grace to them is an argument why he will give more grace to them Two things will be here discussed 1. The necessity of the efficacious assistance of grace that we may walk worthy of God in all well-pleasing 2. How acceptable a frame of heart it is when we are once brought to delight in the ways of God Doct. 1. For the first That God from first to last doth make us to go in the path of his Commandments David was a renewed man a man that had gotten his heart into a good frame for he owneth his delight in the paths of Gods Commandments yet he begs for new strength and quickning Make me to go Lead or walk me Sept. First That at first conversion God maketh us go in the path of his Commandments that 's clear by Scripture for it is said Ephes. 2. 10. That we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them When we are renewed we are as it were created over again there is a power given us that we had not before to do this work Clearly the Apostle doth not speak there of the first Creation the end of our first Creation was to serve God but he speaks of supernatural renovation for he saith We are created in Christ Iesus There was a twofold Creation at first Ex nihilo ex inhabili materia either that which God created out of nothing or if out of pre-existent matter yet such as was wholly unfit and indisposed for those things that were to be made of it Now this latter suits with us We are created in Christ Iesus to good works that is we were altogether indisposed before to that which is good We have our natural powers but they are wholly vitiously inclined till the Lord worketh on us and infuseth a principle of new life till then we cannot do any thing that is spiritually good But when the Lord createth us anew he furnisheth us with an inward power and ability to do good What David prays for Make me to go in the way of thy commandments God promiseth Ezek. 36. 27. I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes God puts his spirit a new principle of grace When the Gospel is proposed to a man his will must be determined by something either by an object or a quality not by the proposal meerly of the object without for the Scripture shews there must be some work upon the heart some Divine quality infused within to incline and bend us to what is good Well then first there must be an infusion of the principles of grace In sinning there the mischief began with an act Adam sinned and that infected his nature But in grace the method is contrary the principle must be before the action God first sanctifieth our natures and then we act holily and this difference there is between acquired and infused habits Acquired habits follow action for frequent acts beget an habit as often swimming makes us expert in swimming and much writing expert in writing but gracious habits are infused and so preceed the act as a wheel runs round not to make it self round but because it is round Indeed there is a farther radication of grace by frequent acts as the means which God blesseth Now by this first work of grace we have three advantages 1. An inclination and tendency towards what is good As all natures imply a propensity to those things which agree to such a nature As sparks fly upward and a stone moves downward it 's their natural propensity so in the new nature there 's a new bent and tendency of heart which is to live unto God Gal. 2. 19. there 's an inclination towards God and holy things and therefore the Apostle presseth them by virtue of this grace received to act according to the tendency of the new nature Rom. 6. 13. Yield your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead that 's his argument As soon as the life of grace is infused the soul bends towards God 2. A preparation of heart for holy actions There is a principle that will carry them to it These Vessels are fitted and prepared for their Master's use and are prepared unto every good work 2 Tim. 2. 21. they are fitted and rigged for all holy actions and employments Eph. 2. 10. Created unto good works which God hath prepared that we should walk in them He hath prepared them for us and us to them There is a sutableness in the new nature to what God requireth As every creature is furnished with power and faculties sutable to those operations that belong to them so when the Lord infuseth the principles of grace and works upon the heart we are suited to every good work so that we need not new faculties but new operations of grace to excite and move us A ship that 's rigged and fitted with sails ready for a voyage needs a Pilot to guide and steer it so we need influences of grace Therefore when the Spirit is shed upon us afterwards it is in another manner than upon the unregenerate The unregenerate are objects of grace but the renewed are instruments of grace he works upon the one but he works by the other 3. There is a power and an ability to do good works when we are renewed if otherwise one of God's most precious gifts would be in vain if we were altogether without strength That 's the description of carnal nature Rom. 5. 6. We were without strength therefore there is a power which must be improved not rested in Gal. 5. 25. If ye live in the spirit walk in the spirit There is an operation that accompanieth every life and if there be a life of grace there will be a walking And Col. 2. 6. As ye have received Christ so walk in him Grace received must not lye idle but be put forth into act Thus God creates and infuseth such divine qualities as may give us a tendency and preparation of heart and strength to do that which may be pleasing to him Secondly He vouchsafeth his quickning actuating assisting grace for the improving these principles infused that their operations may be carried forth with more success Ezek. 36. 27. I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes God gives not only life but the constant motion of that life Natural things do not act without his daily Providential influence and therefore it is said Prov. 20. 12. God gives the hearing ear and the seeing eye not only doth give the eye and ear the faculty but the act of hearing and act of seeing he concurs to that and therefore God concurs by his actual assistance sometimes in a more liberal and plentiful manner by the freer aids and assistances of his grace and sometimes more sparingly according to his own pleasure He doth not only give us the habits of grace he worketh all
advantage and ply the oar then And the Apostle was not disheartned with the several conditions he was to run through in his passage to heaven Phil. 4. 13. I can do all things through Christ that strengthneth me When we have such an able Second God is at our right hand Psal. 16. 8. we need not be so dismayed with temptations and difficulties we meet with in the progress of our duty though we have many letts and hindrances yet God will cause us to walk in his ways 3. This keeps us humble and lowly in our own conceit and that is very necessary for us For pride is that sin which cleaves to us all our life and is called pride of life and lasts as long as life lasts How doth this keep us humble and lowly Partly thus because we have all by gift What hast thou that thou hast not received 1 Cor. 4. 7. All the strength that we have is but borrowed and who will be proud that is more in debt than others We would laugh at a Groom that is proud of his Master's Horse All grace comes from God Shall vve usurp the honour due to God And partly because vve have but from hand to mouth Though vve have all from God yet vve should soon grovv proud if God did not diet us and give out renevved evidences of his love and care over us by degrees some novv some then by fresh influences and acts of grace Look as David prays Psal. 59. 11. of his outvvard enemies Destroy them not O Lord lest my people forget scatter them by thy power and bring them down O! if all enemies vvere destroyed at once the people vvould forget thee the deliverance vvould be past antiquated and out of date and vvould not be so freshly thought of nor produce such vvarm affections in the hearts of his people So it is true in the spiritual World God doth not destroy all at once but brings dovvn our spiritual enemies that vve may acknovvledge vvhence vve have it And partly because this is a means to make us sensible of the mutability of our nature for when all depends upon God his coming and going it will make us see what poor creatures we are of our selves when he comes we are able to do something when he goes what poor creatures are we 2 Chron. 32. 31. God left him to try him that he might know all that was in his heart When vve are renevved yet vve are not fully recovered there 's a great deal of tang and taste of the old leaven and if God leave us vve shall soon sin vvhereas if vve vvere carried on vvith an even constant tenor of grace that is in our ovvn keeping vve should be proud 4. It endears the heart to God and God to the heart by acts of friendship and familiarity as it extracts from us acts of prayer and dependance and as we receive new supplies and daily influences of grace from him God is more endeared to the soul by his multiplied free gifts Look as at every lifting up of the foot there are new influences of life go to that stirring and motion so all in the spiritual life are his acts of grace If so much rain fell in one day as would suffice for seven years there would be no notice taken of Gods acts of Providence God would not have such witness to keep up his memory to the sons of men so here if we had all graces in our souls and needed not new excitement but he dispensed all at once God and we should grow strangers When the Prodigal had his portion in his own hands he leaves his father and therefore there must be continual acts of kindness to maintain a holy friendship between God and us USE 1. Look after renewing grace see whether there be a principle of life in you or no whether you be his workmanship in Christ Jesus Better never be his creature if not a new creature a dog is in a better condition You can do nothing in the spiritual life until there be a principle In vain to expect new operation before a new creation be past upon you The stream cannot be maintained without the spring 2. Let us pray for strength upon all occasions and beg the renewings of Gods efficacious grace that we may avoid sin and be ready to every good work Alas there are many discouragements from without and sundry baits which tickle the flesh and would seduce us from our duty unless the Lord stand by us and protect and strengthen us within Deadness will soon creep upon us and our heart run out of order look after new influences of grace this will make you ready to every good work not only the remote preparation but the furniture of the faculties and abilities Lo I come to do thy will and this will make you fruitful otherwise you will be as dry trees in Gods garden And this will make you lively and constant not off and on but fixed with God 3. If all depends upon God then let us not by any negligence of ours or by presumptuous sins provoke God to withdraw his assisting grace from us This is the Apostles meaning when he saith Phil. 2. 12 13. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling c. O take heed go about the business of Religion with holy caution and jealousie over your selves and fear the Lords displeasure for all depends upon him Dependance among men begets observance where men have their meat drink clothing they will be careful to please there So work out your Salvation c. for it is God that worketh in you c. you have all from God the business of the spiritual life will be interrupted and be at a stand if God with-hold his grace Every sin weakens that you have already and provokes God to with-hold his hand that he will not give more That which is the greatest ground of comfort and confidence is always the greatest ground of fear and trembling It 's a ground of great comfort and confidence in the spiritual life that he will help us in every action of ours and it is a ground also of the greatest fear and trembling that we should be careful not to offend him upon whom all depends The second point Doct. 2. That they which delight in Gods Commandments will beg his gracious assistance and are most likely to speed in their requests I make it to be both the reason of asking and the reason of granting First The reason of asking 1. What is this delight in God what is necessary to it 2. What are the fruits and effects of it First What is necessary to it 1. A new nature for what we do naturally we do with complacency and delight That which is forced and done against the grain and bent of our hearts can never be delightful and therefore there needs a principle of grace within Psal. 112. 1. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his
him but when his heart was upheld in the ways of God So Col. 3. 3. Your life is hid with Christ in God They had a life visible as other men had but your life that which you chiefly esteem and indeed count to be your life is a hidden thing Here I shall enquire 1. What is this spiritual life 2. Shew that there is a spiritual life distinct from the natural 3. The excellency of the one above the other 4. When this spiritual life is in good plight 1. What is meant by spiritual life 'T is threefold a life of justification and sanctification and glorification First The life of justification We are all dead by the merit of sin When a man is cast at law we say he is a dead man Through one mans offence all were dead Rom. 5. 5. We are sensible of it when the Law cometh in with power Rom. 7. 9. we begin to awaken out of our dead sleep Gods first work is to awaken him and open his eyes that he may see he is a Child of wrath a condemned person undone without a pardon when the Law came sin revived and I died before he thought himself a living man in as good an estate as the best but when he was enlightned to see the true meaning of the Law he found himself no better than a dead man Now when justified the sinner is translated from a sentence of death to a sentence of life passed in his favour and therefore it is called justification of life Rom. 5. 18. and Ioh. 5. 29. He that believeth shall not enter into condemnation but hath passed from death to life that is is acquitted from the sentence of death and condemnation passed on him by the Law Secondly The life of sanctification which lyes in a Conjunction of the soul with the spirit of God even as the natural life is a Conjunction of the body with the soul. Adam though his body was organized and formed was but a dead lump till God breathed the soul into him so till our union with Christ by the communion of his spirit we are dead and unable to every good work But the Holy Ghost puts us into a living condition Ephes. 2. 4 5. We were dead in trespasses and sins yet now hath he quickned us There is a new manner of being which we have upon the receiving of Grace Thirdly Life eternal or the life of Glory which is the final result and consummation of both the former For justification and sanctification are but the beginnings of our happy estate justification is the cause and foundation and sanctification is an introduction or entrance into that life that we shall ever live with God 2. Now this life is distinct from life natural for it hath a distinct principle which is the spirit of God the other a reasonable soul 1 Cor. 15. 