is thus they are such as have that excellency as that the world is not worthy to enjoy them they are not worthy of their presence that they should so much as live among them they are rather fit to be set as stars in heaven and be before the Lord in his glory the world is not worthy of them But what is there in the Saints that makes them the excellent in the earth The Saints that are the excellent The word in the originall signifies the magnificent ones those that have magnificent spirits and are exceeding glorious There is this in them that I may briefly passe over this first They have the image of God upon them and therefore they must needs be the excellent on earth The image of God makes them to resemble God in that which the creature is able to conceive of That which is the height of Gods excellency though it be true whatsoever is in God is God himself yet we conceiving of God according to our manner there is something of God that appears most excellent and glorious And it must needs be in regard of that expression because grace is called the image of God Now when we draw the image of a thing we draw it as near as we can according to that which is the most proper excellency of that thing If I would draw the image of a man I do not draw the likenesse of a piece of flesh a beast hath that as well as a man or I do not draw feet or leggs or the back parts of a man but when the image of a man is drawn there is his face drawn that is the excellentest part and there we endeavour to expresse his life and spirit as much as can be that is the most excellent part and though the spirit cannot be drawn there can be no picture of it yet because it is shewen most in the face that is as near as we can go that is drawn there So the image of God is that wherein the creature resembles God in height of excellency and glory It is not every resemblance of God that is Gods image there are some things that set out some of the glory of God and they are but called Gods footsteps or his back-parts All the resemblance of God in his creatures and the expressions of the power and wisedome the invisible things of God that we see in the creature they are all but his footsteps and backparts they are not his image Why because they do not resemble God in that which he hath set out to us to be the height of his glory What is that The holinesse of God that is the height of his excellency Therefore it is said of God himself holy and reverend is his name Gods name comes to be reverend by holinesse were it not for his holinesse notwithstanding all the rest if it were possible to separate them his name would not be reverend Therefore when the saints in heaven glorifie God for his chiefest excellency it is thus holy holy holy We finde not in Scripture any of Gods Attributes thrice repeated Wise Wise Wise or Almighty Almighty Almighty but holy holy holy because the excellency of God consists chiefly in that Now because where grace is in the creature resembling this holinesse of God there is that principle whereby the creature is able to act as God himself acts for that is holinesse the working of God to his own end in all things sutable to his nature so when the creature works to God as his last end and in some measure is suteable to that God with which the creature hath to do here is the Image of God Therefore the scripture expresseth grace by these 4. things as The image of God The life of God The glory of God and The Divine nature There are these 4. expressions for the work of grace The image of God it resembles God in his excellency The life of God himself Ephes 4 alienated from the life of God that notes acting like God himself And then it is the glory of God himself and the divine nature Rom. 3.23 2. Pet. 1.3 So that there must needs be excellency in the Saints that have grace that is of this nature Certainly there is more of God in the meanest Saint in the meanest gracious man or woman there is more of the glory of God then in all the world besides then in heaven and earth Take all the creatures all the glory of God in the heavens in the Sunne Moon and Starres and put all into one Take all the glory of God the seas those vast oceans and put that into one take all the glory of God that appears in the earth all the riches of the earth and all arts and sciences and what you will put all into one and the meanest youth or servant that hath the least degree of grace hath more of the glory of God then all this is There is more of the shining of God in the least degree of grace in the poorest Christian in the world then there is in all these creatures If there were a quintessence of all the excellency and glory extracted and drawn and put into one yet there were not so much of God God could not see so much of himself in that one creature that should have the excellency of all creatures put together as he sees in the meanest Saint that hath the work of grace And surely then they are the are the excellent of the earth if there be so much of God in them The work of grace it is that which hath most of God and wheresoever it is it is that which is the proper work of Gods eternall love it is a beam of it therefore there is a great deal of excellency in it Take all other creatures and it is possible to enjoy all the good that is in all the creatures in heaven and earth excepting this onely the grace of God through the bounty of God and the pleasure of God There is nothing that the creature hath but may be communicated as a fruit of Gods generall bounty except spirituall blessings in Christ but where ever this is though in the least degree it is of that nature that it cannot come but onely from the eternall election of God It is that which is the principle of Eternall life wheresoever it is it is that which will grow up to eternall glory All common gifts will never grow up to glory though they grow up to the height of glory but the grace of God true grace it is of the same nature with eternall glory Therefore for the kind of it it is the greatest good that ever God did or that ever he will communicate to any creature for all eternity I say where-ever God hath municated any dramme of grace that is the greatest good that ever God did or ever will communicate to all eternity to any of his creatures therefore it is exceeding excellent Onely excepting the work of
heirs to all that Abraham had that is as far as concerns them therefore they that are his heirs are heirs likewise of the world So the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 3.18 All are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods So that God and the creatures are theirs here is a mighty priviledge Again the priviledges that they have in all the good of the Covenant of grace Whatsoever good there is in the Covenant of grace all the rich promises in the Covenant of grace are the priviledges of the godly It is admirable priviledges that the precious promises in Scripture speak of to have interest in them all Besides not onely the promises btu the immunities that come from the Covenant of grace as this that they are not to stand or fall for their eternall estate by any thing that they are able to do themselves they are freed from this their eternall estate hangs not on that which they can do Whereas others that are not saints that are not in the Covenant of grace their eternall estate hangs on their endeavours and actions God dealing with them according to the Covenant of works being in that condition though they may be such as may