ and when shee had found him shee held him and would not let him go Cant. 3. 2 3 4. 2 Not onely to know God but also to trust in him 2 Cor. 1. 9. Wee had the sentence of death in our selves that wee should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead Note here 1 That an Apostle is apt in time of prosperity to trust in himself 2 That God brings his children to the gates of death that they might learn not to trust in themselves but in God which raiseth the dead that is from a dead and desperate condition 3 Not onely to know God but to know our selves which two are the chief parts of Christian Religion It is said of the Prodigal that when hee was in adversity then hee came to himself Luke 15. 17. And when hee came to himself He was spiritually distracted when hee was in prosperity Afflictions teach us to know that wee are but men according to that of David Psal. 9. 20. Put them in fear O Lord that they may know themselves to bee but men Caligula and Domitian Emperors of Rome who in prosperity would bee called Gods when it thundred from Heaven were so terrified that then they knew they were but men In prosperity wee forget our mortality Adversity causeth us to know not only that wee are men but frail men that God hath us between his hands as it is Ezek. 21. 17. and can as easily crush us as wee do moths That wee are in Gods hands as the Clay in the hands of the Potter That hee hath an absolute soveraignty over us and that wee depend upon him for our being well-being and eternal-being These things wee know feelingly and practically in the day of Affliction And it much concerns us to know these things and to know them powerfully For this will make us stand in awe of God and study to serve and please him Hee that depends upon a man for his livelihood knowing that hee hath him at an advantage and can easily undo him will certainly endeavor to comply with him and to obtain his favour The ground of all service and obedience is dependence And did wee really and experimentally know our dependence upon God and the advantages hee hath us at wee could not wee would not but comply with him and labour above all things to gain his love and favour 2 Gods aim in afflicting his children is either to keep them from sin or when they have sinned to bring them to repentance for it and from it 1 To keep them from sin This made him send an Angel of Satan to buffet Paul lest hee should bee lifted up in pride and exalted above measure 2 Cor. 12. 7. 2 When they have sinned to bring them to repentance for it and from it God brings his children low not to trample upon them but to make them low in their own eyes and to humble them for sin Deut. 8. 2. God brings them into the deep waters not to drown them but to wash and cleanse them Isa. 27. 9. By this shall the iniquity of Iacob bee purged and this is all the fruit to take away sin c. Afflictions when sanctified are divine Hammers to break and as Moses his Rod to cleave our rocky hearts in peeces 1 They open the eyes to see sin Oculos quos culpa claudit paena aperit When the brethren of Ioseph were in adversity then they saw
cannot receive any comfort by it in the day of his distress Iacob was not at all quieted in his spirit for Iosephs being alive till hee came to know of it And therefore wee must not onely provide grace but the assurance of grace that wee may bee able to say with confidence as Iob did upon the dung-hill Iob 19. 25. I know that my Redeemer liveth and with the holy Apostle Rom. 8. 38. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. That man who hath got a Scripture assurance of his salvation will bee more than a Conqueror in the day of his distress 3 A stock of Divine Experiences Happy is that man that lodgeth up in his heart all the former Experiences he hath had of Gods love and mercy towards him and knoweth how to argue from them in the day of calamity Thus did Moses in his prayer to God Numb 14. 19. Pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy and as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even untill now Because God had forgiven them therefore Moses intreats him to forgive them this Argument is drawn from former experience And thus David incourageth himself 1 Sam. 17 37. The Lord hath delivered mee out of the paw of the Lion and out of the paw of the Bear and hee will deliver mee out of the hand of this Philistine Thus also Paul reasoneth 2 Cor. 1. 10. Who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver and in whom wee trust that hee will yet deliver us Divine experiences are the Saints great incouragements in the day of Affliction Blessed is the man that hath his quiver full of these arrows 4 A stock of Sermons Wee must do with Sermons as the Trades-men do with the mony they get some of it they lay out for their present use and some of it they lay up against the time of sickness That man is an ill husband and an unthrifty Trades-man that makes no provision for old age or for an evill day and that man is an unprofitable hearer of the word who doth not stock and store himself with Sermons whereby hee may be comforted in the hour of affliction And therefore the Prophet Isaiah adviseth us Isa 42. 23. to hear for the time to come or as it is in the Hebrew for the after-time Sermons are not onely to bee heard for our present use but to bee laid up for after-times that when wee lye upon our sick-beds and cannot hear Sermons wee may then live upon the Sermons wee have heard 5 And lastly Wee must prepare and provide a stock of Scripture-promises which will bee as so many reviving Cordials to chear us and as so many spiritual Anchors to uphold us from perishing in the day of our tribulation What these promises are you shall hear afterwards These upheld David in the hour of his distress and therefore hee saith in the Text Unless thy Law had been my delight I had perished in mine affliction If this our dear Sister had not had this stock shee had been quite overwhelmed under the grievousness of her tormenting pains Bee wise therefore O yee Saints of God and prepare these five provisions in the time of health that so you may live joyfully in the time of sickness 3 As wee must expect and provide for afflictions so also wee must labour when afflicted to improve them for our spiritual benefit and advantage Wee must pray more for the sanctification of them than for their removal It was not the staffe of Elisha that revived the dead childe but Elisha himself It was not the troubling of the waters of the Pool of Bethesda that made them healing but the coming down of the Angel It was not the Clay and spittle that cured the blinde eyes but Christs anointing them with it It was not the cloak of Elijah that divided the waters but the God of Elijah Troubles stroaks blows afflictions and distresses will