45. The first man Adam was made a living soul the last Adam was made a quickning spirit Parents are but instruments of Gods Providence to unite body and soul together but here we live by the spirit or by Christ Gal. 2. 20. God and we are united together Then we live when joined to God as the fountain of life whence the soul is quickned by the spirit of Grace This is to live indeed 'T is called the life of God Ephes. 4. 18. not by common influence of his Providence but by special influences of his Grace Secondly It is distinct in its operations Unumquodque operatur secundum suam formam as things that move upward and downward according to their form so the new Nature carrieth men out to their own natural motion and tendency Walking as men 1 Cor. 3. 3. and walking as Christians are two distinct things The natural and humane life is nothing else but the orderly use of sense and reason but the Divine and spiritual life is the acting of Grace in order to communion with God as if another Soul dwelt in the same Body Ego non sum ego Old lusts old acquaintance old temptations knock at the same door but there is another Inhabitant Thirdly Distinct in supports Hidden Manna Meat indeed Drink indeed Ioh. 6. 55. There is an outward man and an inward man the inward man hath its life as well as the outward And as life so taste omnis vita gustu ducitur The hidden man must be fed with hidden Manna meat and drink that the world knows not of its comforts are never higher than in decays of the body 1 Cor. 4. 16. A man is as his delight and pleasure is it must have something agreeable Fourthly Distinct in ends The aim and tendency of the new Nature is to God 't is from God and therefore to him Gal. 2. 19. 'T is a life whereby a man is enabled to move and act towards God as his utmost end to glorifie him or to enjoy him A carnal man's personal contentment is his highest aim water riseth not beyond its fountain But a gracious man doth all to please God Col. 1. 11. to glorifie God 1 Cor. 10. 31. And this not only from his obligations Rom. 14. 7 8. but from his being that principle of life that is within him Ephes. 1. 12. A man that hath a new principle cannot live without God his great purpose and desire is to enjoy more of him 3. The excellency of the one above the other There is life carnal life natural and life spiritual Life carnal as much as it glittereth and maketh a noise in the world 't is but a death in comparison of the life of Grace 1 Tim. 5. 6. She that liveth in pleasure is dead whilst she liveth and let the dead bury their dead Luke 9. 60. and dead in trespasses and sins None seem to make so much of their lives as they yet dead as to any true life and sincere comfort So life natural 't is but a vapour a wind and a little puff of wind that is soon gone take it in the best Nature is but a continued sickness our food is a constant medicine to remedy the decays of Nature most men use it so alimenta sunt medicamenta But more particularly First Life natural is a common thing to Devils Reprobates Beasts Worms Trees and Plants but this is the peculiar priviledge of the Children of God 1 Iohn 4. 13. Therefore Gods Children think they have no life unless they have this life If we think we have a life because we see and hear so do the Worms and smallest Flyes if we think we are alive because we eat drink and sleep so do the Beasts and Cattel if we think we live because we reason and conferr so do the Heathens and Men that shall never see God if we think we have life because we grow well and wax strong proceeding to Old Age so do the Plants and Trees of the Field Nay we have not only this in common with them but in this kind of life other Creatures excel Man The Trees excel us for
escape was some while after 2 By giving in spiritual Manifestations to the Soul though he doth not give the particular Mercy prayed for As when upon the prayer he reviveth the soul of him that prayeth Iob 33. 26. He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable to him and he shall see his face with joy The Lord giveth them the light of his Countenance and special discoveries of his love or support till the Mercy come Psal. 138. 3. In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my Soul Support is an Answer such an Answer had Paul My Grace is sufficient for thee Or when the heart is quieted though we do not know what God will do with our requests yet satisfied in the discharge of our Duty and that we have commended the matter to God So it is said of Hannah When she had prayed her Countenance was no more sad 1 Sam. 1. 18. And Phil. 4. 6 7. Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Iesus Christ. Sometimes by a secret Impression of Confidence or a strong inclination to hope well of the thing prayed for Psal. 6. 8. The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping Or Experiences as they that travailed to Ierusalem passing through the Valley Baca they met with a Well by the way Psal. 84. 6. a sweet refreshing thought or some help in the Spiritual Life by serious dealing with God some Consideration to set you a work or some new ingagement of the soul to God as a recompence of the Duty some Principles of Faith drawn forth in the view of Conscience not shewed before Some truth or other presented with fresh Life and vigour upon the heart 3. Sometimes by way of Commutation and Exchange and so God doth answer the prayer though he doth not give the mercy prayed for When he giveth another thing that is as good or better for the party that prayeth though not in kind the same yet in worth and value as good This Commutation may be three wayes First In regard of the Person praying David fasts and humbleth and melteth his soul for his Persecutors Psal. 35. 13. and it returned into his own bosom was converted to his own benefit his fasting had no effect upon them but his Charity did not lose its reward David prayeth for his first Child by Bathsheba but that Child dieth and God giveth Solomon instead thereof 2 Sam. 12. 15. Noah Daniel Iob shall save their own Souls Ezek. 14. 14. Your peace shall return to you again Luk. 10. 5 6. the Comfort of discharging their Duty Secondly In regard of the matter Carnal things are begged and Spiritual things are given Acts 1. 6 7. The Apostles asked him wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel They did not receive the Kingdom to Israel but received the promise of the Spirit Moses would fain enter into Canaan with the People Deut. 3. 23 24. And God said let it suffice thee speak no more of this matter but God gave him a Pisgah sight and ease of the trouble of Wars We would have speedy riddance of Trouble but God thinketh not fit as showers that come by drops soak into the Earth better then those that come in a Tempest and Hurricane We ask for Ease in Troubles and God will give Courage under Troubles Lam. 3. 55 56 57. I called upon thy name O Lord out of the low dungeon Thou hast heard my voice hide not thine ear at my breathing at my cry Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee thou saidst Fear not His gracious and powerful Presence in Trouble was enough Christ was heard in that he feared Heb. 5. 7. not saved from that Hour but supported and strengthened in it Iob sacrificed prayed for his Children when they were Feasting Iob 1. 5. and though they were all destroyed God gave him Patience verse 22. for in all that befell him he sinned not nor charged God foolishly Thirdly In regard of means we pray such means may not miscarry God will use other As Abraham would fain have Ishmael the Child of the Promise but God intended Isaac Gen. 17. 18. O that Ishmael might live before thee Thus doth God often blast instruments we most expect good from and maketh use of others to be Instruments for our good which we did least expect it from God may give us our Will in Anger when the Mercy turneth to our hurt Therefore the kind of Gods Answer must be referred to his own Will in all things for which we are not to pray Absolutely and when we have discharged our Duty endeavoured to approve our Hearts to God take what Answer he will give Doct. 2. From the manner of praying with the whole Heart the Saints have the more confidence of being heard in Prayer David alledgeth his crying with the whole heart as an hopeful intimation of a gracious Answer 1. Because a Prayer rightly made hath the assurance of a Promise the Promise is Ioh. 16. 24. Ask and you shall receive that your joy may be full Now this beareth no exception but that we ask according to his Will 1 Ioh. 5. 14. Si bona petant boni bene ad bonum Good men asking good things in the name of Christ for a good end thou canst not miss 2. Where there is sincerity and fervency we have two witnesses to establish our Comfort and Hope the Spirit of God that knoweth the deep things of God and the Spirit of Man that knoweth the things that are in man Gods Spirit who stirreth up these groans in us Rom. 8. 26 27. He that searcheth the heart knoweth the mind of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God And the Testimony of our own Spirits that we have done our part and discharged our Duty and so have true Joy and Confidence Iob 16. 19 20. My witness is in heaven and my record is on high My friends scorn me but mine eye poureth out teares to God 3. God doth not use to send them away comfortless that call upon him in spirit and truth because by one grace he maketh way for another by the grace of Assistance for the grace of Acceptance Psal. 10. 17. Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou hast prepared their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear Where God hath given an Heart to speak he will afford an ear to hear for God will not lose his own work he cannot refuse those requests which are according to the direction of his Word and the motions of his holy Spirit when they are brought to him Use. This exhorteth us to look more after the manner of praying An earnest and sincere prayer cannot miscarry judge by this and you cannot want
Quickning David ever and anon reneweth his request and he is loth to be denied and therefore before he saith Quicken me he saith Hear my Voice Doctrine II. The main Argument which Gods Children have to plead in Prayer is his own favour and Loving-kindness That 's David ' s Argument in the Text Hear my voice according to thy loving-kindness Doctrine III. The Mercy and Loving-kindness of God manifested and impledged in the Promises of the Gospel doth notably incourage us to ask help from him For David doth not only say according to thy Loving-kindness but according to thy Judgment For the first Point One Blessing which the Children of God do see a need often and earnestly to ask of God is Quickening Here I shall inquire 1. What is Quickening 2. Give you some Reasons why the Children of God do see a need so often and earnestly to ask it of God I. What is Quickening 1. By Quickening some understand restitution to Happiness for a Calamitous man is as one dead and buried under deep and heavy Troubles and their recovery is a life from the Dead or a reviving from the Grave so Quickning seemeth to be taken Psal. 71. 20. Thou which hast shewed me great and sore Troubles shalt quicken me again and bring me up from the depths of the Earth 2. Othersunderstand by Quickning the renewing and increasing in him the Vigour of his Spiritual Life That he beggeth that God would revive increase and preserve that Life which he had already given that it might be perfected and consummated in Glory That he might be ever ready to bring forth the habits of Grace into Acts. The Use which we should make of it is to press you 1. To be sensible of the temper of your Hearts and see whether you want Quickning yea or no The feeling of spiritual deadness argueth some life and sense yet left You have attained to so much of life and do retain it in such a measure as to be able to bemoan your selves to God Most observe their bodies but very few their souls if their Bodies be ill at ease or out of order they complain Men that go on in a Track of Customary Duties see no need of quickning therefore this humble sense is a good sign Matins and Vespers coldly run over never put us upon the feeling of indispositions but onely Duties done with some spirit and life As a Smith blows not the Bellows on cold iron or a dead Coal Who would seek quickning when not serious in the work They that go on in the cold wont of Duties never regard the frame of their Hearts 2. When you want quickning ask it of God He brought us into the state of Life at first and therefore every moment we must beg of him that he would quicken us that he would continue it and perfect his own work Cant. 1. 4. Draw me we will run after thee There is no running no preserving the Vitality of Grace without his renewed influence Psal. 22. 29. None can keep alive his own Soul Therefore when we find this deadness or decay of Life to whom should we go but to the fountain of Life to repair it no Creature doth subsist of itself or act of itself 3. Ask it earnestly David prefaceth a general Prayer before this request and saith hear my voice as loth to be denied Many ask it of Course rather use it as a mannerly form when they are entring upon holy Duties than a broken-hearted request See you desire it heartily Psal 119. 40. Behold I have longed after thy precepts quicken thou me in thy righteousness A mans heart is set upon it and will not sit down with the distemper as contented and satisfied with a dead frame of Heart quickning is for longing Souls that would fain do the work of God with a more perfect Heart 4. Expect this Grace in and through Jesus Christ who came down from Heaven for this end Ioh. 10. 10. I am come that they might have life and might have it more abundantly That was his end in coming into the World to procure life for his People and not only bare life but liveliness and comfort yea glory hereafter He died to purchase it for us Ioh. 6. 51. This is my flesh which I give for the life of the world His Incarnation and taking on him our Nature is the Channel and Conduit through which the quickning virtue that is in the Godhead is conveyed to us And his offering up himself in that nature by his Eternal Spirit doth purchase and merit the Application and Anâ—…unciation of this his quickning virtue to our souls and prepareth him to be fit meat for souls That same Flesh and Humane Nature of Christ that is offered up a Ransom to Justice is also the Bread of Life for souls to feed upon Souls are fed with Meditations upon his Death and Sufferings the Bread which he giveth by way of Application is his Flesh which he gave by way of Ransom every renewed act of Faith draweth an increase of Life from him 5. Consider how God worketh it in us The Father of Spirits loveth to work with his own tools These three agree in one The Spirit the Word and the renewed Heart The one is the Author the other the Instrument and the last the Object There is the Spirit acting and the Habit of Grace acted upon and the Word and Sacraments are the instruments and means For God will do it rationally and by a lively light God forceth not the nature of second causes against their own inclination 't is pleasing to him when we desire him to renew his work and to bring forth the actings of Grace out of his own seed and to blow with the wind the breath of his Spirit on the Gardens that the spices may flow out Cant. 4. 15. if one of these be wanting there can be no quickning Not the Spirit for he applyeth all and doth all in the Heart of Believers 't is from him that we have the new life of Grace and all the activity of it Gal. 5. 25. If we live in the spirit let us also walk in the spirit Then there must be a renewed Heart for God doth first infuse the principles of the new Life and gracious habits and power into the soul. Next he doth actuate those powers or stir them up to do what is good otherwise we do but blow to a dead Coal Then the Word and Sacraments come as Gods means which are fitted to work upon the New Creature These are full of spiritual Reason and suited to the sanctified understandings of Men and Women 6. Consider Gods loving-kindness how ready he is to grant this He will not deny the gift of the Holy Ghost to them that ask him Luk. 11. 13. 'T is an Argument not a Pari but a minore ad majus God is more able and willing to give than earthly Parents who are but half Fathers This is a spiritual and necessary Blessing
