near to God 3. It will inform us of the great difference that is between good men and others the one lives above the other below one upon the Creature the other on the Creator Some are so far from being ever with God that they desire it not They say unto God Job 21. 14. Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways Psalm 10. 4. God is not in all their thoughts There is a vast difference between the dispositions of good and bad Take a good man and the frame of his heart is to be solicitous about God and thoughtful about God in duty Will this please will this honour God As to sin How shall I do this evil and sin against God As to Ordinances he seeks God in them and enquires whether he have met with God If God hath withdrawn himself he is troubled It is not so with the wicked they are not solicitous about any such thing their care thoughts and endeavours is how they may be well thought of reputed how they may drive on their covetous lustful or malitious designs How they may gratifie their senses They fense and keep of any passes that are made by Gods messengers to pierce them towards their conviction and amendment They will not bear the thoughts of God and their duty Use 2. of Exhortation If it be the property of pious and holy men to be with God to abide with him and herein to rise to this degree of being ever with him Then as ever we would be pious and holy men reputed such and found such let us endeavour ever to be with God spend our days with him No company is like unto God's you have heard in the Reasons Let the Divel the World the Flesh say what they will no company like society with the Father and the Son Let us seriously consider whether it be not as well our interest as our duty to live more unto and with God It may be for a Lamentation unto us that when some pious Christians have been spending all their time with God yet we have been but little taken up with that good company How little Lord have we been with thee even when we have stood before thee as thy people that desired to know thy ways and do thy will How little of our hearts hast thou had when with our mouths we have professed much love How have the world our lusts run away with our souls thoughts and affections and left thee the outside and carcases of Christians Let us run through all difficulties that we may get to God Idolaters would run through the very fire to get to their Idols 2 Kings 16. 3. A strange piece of devotion and this was partly to express their great zeal toward them and partly to be purged from their sins and so to be a fitter sacrifice for their Idols Let our souls then make hard after the true and living God though through difficulties and fiery trials Psalm 63. 8. My soul followeth hard after thee Hereunto take these directions 1. Withdraw your affections from the world Look upon it as below you to spend your pretious time in converse therewith Reason thus with your selves What hath God given me a a soul fit to converse with himself and shall I pass my time in converse with this dunghill this impure filthy world God forbid He hath designed me for nobler matters and shall I not do what I can to pursue them As ever you love God and would be with him to enjoy his love for ever love not the world withdraw your affection from it 1 Joh. 2. 15. Love not the World neither the things that are in the World If any man love the World the love of the Father is not in him 2. Take pains with your souls to raise and lift them up to God They are naturally averse to be with God as children are naturally averse to be with their aged parents they would rather be in the streets with their play-fellows and children of their age and humour so natural men are averse to be with God they would rather be in the World about trifles By how much the more backward they are the more pains we should take take with our hearts say thus to thy self It is better for me to be at some pains and trouble now than to be in eternal flames and misery for ever David labours to lift up his heart Psal. 25. 1. Unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul. The heart is naturally addicted to sink down into sensuality it should be raised up Isa. 64. 7. There is none that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee There must be a rowsing and stirring up of these sluggish and indisposed hearts of ours How vainly and unreasonably do many wicked persons reason themselves into Hell and destruction I am as good as God hath made me and shall I be damned for that averseness of spirit which is natural to me and I brought with me into the World This is Christians divelish arguing which Satan suggests and puts into mens mouths that he may drive them on farther to ruine You must be taken off your own bent and affections or you will be ruined for ever It had been better you had never been born than that you should rest in the same state of wretchedness wherein you are by nature Take pains therefore with your hearts though they shrink and draw back yet follow them from room to room from one idle excuse to another till they be driven out of all harbour Lay hold of them keep them fast say soul I must I will have thee up to God Thou must dwell with God here or else thou must never dwell with him hereafter 3. Allow not your selves in any sinful and ungodly course that sets God at a distance from you and begets a fear and dread in the soul that makes it run from God as offended till it recover the thoughts of Gods mercies and then the soul returns and comes toward God with trembling Now if the soul would be still with God with how much boldness might it approach into the divine presence If you do allow your selves in any unwarrantable course you stop that entercourse you might have with God therefore when you begin to feel your souls starting aside from God recall them charge them to keep close to God leave them not till you have brought them into some good frame and resolve as David Thy benefits are so innumerable they are so large a theme for my thoughts that Psal. 139. 18. When I awake I am still with thee Yet he had a holy jealousie over him self ver 23. 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Daved was a man that did commune much with his own heart and knew how things went with himself Yet he is desirous that God would make a