after come to be saints and as God hath elected and in love may look on them as he intends towards them but for the present they are in such a condition as that they know not but that their eternall estate depends on that which they do themselves Now to be delivered from this to have this immunity that such a thing of such a consequence as our eternall estate should depend upon a sure foundation upon that which is done by Christ and done already it is an infinite priviledge Others cannot challenge to themselves this priviledge that God will accept of their endeavours do what they can yet not being in the Covenant of grace those indeavours are not accepted That it pleaseth God to accept the will for the deed it is one of the priviledges of the saints that comes by the Covenant of grace but it belongs not to others they have not to do with this immunity and priviledge So I might name divers others but then I should go out too far Again this is a glorious priviledge of accesse to the throne of grace to come to God in prayer God gives them the key of all his treasures to come and open them and take what they will it is a glorious privilege that belongs to the saints in any condition God gives them a gracious praying heart and that is the key of all the treasures of God of all the excellencies of God that they have liberty to come and take out what they will be it unto thee as thou wilt These are the excellent of the earth that have these priviledges Again they are the excellent in earth in regard of that which comes from them As the work of grace is so excellent as hath been spoken of so every gracious action that comes from a gracious heart there is a wondrous excellency in it There is not any one gracious action but it hath more excellency then heaven and earth Not onely grace it self but any action that comes from grace hath more of God in it and God more delights in it then in all other things in heaven or earth It is an expression of Luther though he were a great advancer of faith yet he was also of holinesse as well as of faith therefore speaking of any gracious work of a godly man or woman saith he preciosa c. it is more precious then heaven and earth And then he goes on with another expression I had rather be able to perform any one gracious act of the poorest woman or maid of the poorest Christian that is then to be able to do all that ever Alexander or Julius Caesar had done The least act that comes from faith from a sanctified heart he had rather be able to do it then to get all the victories of Julius Caesar and Alexander all their triumphs and trophies were nothing to the least breathing of the work of grace in those that are godly that which comes from them are exceeding excellent Now I reason they must needs be excellent that have such excellent things come from them As when there were such excellent things came from the body of Paul that had such virtue in them that noted that there was a great deal of excellency that God conferred upon that Apostle and a gread deal of honour that was put upon him So when there comes flowing such precious liquor such precious things from the saints as any holy action is it shews that there is a great deal of excellency in them Which by the way should teach us to abound in holy duties though our actions as they are from us corrupted we look on them as despicable yet know that God looks on them as the most glorious things in the world any breathing of a gracious heart therefore he despiseth not the broken heart nor the sighing of a contrite spirit Psalm 51. God can despise Monarchs and Princes of the world but God cannot despise a broken heart nor any breathings from ti Though thou mayest despise it thy self and look on it as despicable the Lord cannot despise it he sees so much excellency in it though it be mixed with thy corruptions yet there is that remainder of excellency in it if there be but so much as may denominate it a gracious act it is a glorious thing in the eye of God Lastly to name no more the excellency of the saints appears in this the great use that they are of in the world As especially this is one thing that God attains in them his great aim and end in creating the whole world Were it not for a few gracious men and women what glory should God have in all the world They are those that hold up the glory of God in the world by which God hath his glory actively for that is it that God aims at It is true God can force glory in spight of mens hearts he will be glorified in spight of Devils but God hath no active glory but from gracious godly people I speak of the inferiour world it is onely the godly that God hath glory from Therefore were it not for them God in some kind had made all the world for nothing Now those that are imployed in such a great work and are of this great use in the world as to bring to God that which he made the world for the main and great end that he made heaven and earth for certainly these are principall in Gods esteem and excellent God can say I have my end in these Take any town where there are but two or three that are godly what glory hath God but of these So for other places where hath God glory but for a few contemptible ones They are these that God glorifies in high and great services these are
God in the hypostaticall union of the two natures wherein he joyned the humane and the divine nature together in one person excepting that the worke of grace in any soul is the greatest work that ever God did from all eternity or that ever he will do for the kind of it Now that which hath so much of God in it and comes from the eternall election and love of God and is the greatest work that ever was done or ever shall be done and the greatest good that ever was or shall be communicated to any creature for ever truly this must needs be the greatest excellency For God made the world for that end that he might communicate his excellency and glory to the world to the creature Now that which was the greatest thing that God intended from all eternity for the communicating of all his glory it must needs make the creature excellent That is the first thing they are the excellent on earth in regard of the image of God upon them the work of grace But secondly tkey are the excellent of the earth in regard of the seperating of them for God they are those that God set his thoughts upon from all eternity that they might enjoy him The great counsels that God wrought from all eternity especially were set on work upon this great thing of separating of certain creatures for himself from the rest of the world Now when God shall set as it were to speak after the manner of men his thoughts and counsels on work from all eternity to set apart a few creatures for himself if there can be known who they are certainly we cannot but look on them as the excellent on earth Now wheresoever we see the work of grace in any we may by that know that these God hath separated for himself as setting his infinite wisedome on work from all eternity above that That was the thing he was most excercised in before the world about the work of separating such and such for himself The Psalmist saith Psalm 4.3 that God hath set apart the godly for himself they are those that are dedicated and consecrated to God therefore there is a wonderfull excellency put upon them As you know any thing that is dedicated and consecrated though it be never so mean in it self yet being once dedicated being once made a consecrated thing there is a