24. 5. given to the children of men Psal. 115. 16. Here God will shew his bounty to all his creatures to beasts and all kind of men 't is sometimes the Slaughter-house and Shambles of the Saints They are slain upon earth Rev. 18. 24. a receptacle for elect and reprobate therefore here they have not their blessing our inheritance lyes elsewhere 3. There are all our kindred Ubi pater ibi patria where our father is there our Countrey is Now when we pray we say to him Our Father which art in heaven There are we strangers where we are absent from God Christ and glorified Saints and while we are here upon earth we have not such enjoyment of God There 's our Father it is his house Heaven is called our Fathers house and there 's our elder brother Col. 3. 1. Set your hearts upon things above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God And there 's the best of our kindred and Family They shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Iacob Mat. 8. 20. Well then the children of God they count themselves to be strangers here because their kindred are elsewhere 4. There they abide longest That we account our home where we abide An Inn cannot be called our home where we come but for a night and away but now there we are for ever with the Lord. Here we are in motion there is rest The world must be surely left If we had a certain term of years fixed yet it would be very short in comparison of Eternity All the time we spend here it is but a night but a moment in comparison of Eternity We live longest in the other world and therefore there 's our home Mic. 2. 10. Arise depart hence this is not your rest God speaks it of the Land of Canaan when they had polluted it with sin It is true of all the world Sin hath brought in death and there must be a riddance it is but a passage from danger Israel dwelt first in a wandring Camp before they came to dwell in Cities and walled Towns and the Apostle alludes to that Here we have no abiding City we look for one to come As the Israelites did look for walled Towns and Cities of the Amorites to be possest by them so here we have but a wandring Camp we look for a City And mark as it was with them in their outward estate so in the mysteries of their Religion they were first seated in a Tabernacle and then in a Temple in a Tabernacle which was a figure of the Church then in a Temple which was a figure of Heaven for you know as in the Temple there were three partitions the outward Court the Holy place and the Holy of holies so there are three Heavens the third heaven Paul speaks of the heaven of heavens and there 's the Starry heaven and the Airy heaven the outward Court This life being so frail so fickle we cannot call our abode here our home What is your life saith the Apostle it is but as a vapor Jam. 4. 14. a little warm breath turn'd in and out by the nostrils Job 7. 1. Is there not an appointed time for man upon earth his days are as the days of an hireling A hired servant you do not intend should live with you for ever you hire him for a day or two and when he hath ended his work he receives his wages and is gone so all our days are but a little while we do our service and then we must be gone Actors when they have finished their parts are seen no more they go within the Curtain so when we have fulfilled our course God furnisheth the world with a new Scene of Acts and Actors 5. The necessary exercise of their graces doth make them count their lives here but a pilgrimage and themselves but strangers upon earth viz. Faith Love Hope 1. Faith shews the truth and the worth of things to come Faith will make them strangers Heb. 11. 13. They saw these things and were perswaded of them and they counted themselves pilgrims and strangers O! were we perswaded of things to come we would be hastning towards them We cry home home we talk of heaven and eternity but we do not believe them Sense and reason cannot out-see time nor look above the clouds and mists of the lower world afar off in the Apostles phrase 2 Pet. 1. 9. but Faith shews the truth of things to come We that are here upon earth when we look to heaven the Stars seem to us but so many spangles O! but when we get into heaven and look downward the world then will seem but as a mole-hill that which now to sense seems such a glorious thing will be as nothing 2. The Love of Christ which is in the Saints makes them to account themselves as strangers A child of God cannot be satisfied with things here below because his love is set upon God Two things the heart looks after as soon as it is awakened by grace and Love puts us upon them both viz. a perfect enjoyment of God and a perfect obedience to God 1. That they may be with God and Christ. The Saints have heard much of Christ read much of him tasted and felt much of him they would fain see him and be with him Phil. 1. 23. If they had the choicest contentment the world could afford this will not satisfie them so much as to be there where Christ is and to behold his glory The Apostle thinks this to be motive enough to a gracious heart to seek things above for there Christ is at the right hand of God Love will catch hold of that Col. 3. 1. The place is lovely for Christs sake Love will not suffer them to count this to be their home Though Christ is present with them now spiritually while they are here yet the presence and nearness is but distance but a kind of absence being compared with what is to come and therefore this very presence doth not quench their desires but kindle them and sets them a longing for more All the presence the communion the sight of Christ they get now it is but mediate through the glass of the Ordinance 1 Cor. 13. 12. and it is frequently interrupted his face is many times hidden Psal. 30. 7. and it is not full as it shall be there Psal. 16. 11. But now in Heaven there it will be immediate God will be all in all and there it will be constant they shall be ever with the Lord and there they shall be satisfied with his likeness Psal. 17. 15. then they enjoy his presence indeed So that Love upon these considerations sets them a longing and groaning 2. As Love makes them desire the company of Christ so intire subjection to God they would have perfect grace and freedom from sin therefore are ever groaning O when shall we be rid of this body of death Rom. 7. 23. There is a final perfect estate
the request We pray for giving success to such an enterprize why that we may serve God safely God will bring it about another way Fifthly If God do not give us the blessings themselves we ask yet he gives us many experiences by the by in the manner of asking one way or other something comes into the soul by praying to God as those in Psal. 84. their end was to go to Ierusalem but in passing through the valley of Baca they met with a Well by the way So we meet with something by the way some light or some sweet refreshing some new consideration to set us a work in the spiritual life By praying to God unawares unthought of by you there are many principles of faith drawn forth in the view of conscience not noted before some truth or other presented to the heart or some spiritual benefit that comes in with fresh light and power that was never aimed at by us USE 1. If God be so ready to hear his people Let us not throw away our prayers as children shoot away their arrows but let us observe Gods answer what comes in upon every prayer in every address you make to God put the soul in a posture of expectation Psal. 5. 3. I will pray and look up and Psal. 85. 8. I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people See what God speaks when you have been praying and calling upon him It argues a slight formal spirit when you do not observe what comes in upon your addresses To quicken you to this know 1. If you observe not his answer God loseth a great deal of honour and praise for 't is said Psal. 50. 15. Call upon me in time of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Every answer of prayer makes for the glory of God and Col. 4. 2. Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving You are not only to see how your hearts are carried out in prayer but watch for God's answer that you may gather matter of praise We should not be so barren in gratulation as usually we are if we were as ready to observe our experiences as to lay forth our necessities 2. You lose many an argument of trust and confidence Answers of Prayer are an argument against Atheism which is so natural to us and inbred in our hearts it perswades us that there is a gracious being Psal. 65. 2. O thou that hearest prayer unto thee shall all flesh come we have called upon him and found that there is a God and against the natural unbelief which doubts of his truth in his Promises Psal. 18. 30. The word of the Lord is a tried word he is a buckler to all those that trust in him Well saith the soul I will build upon it another time there is more than letters and syllables in it there is something that speaks Gods heart so Psal. 116. 2. The Lord hath heard my voice and my supplications because he hath enclined his ear unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live Promises shall not lye by as a dead stock I will be pleading them 3. It encreaseth our love to God when we see how mindful he is of us and kind to us in our necessities it is a very taking thing Visits maintain friendship so when God is mindful of us it maintains an intercourse between God and us Psal. 116. 1. I love the Lord because he hath heard my supplications Therefore observe what comes in upon your prayers especially when your hearts are earnestly carried out by the impulses of his grace USE 2. To admire the goodness of God to poor creatures that he should be at leisure to attend our requests I declared my ways and he heard me When a poor soul that is of no regard among men shall come with conflicts and temptations and the Lord presently hear him it renders his grace truly admirable Psal. 34. 6. This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles He doth not say this eminent Prophet or this great King but this poor man O! that such contemptible persons as we should have such audience For Great ones here in the world to let a poor man tell his tale at large that would be counted great patience much more if he finds relief in the case But beyond all this observe the goodness of God The more we declare our ways the sooner doth he hear us he doth not turn away from us when we tell him plainly we cannot believe in him or trust in him Come to a man and tell him You have made me great promises but I cannot believe you speak truth this will provoke him but when you come to the Lord and say Lord thou hast made a great many promises though we cannot trust him as we should yet we have declared our sins conflicts temptations yet Lord pity our weakness Thirdly Here is his Petition Teach me thy statutes First I observe David having been once heard of God expects to be heard in the like manner again Here Thou hast heard me and then comes with a new request Teach me thy statutes Doct. 1. Those that have sped with God in one address they will be dealing with God for more mercy For so doth David The reason is 1. Because God is where he was at first he is not weary by giving nor doth waste by giving but what he hath done that he can do and will do still I AM is God's name not I was or will be for ever remaining in the same constant tenor of goodness and power His Providence is still new and fresh every morning God is but one always like himself He hath not so spent himself but he can work again Creatures have soon spent their allowance but God cannot be exhausted There 's no decays of Love or Power in him no wrinkle in the brow of Eternity There was is and will be a God 2. Experience breeds Confidence the Apostle teacheth us so Rom. 5. 4. when we have had former experience of Gods readiness to hear us it is an argument that breeds confidence of the like audience for the future He that delivered me out of the mouth of the Lion c. God that hath been gracious surely will be gracious still for then Promises are sensibly confirmed and then former mercies are pledges of future By giving God becomes a debtor Mat. 6. 25. Is not life more than meat and the body than raiment Our Saviours argument this was If God give life he will give food if a body he will give raiment If he hath given grace the earnest of the Spirit he will give glory If he hath given us Christ he will give us other things together with him If he hath begun with us he will end with us Phil. 1. 6. One mercy is the pledg of another 3. We are endeared to God not only by