to the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the Seer So that it appears some Psalms composed by Asaph were Canonical and of use in the Church as the 74 76 77th and some other Psalms Some think he composed this the ten following and so others 2 The genus dicendi manner of speaking seems to be more sublime and obscure than that of David whose discourses seem to be more simple and plain 3 It s expressed to belong unto Asaph under the same form in Hebrew that those which were penned by David are expressed in as belonging to him The Psalm it self contains an account of the conflict Asaph was in through his beholding the prosperity of the wicked and the adversity of the godly that which hath been a great stumbling block in the world Look into the word of God and you shall find that it hath very much exercised the thoughts of the righteous and Seneca the Philosopher canvasseth this grand Case how it should come to pass that the wicked prospered This much exercised the Psalmists thoughts One while he resented it one way and another while another One while he was satisfied another while unsatisfied One while his spirit was calm and quiet another while tumultuous and restless Like the ship in the boysterous wind he is tossed up and down not so high now but as low anon Yet notwitstanding the distressd condition this good man was in notwithstanding the various apprehensions he had concerning it yet he still adheres and keeps close to God Nevertheless I am continually with thee In these words being the former part of the 23 v. There are two things observable 1. His tumultuous and sad condition sometimes God exerciseth his own dear servants with much distress both in body and mind and thus he dealt with Asaph 2. His adherence to God and communion with him Though his temptations and difficulties were such that he was even overwhelmed yet he still keeps close to God as knowing that if there were any true safety and rest to be had in the world it was with him Here we are to note there is a twofold being with God There is a being with him in respect of his care and protection and there is a being with him in respect of fellowship and communion Now I conceive when the Psalmist saith nevertheless I am continually with thee he aims at both these however I shall for the present discourse of the words with reference only to the latter Doct. That it is the property of pious and holy men to be with God or to have their abode with God or to live in communion with God Though the world do generally neglect him and live at a distance from him scarcely so much as thinking of him it is not so with pious and holy men they do not only think on him but prefer him above all and spend their time with him Phil. 3. 20. For our Conversation is in Heaven He exhorts them to an imitation of him and his fellow Apostles which he inforceth with this reason 1 Joh. 1. 3. That ye may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his son Jesus Christ. Some keep company with one and some with another but good men they keep company with God All persons that have not lost their reason have a reverence for a Divine and heavenly life this saith he we have to commend us to your acceptation that our conversation is in heaven and invite you to the imitation of us that have our fellowship with the Father and the Son 1. I shall lay down some propositions to make way for a better understanding of the point 1. Man upon his Creation while he remained in his innocency lead a Divine life enjoyed sweet communion with God and lay as it were in his very bosome He then knew not what it was to stand at at a distance from him lie under his displeasure or bear his wrath There was then nothing to interpose betwixt God and him or interrupt him in his communion with him Had his state been as certain and constant as it was pleasant and comfortable oh how happy had he been 2. By his fall he deserted God placed himself at a distance from him and grew strange to him Gen. 3. 23 24. The case was quite and clean altered as to the state of things God that before the fall had man in his Arms there hugging him with delight and tenderness now he drives him out of the Garden as worse than a beast not fit to be there He that had communion with his Maker is turned out and the Angel set to keep him out that he might not eat of the tree of life He go's away from his Father as the Prodigal pleaseth himself in his distance from God lives in a far country hides himself from his presence riots it in voluptuously entertaining and indulging the flesh And herein the propagation of Original Sin and the great degeneracy of our natures do's appear that we are all by birth at a distance from God and strangers to him Psal. 58. 3. They go astray from their birth as soon as they be born they are found at a distance and strayed from God And this is true not only of reprobated ones but the elect too yet with this difference that whereas the former persists therein the latter do not but in time reurn to him become acquainted with him and fall into familiarity with him 3. God in his great love to his elect and chosen is pleased to look after them in their far County take them off their estrangedness to him and bring them into a state of Communion with him Whiles they are ingaged in their prodigal wandrings from him he calls after them lays hold on them shews them their way and duty and brings them home to himself Isa. 30. 21. Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying This is the way walk ye in it when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left There shone a Light about Paul Acts 9. 3 4. And what the Prophet had said was in a more illustrious manner confirmed suddenly there shined round about him a light from Heaven You know how Paul carried it to Christians how he held it to be his duty to imprison the faithful how he ingaged in his hellish hot service of persecution night and day how when he was in the height of his carreer and came near Damascus a light shined He was in darkness and God gives him light He heard also a voice saying unto him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me He tells him that he was Jesus whom he persecuted This was the voice behind him saying This is the way walk in it What meanest thou Saul Wilt thou thus offend the God of Heaven wilt thou harden thy heart and blind thine eyes against that light and evidence that I have given to shew by infallible signs that I am