do us no good unless the Lord bee pleased to make them effectuall And therefore let us pray unto God that hee would give us grace together with our affliction That hee would adde instruction to his correction that hee would make us good schollars in the school of afflictions and inable us to take out all those excellent lessons which hee would have us to learn in it that thereby wee may come to know God more powerfully and experimentally and tok now our selves and our own frailty and our absolute de pendene upon God more effectually that thereby wee may bee more purified and refined that the wind of temptation may cleanse us from the chaffe of our corruption that wee may learn righteousness by Gods judgements and bee made partakers of his holiness Such a good Scholar was Manasseh hee got more good by his Iron chain than by his Golden chain Such another was the Prodigal childe who was happìer amongst the Swine than when in his Fathers house Such was Paul his being strucken down to the ground raised him up to Heaven by the blindness of his body his soul received sight and hee was turned from a persecuting Saul to a persecuted Paul Such another was David who professeth of himself that it was good for him that hee was afflicted and such Scholars ought wee to bee There are some that are arrant Dunces in this School that are like unto the bush which Moses saw which burned with fire but was not consumed the fire did not consume the thorny bush Many such thorny sinners are burnt up with the fire of divine afflictions but their sins are not consumed Of these the Prophets complain Amos 4. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. Yet they have not returned c. Jer. 5. 3. Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder than a rock they have refused to return Rocks and stones by hewing and polishing may bee made fit for a building But there are some men who by no afflictions will bee amended The Mountains melt at the presence of the Lord and the rocks rend asunder when hee is angry But there are some that have made their faces harder than the Rocks and the Mountains and are not at all affected with Gods anger Of such as these Bernard complains Multi humiliati pauci humiles corripimur sed non corrigimur plectimur sed non flectimur Multo facilius fregeris quam flexeris Non cessant vitia civium usque ad excidia civitatum Prius est interire quam corrigi Prius ipsos quam in ipsis vitia non esse There are others that are the worse for their afflictions like the Smiths Anvil the
saith of the Jews 2 Cor. 3. 14 15 16. That to this day there is a vail over their hearts when Moses is read and when they shall turn to the Lord this vail shall bee removed So it is with Christians when a wicked man reads the word there is a vail over his eyes and over his heart and over the Scriptures The god of this world hath so blinded his eyes that hee cannot behold the beauty and glory of them but the true Saint hath this vail removed Christ hath anointed his eyes with his spiritual eye-salve hee seeth a surpassing excellency in the Word of God and therefore cannot but delight in it 2 Because they are not onely illightned but regenerated And as children new born by the instinct of nature have a natural appetite to milk for conservation of their life so the new born Saint by the instinct of grace hath a spiritual appetite to the Word of God according to that of Saint Peter 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new borne babes desire the sincere Milk of the VVord that you may grâ—w thereby The Word of God is the Saints food and as it is impossible for a childe unborn to desire food so for a man unregenerated to hunger after and take true pleasure in the Word and as it is impossible for a new born child not to delight in Milk so it is as impossible for a regenerate Christian not to delight in the Law of God 3 Because a true Saint hath the Law of God written in his heart according to that precious promise of the Covenant of grace Ier. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts A Saints heart is the counterpane to Gods Law The Law is within his heart Psal. 40. 8. and as it is in the Hebrew in the midst of his bowels in medio viscerum God hath infused a principle of grace into his inward parts whereby hee is not onely inclined but inabled to walk in all the Commandements of the Law blameless A true Saint hides the Law in his heart as a choice Iewel in a most precious Cabinet as David saith vers 9. I have hid thy Law in my heart Hid it as a rare treasure So doth every Saint and therefore cannot but delight in it 4 Because the same holy Spirit that wrote the word dwelleth in every true Saint It is certain that all Scripture is of Divine Inspiration and that the holy men of God spake as they were guided by the Holy Ghost And it is as certain That the same Holy Ghost dwelleth in every Saint Rom. 8. 11. And by vertue of the in-dwelling of the Spirit they are sweetly and powerfully drawn to make the Law of God their chiefest delight 5 Because it is Gods inditement and invention This reason is brought in the Text Unless thy Law c. It is the Law of that God in whom they delight It transcribes the minde and heart of God A true Saint seeth the Name Authority Power Wisdome and Goodness of God in every lettâ— of it and therefore cannot but take pleasure in it It is an Epistle sent down to him from the God of heaven It is one of the greatest Love-tokenâ— that ever God gave to his Church There are two great Gifts that God hath given to his people The Word Christ and the Word of Christ. Both are unspeakably great But the first will do us no good without the second 6 A true Saint cannot but delight in the word of God because it is his inheritance vers 111. Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for â—ver for they are the rejoycing of my heart Therefore they were the rejoycing of his heart because they were his everlasting Inheritance 7 Because hee findes a sweetness in iâ— Delight is nothing else but a passiâ—n of the soul arising from thâ— sweetness of the object that wee enjoy Things that are good present suitable and sweet are the object of our delights such is the word of God to every true Saint It is sweeter than the hâ—ny and the hony-comb Psal. 19. 10. So also Psal. 119. 103. How sweet are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter than â—ony to my mouth A Saint must needs delight in it it is so suitable and so sweet 8 Because he loves the Law Now that which wee love wee cannot but delight in when wee come to enjoy it A true Saint doth not onely love the Law but hee loves it exceedingly Psal. 119. 167. My soul hath kept thy testimonies and I love them exceedingly A true Saint can say with David Psal. 119. 