and so do the beasts yea many of the beasts excell us in the perfection of that kind of life Lions excell in strength Roes in swiftness Eagles in long age none of their pleasures are soured with remorse of conscience But the inward Spiritual life is called the life of God Ephes. 4. 18. 6. The inward life is the beginning of our life in heaven A glorified Saint and a Saint militant upon earth they both live the life of God and the life of grace is the same life for kind though not for degree and one that is glorified and one here upon earth differ but as a child and a man But now the life of sense and the life of grace differ as a Toad and a man not only in degree but also in kind 7. Yet further this is that great thing which God hath been at such great expence about to raise the being of the new creature John 6. 51. This is my flesh which I give for the life of the world The supports the strength of the inward man cost dearer than all other comforts whatsoever it must have nobler supports it must have the blood of Christ daily supplies from heaven but the other life is called the life of our hands Isa. 57. 10. We patch up to ourselves some conveniencies for the sensible life by labour and service here in the world Well then this is that which the children of God do mostly look after that the inward life may be kept free from annoyance and fit for the purposes of grace USE The Use of this is to chek our carnal and preposterous care for the outward man to the neglect of the inward How much are we for the outward man that it may be well fed and well cloathed well at ease as for the present life there 's all our care but not so careful to get the soul furnished with grace and strengthened and renewed by continued influences from Christ. Certainly if men did look after soul strength they would be more careful to wait upon God for his blessing You may know the disproportion of your care for outward things and for the inward man by these Questions 1. How much do you prize Gods day the means of grace opportunities of worship that are for the inward man The Sabbath day is a feast day for souls Now when men are weary of it it 's the most burdensome day of all the week round Amos 8. 5. When will the Sabbath be gone that we may set forth wheat It is a sign they are carnal when men count that day the only lost day as Seneca saith of the Jews they lost the full seventh of their lives speaking of the Sabbath day so carnal men think it is a lost day to them they look upon the Sabbath as a melancholy interruption of their affairs and business The Apostle Iames saith of those that are begotten by God Chap. 1. 9. that they are swift to hear certainly they that have an inward man to maintain another life than an outward and animal life must have the supply and will look after the comforts of it 2. Consider how differently we are concerned with bodily and soul concernments If the body be but a little diseased if we want an appetite to a meal or a little sleep in the night we complain of it presently we enquire what 's the cause and look for a remedy but what a wonderfull disproportion is there as to the soul 'T is a strange expression that 3 Epist. John 2. I wish that thy body prosper as thy soul prospers Alas we may say of the most O that their souls did prosper as their bodies as they flourish in the conveniencies of the outward man 3. What care have you for the inward man to adorn the soul to beautify it with grace that it may be of price and esteem with God or to fortify it with grace Now when all our strength and travel is laid out for that which doth not conduce to the inward life Isa. 55. 2. and we lay out our money for that which is not bread it is a sign we are wholly carnal We read in Ecclesiastical story of one that wept when he saw a wanton woman decking her self with a great deal of care to please her lovers saith he Have I been so careful to deck my soul for Christ Iesus 4. Do you take in spiritual refreshments even when afflictions abound 2 Cor. 1. 5. As the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ then you are affected as the children of God whose heart and care runs out mainly for the inward man This in general Doct. 2. Secondly more especially observe He goes to God for strength Let me shew 1. What is this Spiritual strength 2. How it is given out 3. How God is concerned in it David goes to God Lord strengthen me First What Spiritual strength is It is Gods perfecting of his work Strength supposeth life therefore in general it is God's renewed influence when he hath planted habits of grace he comes and strengthens There is gratia praeveniens operans co-operans there is preventing-grace working-grace and co-working-grace Preventing-grace that is when God converts us when the Lord turns us to himself and doth plant grace in the soul at first Working grace that is when God strengthens the habit Co-working grace when God stirs up the act and helps us in the exercise of the grace we have First He plants grace into the heart then there 's a constant influence as the two Olive-trees in Zechariah were always dropping into the Lamps and then by excitation and co-operation he stirs it up Saith Austin Unless God gives us the faculties and unless he gives us the will we can do nothing and unless he concurs with the exercise of these faculties still we cannot work in the spiritual life as we ought to do and therefore first God infuseth grace and then strengthens grace first he worketh in us then by us First we are objects of his work then instruments To shew wherein the strength of the soul lies 1. There are planted in the soul habits of grace There are not only high operations of grace but permanent and fixed habits the seed of God that remaineth within us 1 Ioh. 3. 9. which cannot be the in-dwelling of the Spirit for this seed of God is some created thing Psal. 51. 10. Create in me a clean heart O God and it is something that grows 2 Pet. 3. 6. Grow in grace And therefore 't is evident there are habits of grace planted in the soul a good stock that we have from God at first called the good treasure of the heart Matth. 12. these habits of grace are called armour of God the shield of faith the helmet of salvation This is the strength of the soul. 2. But besides this there 's a continuance and an increase of these graces when the Lord confirms his work and perfects what
to the other they are left to arbitrement to abstain and use for edification according to the various postures and circumstances of times places and persons but so that we should never take from any believer or suffer to be taken from him that liberty which Christ hath purchased for us by his blood It is a licentious abuse of Power not to be endured We are to stand fast in that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free Gal. 5. 1. the Apostle mainly intends it of the observance of the ceremonial Law which was a bondage because of the trouble and expence O but then the price wherewith Christ bought our freedom should make us more chary of it and stand in the defence of it with greater courage and constancy whatever it cost us The Captain told Paul that his liberty as a Roman was obtained with a great sum Acts 22. 28. Now the Court of Rome doth challenge such a power that it commandeth and forbiddeth those things which God hath left free as distinction of days meats marriage according to their own pleasure 1 Tim. 4. 3. Nay sometimes dispenseth with that which God hath expresly commanded or forbidden and then what doth it but make him equal with God yea superior to him That Physician possibly may be born with that doth only burden his Patient with some needless prescriptions if for the main he be out faithful but if he should mingle poyson with his Medicaments and also still tire out his Patient with new prescriptions that are altogether troublesome and costly and nauseous and for the number of them dangerous to life it behoveth his Patient to look to his health And this is the very case The Pope doth sometimes make bold with dispensing with Gods Laws and doth extinguish and choak Christian Religion by thousands of Impositions of indifferent things which is not to be endured And then as to the Authority it self according to the eminency of the Lawgiver so is his Authority more or less absolute Therefore when a mortal man shall challenge an Authority so absolute as to be above controul and to give no account of his actions and it is not lawful to say to him What dost thou or enquire into the reason or complain of the injury this is that which the Churches of Christ cannot endure therefore they had just ground and cause of withdrawing and making up a body by themselves rather than yield to so great encroachments upon Christian liberty to receive the Decrees of one Church and that so erroneous and imposing without examination or leave of complaint 3. That which grieveth and did grieve and cause this withdrawing is both Papal Infallibility and freedom from error That any Church which is made up of fallible men should arrogate this to themselves especially the Roman which of all Churches that ever Christ had upon earth is most corrupt that they should fasten this Infallibility to the Papal chair which is the fountain of those corruptions this they look upon as a great contradiction not only to faith but to sense and as hard a condition as if I were bound when I saw a man sick of the Plague and the swelling and tokens of death upon him yet to say he is immortal nay that that part wherein the disease is seated is immortal This was the burden that was imposed upon the people of God that they should yield to this Secondly Come to their Heresie in Doctrine To rake in this filth would take up more time than will comport with your patience It is almost every where corrupt the only sound part in the whole frame is the Doctrine of the Trinity which yet the Schoolmen have intangled with many nice and unprofitable disputes which render that glorious and blessed mystery less venerable We must do them right also in this that they grant the doctrine of Christ's Satisfaction and that he not only dyed for our good but in our stead and bore our punishment they grant the truth of it but deny the sufficiency of it so mightily weaken if not destroy it while they think it must be pieced up by the sacrifice of the Mass human satisfaction by the merit of works Purgatory and Indulgences but in all other points of Religion how corrupt are they That which most offends the Reformed Churches is their equalling Traditions with the Scripture yea their decrying and taxing the Scriptures as obscure insufficient and as a nose of wax pliable to several purposes Their mangling the doctrine of Justification which we own to consist in the imputation of Christs righteousness received by faith and they plead in the works of righteousness which we have done and so if the Apostle may be Judg make void the grace of God Gal. 2. 21. And then the merit of works not expecting the reward of them from God's mercy which becometh Christian humility but from the condignity of the work it self which bewrayeth their Pharisaical pride We say that sins are remitted by God alone exercising his mercy in Christ through the Gospel towards those that believe and repent But the Papists say pardon may be had by virtue of Indulgences if a man give such a price do this or that say so many Ave-maries and Pater-nosters though far enough from true faith and repentance The one savours of the Gospel the other of the Tyranny of the Pope of Rome that hath set himself in the place of God and substituted his Laws instead of the Laws of Christ. So their portentous doctrine of Transubstantiation that a Priest should make his Maker and a people eat their God I could represent the difference of both Churches both in excess and defect In excess what they believe over and above the Christian faith The true Church believes with the Scripture and with the primitive Churches that there is but one God Father Son and Holy Ghost to be religiously invocated and worshipped They plead the Creature Angels and Saints are to be both religiously invocated and worshipped The Scripture shews that there is but one Surety and Mediator between God and man he that was both God and man Jesus Christ. They say that the Saints are Mediators of intercession with God by whose merits and prayers we obtain the grace and audience of our supplications The Scripture saith that Christs Propitiatory Sacrifice offered on the Cross is sufficient for the plenary remission of all our sins They say the Sacrifice of the Mass which the Priest under the species of bread and wine substantially that is by consecration into the body and blood of Christ offered to God that this is available for the remission of sins both of quick and dead That the remission of sins obtained by Christ and offered in the Gospel to the penitent believer is bestowed and applied by faith this is the opinion of the Scripture They say remission of sins is obtained and applied by their own satisfactions and Papal Indulgences That true repentance consists in
our works for us Isa. 26. 12. Now this actual help is necessary 1. Partly to direct us Psal. 74. 24. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory We need not only a principle within and a rule without but need also a guide Though we have grace in our hearts though we have the Law of God to direct us yet we need also a guide upon all occasions the Rule is the Scripture and the Guide is the Spirit of God 2. Partly to quicken and excite us by effectual motions The heart of man is very changeable and it is like the eye easily discomposed and put out of frame Deadness creeps upon us and we drive on heavily in the work of God Psal. 119. 37. Quicken thou me in thy way God doth renew the vigor of the life of grace upon all occasions 3. Partly to corroborate and strengthen that which we have received and make it encrease and grow in the soul and more firmly rooted there Eph. 3. 16. The Apostle prays That God would strengthen you with might by his spirit in the inner man the inward man the frame of grace that we have received needs to be strengthned encreased and be more deeply rooted in the soul. So 1 Pet. 5. 10. The God of all grace make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you Many words are used to shew how God is interested in maintaining and keeping a foot the grace he hath planted in the soul. 4. Partly in protecting and defending them against the incursions and assaults of the Devil The regenerate are not only escaped out of his clutches but appointed to be his Judges which an envious and proud spirit cannot endure therefore he maligneth assaulteth and besiegeth them with temptations daily therefore Christ prays Joh. 17. 11. Keep through thy own name those whom thou hast given me When a City is besieged fresh supplies are sent in they are not kept to their standing-provision so it is not the ordinary power of God that doth preserve and keep us from danger there 's new relief and fresh strength We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 2 Pet. 1. 5. Now we experience the help we have from God partly by the change and frame of our heart when we are acted by him and when we are not When God by the impulsions of his grace doth quicken and awaken our hearts we are carried on with a great deal of earnestness and strength but at other times we seem to be much bound and have not those breathings from the Spirit of God to fill our sails and carry us on with the same life and strength Yea in the same duty how is a Christian up and down carried out sometimes with a great deal of zeal and warmth but if God withdraw that assistance before the duty be over how do the affections flag So that we are like the wards of a Lock kept up while the key is turned but fall again when the key is turned the other way While the work of grace is powerful we are kept in a warm and heavenly plight Thus as to duties we need spiritual relief Likewise in temptations when we are ready to fall into such a sin with great proneness of heart and the Lord quickens and excites us by his grace It is often with a Christian as with David Psal. 73. 2. My feet were almost gone my steps had well nigh slipt even carried away by the violence of Satan and importunate motions of our own lusts then the Lord gives grace to help in a time of need Heb. 4. 16. in the Original it is no more but this seasonable relief God vouchsafeth Object I but are we to do nothing when we are indisposed This case is often traversed in this Psalm 1. The Precept of God falls upon us as reasonable creatures and doth not consider whether we are disposed or indisposed and God's influence is not our rule but our help We are to stir up our selves the Lord complains Isa. 64. 7. There is none that stirreth up himself to take hold of me And Timothy is bid to stir up the gift of God which is in him 2 Tim. 1. 