great deal of excellency put upon that thing As in the law if it were but a piece of wood in the Tabernacle if it were but a Badgers skin if it were but brasse or Goats hair or any such thing that were meant in it self yet if it were once consecrated and made holy to God they looked upon it as having a great deal of excellency on it Now I reason thus if a piece of wood or a little hair or leather consecrated to God had an excellency what then hath an immortall soul that hath the graces of the spirit as so many pearls in it when that is consecrated and set apart to God to the glory and praise of his grace to all eternity here must needs be much excellency When a thing is consecrated we look on it no more according to the quality of the thing but to the consecration As I remember I read of some people in India that when they have but lost an Apes tooth that was consecrated to their god they will give an unspeakable summe of money for the redemption of it again because it was a thing that was consecrated to their god So I reade of another that being raised from a mean birth he took this way to make himself to be highly esteemed of the people he had a golden bason that he used to wash his feet in he took that and made an idoll of it and consecrated it and then every one fell down and worshiped it when it was consecrated Nay saith he if this which was mean before it was set apart to this use comes so to be honoured then I that am mean by birth being set apart to the government may as well be honoured by you Thus then if the superstition and will of man having consecrated a thing thinks he puts so much excellency on it how much more when God himself and the great and speciall work of the holy Ghost that he is designed to it is a speciall work of his office to consecrate souls to God and to set them apart to himself what an excellency must this needs be that is put upon them They are the excellent of the earth That is the second Thirdly if we consider that relation that the saints have to God they are the nearest relations that can be exprest Of children to parents they are the children of God Of a spouse to her husband they are the spouse of Jesus Christ the second person in Trinity and in that regard they are more nearly united to God then the Angels themselves are in being the spouse of the Son of God yea the very members of his body they have a nearer relation in that respect to the divine nature to the second person in Trinity then the Angels themselves for they have not such a relation as this therefore they are the excellent of the earth Again fourthly if we consider the great priviledges that the saints have we shall see them the excellent of the earth Not to speak of their deliverance from sin and guiltinesse and those immunities that they have from others But consider they have this priviledge that God in all his attributes and works he is continually working for their good There is this excellent prerogative of the saints there is no attribute of God but it is continually working good to every saint of God There is no work of Gods providence but it works alway continually for their good It would be a mighty excellent honour put upon any man if but such an honourable assembly as the Parliament should take thought for such an one and all their purposes and plots and councels all the time they are sitting should tend to the good of such an one in particular taking notice in particular of him It is that which I said all your wisdome and power and mercy and faithfulnesse and the infinite alsufficiency of God is continually every moment working not onely for the good of those that love God in generall but for every particular saint of God God takes speciall notice of them and sets all his attributes continually on work for their good And the heavens continually work for them They have this priviledge that the whole world is made for them God hath given them the world they are the heirs of the world as it is said of Abraham he was the heir of the world Rom. 4.14 Abraham had little himself yet he had the world Now the children inherit their fathers estate if the world were Abrahams inheritance then it is the inheritance of every child of Abraham for so the children of Abraham are
one now that is of great use that all that is said in Scripture concerning Gods delight to be among his people and in Zion all were but to type out the excellent condition of Gods Church in the times of the Gospel The most of the expressions are of Gods delight among his people in the time of he law but know that all those expressions were but meer types and there is a great deal more in the Antitype there in the type therefore the saints of God joyned under the Gospell have abundance more of the glory of God of the presence of God and of priviledges then Zion had or Jerusalem could have because that was but a type of their happy condition under the time of the Gospel It is an observable place that we have in the Hebrews it is said concerning the state of the Church that the law had but a shadow of good things to come Heb. 10.1 and not the very image of the things It was not so much as an image observe a shadow is not so much as an image but an image is not so much as the thing it self but that was not an image but a shadow As a Painter that takes an image he draws first the dark shadow with a cole there is a great deal of difference between that shadow and the image in beauty so much difference there is between all the glory of God in the Church in the time of the law and that glory of God that is among his people in the time of the Gospel We may safely say there is the like difference between Gods manifesting of himself to his people then and now as between a dark shadow drawn with a cole in comparison of an image But mark it was but a shadow of the image that which we have now is but an image As there is not so much in a shadow as in the image so there is not so much in the image as in the thing it self The presence of God and all his goodnesse to his people and his glory to his people now it is but an image to that which shall be there shall be another presence of God another communication and revelation of God hereafter in another kind then there is now all that we have now is but an image of that which shall be all that was in the law was but a shadow of that image therefore we should have a great deal of delight in the saints Much might be said further for delighting in them now because they are those that we shall live for ever with in heaven Look to the saints especially together they are those that we shall live eternally together with in heaven therefore they are those that we should deligh in They are those that we shall be joyned with for ever in everlasting halelujahs before him that sits upon the throne and the Lamb. Look upon any saint though he be never so mean in gifts and abilities thou and he shall alway joy in the presence of God in glory Yea to be among Gods people is heaven it self they are not onely those that we shall be with in heaven but it is heaven Behold saith the Lord I create a new heaven and a new earth Isa 65.17 The state of the Church is called heaven For what is there in heaven but is here I might shew the resemblance of heaven and that which that is in heaven is here among us and therefore if heaven be a place to be delighted in the saints are Therefore have a high esteem of the saints close with them and come into as near communion as is possible If they