97. Oh how do I love thy Law and vers 127. I love thy Commandements above gold yea above fine gold And vers 72. The Law of thy mouth is better to mee than thousands of gold and silver Now because the Saints of God are so inamoured with the Law of God therefore it is that they cannot but delight in it as David saith Psal. 119. 47. I will delight my self in thy Commandements which I have loved Hee that loves the Commandements as all Saints do cannot but delight in them Use. This shews that there are but few true Saints amongst us There are many bastard Saints and nominâ—l Saints but few true and real Saints Wee live in an age wherein there were never more Saints and never fewer never more by outward Profession and never fewer by a holy Conversation It is the property of a true Saint to make the word of God his darling and delights But where shall wee finde such Saints It is easie to finde out men that can say Eating and drinking is my delight carding and dicing is my delight reading of vain and trifling books is my delight to satisfie the lusts of the flesh is my delight But where is the man that can truly say as David doth The Law of God is my delights and the joy and rejoycing of my heart for ever Austin professeth of himselfe that before his Conversion hee took no pleasure in the Word of God His proud heart as hee saith would not stoop to the humble expressions of it After his Conversion hee was ravished with the beauty and excellency of the Scriptures but before his Conversion hee saw no excellency in them Politian though a great Schollar yet a notorious Atheist professeth most blasphemously that hee never lost more time than in reading the Scripture And it is reported of Plato that when hee had read the first Chapter of Genesis hee said Hic vir multa dicit sed nihil probat This man saith many things but proveth nothing Where shall wee finde the man that puts a due estimation upon the word of God That prizeth it above gold yea above much fine gold That rejoyceth in thy word as much as in all riches verse 14. That can appeal to God and say as David vers 159. Consider Oh Lord how I love thy Precepts and vers 97. Oh how do I love thy Law There
are some men that can delight in any thing but in God and his Word and his Ordinances They can delight in the creatures of God but cannot delight in the Ordinances of God They can delight in the gifts of God in riches and health and honours But they cannot delight in the God of these gifts They can delight in books of Philosophy and Humanity but they cannot delight in the word of God Mark the sad condition that these are in It is a certain sign that there is a vail over their eyes and hearts that they are not yet anointed with Christs eye-salve that the God of the world hath blinded their eyes that they cannot see the glorious excellencies of the Law of God It is certain that they are not born anew for if they were new born babes they would desire the sincere milk of the word It is certain that the Law of God is not yet written in their hearts and that the Spirit of God doth not dwell in them It is certain that they have no part nor portion in the word of God that they never tasted the sweetness that is in it and that they have no true love to God nor to his word It is a true saying Qui regem amat legem amat hee that loves a King will love his Law And I may say Qui Deum amat legem Dei amat Hee that loves God will love the Law of God which is nothing else but his Image and his Picture his last Will and Testament his blessed Love-token And therefore if you delight not in the Law of God it is evident you do not delight in the God of this Law And if you delight not in God hee will not delight in you unless it bee to laugh at your destruction as it is Prov. 1. 26. Q. But how shall I know whether I do delight in the Word of God or no Answ. You shall know it by these notes 1 Hee that delights in Gods Law will bee very frequent in meditating and reading of it and very often in speaking of it Thus saith David Psal. 1. 2. His delight is in the Law of the Lord and therein hee will meditate day and night And Psalm 119. 97. Oh how do I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day So also vers 15 16. 23. Hee that takes pleasure in the Law hee will bee often thinking of it as Christ saith Matth. 6. 21. Where the treasure is there the heart will bee also If the word of God bee thy treasure thou wilt meditate on it Cogitatione crebrâ longâ profundâ Thou wilt frequently think of it and when thou beginnest to think of it thou wilt dwell upon the thought of it as a Bee dwells as it were upon the flower to suck out the sweetness that is in it and thou wilt think of it with deep and serious meditations and contemplations thou wilt dive into the unsearchable riches and treasures that are in the Word And as thou wilt meditate on it so thou wilt bee often and unwearisome in reading and perusing of it and discoursing about it A man that delights in hunting is never weary of talking of hunting and hee that delights in the world of speaking about the world and if you did delight in Gods word you would bee very frequent and indefatigable in discoursing of it 2 If you delight in the Word of God you would delight in the Ministers and Ambassadors of the Word lawfully commissionated by Christ For the great work of the Ministry is to expound and apply the Word and therefore if you dis-respect the godly learned lawful Ministry of the Word you take no delight in the Word 3 They that delight in the Word will bee at any cost to bring the Word to their Congregations they will part with thousands of gold and silver rather than with the word He that esteems the Word above thousands will bee willing to part with hundreds for the Words sake Hee will account a famine of the Word more bitter than a famine of bread by how much the soul is better than the body by so much will hee bee more troubled for a soul-famine than a bodily 4 Hee that delights truely in the Law will sincerely labour to obey it and bee mâ—ch grieved when it is disobeyed 1 Hee will sincerely labour to obey it hee will make the Word of God the man of his counsel vers â—4 Thy testimonies are my delight but how doth hee prove that in the following words and my counsellors Hee will make the Word a Lamp to his feet and a light to his paths vers 105. In all his undertakings hee will inquire what God would have him to do and hee will make Gods Word his Compass to sail by and pray with David vers 35. Make mee to go in the path of thy Commandements for therein do I delight 2 Hee will bee much grieved when others transgress the Law of God Thus David vers 53. Horror hath taken hold upon mee because of the wicked that forsake thy Law and vers 136. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law And therefore you that delight in sin you cannot bee said to delight in the Word and you that are not pained and grieved when others sin you are not amongst the number of those that take pleasure in Gods Law or in whom God takes pleasure Use 2. Let us make it appear that wee are Saints in deed and in truth not only Saints in Mans but in Gods Calender by following the example of holy David set down in the Text. Let us make the Law of God our joyes and our delights Let mee speak to you in the words of the Apostle Col. 3. 16. Let the Word of God dwell richly in you c. not onely with you but in you And in the Words of Christ Ioh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for therein you hope to finde eternal life The Greek word signifieth to search as men do under ground for treasures or to search as men who dive under water for something that is at the bottome Let us with Iob 23. 12. Esteem the ward of God above our necessary food Let us love it above gold yea above fine gold Let it bee dearer to us than thousands of gold and silver sweeter than the hony and the honey-comb You that are Gentlemen remember what Hierom reports of Nepotianus a young Gentleman of Rome Qui longa assidua meditatione scripturarum pectus suum fecerat bibliothecam Christi who by often and assiduous meditation of the Scriptures made his breast the Library of Christ. Remember what is said of King Alphonsus that he read over the Bible fourteen times together with such Commentaries as those times afforded You that are Schollars remember Cranmer and Ridley the former learnt the New Testament by heart in his journey to Rome the latter in Pembrook-hall Walks in Cambridge Remember what is said of Thomas a Kempis
and comforts under soul-troubles There is no Monarch can furnish his table with such variety of delicates as God hath furnished his Word with variety of comforts 2 The Word of God is not only the Magazine of all true comfort but the Fountain from whence it is derived All the comfort that you receive by reading of good books is fetched out of this Book All the refreshings that the Ambassadors of Christ administer to you are borrowed from this Fountain As the King of Israel answered the woman that cried out saying Help my Lord O King If the Lord do not help thee whence shall I help thee So will all the true Ministers of Christ say to any distressed soul that cries out for comfort How can wee comfort you if the Word of God doth not comfort you All our comforts must bee fetcht from thence 3 It will comfort us at such a time when no outward thing can comfort us And that is when wee are under soul-agonies and when our soul sits upon our lips ready to depart when wee are sailing into the Ocean of Eternity then even then the promises of the Word will comfort us When gold and silver Father and Mother Friends and Physitians are miserable comforters then will one promise out of the Word fill us full of joy unspeakable and glorious 4 The Comforts of the Word exceed all other Comforts for they are pure and purifying sure and satisfying they are soul-supporting soul-comforting and soul-ravishing they are durable and everlasting The comforts of the world are not worthy to bee named that day in which wee speak of the comforts of the Word They are not consolationes but consolatiunculae At best they are but bodily unsatisfying and transitory Many times they are sinful and soul-damning 5 The Word of God is not onely a Magazine and a Fountain of comfort but also a touchstone by which wee must try all our comforts whether they bee true and real or no. All joyes hopes and assurances must bee tryed by the Word and if not rightly grounded thereupon are false and soul-delusions 6 It is as an Apothecaries shop or a Physitians dispensatory out of which wee may fetch all manner of Medicines to cure all the diseases of our souls Art thou spiritually lame blinde or dumb c. The Word will open blinde eyes make the dumb to speak and the lame to walk If dead in sins and trespasses the Word when it is the sword of the Spirit will quicken thee It is as a corrasive to eat sin out of thy heart therefore David saith I have hid thy Word in mine heart that I might not sin against thee 7 It is a spiritual Armory out of which wee may fetch all manner of Weapons to conquer the Devil and his temptations 2 Corint 10. 4. It is that little Brook out of which every David may fetch five smooth stones to destroy the Devil These five smooth stones are five texts of Scripture three of these Christ took out of the brook of the Word by which he subdued the Devil Mat. 4. 4. 7 10. 8 It is the Sun of the Christian VVorld As the Sun is the light of the Natural VVorld and without it the World is but a Chaos and a Dungeon full of darkness So is the VVord of God the light of the spiritual world without which a Christian is under an eternal night Therefore David saith Thy VVord is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path Psal. 119. 105. What would all the World avail if no Sun to illighten it and what comfort would all the wealth of it afford us if no word to instruct and counsel us For this is the Christians compass to sail to Heaven by his staffe to walk withall to Heaven his spiritual bladders to keep his soul from drowning The Cork to keep up the net of his soul from sinking Afflictions are like the lead of the Net which weigheth it down but the Word is as the Cork which keeps it up that it sinks not So saith David in the Text Unless thy Law had been my delights c. Vse If the Word of God bee of such invaluable excellency absolute necessity and of such admirable use 1 Let us bless God exceedingly for revealing his will unto us in the Word It was a great honour and priviledge to the Iews that to them were committed the Oracles of God Rom. 3. 2. And it is our great happiness that wee have not only the same Oracles of God which they have but an addition of the New Testament for the clearer discoverie of the mysteries of salvation unto us If God be to bee praised for every crum of bread we eat much more for giving us his VVord which is the bread of life and the only food of our souls Blessed bee God who hath not only given us the book of the Creatures and the book of Nature to know himself and his will by but also and especially the Book of the Scriptures whereby wee come to know those things of God and of Christ which neither the Book of Nature nor of the creatures can reveal unto us Let us bless God not only for revealing his will in his VVord but for revealing it by writing Before the time of Moses God discovered his Will by immediate revelations from Heaven But wee have a surer word of Prophecy a Pet. 1. 