6. God's assistance will be best expected in a way of doing Up and be doing and the Lord will be with thee 2 Chron. When we stir up our selves and set our selves to the work in the conscience of our duty we can better expect God's help and assistance 2. In great distempers there may be some pause Elisha would not prophesie when he was under a passion of anger therefore he calls for a Minstrel to sing a Psalm 2 King 3. 13 14 15. and as he plaid upon an Instrument the Spirit of the Lord came upon him He was under a passion offended with the King of Israel therefore he would not prophesie until his spirit was composed Certainly we are not to run head-long upon duties in the midst of these distempers Sailing is more safely delayed in time of an extreme storm When the heart is put into some great disorder in a great storm of spirit the distemper should first be mourned for and prayed against The Reasons why that from first to last he must make us to go in the way of his Commandments 1. God keeps this power in his own hands that his grace might be all in all and 't is the glory of his actions always to set the crown upon graces head Not only those permanent and fixed habits which constitute the new man but those daily supplies without which the motions and operations of the spiritual life would be at a stand are for grace When the Lord reckons with his servants about the improvement of their talents he doth not say My industry but Lord thy pound Luke 19. 18. He puts all the honour upon grace So 1 Cor. 16. 10. Not I but the grace of God So Gal. 2. 20. I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me So that still they are giving the glory to grace Acts are more perfect than habits therefore if we had only the power from God and acts from our selves we should not give all to God That acts are more perfect than the power is clear it is more perfect to understand than to have a power to understand power is in order to the act and the end is more noble than the means 2. This is a very great encouragement to us to set upon the exercise of grace in the midst of weaknesses and several difficulties and temptations wherewith we are encompassed because God will enable and assist us he will not leave us to our standing strength but he concurs Phil. 2. 12 13. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling why for it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure When God will concur to the will and to the deed to both when we have wind and tide he is very lazy that will not take his
or the Infusion of Grace 2. For the renewing the vigour of the life of Grace the renewed Influence of God whereby this Grace is stirred up in our hearts First for Regeneration or the Infusion of Grace Ephes. 2. 1 2. When we were dead in Trespasses and Sins yet now hath he quickned us then we are quickned or made alive to God when we are new born when there is an habitual Principle of Grace put into our hearts Secondly Quickning is put for the renewed excitation of Grace when the life that we have received is carried on to some further increase and so 't is twofold either by way of Comfort in our Afflictions or enlivening in a way of Holiness 1. Comfort in afflictions and so 't is opposed to fainting which is occasioned by too deep a sense of present troubles and distrust of God and the supplies of his Grace when the affliction is heavy upon us we are like Birds dead in the nest and are so overcome that we have no Spirit nor Courage in the service of God Psal. 119. 50. This is my Comfort in affliction for thy word hath quickened me Then we are said to be quickened when he raiseth up our hearts above the trouble by refining our suffering Graces as Faith Hope and Patience Thus he is said to revive the Contrite one Isa. â—…7 15. To restore comfort to us and to refresh us with the Sense of his Love 2. There is a quickening in Duty which is opposed to deadness of Spirit which is apt to creep upon us that is occasioned by Negligence and sloathfulness in the business of the spiritual Life Now to quicken us God exciteth his grace in us An Instrument though never so well in tune soon grows out of Order A Key seldom turned rusts in the Lock so Graces that are not kept a work lose their Exercise and grow Luke-warm or else 't is occasioned by carnal Liberty or intermeddling with worldly things These bring a Brawn and deadness upon the Heart and the Soul is depressed by the cares of this World Luk. 21. 34. Now when you are under this Temper of soul desire the Lord to Quicken you by new influences of Grace 2. Let me shew the necessity of this quickening how needful ' t is 1. 'T is needful for without it our general standing is questionable whether we belong to God or no 1 Pet. 2. 5. Ye are living stones built up into a spiritual House t is not enough to be a stone in Christs building but we must be living Stones not only members of his body but living members I cannot say such a one hath no grace but when they have it not it renders their Condition very questionable a man may be living when he is not lively 2. Without it we cannot perform our Duties aright Religion to a dead heart is a very irkesome thing When we are dead-hearted we do our Duties as if we did them not in our general course of obedience we must go to God Psal. 119. 88. Quicken me after thy loving Kindness so shall I keep the Testimonies of thy Mouth Then we do good to good purpose indeed t is not enough for us to pray but we must pray with life and Vigour Psal. 80. 18. Quicken me and I will call upon thy Name so we should hear with Life not in a dull Careless Fashion Math. 13. 15. 3. All the Graces that are planted in us tend to beget quickening as Faith Hope and Love these are the Graces that set us a work and make us lively in the Exercise of the spiritual Life Faith that works by Love Gall. 5. 6. It sets the Soul a work by apprehending the sense of Gods love whereas otherwise t is but a dead Faith 1 Iam. 2. 16. Then for love what is the Influence of that it constrains the Soul it takes the soul along with it 2 Cor. 5. 14. and Rom. 12. 1. And then hope 't is called a lively Hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. all Grace is put into us to make us Lively not only the Grace of Sanctification but the Grace of Iustification is bestowed upon us for this end that we may be cheerful in Gods service Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ purge our Consciences from dead works that we may serve the living God Sin and guilt make us dead and heavy hearted but now the blood of Christ is sprinkled upon the Conscience and the sentence of Death taken away then we are made cheerful to serve the living God Attributes are suited to the case in hand he is called the living God because he must be served in a living manner 4. All the Ordinances which God hath appointed are to get and increase this Liveliness in us Wherefore hath God appointed the Word Isa. 55. 3. Hear and your Souls shall live t is to promote the Life of Grace and that we may have new Incouragment to go on in the ways of God Moses when he received the Law is said to receive the lively Oracles of God Acts 7. 38. 10. So the doctrine of Christ they are all Spirit and Life and serve to beget Life in us As the redemption of the world by Christ the joys of Heaven the torments of Hell they are all quickening truths and propounded to us to keep us in Life and Vigour The Lords supper why was that appointed There we come to tast the flesh of Christ who was given for the Life of the world Iohn 6. That we might sensibly exercise our Faith upon Christ that we might be more sensible of our Obligations to him that we might be the more excited in the diligent pursuit of things to come Use 1. Is reproof David considereth the Dulness and Deadness of his Spirit which many do not but go on in a cold Tract of duties and never reguard the frame of their Hearts It is a good sign to observe our spiritual Temper and accordingly go to God Most observe their Bodies but very few their Souls If the body be ill at ease or out of Order they complain presently but love waxeth cold and their Zeal for God and delight in him is abated yet they never lay it to Heart Secondly To exhort us to get and keep this lively frame of heart 1. Get it Pray for it liveliness in obedience doth depend upon Gods Blessing unless he put life and keep life in our Souls all cometh to nothing Come to God upon the account of his Glory Psal. 143. 11. Quicken me O Lord for thy Name sake for thy Righteousness sake bring my Soul out of Trouble His tender Mercies Psal. 119. 156. Great are thy tender Mercies O Lord quicken me according to thy Iudgments Come to him upon the account of Christ Iohn 10. 10. I am come that they might have Life and that they might have it more abundantly And John 7. 38. He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his Belly shall flow Rivers
of Living Water Every new Act of Faith draweth from Christ some increase of Spiritual Life 2. Stir up your selves Isa. 64. 7. There is none that calleth upon thy Name that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee 2 Tim. 1. 6. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands Psal. 42. 5. Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet Praise him for the helps of his Countenance We have liveliness enough in all businesses of Secular concernment Consider what the business is that we are about It is about our everlasting Estate whether we shall live for ever in Heaven or Hell and shall we trifle here you had life in a way of sin worldly men are lively How dishonourable a thing is it to serve the Living God with a dead heart a lukewarm frame is hateful to God Rev. 3. 16. Because thou art Luk-warm and neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth Take heed you do not lose quickning and that 1. By our Corruption by any hainous sin Psal. 51. 10 11 12. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me cast me not away from thy Presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me restore unto me the Ioy of thy Salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit The Spirit is a tender thing A wound in the Body lets out the life blood Secondly By an inordinate liberty in Worldly pleasures 1 Tim. 7. 6. But she that liveth in Pleasure is dead while she liveth Vain company vain speeches and the like these things shun and avoid But Heb. 10. 24. Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works let us follow good Examples We grow formal and slight by imitation others profess Religion and yet are dead-hearted and vain and so are we The Idolaters encouraged one another Isa. 41. 6. 7. They helped every one his Neighbour and every one said to his Brother be of good courage so the Carpenter encouraged the Goldsmith and he that smootheth with the Hammer him that smootheth with the Anvil We should incourage one another in the way of Godliness and keep up a lively frame of heart towards God and pray with the Psalmist in the Text Turn away mine eyes from beholding Vanity and quicken thou me in thy way SERMON XLIII PSALM CXIX Verse 38. Stablish thy Word unto thy Servant who is devoted to thy Fear IN these words observe 1. A Request Stablish thy Word unto thy Servant 2. A Motive to inforce it Who is devoted to thy Fear The Motive is taken from the Qualifications and Disposition of the Person who makes the Request In the Request you have 1. The matter prayed for Stablish thy VVord 2. The Person for whom Unto thy Servant that is unto me who am so I shall begin with the First of these the benefit asked Stablish thy Word David that had prayed before Stablish me according to thy word Verse 28. Now he saith Stablish thy Word unto me By the Word is meant the Word of Promise Now the Promise of God is established when it is confirmed and made good 2 Cor. 13. 1. In the mouth of two or three Witnesses shall every word be established that is accounted valid and firm And 2 Sam. 7. 25. when he speaks of Gods Promises he prayes Stablish it for ever and do as thou hast said Look as on the one side we are said to establish the Law of God when we observe it for so it runs Deut. 27. 26. Cursed be he that confirmeth or establisheth not all the words of this Law to do them The Law is then confirmed when it hath its force and effect upon us whereas otherwise when they observe it not it is said to be void That Sentence is Repealed by the Apostle thus Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Well then the Promise is established when it is made good Quest. But why doth David pray thus Stablish thy word to me Since Gods word is most certain and Stable in it self so as it cannot be more 2 Pet. 1. 19. We have a more sure or a more stable word of Prophecy as the Word signifies how can the Word be more stable than it is Answ. I Answer it is sure in regard of God from whom it comes and in it self In regard of the things propounded it cannot be more or less stable it cannot be fast and loose but in regard of us it may be more or less established And that two ways 1. By the inward assurance of the Spirit increasing our Faith 2. By the outward performance of what is promised First By the inward assurance of the Spirit by which our Faith is increased Great is the weakness of our Faith as appears by our Fears Doubts Distrusts so that we need to be assured more and more We need say with tears as he doth in the Gospel 9. Mark 24. Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief and to cry out with the Apostles Lord increase our Faith Luk. 17. 5. There is none believeth so but he may yet believe more And in this sense the word is more Established when we are confirmed in the belief of it and look upon it as a sure ground for Faith to rest upon Secondly By actual performance when the promise is made good to us Every event which falls out according to the word is a notable Testimony of the truth of it and a seal to confirm and strengthen our Faith Three ways may this be made good 1. The making good of some Promises at one time strengthens our Faith in expecting the like Favour at another Christ was angry with his Disciples for not remembring the Miracle of the Loaves when they fell into a like strait again 16. Mat. 9. Do ye not yet understand neither remember the five Loaves c. We are to seek upon every Difficulty whereas former Experience in the same kind should be a means of Establishment to us 2 Cor. 1. 10. He hath delivered and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us In teaching a Child to Spell we are angry if when we have shew'd him a letter once twice and a third time yet when he meets with it again still he misseth So God is angry with us when we have had Experience of his Word in this that and the other Providence yet still our doubts return upon us 2. The accomplishment of one Promise confirms another for God that keepeth touch at one time will do so at another 2 Tim. 4. 17. I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lyon And the Lord shall deliver me from every Evil work and preserve me blameless unto his heavenly Kingdom In such a strait