be so excellent and to be delighted in then especially when they are joyned together labour all to come in and joyn with the saints in the nearest union that is possible in that fellowship wherein you may as near as can be have fellowship onely with them especially that have the appearance of such The mixture of our communion doth much hinder our delight Cast dirt into the fire and it will damp it so the mixture of ungodly ones their spots and blemishes hinder the delight of Gods people one in another But now to come among those that your hearts may close with that you have comfortable evidence that they are not meer talkers of religion and professours at large but that the image of God is on them O what closing is there with their hearts and what admirable good might we enjoy in the communion and society of them Therefore know that it is one of the greatest blessings that you are capable of in this world to have the nearest communion with the saints next to your immediate communion with God himself it is that which you should so â—steem and your hearts should work after Mark that text Psalme 36. what is said dour joyning with the people of God how excellent is thy loving kindnesse wherein appears the excellency They shall be satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house It is a fruit of the excellency of the loving kindnesse of God for people to be of Gods house and to partake of the fatnesse of it To have abundance of Gods creatures and to have an estate and friends it is a fruit of Gods kindnesse but to joyn with Gods people in a way of worship and in the nearest union it is a fruit of the excellent loving kindnesse of God to admiration How excellent is thy loving kindnesse it was so excellent that he was not able to expresse the excellency of it It is made in Scripture to be the proper inheritance even of the elect of God to enjoy communion with the people of God in the type it is a fruit of the very inheritance of the elect of God so as it is opposed to all the vanities of the world Mark what God saith by Isaiah Vanity shall take them away but he that putteth his trust in me shall possesse the land and shall inherit my holy mountain Now the mountain of God was but a type of Gods Church under the Gospel and what God intended to do to the Church Now saith he vanity shall take them away they seek vain things and they must have estates and houses and trading and they will suffer nothing for the enjoying of such priviledges but for those that be my own people they shall be in my holy mountain So in divers places the holy mountain of God is called the inheritance of the saints as the proper enjoying of it is the benefit of them those that enjoy it are the right heirs of God That was a speciall part of wisedome of the wise merchant when he had found the pearl to go and buy the field he was not content with the pearl but he buys the field now the field is the communion of saints the Church of God the saints joyned content themselves meerly with the knowing of Christ and hope you have part in Christ but buy the field and labour to enjoy
petition that his people â—enders but with a smiling countenance If it be a faithfull petition he accepts it of them and receives it graciously It is an expression of Luther speaking of the prayer of a contrite heart The least sigh of a contrite heart so fills heaven with noise that there is no noyse of any thing in heaven or earth heard at that time but onely the noyse of prayer Certainly a faithfull prayer taketh the heart of God very much yea every faithfull prayer is recorded in heaven You keep your letters upon the file that you may readily find them when you have occasion to look on such a letter sent from such a countrey so God hath his file in heaven where all faithfull prayers are kept upon record As Princes have their paper offices where transactions between one State another are kept so the Lord hath his prayer-office where he keeps all the prayers of his Saints that ever were put up to him Revel 8.3 Another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a golden censer and there was given him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints Where were those prayers of all the Saints that he must take a censer and offer incense with God had them recorded with him and now they were to be offered to him And see what great things follow upon the offering of the prayers of the Saints vers 4. The smoak of the incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand And the Angel took the censer c. and there were voyces and thunderings and lightnings and an earthquake These followed upon the prayers of the Saints It signified the time wherein all should come in remembrance before the Lord as if an Angel were offering yea Christ the Angel of the Covenant hath a time to take the prayers presented long ago and to offer them to God with his own incense They are all recorded in heaven therefore they are not in vain When a petition is taken and put upon record the petitioner petitioneth not in vain his petitionis not thrown out If a petition be presented to the Parliament and they take it and tell you it shall be kept on record and charge the Clerk to keep it there and say they will take due time to consider of it you will not say such a petition is in vain God doth so to all his people he takes their petitions and recordeth them they are all filed in heaven Yet further there is no faithfull petition but God puts his fiat to the bottome of it at the instant that it is put up to him There is a decree in heaven issued out for mercy at the very instant that the petition is put up God dealeth not with us in this kind as men do who are counted very gratious if they please to tell us they will consider of our petition no but your petition is presently gtanted A petitioner when there is time taken to consider of his petition trembles and shakes for fear it should not be granted but the petitions of the seed of Jacob are granted presently When Daniel had been seeking God at the evening sacrifice an Angel comes to him tells him that at the beginning of his prayer there was a decree to grant it and that he was sent to him at the beginning of his prayer Dan. 9.23 Psa 56.9 When I cry unto thee then shall mine enemies turn back this I know for God is for me Did not David cry oft and yet his enemies did not turn their backs when he cryed He cryed oft when his enemies prevailed yet he saith When I cried then mine enemies turned back and This I know why for God is for me The meaning must be this that at that instant that he cryed there was a decree in heaven the thing was done He looked on it as done even as certainly as if he had seen it with his eyes This is the reason that the Saints after they have prayed though the thing be not actually done fall to praising and blessing of God We have a notable example in Jehoshaphat of whom we reade 2. Chron. 