19. surer to us than a voyce from Heaven For the Devil saith the Apostle transforms himself into an Angel of light Hee hath his apparitions and revelations hee is Gods ape and in imitation of God he appears to his Disciples and makes them beleeve it is God that appears and not the Devil Thus hee appeared to Saul in the likenesse of Samuel And if God should now at this day discover his way of worship and his Divine Will by Revelations how easily would men bee deceived and mistake Diabolical delusions for Divine Revelations and therefore let us blesse God for the written word which is surer and safer as to us than an immediate Revelation There are some that are apt to think that if an Angel should come from Heaven and reveal Gods Will to them it would work more upon them than the written word but I would have these men study the conference between Abraham and Dives Luke 16. 27 28 29 30 31. Habent Mosen Prophetas c. They have Moses and the Prophets if they will not profit by them neither would they profit by any that should come out of Hell or down from Heaven to them For it is the same God that speaks by his written Word and by a voyce from Heaven The difference is only in the outward cloathing and therefore if Gods speaking by writing will not amend us No more will Gods speaking by a voyce O bless God exceedingly for the written Word Let us cleave close to it and not expect any Revelations from Heaven of new truths but say with the Apostle
Gal. 1. 8 9. Use 2. Let us prize the word of God above gold yea above fine gold Let us read it diligently reverently praying to God to give us the same spirit that wrote it to inable us to understand it and conscientiously to practise it Let us make it the joy and rejoycing of our heart and as it is in the Text Let us make it our Delights but of this I spake in the former point The onely motive I shall now use to perswade you to make the Word your Delights shall bee this in the Text. Because it will keep you from perishing in the time of your greatest affliction It will comfort you when you have most need of it that is under heart-sinking-afflictions and at the hour of death and it will comfort you when all outward comforts and creatures fail It wil bee food to strengthen your weake Faith Physick to cure the remainders of corruptions it will bee a Cordial to revive your drooping spirits and fainting souls It will make you more than Conquerors over all temptations and distresses Quest. But now the great Question is How a childe of God ought to manage and make use of the word of God so as to make it a Conduit of support and comfort in the day of his greatest Afflictions Answ. To bee able to do this there is a great deal of spiritual wisdom and understanding required For the word to many people is like Sauls Armour to David which was so cumbersome to him that hee could not wear it There are many know not how to use the Word so as to bee comforted by it As the woman of Samaria told Christ Ioh. 4. 11. The Well is deep and thou hast nothing to draw with So may â—I say The word of God is a deep Well it is a Well of salvation but it is deep and the deeper the sweeter but most people want Buckets to draw with they want a spiritual Art to fetch out of these Wells of salvation divine supportation and consolation and therefore to help you in this great work you must know That the word of God may bee divided into three parts Into Commandements Threatnings and Promises And though a Christian must not neglect the commanding and threatning word yet if ever hee would make the word a Channel of Divine comfort hee must study the promising-word for the Promises are a Christians Magna Charta for Heaven All comfort must bee built upon a Scripture promise else it is presumption not true comfort The Promises are pabulum fidei anima fidei the food of faith and the soul of faith As faith is the life of a Christian so the promises are the life of Faith Faith is a dead Faith if it hath no promise to quicken it As the Promises are of no use without Faith to apply them so Faith is of no use without a Promise to lay hold on And the great reason why the people of God walk uncomfortably in their afflictions is because they do not chew the Promises they are rare Cordials but as a man cannot taste the sweetness of a Cordial unless hee chew it no more can wee receive any spiritual refreshment from the Promises unless wee meditate on them The promises are as a Mine full of rich treasure but as Mines unless wee digge deep into them wee can never get the gold and silver hid in them no more can wee injoy the soul-ravishing comfort of the promises unlesse we digge into them by a serious consideration of them They are as a garden full of rare flowers able to sweeten any condition But because wee doe not walk in this garden and pick out these flowers hence it is that wee live so disconsolately and dejectedly under our afflictions There are many rare stories declaring the comfort that some of Gods Saints have received from the promises in the day of their distresse Mr. Bilney that blessed Martyr was much wounded in Conscience by reason of the great â—n hee committed in subscribing to the Popish errors but hee was much comforted by reading those words 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Iesus Christ came into the VVorld to save sinners of which I am the chief Beza was supported under his troubles by the words of Christ Iohn 10. 27 28 29. Mr. Bolton tells us of one that was upheld under great affliction and comforted from Isa. 26. 3. Of another from Isa. 57. 15. I knew a young maid that went triumphantly to Heaven by the refreshing shee found in that well known Text Matth. 11. 28. and many that have been wonderfully cheared by reading the eight Chapter of the Romans and by that Text 1 Ioh. 3. 14. VVee know that wee have passed from death unto life because wee love the Brethren The truth is there is no promise but if God bee pleased to illighten it and shew us our interest in it will afford a Harvest of joy It is with Promises as it is with Sermons That Sermon which once heard did not at all work upon us the same Sermon heard at another time may exceedingly affect us And the same Text of Scripture which sometimes doth not at all comfort us may at another time convey much comfort to us Two men troubled in conscience may both of them read the same chapter and hear the same Sermon and one of them may have his troubled minde pacified and the other continue troubled and the reason is because the Spirit of God makes the Word effectual to one and not to the other How often hath a distressed Saint read Mat. 11. 28. 1 Tim. 1. 15. Ioh. 10. 27 28. Isa. 26. 3. Isa. 57 15. 1 Ioh. 3. 14. and found no comfort in reading of them But if the Spirit of God did come in and open his eyes to behold the rich mercies wrapt up in these promises and his interest in them they would fill him with comfort above expression And therefore if ever you would make the Word of God Gods instrument to conveigh support and comfort to you in the time of soul-sinking afflictions you must study the promises and pray unto God that his Spirit may irradiate them and shew you the fulness of them and your interest in them Quest. How must wee improve the promises so as to make them spiritual bladders to keep us from being drowned in the deep waters of Affliction Ans. You must doe three things 1 You must make a Catalogue of the Promises 2 You must seriously ponder and meditate on them 3 You must apply them to your own souls as belonging to you in particular 1 You must make a Catalogue of the Promises you must gather them up as they lye scattered in the Word into a spiritual Nose-gay and binde them together You must doe as they that gather up ends of Gold and Silver you must lose none Every promise is as a ray of gold as a Star in the firmament And