being hard to come by unless Desires be strongly fixed men are soon put out of the Humour and so nothing would be done to any purpose in the World Surely Holiness that is so difficult and distasteful to Flesh and Blood would be but little looked after if there were not strength of Desires to keep it up Therefore is this affection that we may encounter Difficulties and Oppositions As Nehe. 4. 6. When there were Difficulties and Straits it is said They built the Wall for the People had a mind to work that is their Hearts were set upon it So if we had a mind to any Excellent thing it is this mind that keeps us up in the midst of all Difficulties and Labours All excellent Things are hard to come by it is so in Earthly matters much more in Spiritual The Lord will have it so to make us Prize them more for things soon got are little esteemed As riotous Heirs which know not how to get an Estate lavishly spend it A man is chary of what is hardly gotten Iacob prized Rachel the more because he was forced to serve for her so long So we shall prize Heavenly things the more when they cost us a great deal of Diligence and Labour to get them Now sluggish Desires soon fail but Vehement longings keep the Heart a work 5. Consider the issue of these Desires As they come from a good Cause which is the new Nature and a new Life for Appetite follows Life so they tend to a good Effect are sure of a good Accomplishment and Satisfaction God is wont to give Spiritual things to those that desire them there the Rule is Ask and have It is not so in carnal Things many that seek and hunt after them with all the Strength and Labour of their Souls at length are miserably disappointed But all the Promises run for Satisfaction to a Hungry Thirsty Earnest and Longing Soul 5. Math. 6. Those that are hungry and have a strong Desire upon them he will fill 1. Luke 51. And open thy Mouthwide and I will fill it 81. Psal. 10. They that open unto him as the thirsty Land for the Rain God that gives Velle to Will will give Posse to Do First the Desire and then the Satisfaction and therefore where there is this strength of Desire though there may be some failing in other things in our Endeavours and Performances yet the Lord will accept it 6. It argues some nearness to compleat Fruition or to full Satisfaction in Heaven when we begin to be more earnest after Holiness than we were before and after more of God and his Grace and Image to be set up in our Souls The more we desire Holiness the more ripe for Heaven This is a Rule The nearer we are to any good thing our Hearts are set upon the more impatient in the want of it as natural Motions are swifter in the end than in the beginning though violent Motions are swifter in the beginning while the impression of the stone lasts it is swift but afterwards it abates So when the Soul beats so strongly after God and Holiness and larger measures of Grace 't is a sign we are Ripening apace for Heaven Paul when he was grown aged in Christianity then he saith Rom. 7. 24. Who shall deliver me from this Body of Death As what we translate in the Psalms O that Salvation were come out of Sion It is in the Hebrew Who shall give Salvation So here it is an Hebreisme Who shall that is O that I were delivered He had many afflictions he was in Perills often Scourged Whipped Persecuted but he doth not say O that I could get rid of this troublesome Life of affliction but it was the Body of Death the remainders of Corruption was most burdensome to him The Children of God their Pulses beat strongly when they are upon the Confines of Eternity and their full and final Consummation These men begin to Ripen for their Heavenly State into which God will translate them Use 1. For Conviction of several sorts of Persons that are sar from this Temper and frame of Heart To begin with the most Notorious 1. Some desire Sin with a passionate Earnestness Iob 15. 16. He drinketh iniquity like Water As a thirsty Beast in those hot Countries would drink in water so did they drink in Sin Most wicked men are mad when their Lusts are set a working and there are some whose constant frame of Heart it is who make hast who march furiously as if they were afraid of coming to Hell too late bear down Conscience Word and all before them that set themselves to do Evil with both hands earnestly that have a strong desire after Sin and are carried out with as impatient longing after Sin as the Children of God such Eminent ones of God after Holiness 2. Some have no desire to the ways of God at all Iob 21. 14. They say unto God depart from us For we desire not the knowledge of thy ways the Hearts of many say so though their Tongues do not They are those which shut out the Light that cannot endure a searching Ministry lest it should trouble their Lusts disturb the Devils Kingdom that banish the thoughts of God out of their Hearts lest it revive the Sense of their Obligation to duty that set Conscience a challenging Gods right in their Souls that keep off from the Light 3. There are some that are insatiable in worldly things but have no Savour of these Heavenly and Holy things they are Thirsty for the Earth But God is not in all their thoughts Psal. 10. 4. a little Grace will serve their turn and think there is more ado than needs about Heaven and Heavenly things Alass the very contrary is true a little of the World will serve their turn here below If men had not a mind to increase their Temptations and Snares about a frail and temporal Life why do they make so much ado When many times they are taken away before they have Roasted what they have got in Hunting God takes them away but their Eternal estate is little looked after Riches qualifie us not but Holiness doth qualifie us for Heaven and it is our Ornament before God and his holy Angels And woe be to us if our poor Souls be thrust out Naked and Uncloathed in the other World Can we hunger and hanker after these lying Vanities and have no Hungering and Thirsting after Grace a little time will wear out the distinction of Rich and Poor High and Low but the distinction of Holy and Good will continue to Eternity Think of that time when not only the World but the Lust will pass away The lust of the World may be gone before we are out of the World as in Sickness and Pains but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever When we are Sick and Dying we have some kind of Notions and Apprehensions of these things then we can long and wish
love him in your hearts but openly plead for him and maintain his quarrel The Devil asketh but Christs Knee Mark 4. 9. Fall down and worship me What were all the Martyrs of God rash inconsiderate that suffered so many things rather than lose their liberty in Gods service Would we be content God should deal with us as we deal by him glorifie their Souls only love their Souls but punish their Bodies eternally 2. Them that though not tainted with this Libertine Principle yet are afraid or ashamed to own the Truth 1. Some afraid because of Troubles and Persecution Hath Christ endured so much for us and shall we be afraid to own his Truth God forbid If I would fear whom should I be afraid of Mark 10. 28. Fear not them which kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul but rather fear him who is able to destroy both Body and Soul in Hell Whom should a Child fear his Father or the Servants of his house So whom should we fear God or Man a Prison or Hell 2. Ashamed in Peace and out of Trouble ashamed to own Christ in such Company or to speak of God and his Word Oh Christians shall we be ashamed to speak for him that was not ashamed to dye for us or count Religion a Disgrace which is our Glory Would a Father take it well that his Son should be ashamed of him Are we ashamed of the Gospel the great Charter of our Hopes the Seeds of the new Life the Power of God to Salvation Rom. 1. 16. For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ which is the Power of God to Salvation Oh shake off this baseness Iohn 5. 44. How can ye believe which receive Honour one of another and seek not the Honour that comes from God only Use 2. To exhort us to confess with the Mouth and to own the Truths we are perswaded of And here I shall handle the Case of Profession 1. How far it is necessary It is a matter intricate and perplexed and therefore I care not to comprize all cases but to the most notable I shall speak 2. As to the manner how this Profession is to be made 1. How far we are bound to Profess 1. The Affirmative 2. The Negative 1. The Affirmative 1. It is certain that the Great Truths must be owned and publickly professed or else Christ would not have a visible people in the World distinct from Pagans and Heathens Our Baptism bindeth us to this Profession and to all Practises consonant and agreeable with it Rom. 10. 10. With the Heart man believeth unto Righteousness and with the Mouth Confession is made unto Salvation To own Christ as the Saviour of the World evidenced by his Resurrection from the Dead 2. It is certain we must do nothing to contradict the Truth in the smallest matters 2 Cor. 13. 8. We can do nothing against the Truth but for the Truth Nothing contrary to the Glory of God or the prejudice of the least Truth whatever it costs us 3. In lesser Truths when they are ventilated and brought forth upon the Stage and God cryeth out Who is on my side who We ought not to give up our selves to an indifferency to hide our Profession for any danger 2 Pet. 1. 2. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things though ye know them and be established in the present Truth The Church of God is out of Repair sometimes in one point sometimes in another the Orthodoxy of the generality of men is usually an Age too short in things now asoot they go wrong or forbear to give help to the Church because the God of this World hath blinded their Eyes Fight Christ Fight Antichrist they are resolved to be lookers on 4. When our Non-Profession shall be interpreted to be a Denyal Thus Daniel cap. 6. 10. Opened his Caseznent which looked towards Jerusalem and prayed three times a day as he was wont We must rather suffer than deny the Truth by interpretation when such Practises are urged as cross a Principle and we comply 5. When others are scandalized by our Non-Profession or not owning the Truths of Christ that is not only with the scandal of Offence or Contristation but with the scandal of Seduction in danger to Sin and to run into error by our not appearing for God the Interest of Truth should prevail above our ease and private Content 4. When an account of my Faith is demanded and I am called forth to give Testimony for Christ especially by Magistrates Matth. 10. 18. Ye shall be brought before Governors and Kings for my sake for a Testimony against them and the Gentiles 1 Pet. 3. 15. Be always ready to give an answer to every one that asketh a Reason of the Hope that is in you provided it be not in scorn Prov. 26. 4 5. Answer not a Fool according to his Folly lâ—…st thou also be like unto him Answer a Fool according to his Folly lest he be wise in his own Conceit Answer and Answer not not out of curiosity as Herod questioned Christ many things but he answered him nothing Luke 23. 9. or to be a snare Isa. 36. 21. They held their Peace and answered him not a word for the Kings commandment was saying Answer him not nor parly with Rabshekah In such cases you must not cast Pearls before Swine left they turn again and rent you Mat. 7. 6. 7. When Impulsions are great and fair opportunities are offered in Gods Providence Acts 6. 17 16. While Paul waited for them at Athens his Spirit was stirred in him when he saw the City wholly given to Idolatry It is an Intimation from God that then it is seasonable to interpose for his Glory 2. Negatively which is to be forborn 1. Till you be fully perswaded in your own Mind of the Truth which you would profess for otherwise we shall appear with a various and doubtful Face to the World changing and wavering according to the uncertainty of our own thoughts and so make the Profession of Religion Ridiculous We often see cause to suspect what before we were strongly conceited of there is a certain credulity and lightness of believing which men are subject to now when this breaks out into sudden Profession men run through all Sects and Religions and so blast and blemish their own Service therefore what is contrary to the received Sense especially of the Godly ought to be weighed and weighed again before we appear to the World to be otherwise minded 2. When the Profession of a lesser Truth proves an offence to the weak and a disturbance to the Church and an hindrance of some greater benefit all private Opinions must give way to the great Law of Edification Rom. 14. 22. Hast thou Faith have it to thy self before God We must not perplex weak Souls with doubtful Disputations till they be established in greater things neither must the Peace of the Church
depending upon God and looking up to him it is our Life that which I live in the Flesh 2 Gal. 20. All that I live in the Flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God well then the Law of God is always binding and every Operation of ours is under a Law and Grace should always be working 3. Gods Eye is always upon us he is alike every where therefore a Christian should be alike every where always like himself at home and abroad alone and in company 2 Phil. 12. As ye have always obeyed not as in my presence only but much more in my absence Many are devout abroad but carnal careless prophane if you follow them home to their Families When you are alone you are not alone God is there we have a heavenly Father that seeth in secret 6 Matth. 4. What you do in your Closets the doors made fast and all company shut out A man might allow himself in carnal liberty if he could go any where where God doth not see him but his eye is still upon us and therefore we should say with David I will keep thy Law continually Will he force the Queen before my face saith Ahasuerus We break Gods Laws before his face his Eye is always upon us and all our ways are before him 4. God is always at work for us 5 Iohn 17. My Father worketh hitherto and I work He sustains us every day hour moment and waketh for us watcheth over us by night and by day When we sleep the Devil is awake to do us mischief I but the God of Israel he that keepeth Israel neither slumbreth nor sleepeth but watcheth for our Good As soon as we arise his Compassions are new every morning 3 Lam. 22 23. Now can we offend him from whom we receive life and breath every moment If God should intermit his care but for one day nay but suspend it for one hour what would become of thee 5. All our Actions concern Eternity This Life is compared to a walk 2 Eph. 10. Every thing we do or speak is a step either to Heaven or Hell therefore to have an influence or tendency on that Action The more good we do the more we are acted with a fear of God and love of God to do all things to his glory the nearer heaven and the more evil the nearer hell We should not stand still or go back but always be getting ground in our journey 6. To be off and on with God will cost us much sorrow it will be bitterness in the end either it will cost us the bitterness of Repentance here or of weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth for ever either holy Compunction or everlasting Horror When you straggle from God there is no returning to your former Husband but by weeping cross 2 Hosea 14. and who would provide matter of sorrow for himself I say when you thrust your hand into Satans dish there is some sawce mingled with his meat and then everlasting Horror if not Compunction for that will be the end of them that are always unstable in all their ways 2 Iames 8. God will not always bear with them he may at first while they are Children poor weak Novices but will not always Eph. 4. 