Jesus the Saviour Wilt thou boldly violently and dangerously go on to affront the dearest love and clearest light that ever was manifested to the World that unquestionable and irresistable authority andpower by wich if thou be not ruled thou wilt be ruined It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks Consider what thou art about to do that which will shew thy madness and beget thy sorrow Thus poor Saul that confesseth after that he was exceeding mad is overwhelmed falls on the earth and cries to him whom he had blasphemed and unmercifully persecuted in his members Lord what wilt thou have me to do I know thou wilt have me to do something as well as desist from what I was wickedly about to do I will do what lies in me I have ingaged in what I could against thee but now I will do what I should for thee 4. He causes them thus returned to behold an amiableness in him and to delight and take pleasure in him He discovers to them such glory and excellency in him and affords them such refreshment and comfort in the enjoyment of him that they account it their happiness that they may be with him Oh says a good man that I were with God! I cannot live without I may be with him Cant 2. 3. As the apple tree among the trees so is my beloved saith the Church among the sons I sate under his shaddow with great delight and his fruit was sweet unto my tast c. Even as your spreading trees yeild a pleasant shadow and the apple tree a a pleasant fruit so Gods presence yields much refreshment and repast unto his people 2 When or in what degree pious and holy men are with God And they are with him very much so that according to the liberty used in the common manner of speaking they are said to be ever with him Psal. 139. 18. When I awake I am still with thee A good man as he concludes the day with God saying Lord into thy hands I commend my spirit So he doth likewise begin the day with him no sooner do's he open his eyes but he looks up towards heaven acknowledgeth the goodness of God the night past and craves it for the day approaching so Luk. 15. 31. Son thou art ever with me and all that I have is thine Oh happy Son that might have such familiarity with his good father And oh wise Son that when he might have it would make use of it 3. What pious and holy men do while they are with God! How they do imploy and exercise themselves 1. They contemplate and view his perfections They view him in all his Attributes and properties in his wisdom power goodness glory Mat. 18. 10. Their Angels do always behold the face of my father which is in heaven where observe 1 What relation the Angels stand in to the faithful according to Luk. 15. 31. They are ever with God Let not any of the pious be disconsolate The Angels are Ministring spirits sent forth Oh the wonderful goodness of God! How highly hath he advanced poor men 2 What the Angels do They behold the face of God that is enough to make a continual banquet unto them This is partly to view his perfections and partly to receive in structions from him This is it which pious men do They behold the face of God they view God in those rare and infinite excellencies that are in him in his mercifulness goodness and holiness I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help Psal. 123. 1. This is the posture of an holy man he is looking up to God from whom cometh his help 2. They admire him and adore him as the supreme Being the highest Lord the chiefest good and the only object of religious worship Exod. 34. 8. They bow before him as Moses You read before how the Lord descended in the cloud becomes his own Herald proclaims his own greatness The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious Moses hereupon doth reverence and adore this merciful and glorious God bows his head as if he should say What glory is here What incomprehensibleness and incomparableness of glory and Majesty is here So Rev. 5. 14. The four and twenty Elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever 3. They rejoyce and glory in him as their portion and treasure Herein they esteem themselves happy that they have such a God and that they may be with him Oh saith the godly man what a God is here Not such an one as the Calves at Dan and Bethel This is a priviledge indeed to have such a God an interest in him that I may be intitled to him that I may be one with him and be still with him In this a man may boast My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit rejoyces in him Luk. 1. 46. 4. They treat with him in the behalf of their souls and their eternal welfare and happiness They consider their own condition weigh the terms he hath proposed of reconciliation and peace and with all cheerfulness submit to them Matth. 19. 16. When all controversies come to an end this will be the great Question which the young man propounds VVhat must I do to inherit eternal life VVhat wilt thou have me to do saith Paul and a gracious person inquires which way he might get nearer to God nearer to Christ. 5. They exercise dependance on him for a seasonable and happy deliverance of them out of the several temptations straits and troubles wherein they are A good man when he is with God saith Thou Lord rulest the world thou hast brought me into these troubles thou only canst bring me out of them and on thee do I depend for the doing of it Psal. 123. 2. As the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their Masters and as the eyes of the maiden unto the hand of her Mistress so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God until that he have mercy upon us The good man hath his eyes up to God in way of dependance to attend how long it will please him they shall be under exercise and service and waiting for the issue and end thereof This I conceive the Psalmist hath respect unto in the Text. I am continually with thee not only that I may have thy care and protection but that thou wouldst determine those troubles that I am waiting and groaning under and that thou wouldst quiet and still my soul and work it to an happy calmness Now I shall give Reasons why the godly are so much with God 1. Because he hath appointed them to come unto him and make their abode with him It belongs to him to give laws touching the disposal of their lives and manners and amongst other precepts he hath delivered to them to that end this is one that we should be continually with him He requires not only that we should live to him but likewise that we should live with