make the VVord of God a Conduit of comfort in the day of your distresse you must not only meditate on the commanding and thâ—eating word but on the premising VVord The Commandements and threatnings must drive you to the Promises you must not only study your corruptions to humble you but also the Promises to comfort you I doe not say you must not study your corruptions but you must joyn the study of the Promises together with them If Abraham had minded only the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe and of his own body hee had never beleeved c. but hee was strong in Faith and staggered not because hee considered not his owne body now dead when hee was about an hundred years old nor the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe but was fully perswaded that what God had promised hee was able to performe If Sarah had considered only that shee was past age shee would never have beleeved that shee should have a Childe but she eyed the Promise and judged him faithful who had promised and that made her beleeve If a Saint of God looks only downwards upon the deadnesse of his heart and meditates only upon his sins and infirmities hee will never bee comforted in the day of his distresse But hee must also look upwards unto the Promises seriously ponder and fixedly study them which will bee as strong Pillars to support him and keep him from falling into despair in the hour of tribulation Q. What are the Meditations which we must have in reference and relation to the Promises in the day of our distress Ans. I will rank them into nine particulars 1 You must meditate upon the three great truths already mentioned 1 That God commands nothing as our duty which he hath not promised as his gift 2 That God in the Covenant of grace will accept of less than hee requires in the Covenant of works 3 That if wee truly beleeve in Christ God will accept of his righteousnesse as a satisfaction for our unrighteousnesse 2 You must meditate upon the excellency and preciousnesse of the Promises they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exceeding great and precious Promises They are precious in five respects 1 Because they cost a great price even the bloud of Christ to purchase them They are all made to us in Christ and for Christ they are in him yea and in him Amen The Covenant which is the Pandecta and Cabinet of all the Promises was sealed with his Bloud 2 Because they assure us of great and precious things they assure us of our interest in God of our justification reconciliation adoption sanctification and glorification Heaven it self is nothing else but the injoyment of the Promises Heb. 6. 12. The Promises are Heaven folded up Heaven is the Promise unfolded For the Promises are nothing else but the eternal purposes of God towards his Children made manifest The purposes of God are his concealed Promises and the Promises are his revealed purposes The Promises are the kisses of Iesus Christ they discover his dear love and when hee discovers to us our interest in them then hee kisses us with the kisses of his mouth and fills us with joy unspeakable and glorious They are made by God and they make over God to us as our portion and Christ as our Saviour and the Spirit as our Sanctifier and all good things both here and hereafter as our inheritance and therefore may well bee called exceeding great and precious Promises 3 Because they put a price upon the New Testament for wherein doth the New Testament exceed the Old unless it be in this because it is founded upon better Promises Heb. 8. 6. and bringeth in a better hope Hebrews 7. 19. 4 Because they put a price upon all the blessings of God A little mercy reached out to us as a fruit of a Promise is more worth than a world of blessings comming to us meerly by way of providence A man may receive blessings from God upon a double account either ex largitate or ex promisso either by way of providence or by way of Promise 1 By way of Providence Thus God gives the earth to the sons of men Psal. 115. 16. Thus hee gave one hundred twenty and seven Provinces to Ahashuerus Thus he sets up the basest of men to rule over Nations Dan. 4. 17. 2 By way of Promise Thus hee gives health wealth and all outward comforts unto his children For godlinesse hath the Promise of this life and that which is to come 1 Tim. 4. 8. Now you must know that a little blessing coming to us as a fruit of the Promise is more worth than a thousand blessings comming to us only by way of Providence And therefore David saith A little that the righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked Psalm 37. 16. And the reason is 1 Because blessings given by vertue of a Promise are signes of Gods special love and come flowing to us from the same love with which God gives us Christ they are the fruit of Covenant-love 2 Because wee have them as blessings A man may have a blessing and yet not have it as a blessing The Israelites had Quails sent them immediately from God which was a blessing in it self but was not sent to them as a blessing For while the meat was in their mouthes the wrath of God came upon them The wicked have blessings but not as blessings but as the Cup in Benjamins Sack which proved a snare to him rather than a mercy But the godly have blessings as blessings They have grace with them to improve them for Gods glory they have not only the blessings but a thankful heart for them and a fruitful heart under them which is a certaine signe that they have them as blessings 3 Because they are pledges to them of better mercies and beginnings of better They are not merces but arrha not their wages but an earnest of Heaven Now a farthing given as an earnest of a thousand a year is more worth than many pounds given as a reward A wicked man hath outward blessings as his portion his Heaven his All but a godly man that hath them by vertue of a Promise hath them as a pledge of Heaven and as a beginning of eternal mercies 5 The Promises are precious because they producâ— great and precious effects They are not only excellent in themselves but are also very powerful and operative upon all beleevers The Promises as one saith sealed by the Bloud of Christ ratified by the Oath of God testified by the Spirit of truth delivered by the hand of mercy and received by the hand of Faith are operative words and produce rare effects in the soul. They have Power 1 A Sanctifying 2 A Comforting 1 A soul-sanctifying Power Therefore they are said to make us partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. I say of the Divine Nature not by the communication of the Divine Essence but