14. God expects that at length we should grow more constant and grow up to a radicated State of Grace therefore if we are always Children off and on with God then he will cast us off 7. By every intermission we may lose ground and possibly may never wholly if we recover it in part again We may lose ground for the way of the Lord is strength to the upright Prov. 10. 29. The more we continue in it the fitter we are to walk in it A Bell when once up is kept up with a greater ease than if we were to raise it a new A Horse warm in his geers is more fit for his Journey than at first setting forth and therefore keep up while you are in the way of God If it be hard to keep in with God it will be harder to recover when you are out of the way The only way to make Religion easie is to be still in it and to have our hearts still upon it and therefore you lose by your intermission And if you recover your selves after intermission it is not always to that degree of largeness of heart and fulness of Spiritual Comfort A Prodigal that hath rioted away his Estate if set up again is not trusted with the like Stock And after a great Disease though a man recovers yet it is not to the degree of his former health many times Therefore we should without intermission persevere in our duty to God To apply this part Use 1. It should humble us all that we are so fickle and inconstant in that which is good Our hearts are unstable as water In the space of an hour how are our thoughts changed from good to evil and from evil to good in a moment What a Monster would Man seem if his heart were visible in the best duty that ever he performed Our Devotion and Goodness it comes by pangs and fits now humble anon proud now meek anon passionate now confident then full of fear and anguish like men sick of an Ague sometimes well sometimes ill we do not seem to be the same men in a Duty and out of a duty nay sometimes in the same Duty we do not seem to be the same men are not carried on with the same largeness of heart and confidence in God and savouriness and spirituality Oh how changeable and fickle are our hearts this should humble us 2. It reproveth them that would have a Dispensation at times and take liberty to cast off all Christian Modesty and Gravity that think if they be serious sometimes they may be light and vain at others and therefore sometimes like Angels of light at other times like Fiends of Darkness sometimes we would take them for grave serious Christians at other times for loose Libertines and they cast the fear of God behind their backs Ezek. 33. 13. If he trust to his own Righteousness and commit Iniquity c. that is if upon Presumption that he hath been Righteous he dispenseth with himself and takes an indulgence from his former Duty to be light vain careless all his Righteousness shall be forgotten Such a dissimilitude is there between men now they seem to be grave and serious anon vain light and wanton so very uncertain and uneven are we in our Temper and Practice 3. It shews what need there is of a constant watchfulness that in all things we may behave our selves as Gods Children Sin is always at work Gen. 6. 5. The imaginations and thoughts of our heart are only evil and that continually and Satan is always at work espying advantages against us 1 Pet. 5. 8. to draw us off from God O then let Grace be in its continual exercise Live as knowing all the
compose and purifie the Mind and make Sin more odious and fortifie us against the Baits of Sense which are the occasion of all the Sin in the World All our Joy is to be considered with respect to its Use and Profit Eccles. 2. 2. I said of laughter It is mad and of mirth What doth it The more a Man delighteth in God and in the Ways of God the more he cleaveth to him and resolveth to go on in this Course and Temptations to Sensual Delights do less prevail for the joy of the Lord is our strength The safety of the Spiritual Life lieth in the keeping up our Joy and Delight in it Heb. 3. 6. Whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end Isa. 64. 5. Thou meetest him who rejoyceth and worketh righteousness But now Carnal Delights intoxicate the Mind and fill it with Vanity and Folly The Sensitive Lure hath more power over us to draw into the slavery of Sin Tit. 3. 3. For we our selves were also foolish deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures Surely then the healing Delights should be preferred before the killing wounding Pleasures that so often prove a snare to us 2. The Object is to be considered thy commandments Here observe 1. David did not place his Delight in Folly or Filthiness as they do that glory in their shame or delight in Sin and giving contentment to the Lusts of the Flesh as the Apostle speaks of some that sport themselves in their own deceivings 2 Pet. 2. 13. that do not onely live in sin but make a sport of it beguiling their own hearts with groundless apprehensions that there is no such evil and hazard therein as the Word declareth and Conscience sometimes suggesteth they are beholden to their sottish Error and Delusion for their Mirth Neither did he place his Delight in Temporal trifles the Honours and Pleasures and Profits of the World as bruitish Worldlings do but in the Word of God as the Seed of the New Life the Rule of his Conversation the Charter of his Hopes that blessed Word by which his Heart might be renewed and sanctified his Conscience setled his Mind acquainted with his Creators Will and his Affections raised to the Hopes of Glory The Matter which feedeth our Pleasures sheweth the Excellency or Baseness of it If like Beetles we delight in a Dunghil rather than a Garden or the Paradise of God's Word it shews a base mean Spirit as Swine in wallowing in the mire or Dogs to eat their own Vomit Our Temper and Inclination is known by our Complacency or Displacency Rom. 7. 5. For when we were in the flesh the motions of sin which were by the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death Therefore see which your hearts carry you to to the World or the Word of God The most part of the World are carried to the Pleasures of Sense and mastered by them but a Divine Spirit or Nature put into us makes us look after other things 2 Pet. 1. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises even of the great blessings of the new Covenant such as Pardon of Sin Eternal Life c. 2. Not onely in the Promissory but Mandatory part of the Word Commandments is the Notion in the Text. There is matter of great Joy contained in the Promises but they must not be looked upon as exclusive of the Precepts but inclusive Promises are spoken of Psal. 119. 111. Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart They contain spiritual and heavenly Riches and so are matter of Joy to a believing Soul but the Commandments call for Duty on our parts The Precepts appoint us a pleasant Work shew us what is to be done and left undone These Restraints are grateful to the New Nature for the compliance of the Will with the Will of God and its conformity to his Law hath a Pleasure annexed to it A renewed Soul would be subject to God in all things therefore delights in his Commandments without limitation or distinction 3. It is not in the Study or Contemplation of the Justice and Equity of these Commandments but in the Obedience and Practice of them There is a pleasure in the Study and Contemplation for every Truth breedeth a delectation in the mind Psal. 19. 8. The statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the soul. It is a blessed and pleasant thing to have a sure Rule commending it self with great evidence to our Consciences and manifesting it self to be of God therefore the sight of the Purity and Certainty of the Word of God is a great pleasure to any considering Mind no other Study to be compared with it But the Joy of Speculation or Contemplation is nothing to that of Practice Nothing maketh the Heart more chearful than a good Conscience or a constant walking in the way of God's Commandments 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that with simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God I have had my conversation in the world Let me give you this Gradation The Pleasures of Contemplation exceed those of Sense and the Delights of the Mind are more sincere and real than those of the Body for the more noble the Faculty is the more capable of Delight A Man in his Study about Natural things hath a truer pleasure than the greatest Epicure in the most exquisite enjoyment of Sense Prov. 24. 13 14. My son eat thou honey because it is good and the honey-comb which is sweet to thy taste so shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul when thou hast found it then there shall be a reward and thy expectation shall not be cut off But especially the Contemplation of Divine things is pleasant the Objects are more sublime certain necessary profitable and here we are more deeply concerned than in the Study of Nature Surely this is sweeter than Honey and Honey-comb to understand and contemplate the way of Salvation by Christ This is an Heaven upon Earth to know these things Iohn 17. 3. This is life eternal to know thee the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent As much as the Pleasures of the Natural Mind do exceed these Bodily Pleasures so much do these Pleasures of Faith and Spiritual Knowledge exceed those of the Natural Mind These things the Angels desire to pry into Now the Delights of Practical Obedience do far exceed those which are the meer result of Speculation and Contemplation Why Because they give us a more intimate feeling of the Truth and Worth of these things and our Right in them thereby is more secured and our Delight in them is heightned by the supernatural Operation of the Holy Ghost The Joy of the Spirit is said to be unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1. 18. In short
Hope in him to be born out in his Work Now if God hath specially excited your Faith it is not a foolish Imagination or vain Expectation like as of them that dream it is God's Word you build upon and it is by a Faith of God's operation he raiseth it in us 2. The Prayer of Faith is the Voice of the Spirit and God heareth the Voice of the Spirit always who maketh requests 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the will of God Rom. 8. 27. He that searcheth and trieth the hearts knoweth what is a groan of the spirit and what is a Fancy of our own what is a Confidence raised in us by the operation of his own Spirit For there may be a mistaken Faith seemingly built upon the Promises whenas it is indeed built upon our own Conceits Now God is not bound to make that Faith good But when we can appeal to the Searcher of Hearts that it is a Faith of his own working surely we may have confidence Now how shall we know that it is a Faith of God's raising 1. If the Promise be not mistaken and we do not presume of that absolutely which God onely hath promised conditionally and with the limitations of his own Glory and our good which are joyned to all Promises which concern the present Life In temporal things God exerciseth his Children with great uncertainties because he seeth it meet to prove our submission in these things for our Happiness lieth not in them Those things wherein our Happiness doth consist as Remission of Sins and Eternal Life are sure enough and that is encouragement to a gracious heart 2 Tim. 3. 18. God hath delivered me out of the mouth of the lion and will deliver me from every evil work In the Old Testament when God discovered less of Heaven he promised more of Earth but in the New Testament where Life and Immortality are brought to light we are told of many Tribulations in our passage yea the eminent Saints of the Old Testament that had a clearer view of things to come than others had were more exposed to the Calamities of the present Life because God thought the sight of Happiness to come sufficient to countervail their Troubles and if he would give them Rest in another World they might well endure the Inconveniencies of their Pilgrimage Heb. 11. 16. But now they desire a better countrey that is an heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a city The holy Patriarchs lest their Countrey flitted up and down upon this hope but to us Christians the case is clear Rom. 8. 18. For I râ—…on that the sufferings of this present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us 2 Cor. 4. 17. For this light affliction that is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 2. When the Qualification of the Person is not clear we must not absolutely promise our selves the Effect Ionah 3. 9. Who can tell whether God will turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not So Ioel 2. 14. Who knoweth if he will return and leave a blessing behind him In this Clause I put Believers who have sinned away their Peace and Assurance 2 Sam. 12. 22. Who can tell if God will be gracious unto me that the child may live He speaketh doubtfully Zeph. 2. 3. It may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lords fierce anger Amos 5. 15. Hate the evil and love the good it may be the Lord God of hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Ioseph In such cases the Soul is divided between the expectation of Mercy and the sense of their own Deservings and can speak neither the pure Language of Faith nor the pure Language of Unbelief half Canaan half Ashdod There is a Twilight in Grace as well as in Nature God in these cases raiseth no other Confidence to heighten Mercy and try how we can venture upon God and refer our selves to his Will when we have any business for him to do for us Mat. 8. 2. Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean 2 Sam. 15. 25 26. And the king said to Zadok Carry back the ark of God into the city if I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me again and shew me both it and his habitation But if he thus say I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good to him 3. In the Promises of Spiritual and Eternal Mercies when God's Conditions are performed by us we may be confident and must give glory to God in believing and being persuaded that he will fulfil them to us 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know whom I have believed and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day Rom. 8. 38 39. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. I am persuaded there is no doubt The stronger our Confidence the better 2. When God raiseth in our Minds some particular express Hope as in some cases he may do to these things that are of a Temporal nature and are conditionally promised and where our Qualification is clear he will not disappoint us 2 Cor. 1. 12. Though the Promises of Temporal things have the limitation of the Cross implied in them and are to be understood in subordination to our Eternal Interest and God's Glory without which they would not be Mercies but Judgments yet his usual course is to save deliver and supply them here Psal. 9. 10. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee And when God by his Spirit doth particularly incline his People to hope for Mercy from him he will not fail their Expectations Where the Qualification is uncertain yet the Faith of general Mercy wrastleth against Discouragements as in the case of the Woman of Canaan There is the Plea of a Dog and the Plea of a Child in grievous Temptations to fasten our selves upon God God will make good the Hope raised in them by his Spirit Use is for Direction what to do in all our Distresses Bodily and Spiritual Our Necessities should lead us to the Promise and the Promise to God 1. Be sure of your Qualification for David pleadeth here partly as a Servant of God and partly as a Believer First Remember thy word unto thy servant and then wherein thou hast caused me to hope There is a double Qualification with respect to the Precept of Subjection with respect to the Promise of Dependence The Precept is before the Promise They have right to