had need of patience that after they have done the will of God they may receive the promises But yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Heb. 10. 36 37. Their miseries shall have bounds and an end They shall not always be sighing under their burdensâ— sobbing out their complaints there is a rest after all their travels a land flowing with milk and honey with rivers of pleasures for a dry and barren wilderness The wickedness of the wicked will come to an end the Devil may rage and roar and raise persecution and they suffer tribulation ten daies Rev. 2. 10. The Devils Agents have their hour Luke 22. 53. This is your hour and the power of darkness Nay all the calamities of the people of God are light and but for a moment if compared with eternity of glory 2 They shall be upheld and kept from eternall destruction The ungodly shall not stand in judgment nor sinners in the Congregation of the righteous Psal. 1. 5. They shall be cast and fall in the trial when the assembly of the first-born shall stand and be acquitted and received into those everlasting and blessed habitations with a happy welcome Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you They shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 2 Pet. 1. 5. 2. Having shown what God upholds his people from in the next place we shall shew by what God upholds them 1. By his own immediate hand without the interposition or ministry of his creatures as Christ caught Peter sinking This is called Gods creating of their happiness that they may be glad and rejoyce in that which he doth create when he creates Jerusalem a rejoycing brings about the prosperity of his people when there is nothing of sufficiency or disposition in matter and means to produce such an effect When by his Fiat he commands deliverance for Jacob. And although some creatures are made use of they are such as are inconsiderable and ineffectual without miraculous power to cause any thing of this nature and conduce the least naturally towards their deliverance nay it may be contrary to their nature and above their ordinary power they are commanded to their service and answer Gods command The sea is taught to distinguish between the Egyptians and Israelites and made a way for the ransomed to pass over Elijah is fed by a Raven When Daniel is thrown into the den the hungry Lions Forget their hunger and cruelty The vermine plague Egypt and trouble not Goshen At the sound of the rams horns and the shout of Israel the walls of Jericho fall God has secret and invincible ways of conveying relief to his people They cannot be in so close a prison so begirt with danger but he can come to them comfort and deliver them manifest that help and salvation is from the Lord. He sends in his comforts to them that can pass through guards and iron gates unseen unheard and not to be resisted which their enemies cannot hinder them of and these they cannot take away from them Hos. 2. 14. When he hath brought them into the wilderness he speaks comfortably to them he sends an encouraging message to Paul Be of good cheer and in the multitudes of their thoughts within them his comforts delight their souls Psal. 94. 19. 2. God upholds his people by his word whereby he affords them instruction encouragement and comfort When they are in distress they betake them thither as to a Sacred Directory and are preserved from evil Psal. 17. 4. By the words of thy lips I have kept me from the path of the destroyer Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee Psal. 119. 11. They go to the word as a Sanctuary and in the word the Psalmist took sanctuary against his fears Psal 73. 17. He was perplexed till he came into Gods Sanctuary Some by Sanctuary do understand Heaven till he thought of heaven he was not satisfied Others by Sanctuary understand the place where Gods word was read and unfolded and there are that by Sanctuary will have the word of God to be meant Though Asaph might not mean the word by Sanctuary yet it was the word in the Sanctuary which afforded him comfort and resolution in that great perplexity And this was Davids comfort in his affliction the word of God quickned him Psal. 119. 50. 3. God upholds them by his creatures his Angels his ministers and their brethren in tribulation and suffering Our Lord himself was strengthned by an Angel Luke 22. 43. and Heb. 1. 14. Are they not ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation By his Ministers he doth mightily uphold and strengthen them They are given for the perfecting of the Saints for the edifying of the body of Christ till they come to a perfect man the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Eph. 4. 12 13. VVe are helpers of your joy saith the Apostle to the Corinthians not exercising Lordship over your saith 2 Cor. 1. 24. What mighty confirmation were Paul and Barnabas to the Churches Acts 14. 22. They returned to Lystra Iconium and Antioch confirming the souls of the Disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith The people of God are mutually helpful for the establishing of one another Job did uphold many Job 4. 4. And Eliphas spoke true in saying That he had strengthned the feeble knees and weak hands and had upholden him that was falling And God blesseth some with special comforts that they may be a relief to others by their experiences and may tell what God hath done for their souls 2 Cor. 1. 4. Who comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may he able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God 4. By his Providences which have been so signal and remarkable that have raised them out of their fears and revived their hope and confidence when their eyes have even failed with looking When mercies have come in which they have been almost ready to despair of And God hath turned the stream of affairs towards their relief and prosperity and brought about that which was improbable and they looked not for Thus Jacob was revived Genesis 45. 22. We come to the reasons Why God upholds his people And they are drawn 1. From the love of God His love to them is so great that they are called the beloved of his soul Jer. 12. 7. He hath more love care tenderness than the fathers of our flesh If they being evil know how to give good gifts unto their children how much more shall our heavenly Father give the holy spirit to them that ask him Luk. 11. 13. In correcting his people he sheweth more pitty and goodness For the Fathers of our flesh corrected us and for a few days chastened us after their own
pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness Heb. 12. 10. Not the most tender hearted mother doth yearn with such bowels of compassion towards her only Son as God doth toward his people Isa. 49. 15. Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee This love to them is the reason why he will uphold them Why did God lead Israel in the Wilderness why did he so eminently preserve them Because he loved them therefore he chose them to be a peculiar people above all people that were on the face of the earth Deut. 7. 6 7 8. And the reason why he loved them was because he loved them not any goodness or goodliness in them but because he loved them he set his love upon them He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy He will have compassion on whom he will have compassion Rom. 9. 15. Exod. 33. 19. God his love to his people is the ground and off-spring of all mercies to his people spiritual and temporal God so loved the world that he gave his Son Joh. 3. 16. Christ so loved his sheep that he laid down his life for them Who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2. 20. God did extend and draw out his richest mercy for Israel he did extend kindness to them in the chusing of them in his covenant with them his promises to them his deliverances of them because he loved them I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee Jer. 31. 3. 2. From their great necessity They have none else to uphold them When the Lord saw the affliction of Israel that it was bittter and that there was none shut up or left nor any helper 2 Kings 14. 26. Then he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the Son of Joash When he saw that there was no one to take up the righteous cause of his people then he arms himself He saw that there was none to help and wonder'd that there was none to uphold therefore his own arm brought salvation to him and his fury it upheld him Isa. 63. 3. And he put on righteousness as a breast-plate and an helmet of salvation upon his head he put on the garments of vengeance for cloathing and was clad with zeal as a cloak When he saw that there was no intercessor 3. From his Promise For the assurance and encouragement of his people he hath obliged himself by promise Isa. 41. 10 13. Fear not for I am with thee be not dismaied for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness In the 13th verse the Promise runs in the words of the Text I will hold thy right hand saying unto thee fear not I will help thee Sooner then Israel shall always groan under their burdens and Task-masters and the oath to Abraham and his seed be violated God will shew signs in Egypt and wonders in the Land of Ham Psal. 105. 27. Nay Heaven and earth shall pass away sooner than one tittle of the promise of God should fail He that hath called his people according to his purpose out of darkness into his marvellous light will uphold them and preserve them blameless unto the coming of Christ Jesus Faithful is he that hath called you who also will do it 1 Thes. 5. 24. 4. From their Prayers grounded and urged upon his Promise being sensible of the great evil and danger of sin knowing their proneness to slip they solicite God with their prayers to secure them from falling Psal. 51. 12. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit Uphold me according to thy word that I may not be ashamed of my hope Hold thou me up and I shall be safe Psal. 119. 116 117. When they are thinking of their danger sinking in the apprehension of it if they cry unto him he stretcheth out his hand and saves them 5. From his own honour and glory that is much concerned herein This is that which he proposeth to himself in all his performances This he is tender of zealous for will not have given to another This he would have us to propound to our selves in all our actions There is nothing he doth but he proposeth to himself therein the praise either of one Attribute or another He hath created all things for himself for the glory of his power goodness and other Attributes Whether things that be on the earth or things in heaven visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him Col. 1. 16. For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Rom. 11. 36. He hath created Jacob his servant for his glory he hath formed he hath made him Isa. 43. 7. God will look after his great name and it doth concern Gods glory much that his people should be upheld What would the enemies say if Israel should be cut of and turn their backs before their blaspheming adversaries God is a wise builder in Christ Jesus they are his workmanship now he doth not begin what he is not able to finish He is the Authour upholder and finisher of our Faith he will bring his people to their full stature unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Use of Informat 1. Of the transcendent and inexpressible goodness of God What manner of love is this that we should be called the Sons of God and be dealt with as his children friends familiars Here is goodness incomparable to admit beggars and worse that is sinners into fellowship with him Here is firmness of love and goodness that he will not forsake them whom he loveth he loveth to the end I will not leave thee nor forsake thee That he should admit not only into protection those that had cast off their allegiance and rebelled against him but communion This is condescention indeed Substantial and not Ceremonial as that of Princes many times is Revel 2. 1. He holdeth the Stars in his right hand and walketh in the midst of the seven Golden candlesticks 2. We may be informed of the difference between God and other friends Other friends look upon us as their Sun Dials when the Sun of prosperity shines upon us but when it is a black and dark day of Clouds and gloominess and thick darkness of trouble and distress then we signifie nothing to them But God deals not so with his people But when all are fled and gone he sticks close to his people Tribulation distress persecution famine nakedness peril sword cannot separate God from his people 2 Tim. 4. 16 17. At my first answer no man stood with me but all men forsook me