Scripture-interest in the Promises This I adde to awaken Christians to attend diligently to this Discourse about the Promises and to shew them the necessity of minding and of studying them For hee that hath no right to them is in a faithless hopeless comfortlesse desperate and damnable condition All the happiness of a Christian both here and hereafter consisteth especially in his right and title to the promises The Scripture tells us in express words that hee that is a stranger from the Promise is without Christ without God without hope Sad is the condition of that man who hath no interest in God nor in Christ and who is without hope And such is the condition of him who is a stranger to the Promises for all hope of Heaven which is not bottomed upon a promise is presumption and soul-delusion All comfort and joy which is not grounded upon a promise is soul-cousenage and all Faith not anchored upon a Promise is nothing else but flattery and soul-mockery Consider this you that are full of joy and comfort and as you say relye upon Christ for salvation Tell mee what promise have you to build this Faith this hope this comfort upon For there are thousands that flatter themselves into Hell by a false hope of Heaven thousands which promise to themselves to goe to Heaven but have no promise for it from God Such were the five foolish Virgins such was the Church of Laodicaea such were they Matth. 7. 24. Hos. 8. 2 3. Micha 3. 10 11. Remember this and let it bee daily in your thoughts you that have not true right to the Promises your Faith is faction your Hope is presumption and your joy is delusion To bee a stranger from the Promise is to be without God without Christ and without Hope So much for the second particular viz. Meditate on the Promises The End of the fourth Sermon RULES FOR THE Right Application of the Promises SERMON V. PSAL. 119. 92. Unlesse thy Law had been my delights I should then have perished in mine Afflictions NOw I come to the third and last particular He that would make the Promises as spiritual bladders to keep him from drowning in the deep waters of affliction must not only make a Catalogue of them and meditate upon them but hee must make Application of them to his own soul as belonging to him in particular Hee must as it is said of the godly Patriarchs Hebrews 11. 13. be perswaded of them and imbrace them hee must hugge and kisse them as his rich portion and glorious inheritance And this is the chief of all For no man can receive any comfort from a Promise who is not able to make out his interest in that Promise As the life of a Sermon is in the Application of it unto our selves so the life of a Promise is in the appropriation of it Quid est Deus si non est meus What am I the better saith Origen that Christ took upon him the flesh of a Virgin if he took not my flesh What was the great Prince the better for the miraculous plenty in Samaria when the Prophet told him that hee should see it with his eyes but not eat of it As the man who when he was ready to be drowned saw a Rain-bow which was a signe that the World should never bee again drowned said Quid mihi proderit haec Iris si ego peream What am I the better for this Rain bow if I perish So may I say what is a man the better for the rich Mine of treasure contained in the Promises if hee hath no share in it There are three sorts of Professors of Religion 1 Some lay claime to the Promises when they have no right to them such are your presumptuous sinners who take it for granted that the Promises belong to them who presume themselves into Hell by a false hope in the Promises who make a Feather-bed of the Promises upon which they sleep securely in sin As Thrasilaus a mâ—d Athenian laid claime to every Ship that came to Athens though hee had right to none So a presumptuous sinner laies claime to every Promise though hee hath right to none he inlargeth them beyond their bounds and maketh the conditional Promises to bee absolute and such as belong only to those that are in Christ to belong to him though he be not in Christ. He sucks the poison of sin and security out of the sweet flower of the Promises 2 Some have an interest in the Promises and know their interest These live in Heaven while they are upon earth these rejoyce in tribulation and are more than Conquerours over the greatest afflictions These are secure from perishing in the day of distresse That man who taking the Bible into hâ—s hand can say upon right grounds All the Promises in this Book are my portion and I have a right and title to them this man is happy above expression 3 Some have an interest in the Promises but doâ— not know their interest and therefore dare not in the hour of trouble apply them for their supportation and consolation Such are your broken-hearted wounded distressed and deserted Christians Such can receive no comfort from the Promises in the day of affliction When they begin to apply them for their support the Devil suggesteth to them and their owne doubting hearts tell them that they mis-apply them and that they belong not to them When a godly Minister whose office is to speak a word in season to those that are weary Isa. 50. 4. indeavours by the Application of the Promises to comfort them their souls refuse to bee comforted they exclude themselves from having a right to Christ and his Promises though Christ would not have them excluded They groundlesly fear that their names are written in the black Book of reprobation and that all the Curses of the Law are their portion hence it is that they live so uncomfortably and disconsolately in the time of affliction Now then for the help of such persons who have a true title to the Promises but know it not who walke in darknesse and see no light who beleeve they are Hypocrites when they are not and that they are not in Christ when they are that I may be Gods instrument to inable such to make Application of the precious promises unto their own souls in particular in the hour of trouble for their everlasting supportation and consolation I shall lay down these ensuing Rules and Directions Rule 1. 1 Whosoever in a Gospel-sense doth obey the commanding word of God hath a real interest in the Promising Word of God Though thou canst not perfectly obey the will of God yet if thou dost truly desire and industriously indeavour to obey it in all things If God hath written his Law in thy heart and given thee a Gospel-frame inclining thee to the obedience of all his Commandements sincerely though not perfectly this is an infallible evidence that thou hast