20.3 that being in a great fear had set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah He did not seek God slightly but set himself to seek the Lord. And what his prayer was ye may see from vers 6. to 12. And Jehoshaphat said O Lord God of our fathers art not thou God in heaven and rulest over all Kingdomes Mark how he pleadeth with God for the Covenant he had made vers 8. Speaking of the Sanctuary they had built for his names sake If when evil commeth upon us as the sword judgement or pestilence or famine we stand before this house and in thy presence for thy name is in this house and cry unto thee in our affliction then thou wilt hear and help He urgeth the promise made to Solomon at the dedication of the Temple For that prayer of Faith which Solomon made and God accepted hath the strength of a promise in it O our God saith he wilt thou not judge them for we have no might against this great company that commeth against us neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee Though he profest that his enemies were so many that he knew not what to do and that they had no might to resist them yet after his prayer was done and before the battell began when he had consulted with the people he appointed singers unto the Lord and that should praise for the beauty of holinesse as they went out before the Army and to say Praise the Lord for his mercie indureth for ever vers 21. Mark he had not yet gotten the victory the battell was not fought yet as soon as he had ended his prayer he praised the Lord for his mercie indureth for ever He made account that the thing was done It was decreed in heaven Therefore surely the people of God do not seek him in vain Nay it is not onely decreed but ere long God will satisfie his people and fill their longing souls with goodnesse Psal 107.9 A time shall come when they shall say their prayers are heard and that they have enough Yea the Lord giveth more sometimes then his people mention in their prayer they ask temporall blessings and he bestoweth spirituall yea he giveth them himself and that is all in all Surely then the prayers of the Saints are not in vain But wherein lyeth the efficacy of prayer What makes prayer so powerfull and present with God One thing is because God delighteth in mercy and in communicating himself to the children of men He taketh more pleasure in doing good then any can in seeking it yea then any can in enjoying it from him Our hearts cannot be so strongly set to seek for any mercy from God as he is to communicate mercy to
we provoke not God now but attend upon the word more then ever we did Lastly doth God say to us we shall not seek him in vain Let not God call to us in vain If when we seek God our seeking is not in vain then when God seeks us let it not be in vain There is all the reason for it in the world If God be so gracious to poor base worms sinfull creatures that if we do but chatter our prayers are not in vain is it not reason when God calls that he should not call in vain When God calls out of his word to perform such and such duties God seeks thee then make use of this text I have called upon God and I never called in vain and now I go to heare the word and out of the word he calls me and seeks me let him not seek in vain but say Lord what sayest thou to thy servant The Lord is ready to heare your cry be you ready to heare his and go on go on with incouragement the Lord hath incouraged us this day And let all your prayers and indeavours break through all difficulties and the Lords mercy shall break through all oppositions for he hath not said to the seed of Jacob Seek ye me in vain Psalme 16.3 But to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight IN the beginning of this Psalme David prayes to God for preservation and for deliverancc out of some great evil that it seems was upon him or that he was in danger of The argument that he useth is First his trust in God In thee do I put my trust And it was not an ungrounded and unwarranted trust but that which proceeded from his interest he had in God O my soul thou hast said unto the Lord thou art my Lord thou art mine But what if David should now perish in his distresse should God be any looser by it David seems to acknowledge this that though he should not be preserved yet God was bound to preserve his own name and his own cause my goodnesse extendeth not to thee Though I should live yet it is little that I could do for thee But to the saints that are in the earth Though my goodnesse extend not to thee yet I may be usefull to thy people unto thy Saints while I live it extends to them and they are they that my soul closeth with O I desire to live and to be preserved that I may be of use to them It is a great argument to prevail with God when any of you are in danger and seek for preservation if your hearts work thus to God that the desire you have to be preserved is that whatever you are and what ever you can do may extend to the Saints that you may live to be of use and service in the world to Gods people Many of you when you apprehend your selves to be in danger you cry to God to be preserved but to what end wherefore would you be preserved wherefore would you live If we may judge of your ends according to your practise you would live that you may have more time to satisfie your lusts that you may have more time to dishonour God that you may have more time to do mischief in the places where you live There is this in the heart and God sees it God sees whatsoever will be after in your lives God sees before what was in your hearts when you cryed to be preserved But now one that is gracious he desires therefore to be preserved O that I might live to be of use in the place where God hath set me If God should take me away now my conscience tells me that it is little service that I have done for him I have been of little use in the place where God hath set me O that I might be preserved for this end that what I am or have might extend to the Saints in earth even the excellent in whom is all my delight Thus you have the scope of the words and the dependance of them And in them there are these two things First the high esteem of the Saints they are the excellent of the earth And secondly the sweet delight that Davids heart had in them in whom is all my delight For the first the high esteem that David had of the Saints and that Saints that were on earth the excellent The point is this that The Saints of God those that are godly are the excellent in the earth Then secondly from this that he saith in whom is all my delight Observe this that A gracious heart takes the most contentment in the Saints of God he is much delighted in them The first is but a preparation to the second therefore I shall passe it over briefly They are the excellent in the earth therefore my delight is in them They are the excellent in the earth Let them be what they will in regard of their outward meanness yet there is an excellency in them Job scraping upon the dunghill and Jeremy sticking in the mire in the dungeon yet they had more glory and beauty upon them then the great ones of the earth when they sate upon their thrones Though they lie among the pots as the Psalmist saith yet are they as Doves their wings are the wings of Doves whose feathers are of gold and silver Psal 77.13 beautifull and glorious You know the judgement that the holy Ghost passeth upon the Saints in old time that were outwardly mean enough there was as much meanness on them as the malice of the world could put the text saith they had tryalls of mockings of scourgings of bonds and imprisonments they were sawen assunder they were tempted they wandred in sheepskin and goats skins destitute aflicted tormented What kind of creatures were these surely they were some wretched men and women that were thus hunted up and down to wander in sheeps-skins and goats-skins destitute afflicted and tormented No such matter they were sâ—ch of whom the world was not worthy v. 38. that is the judgement of the holy Ghost upon such the world was not worthy of them The men of the world would have thought did think that they were such as were not worthy to live in the world but the judgement of the holy Ghost was such that the world was not worthy of them I remember Chrysostome hath this interpretation of the phrase they are such as are worth more then all the world more then many thousands of the world one of them is worth more then all the men of the world besides It is a truth so one Saint of God though never so mean one poor youth one servant that is truly gracious is worth more then all the men of the world besides that are not so All the Monarchs and Princes on earth have not that excellency in them that one poor child or servant hath that is gracious But the ordinary interpretation