little-flock it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you a Kingdom And what needs any farther reason to prove the lawfulness and equity of it If he be for it what hath any one to do to be against it Rom. 21. 9. 21 23. What if God be willing to make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he hath afore prepared unto glory shall any one dare to question his proceedings What will men make of God Shall the Potter have more power over his clay than God hath over his creature That is the clay and he the Potter Nay O man who art thou that replyest against God Reas. 2. Is taken from his promise whereby he hath engaged himself to do it As he hath promised to guide them by his counsell and given his Angels charge concerning them so he hath engaged himself and given his royal word for it that however mean and despicable they are and are exercised with divers afflictions yet after they have suffered a while he will take them up unto himself Psal. 84. 11. He will give grace and glory and will withhold no good thing from them that walk uprightly Dan. 12. 3. They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars for ever and ever Oh what a ravishing truth is this Take this along with you Go home and wonder that such poor mortal sinful carcases as we should shine as the firmament the stars for ever nay as the Sun Mat. 13 43. Then shall the righteous shine as the Sun in the Kingdom of the Father If you have ears hearken to this if you have hearts to be affected with the glorious grace of God to sinners through Christ. Let men and Angels Heaven and Earth stand astonished at it for ever and ever As sure as this is the word of God this honour shall be done his Saints If you will not receive and be affected with this truth get you another bible that may affect you more and reward you better Let the worldlings voluptuous ambitious go to their Mammon their delicious fare their preferments and see what they will do for them What can they promise more than they will ever perform they can do nothing but help to a treasure of wrath and fearful recompence Not one Iota not one title of Gods word shall fail Here are words and more than bare words of eternal life which are delivered by truth it self God that cannot deceive God that cannot lye This truth I will stick by and yet that such a poor mouldring ever dying and perishing creature as I ready to turn to putrifaction and dust should be carried above the heavens have the conduct of Angels and the welcome of those blessed creatures unto the land of happiness how doth it amaze me with wonder at free grace What a thing is this Though it be great yet he having given his word will be sure to effect it as for other reasons so this in particular that he hath given it under his hand as well as engaged his word called heaven and earth to witness Before he hath issued out his promise he doth such things for his own pleasure but when he hath granted his promise a farther reason accurs to strengthen our consolation and good hopes through grace Reas. 3. Is taken from the will of Christ who upon the account of his interest in the Father and his own merits intercedes with his father to do it Our blessed Saviour has ever been concerned about mans welfare None save Christ could bestead us when we were thrown out of Paradise then saith Christ I will undertake be surety for them Lo I come to do thy will O God I will pay the debt and ransome them though it cost me dear This loss shall be for their advantage they shall be conveyed to another and better estate than ever they were in upon earth When Christ was upon earth he died for them and now he is in heaven he pleads his death and as for other purposes so for this in particular that God would gather in his elect that they may be where he is O Lord and Father remember my sufferings how the Messias was not cut off for himself not for any sin of his own He knew no sin but was made sin for thy people he bore their sins on his body on the tree And our Lord ever livet h to make intercession for his people Heb. 7. 25. What his intercession is you may learn partly from his intercession on earth and his last desires he left this to uphold the hearts of his people in his will and Testament which by the death of the Testator is confirmed to us Joh. 17. 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me Oh sweet words that where he was his people should be His lips were as a thread of scarlet and his words comely His lips drop sweet smelling myrrh partly by his promise John 12. 26. If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my servants be what Christ hath promised he can make good he did reveal his Fathers mind and God hath a mighty regard to the will of his Son As the Son never disobeyed the will of the Father so the Father never denyed the request of his son Joh. 11. 41. 42. Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me and I know that thou hearest me alwaies Could Christ prevaile while on earth for the raising of Lazarus to life Now he is in heaven his arguments and interest are strong and great enough to raise his people to glory Reas. 4. God will take his servants to glory that Christ may enjoy the benefit of his own purchase He hath made a double purchase He hath purchased glory for them and them for it As for glory it is the purchased possession or inheritance 1 Eph. 1. 14. And he hath purchased his Church with his own blood we are redeemed not with corruptible things as silver and Gold from our vain Conversation that we may be made meet for his his glory but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish or without spot It s highly reasonable Christ should have his bargain that he hath paid considerably for and he shall have the fruit of this double purchase without fraud from the just God whose ways are equal and who deceiveth not Christ hath redeemed his people that were slaves to sin and Satan hath wrought deliverance for the Captives hath bought an inheritance in glory for them and when he hath guided them by his Counsell here without farther delay afterwards they shall be received up into glory Reas. 5. That the head and members may be together That Christ is their head the Scripture thews Eph. 5. 23. And that he is in