of death Pray unto Christ to anoint thine eyes with his Spiritual eye-salve And to cause thee to hope in his word of Promise according to that excellent prayer of David Remember the Word unto thy Servant upon which thou hast caused mee to hope It is God must cause us to hope and trust in his Promises or else wee shall never bee able God hath given thee eyes to see thy misery O pray for eyes to see his mercy The Church of Laodicea wanted eyes to see her misery Shee was miserable and naked and knew it not Thou hast eyes to see thy undone condition out of Christ. Pray for eyes to behold the riches of mercy that are in Christ and his willingness to receive all that come to him Rule 12. Pray unto God not onely to give thee Spiritual eyes to see thy interest in the Promises but a Spiritual hand to inable thee to apply them to thine own soul in particular By this spiritual hand I mean A Christ-appropriating Faith Justifying Faith is as it were the hand of the soul by which wee appropriate Christ and all the Promises as belonging to us in particular Now Faith is the gift of God Pray for the Spirit of Faith And for your incouragement consider that the Spirit is called The Promise of the Father and that holy Spirit of Promise And God hath promised to give the Spirit to those who ask for it If yee then being evill know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him The office of the holy Spirit is first to seal grace and then to seal to grace First the Spirit sanctifieth us then it witnesseth to our spirits that wee are sanctified Pray therefore unto God that hee would not only work grace in you but witness unto the grace which hee hath wrought Pray for the sanctifying and sealing work of the Spirit That hee would not onely fit you to have an interest in the promises but assure you of your interest in them Rule 13. Study thy interest in the promises in the time of health and outward prosperity For I find by experience that a childe of God under outward affliction or divine desertion or extream melancholy is many times like a man in the dark A man in the dark cannot though never so learned read in a book of the clearest print or fairest character hee cannot though never so active undertake any thing of weight No more can a childe of God in the hour of distress read his evidences for heaven much less study to finde out evidences hee looks upon all the promises with a black pair of spectacles and wants light to see his interest in them When Sion was in distress shee said God had forsaken her and her Lord had forgotten her When David was persecuted by Saul hee said in his haste All men were liars even Samuel himselfe who had told him that God would bestow the Kingdome on him Hee said in his haste hee was cut off from before Gods eyes Thus did Heman Christ himselfe cryed out when hee was upon the Cross with a loud voyce My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee As men in Agâ—es and Feavers are not fit judges of meats and drinks whether they bee good or bad because their pallats are out of taste So a distressed Christian when under extream melancholy divine desertion or some great affliction is no fit judge at such a time of his interest in the Promises And therefore my advice is Make out thy interest in time of prosperity and live upon it in time of adversity Make and read over thy Evidences for Heaven in time of health and learn then by heart that when thou comest into a dark condition thou mayest neither have them to make or to read Do as Tamar did Gen. 38. 18. 25. When Iudah her Father in law lay with her shee took as a pledge his signet bracelets and staffe And afterward when shee was in great distress and ready to bee burnt as a Harlot shee then brought her staffe and signet and bracelets and said By the man whose these are am I with childe and thereby shee saved her life So must you do In time of health study thy interest in the promises and in time of sickness live upon what thou hast studied then bring forth thy staffe and bracelets c. then produce thy evidences and make use of them as spiritual butteresses to keep thee from falling into despair I knew a very godly woman not unknown to many here who in her life time had taken a great deal of pains to compose and write down her evidences for heaven and who also kept a Diary of her life and wrote down how shee spent every day when shee lay upon her death-bed it pleased God to with-draw himself from her for a while and to let the Devil loose who tempted her to despair told her shee was an Hypocrite a Formalist and that shee had no true grace in her Shee sent for mee made her bitter complaint to mee and sadly bewayled her condition Then shee told mee which before I knew not how shee had spent her life how carefull shee had been in searching her wayes in observing how shee spent every day and how exact in collecting Evidences for Heaven the book was sent for I read a great part of it to her and tooke much delight and content in what I read And it pleased God to come to her with comfort in the reading of it Shee shewed her Staffe and her Bracelets and thereby quenched the fiery darts of the Devil Thus I have in three Sermons taught you how to make use of Scripture-promises as Conduits of soul-supportation and soul-consolation in the day of distress When you hereafter read the Bible remember the promising-promising-word as well as the commanding and threatning word make a Catalogue of the Promises meditate upon the pretiousness freeness usefulness latitude richness and immutability of them They are as certain as God himselfe they have the strength of God the comforts of God and assistance of God in them Above all labour to make application of them to your own soul. For this purpose study these thirteen Rules and Directions Pray unto God to give thee spiritual eyes to see thy interest in them and spiritual hands to reach out after them Pray to God to give thee spiritual ability to act faith upon the promises to draw vertue from them as the woman who had the bloody issue did from Christ to suck out all the sweetness that is in them to hang upon them as the woman did upon the Prophet and as a Bee doth upon a flower and by application of them to thy soul to live in God and on God here till thou comest to enjoy the blessings promised with God for ever in heaven There is one