but though God have such a house in heaven yet he is not as it were contented with that house but he desires another house he hath a desire to Zion to be his habitation and the house where his honour dwelleth You know a Prince may have some houses of meaner regard when he goes to his sport he may have a mean house to lodge in for a while but his pallace where he shews his Majestie and honour that is more glorious So the people of God and the Church is called the house of Gods honour it is not a mean house but a house of honour Further it is that house that he means to dwell in for ever he loves it so well This is my house I will dwell in it for ever I am so well pleased with it I will rest in it for ever Surely we have cause to rest our hearts in Gods people when God finds rest there and for ever It may be some of you are sometimes acquainted with the people of God and at the first delight in them but your hearts being carnall you soon grow weary of them It is not so with God he delights in his people and rests there and rests there for ever But you will say how is God present with his saints more then in other places why is God said to dwell among his people his Saints I answer in two regards God is said to dwell among his people in a speciall manner First because he makes himself known to his people more then to all the world besides There are none that know the counsell and mind of God so as his saints do God is known in Judah Psalm 29.9 There God opens himself In his Temple every man speaks of his glory Secondly because God communicates himself most among his people God is said to be in heaven Why but because there he manifests his glory more then in other places therefore heaven is his habitation If that be his habitation where he manifests himself more then his people are his habitation because he manifests himself most there Secondly heaven is the place of Gods residence because he communicates himself most there then also Gods people are his residence he communicates himself there And he communicates himself to them in a speciall manner in foure regards 1. He communicates more choise mercies 2. He communicates mercies more fully 3 He communicates mercies more powerfully 4. More universally then to others 1. He communicates goodnesse among his people and saints more choisely more choise mercies of God There is a remarkable place in the Psalmes The Lord that made heaven and earth blesse thee out of Zion Psal 143. ult He saith not the Lord that made heaven and earth blesse thee either out of heaven or earth but out of Zion as noting that the choyse mercies that God hath to communicate are out of Zion among his people joyned together in the way of worship Would you desire that God should blesse you with the chief mercies that he hath look upon God as blessing out of Zion out of Zion God communicates his choisest mercies therefore it concerns all to be in Zion that they may have God to blesse them out of Zion there runs the sweetest of Gods mercies indeed in Zion Again God communicates his mercies more fully among his people then any other way Psalm 36.7 8. How excellent is thy loving kindnesse O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the rivers of thy pleasures They shall be abundantly satisfied how not with the creatures but with the fatnesse of thy house Neither with thy communication to them alone God hath abundance of mercies for his saints alone but when they are among the saints joyntly together then they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of his house and he shall make them drink of his rivers of pleasures While they are alone in corners they may have many sweet drops of pleasure from God but when they are joyned with the saints there are rivers of pleasure and delight that come to their hearts therefore there is great delight to be had in the saints of God when they are joyned together Thirdly he communicates them more powerfully mark in Psalm 13â— 3 As the dew that descended upon the mountain of Zion for there the Lord commanded a blessing even life for evermore There was blessing and the Lord commanded it there went a powerfull work of Gods grace upon the hearts of people there when they were joyned together in Zion there God commanded the blessing If you would have God speaking powerfully to command a blessing on your souls you must be among his people you must joyn in a holy fellowship with his people there God commands it In the last place more universally all the goodnesse of God is communicated among his people therefore the Church is called the perfection of beauty Psalm 50. that some translate the universality of excellency and beauty There is a universality of all among the Church and people of God And in another place All my springs are in thee Psa 87. speaking of joyning with the people of God that is all my springs of truth that are revealed to me all the springs of comfort that I have communicated to my soul all the springs of grace that I have to quicken me they are all in thee in the joynt society and communion with Gods people I find all Thus we see the presence of God among his people in regard of the communication of himself to them and therefore what a great deal of cause there is to joy and delight in the saints joyntly together Again further there is abundance of cause to delight in them joyned together in regard of their admirable priviledges as they are joyned together They have priviledges as they are alone but as they are joyned they have committed to them the oracles of God Rom. 3.2 all the ordinances by which God conveyes himself To them are committed the seal of the covenant you cannot singly have the seal of the covenant but joyned with the people of God closing with them To them is committed the very power of Jesus Christ saith the Apostle When ye are together with the power of Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 5.4 a glorious priviledge Yea further take this one thing they are inheritours to all the promises that ever God made to the Church from the beginning of the world There is no society of saints that joyn in Christian fellowship but they are so See a remarkable place for that in Isa 54.17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn this is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord. That promise that God made to the Churches before this is their heritage And conceive of this