sooner sometimes have his people done praying but he gives them a gracious Answer 2 Kings 20. 4 5. Thus Isaiah must return immediately after the delivery of his message to Hezekiah and tells him that his prayer was heard a quick return did God make Nay sometimes he do's it while they are praying Dan. 9. 20. Whilst Daniel was praying confessing his own and the peoples sins even while he was speaking in prayer Gabriel being caused to flie swiftly came and touched him ver 23. He saith that at the beginning of his supplication the commandment came forth and he was sent to tell him things which should be afterwards brought to pass Nay farther sometimes he do's it before they pray Psal. 3. 4. I cryed unto the Lord with my voice and he heard me out of his holy hill So our Translation renders it in the Preter-tense but the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in the future I will call and he heard me as if he should have said I was about to pray to the Lord and am still resolved to do it but as to that which I thought to beg of him he hath happily prevented me for he hath given it me before I asked him for it So Isa. 65. 24. Before they call I will answer and whiles they are yet speaking I will hear While Daniel was speaking God heard and before David cryed to the Lord he heard him It is much grace in him to grant our requests when we have made them and persevered in soliciting his savour more to answer whiles we are making our requests but to do it before we make them doth marvellously express the goodness of his nature 3. There is none like God to be confided and trusted in Men are deceitful and false and apt to fail those that trust in them They make fair flourishes and pretences when a man hath no occasion to use them and afterwards when he needs the performance of their promises turn their backs upon him but God is as firm as the very rocks How ordinarily doth the Scripture propose him as the Rock of his people Psal. 31. 3. Thou art my rock Deut. 32. 4. He is the Rock withal telling us there is none worthy of that title but he 2 Sam. 22. 32. Who is a rock save our God Who ever was disappointed by this God whose ways are perfect Who ever was ashamed that trusted in him Psal. 22. 4. Our father 's trusted in thee they trusted in thee and were delivered And Psal. 28. 7. My heart trusted in him and I am helped 4. There is none like or beside God to be loved or desired Such is the generousness of mans heart that it will bestow it self upon one thing or other Now there is none in all the world so worthy thereof as God and therefore he forbids us to bestow it upon other things and commands us to bestow it upon him 1 Joh. 2. 15. Love not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man love the world the love of the father is not in him Whom then must we bestow our love on Prov. 23. 26. My son give me thine heart And it was Asaphs sense of his peculiar fitness for it that made him cry out Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none on earth that I desire in comparison of thee 5. There is none like God to be worshipped and adored He is worthy of divine and Religious worship that is to be worshipped as the Author of what good we enjoy the Judge of our actions and disposer of our conditions and there is none else worthy of it but he Matth. 4. 10. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Our Saviour speaks not here of Civil worship for such we are to yeild to others but such as is religious and that he shews is peculiar to God There is neither Saint nor Angel that is fit for it and therefore we find when it hath been offered to them they have refused it Acts 10. 25 26. When Cornelius fell down at Peters feet and worshipped him Peter reproves him with this I my self also am a man A greater worship were the people of Listra about to shew to Barnabas and Paul Acts 14. 11 14. They cryed out the Gods were come down in the likeness of men and were about to do Sacrifice but Barnabas and Paul rent their cloathes when they heard of it ran in amongst them crying ver 15. We are men of like passions with you When John fell at the Angels feet to worship him he is forbidden Revel 19. 10. See thou do it not I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus Worship God Again Rev. 22. 8 9. When he had heard and seen those things which before we shewed he fell down to worship before the feet of the Angel which shewed him those things The Angel forbids him See thou do it not I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren the Prophets and of them which keep the sayings of this book Worship God 6. There is none like God for a man to be with or whose glory he should desire to partake of I pray think of this we are each of us to choose one for our selves a companion to abide with us to all eternity And there is none like God Saints are sweet companions and much good is to be had in their company the Angels are heavenly company but neither Saints nor Angels are like God The Apostle urgeth it as greatest matter of comfort to the Godly 1 Thes. 4. 17 18. Then when Christ shall appear to judgment we that are alive shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and we shall ever be with the Lord wherefore comfort one another with these words 1. Use of Information Of the goodness of God that would be pleased to make known himself to us and work us to a closure with him that he who is so great high that doth infinitely transcend Heaven and Earth Angels and men should work us to a closure with himself We are all naturally addicted to a Deity It s even as easie to keep men from eating and drinking as from the pursuit of a Deity for the latter is as rational and agreeable to the dictates of reason as the former is natural to the cravings of the sensual appetite If we close not with one God we shall with another and men will rather have a thousand Gods than none Now for God when we were to make our choice to come and tell us that he is the true God and work us to a closing with him Oh what goodness was it This was a favour worth ten thousand Hallelujahs Indeed by the contemplation of the works of Creation and Providence we might have learned that there was a God and that he was wise mighty good and the like But that we should know that the God of Israel was he