Christ with his people Think it not enough to go up and down and now and then get a good sermon and snatch in one place and in another but you dishonour God and are unthankfull to the grace of God if you do not what you can to joyn with the saints of God in the nearest communion you can so that you may not onely come to be partakers of the gifts of men but to look on men as the officers of God set over by Christ to watch over your souls This was the intent of Christ when he ascended he gave gifts some Prophets some Apostles some teachers The gifts of Christ in his Church to shew his magnificence to appoint ordinances to build up the body that there might be relation between people and pastor So you are bound to look not onely to hear now and then but to joyn with the saints in a way of ordinances in the strictest communion that the worship of God may be set in a solemn way according to all his ordinances that you may look on men as pastours set over you by Christ to watch over your souls and herein the body of Christ must be built up The exercise of gifts this way or that way though they be usefull to do good it is not the speciall ordinance the benefit that chiefly you have is to receive good by men deputed as officers and appointed by Christ though they be men of meaner gifts then you may expect to be built up Therefore let it be your care to come to the people of God in the nearest relation that may be It is an expression of Calvin concerning that text seek my face Psalm 27. he interprets seeking of Gods face to seek God among his people in his ordinances there is Gods face saith he though there were no way for me to get my living but by scratching in the ground with my nayles I would seek to get my living that way rather then not be where the face of God is I would be among the people of God in the way of worship in the way of his ordinances Therefore plead not it is difficult and hard You must be willing to suffer for this the people of God formerly were willing to suffer It is observable concerning those godly people among the Jews when the ten Tribes were divided from the rest there were many of the godly whose hearts the Lord stirred and they would not be content to be at Samaria or where Jâ—reboams false worship of the Calves was set up but they would needs go to Jerusalem they would obey there though they suffered much before they came thither You shall find an expression in Hosea that shews that there was watching of those that did go to Jerusalem to intrap them and catch them and inflict punishments upon them Hear ye this O Priests and hearken ye house of Israel and give ye eare O house of the King for judgement is toward you because ye have been a snare in Mizpah and a net spread upon Tabor Hos 5.1 Mizpah and Tabor were two places between the places of Idolatry and Jerusalem that as they went from Samaria they were fain to go that way now they were a snare on Mizpah that is they watched who did go from Samaria to worship at Jerusalem yet many went as the story saith though it were as much as their lives was worth yet they would go the way to Zion through the valley of tears and they were contented though they suffered much to go through the valley of Bacah that they might come at length to Zion There were many difficulties in the way and many objections against them but certainly those whose hearts the Lord hath touched they will not be quiet if there be any nearer union to be enjoyed in the world with the saints they will never rest till they come to it And God will make the way plain to those that have upright hearts he will take the stumbling blocks out of their way and shew them the way that meets God in uprightnesse And though there be many stumbling blocks yet God will be at the same time in the way and will take the stumbling blocks out of the way Psalm 84. Blessed is he saith the Psalmist in whose heart are thy wayes If there be any man or woman though they have not gotten to Gods people in the nearest communion yet if the way to Zion be in their hearts blessed are they And there is a promise too of strength for them though you find difficulties God will grant his strength as Moses saith that God in his strength would lead them to his holy habitation Exod. 15.13 Indeed it requires the strength of God to lead men to his holy habitation there are so many troubles that lie in their way There is a prophecy that men should bring to Zion men and women in Chariots and Litters Now Litters are instruments to convey weak ones in so that there is no excuse for those that are old and weak what shall we do Where God stirs the heart though they be carried in Litters though they be never so weak if it be possible they will go thorow That which we delight in we are never quiet till we enjoy it and every one of Gods people can say those that are excellent in earth are all my delight I find sweetnesse when I find but one or two of them O if there were more of them what delight should I have To conclude if there be so much delight in the saints in this world what will there be in the saints in heaven If it be worth the greatest labour and pains to joyn with them here what will it be worth to have everlasting communion with them For then we shall not onely have communion with a few but with all the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles and Martyrs and all the worthies of God If there be delight in one what will there be when there shall be all and we shall delight in all when they shall be spotlesse Now it damps our joy the weaknesse that we see in the saints that are sincere we see many froward passions in them many passionate fits that makes their communion uncomfortable many times but then there shall be no more sullennesse or passion there shall be no more indiscretion or weoknesse as there is now Now to come to joyn with any if there be a little grace to sanctifie them there is abundance of weaknesse but then we shall come to have communion with saints that shall be all filled with God there shall be nothing but God in them Men now have excellent gifts but their corruptions so darken the communion that it is not delightfull But then all shall be in holinesse there shall be nothing but God in them And they shall be alway exercised in praising God it is comfortable to be with the saints in civill affairs in eating and drinking but it is more delightfull to pray and to have the Sacrament and to conferre graciously with them But then hereafter we shall be in heaven with them and shall never do any thing but alway worship and praise God night and day together One day with Gods people what is it worth when it is graciously spent in holy exercises how delightfull is it if it were not for the wearinesse of the flesh but then we shall never depart nor never be weary Now when we come to Gods people to be with them an hour or a day or two it is delightfull but this doth not last long but we shall be so with them then as never to part how delightfull will that be And all this in our fathers house in the presence of God where there shall be no enemy to hurt us and before our fathers children and friends delight in one another in a strange place but in their fathers house in the presence of their father they have more delight we shall then all come before God our father To be the children of God in a dungeon as the Saints and Martyrs they found it delightfull but then we shall be ever in the pallace of our Father before the King even in his Majesty and glory It were worth our labour to get heaven if it were but for this to be with Paul that gracious spirit if it were but to be with one or two of the worthies of God but then we shall come to heaven to all the Saints Saith Sizillanum speaking of death O famous day I shall be delivered from this world to Cato and to such wise men my soul shall go to them and shall converse no more with these people in the world a heathen had so much in his morall virtues But now the children 〈…〉 of God how comfortable may they die how famous a day will it be to them Here through Gods mercy I had much sweetnesse in the saints of God I delighted in them in the world now I go to change my place but not my company it was the dying speech of Doctor Preston I go where I shall converse with those that I lived with here He meant especially God and Christ We change our place and our individuall company for a while but we go to a place where we shall meet with them again As it is a commendation of the Church we are come to an innumerable number of the souls of saints made perfect c. It shall be fullfilled in heaven we are to go to an innumerable company of angels to all the souls of the excellent on earth that are made perfect Therefore as ever you would have communion with them hereafter delight your selves in their communion here the more comfortable delight you have in them here the more comfortable assurance you shall have of communion with them hereafter FINIS