and that we should know him in a saving manner that he should look after us shine before us put himself into our arms make us to decline all other Gods this is the working of God distinguishing love and it should be marvellous in our eyes Mat. 11. 25. I think thee O father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Ver. 27. Neither knoweth any man the Father but the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him This saving knowledge is made known to us in and by Christ. That God should make known himself to us by his Son and not unto the world That he should keep us from the evil shares and practices of the world redeem us to himself by the blood of his Son put us into a state of salvation should make us wonder 1 Cor. 4. 7. Who maketh us to differ We have nothing but what is received What would have become of us had it not been for the love of God We might have with the World lien in wickedness and been condemned with the world We might have been aliens from the Israel of God strangers to the promise of life 2. This informs us of the happiness of those who have God for their God Oh he is the summ and top of all perfection There is in him whatever is requisite to the rendring either of himself blessed or the faithful blessed in the enjoyment of him If a man have him though he have nothing else he hath enough and though he hath every thing else and be without God in the world he hath nothing So that upon a due stating of things it is interest or not interest in him which doth determine our happiness or misery Blessed are those who injoy God and miserable are those who have no saving interest in him Those that have full Garners store of Oxen and Sheep were thought in a happy case but rather happy is that people whose God is the Lord. Persons do mightily mistake good and happiness looking for them in corruptible mortal earthly enjoyments they count the proud and rich happy whereas in the favour of God is good to be found when he lifts up the light of his countenance appears blessedness the highest good that the soul is capable of So Psal. 146. 5. 3. This informs us why wise and good men set such a valew upon him and are so much affected with him They prefer him above all and are ready to do or suffer any thing for him They are ready to run through fire and water so they may but serve him and approve themselves to him As for David he had such an esteem of him that he thought there was none that could sufficiently praise him Psal. 106. 2. Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord Who can shew forth all his praise And for the Primitive Christians there were no sufferings which they were not willing to undergo for him Rev. 12. 11. They loved not their lives unto death And what was the reason of this hardiness of those good Soldiers of Christ They judged none like him their lives but a small sacrifice for him no longer would they live than they might enjoy him and not unwillingly would they dye that they might be for ever with him 4. This informs us what a folly it is for any to attempt to be like unto God or to compare themselves with him Hereby the faln Angels draw upon themselves the charge of folly Job 4. 18. His Angels he charged with folly And hereby our first parents laid themselves under their makers derision and scorn Gen. 3. 22. Behold the man is become as one of us to know good and evil he was cheated into this expectation by the devil and God doth upbraid him with the tree of life lest he take of the tree of life and live for ever There was no likelihood of that when he had sinned but he derides any such vain hope that now especially might be in him to save him from the curse This was the ruine of the King of Babylon Isa. 14. 12 14. How art thou fallen from Heaven O Lucifer ver 13 14. You have the pride of the Babylonian King I will ascend into heaven I will exalt my throne above the stars of God I will ascend above the heights of the clouds I will be like the most High Yet should he be brought down to hell to the sides of the pit ver 15. What do men think of Do they think that when God by virtue of his essential perfections is transcendently above them he will suffer them to come and justle him up as if they were equal to him No let them not imagine any such thing God will not endure it such presumption is likely to be their bane and ruine Use 2. By way of Reproof This may reprove carnal men that make light of God and yet there is none in heaven or on earth to be compared with him Notwithstanding all they have heard of his Nature Laws Works they disregard him Job 21. 14 15. They say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy waies What is the Almighty that we should serve him And what profit should we have if we pray unto him So far are they from preferring him above all and yeilding him the respect reverence honour praise obedience which is meet that there is scarce any thing which they do not prefer before him What lust or temptation is there which they will not sooner hearken to than him Now Sirs consider what you are Are you men or beasts If beasts What do you amongst men It s fitter you should be in the fields among the herds If you are men then open your eyes look up to the Heavens and see whether there be not one there who is worthier of your affections than those trifles you keep such ado about It s observable how importunate the Holy Ghost is in calling upon us to be men and to act like men Isa. 46. 8 9. Shew your selves men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In what should they play the man Remember the former things of old for I am God and there is none else I am God and there is none like me So 1 Cor. 16. 13. Quit your selves like men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh what a deal of work hath the Holy Ghost to do in the reformation of ungodly men He is not only of men to make them holy but of beasts to make them men and to put them upon carrying themselves as such The Crown is fallen from our heads wo to us for we have sinned Use 3. of Exhortation 1. To you who stand at a distance from God Labour to be acquainted with him and to get an interest in him When we hear such a person is a person of singular worth How ambitious are we all to be acquainted with him and to get an interest in