the lights of the world the salt of the earth they are these that are the blessings of the world wheresoever they are they are these for whom the world continueth so as it doth There is a notable expression in Isaiah In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria even a blessing in the middest of the Land Isaiah 19.24 Wheresoever they are in a Kingdome or a family or a town they are a blessing in that Kingdome in that town and in that family Israel shall be a blessing in the middest of the Land These are they that are the excellent of the earth I would now willingly be over this that I may come to the other but onely there is a word or two of application And that is First to shew what a vast difference there is between those that are godly and those that are wicked Many things I might shew that the Scripture expresseth of wicked ones in all their glory let all the glory of the world be put upon them yet the Scripture speaks exceedingly contemptuously of them I must not not spend time in those expressions onely one and that is in Daniel In that day a vile person shall arise Daniel 11.21 It is spoken as most Interpreters carry it of Antiochus Epiphanes yet he is called a vile person as the Psalmist saith In whose eyes a vile person is contemned Psalm 15. Antiochus there are three things observed of him yet he is called a vile person First he was a great enemy to many sinnes Secondly when the Jews wrote to him because they feared his wrath he being a persecutor of the Jews there were some that lived in Samaria that were Samaritans that wrote to him to desire his favour that were not their own selves Jews but Samaritans and Josephus saith they wrote to him Antiochus the mighty God they gave him this title of honour He was a great man on earth accounted where he lived among the Samaritans a mighty god yet the Scripture calls him a vile person And then his name Epiphanes which is as much as illustrious or glorious He had that title of almighty God and illustrious and glorious and yet he was a vile person Thus it is where God sees not the work of grace The consideration of this might give us some hope that there will be a time wherein God will appear for his saints It is not probable that God will alway suffer his Jewels to be trodden under feet in the world that God will alway look upon such as are excellent on earth and see them so abused in the world and so contemptible as they are surely this will not be alwaies God hath his time to make it manifest to the world that they are the excellent of the earth They are now Jewels yet they are such as are in the dirt and so are despised and contemned but there is a promise that they shall be as the stones of a crown lifted up as an ensign upon the Land Zach. 9.16 As the stones of a Crown God will lift them up and make them honourable And there is another text which is very observable for every one to take notice of Gods intention to make these excellent ones famous on earth The governours of Judah shall say in their heart The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength Zach. 12.5 There was a time when the governours of Judah despised those that were gracious and godly but God hath promised that the governours of Judah shall be convinced of their errour and shall say in their hearts the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God However now through the calumnies of the world however now through the reproches that are cast upon the saints of God it falls out many time that even the governours of Judah despise and contemn them and say they are seduced people that they are factious and turbulent and so their hearts are against them and hate and abhorre them and look upon them with such an evil eye as those that they name puritans yet there is a time promised when the governours of Judah shall say in their hearts the inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the Lord of hosts O ye inhabitants of Jerusalem Gods Church and people his sanctified ones for Jerusalem typified the estate of Gods people under the Gospel Gods sanctified ones under the Gospel shall be such as the governours of Judah in their hearts shall say My strengâ—h is in them I see they are my best subjects my chief strength is in them and they are of principall use for me and my kingdome is upheld in peace for them and there is the blessing of God on them they shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God Now I see God is their God God hears their prayers and hath done much for them we are convinced of it O this will be a blessed time when it shall be that the governours of Judah shall say so Blessed be God that they do say so in any measure that the governors of Judah say at all of the inhabitants of Jerusalem of the godly that their strength is in them that they may see those that are the excellent of the earth in any measure to be truly the excellent of the earth It were a ruefull spectacle and would draw tears of bloud to see the excellent ones to have that usage that they have had But now to see those excellent ones countenanced in a publick way especially in publick courts of Justice it is glorious when the governours of Judah shall do it and thus we are to pray for that it may be more and more And to say no more let us learn to honour them that God hath honoured since they are excellent ones and God hath put excellency upon them do you so too look on them according as God esteems them It is observed that God in the time of the law did not require them to offer in sacrifice Lions and Eagles those brave creatures but Lambs and Doves mean creatures he would have offered in sacrifice So God doth not regard the brave spirits of the world that strut it out but if there be any that be gracious and godly though they be never so poore and mean as Lambs and Doves God honours and respects them they are a sacrifice to him the broken heart is a sacrifice to God Therefore when God would lift up himself in glory he saith He that dwells in the high and lofty place What of him he looks to those that are of humble and contrite hearts As if there were no other object in the world worth looking upon he looks onely to them As a thing that is before ones eye that he prizeth his eye is fastned on that so God looks on them as if they were the onely object to be looked at therefore let them be looked at by us with reverence in our hearts it is fit