praying in the Holy Ghost Rom. 8. 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self helpeth our infirmities with groanings which cannot be uttered Zech. 12. 10. I will pour upon you the Spirit of Grace and of Supplication yet it is little relished by them A slat dead way of praying suiteth their gust better Christ compareth the Duties of the Gospel fasting with Prayer in the Spirit to new wine which will break old bottles Matth. 9. 17. but the Duties of the Pharisees to old dead and insipid wine there is no life in them 6. Serious speaking of God and Heavenly Things is in the phrase of the World Canting Indeed to speak swelling words of Vanity or an unintelligible Jargon betrayeth Religion to scorn but a pure Lip and Speech seasoned with Salt and that Holy Things should be spoken of in a holy manner our Lord requireth 7. Faith of the future Eternal State is esteemed a fond Credulity by them who affect the Vanities of the World and the Honours and Pleasures thereof They are all for Sight and Present Things and Christianity inviteth us to things Spiritual and Heavenly Now to live upon the Hopes of an unseen World and that to come they judge it to be but Foppery and needless Superstition Thus do poor Creatures drunk with the delusions of the Flesh judge of the Holy Things of God 8. The Humility of Christians and their pardoning Wrongs and forgiving Injuries they count to be Simplicity or Stupidness though the Law of Christ requireth us to forgive others as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us 9. Exact walking is Scrupulosity and Preciseness and men are more nice then wise which is a Reproach that reflecteth a mighty contempt upon God himself that when he hath made an holy Law for the Government of the World that the obeying of this Law should be derided by professed Christians the Scorn must needs fall on him that made the Law and gave us these Commands If he be too precise that imperfectly obeyed God what will you say of God himself who commandeth more then any of us all performeth Thus the Children of God are not onely reproached as Hypocrites but derided as Fools and it is counted as a part of wit and breeding to droll at the serious Practice of Godliness as if Religion were but a Foppery 2. The Reasons of this are these 1. Their natural Blindness 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned They are incompetent Judges Prov. 24. 7. Wisedom is too high for a fool Though by Nature we have lost our Light yet we have not lost our Pride Prov. 26. 16. The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit then seven men that can render a Reason Though their way in Religion be but a sluggish lazy and dead course yet they have an high conceit of it and censure all that is contrary or but a degree removed above it From Spiritual Blindness it is that Carnal Men judge unrighteously and perversely of God's Servants and count Zeale and Forwardness in Religious Duties to be but Folly and Madness 2. Antipathy and prejudicate Malice The Graceless scoff at the Gracious and the Profane at the Serious there is a different course and that produceth difference of Affections Iohn 15. 19. The world will love its own but because I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you And they manifest their Malice and Hatred this way by Evil-speaking 1 Pet. 4. 4. speaking evil of you 3. Want of a closer View Christians complained in the Primitive times that they were condemned unheard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without any particular inquiry into their Principles and Practices And Tertullian saith nolentes auditis c. they would not inquire because they had a mind to hate A Man riding afar off seeing people dancing would think they were mad till he draws near and observes the harmonious order They will not take a nearer view of the regularity of the ways of God and therefore scoff at them 4. Because you do by your Practice condemn that Life that they affect Iohn 7. 7. The world hateth me because I testify that their deeds are evil Noah Heb. 11. 7. by Faith being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an ark to the saving of his house by the which he condemned the world Now they would not have their guilt revived and therefore since they will not come up to others by a religious Imitation they seek to bring others down to themselves by Scoffs reproaches and Censures 5. They are set awork by Sathan thereby to keep off young Beginners and to discourage and molest the godly themselves for bitter words pierce deep and enter into the very Soul II. It is a grievous Temptation it is reckoned in Scripture among the Persecutions Gal. 4. 29. As he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit even so it is now He meaneth those bitter mockings that Isaac did suffer from Ishmael Gen. 21. 9. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian which she had born unto Abraham mocking When the Wicked mock at our Interest in God shame our Confidence the Church complaineth of it Psal. 123. 4. We are filled with the scorning of those that are at ease and with the contempt of the proud the insultations of those that live in full Pomp over the Confidence and Hope the Saints have in God So we reade Heb. 10. 33. that the servants of God were made a gazing-stock by Reproaches and Afflictions again of cruel mockings Heb. 11. 36. It is more grievous when they mock and persecute at the same time there is both Pain and Shame The parties mocked were God's Saints the parties mocking were their Persecutors and Enemies which proved sometimes to be their own Brethren of the same Nation Language Kindred Religion In short these mockings issue out of Contempt and tend to the disgrace and dishonour of the Party mocked they make it their sport to abuse them David saith Reproach hath broken my heart Psal. 69. 20. III. This should not move us either to open Defection or partial Declining for these Reasons 1. It is one of the usual Evils wherewith the People of God are tempted Now a Christian should be fortified against obvious and usual Evils Let no man that is truly religious think that he can escape the Mockage and Contempt of the Wicked Iesus Christ himself endured the contradiction of sinners Heb. 12. 3. and the rather that we might not wax weary and faint in our minds This is a part of his Cross which we must bear after him The Pharisees derided his Ministry Luke 16. 14. The Pharisees also who were covetous
sheweth that we are all Strangers here for if here we do not live for ever and yet we have Souls that will live for ever there must be some other place to which we are tending The Body is dust in its Composition and Resolution Eccles. 12. 7. Then shall the Body return to the Earth as it was Nature may teach us so much but Faith that assureth us of the Resurrection of the Dead doth more bind this Consideration upon us We are Mortal and all things about us are liable to their Mortality and therefore here we must be still passing to another Place 2. Here we have no Rest Micah 2. 10. Arise and depart hence for this is not your Rest that is hereafter Heb. 4. 9. There remaineth therefore a Rest for the People of God Our Home we count the place of our Repose Now there is no Rest and Content in this World which is a place of Vanity Misery and Discomfort Yea to the Children of God there are stronger Motives than Crosses to drive them from the World daily Temptations and our often falling by them Crosses are grievous to all but Sin is more grievous to the Godly and nothing makes them more weary of the World then the constant indwelling and frequent outbreaking of Corruption and Sin Rom. 7. 24. Oh miserable Man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death The Apostle was exercised with many Crosses but this doth make him complain in the bitterness of his Soul not of his Misery but of his Corruption which he found continually rebelling against God Many complain of their Crosses that complain not of Sin to loath the World for Crosses alone is neither the Mark nor Work of Grace a Beast can forsake the place where he findeth neither Meat nor Rest but because we are sinning here whilst others are glorifying God this is the trouble of the Saints 3. They believe and look for a better Estate after this life is over 2 Cor. 5. 1. We know that if our earthly House of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens No Man can be a right Sojourner on Earth who doth not look for an abode in Heaven for that which doth most effectually draw off the heart of Man from this World is the Expectation of a far better State in the World to come 2 Cor. 4. 18. While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal Heathens could call the World an Inn but they had onely glimmering Conceptions of another World A Christian that believeth it and looketh for it on God's Assurance he is onely the joyfull Stranger and the Pilgrim Common Sense will teach us the necessity of leaving this World but Faith can onely assure us of another they are Believers and Expectants of Heaven 4. They do not onely look for it but seek after it We reade of both looking and seeking Heb. 11. 14. They declare plainly that they seek a Country Heb. 13. 14. Here we have no continuing City but we seek one to come Seeking implyeth Diligence in the Use of Means all the Life of a Christian is nothing but the seeking after another Country every day advancing a step nearer to Heaven and therefore their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Conversation is said to be in Heaven Phil. 3. 20. This is their great business upon Earth to doe all to eternal Ends all other Works and Labours are but upon the bie and subordinate to this Their main care is to obtain this blessed Condition therefore they use Word Sacraments that they may grow in Grace Faith Repentance New obedience Every degree in Grace is another step towards Heaven Psal. 84. 4. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee in whose hearts are the ways of them vers 6. They goe from strength to strength every one of them in Zion appeareth before God Some of the Sains are in Patria others in Via still bending homeward 5. Because they are so the Children of God are dealt with as Strangers Difference of scope and drift will procure alienation of Affection 1 Pet. 4. 4. Wherein they think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of Riot speaking evil of you And Iohn 15. 19. If ye were of the world the world would love its own but because ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you Other cannot be expected but that the Servants of the Lord should be ill-rewarded and treated here not onely out of the Worlds Ignorance they know not our birth breeding expectations hope 1 Iohn 3. 2. Beloved now are we the Sons of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is but Enmity as the different Carriage of the one puts a disgrace upon the course of Life which the other do affect the one fixeth their home here the other looketh for it elsewhere and the World is sensible this is an Excellency and therefore those that are at the bottom of the Hill envy and malign those that are a-top Use. Are we thus minded There are two sorts of men in the World the one is of the Devil and the other is of God for all men seek their Rest and Happiness on Earth or Rest in Heaven Naturally Men were all of the first Number for the Rational Soul without Grace accommodateth it self to the Interests of the Body but when sublimated and transformed by Grace the World cannot satisfy it and it can find nothing there which may finally quiet its desires for the new Life infused hath other aimes and tendencies As Saints are new born from Heaven so for Heaven and therefore the new Nature cannot satisfy it self in the injoyment of the Creature with the absence of God The Apostle saith while at home in the Body we are absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5. 6 7. In this Life we are not capable of the glorious Presence of God it is not consistent with our Mortality And our being present with him in the Spirit is but a Tast that doth provoke rather then cloy the Appetite Rom. 8. 23. Our selves also which have the first-fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Body These Tasts do but make us long for more they are sent down from Heaven to draw us up to that place of our Rest where this Glory and Blessedness is in fullness Now which sort are you of the City of God or under the Dominion of Sathan and the power of worldly Lusts 1. There are some that take up here and never consider whence they are nor whither they are
Precepts and that is filial and sincere Obedience and so they are said to keep God's Precepts not they who have no Sin in them but they who study to be free from sin and desire to please God in all things David had many failings and some of them of an high nature yet he saith I have kept thy Precepts His purpose and endeavour was to please God in all things The Apostles had many failings they were weak in Faith Passionate full of Revenge calling for Fire from Heaven a great many failings we may find upon record against them yet Christ returneth this general acknowledgment Iohn 17. 16. They have kept thy Word God accepteth of our endeavours when our defects are repented of he pardoneth them Iames 5. 11. You have heard of the Patience of Iob and we have heard of his Impatience too his cursing the day of his birth and his bold Expostulation with God but God putteth his Finger upon the Scar and mentions that which is commendable This sincere Obedience is known by our endeavours after Perfection and our repentance for defects For let me tell you here that perfect Obedience is required under the Gospel the Rule is as strict as ever it was but the Covenant is not so strict The Rule is as strict as ever it was we are still bound to perpetual personal and perfect Obedience otherwise our defects were no Sins For where there is no Law there is no Transgression Rom. 4. 15. but the Covenant is not so strict This perfect Obedience is not so indispensably required under the Sanction and Penalty of the Old Covenant for the Gospel though it alloweth or approveth of no Sin yet it granteth a pardon of course to some Sins as they are retracted by a general Repentance As Sins of Infirmity such as are Sins of Ignorance which had we known we would not have committed and Sins of Incogitancy and sudden Surreption which may escape without observation of them and Sins of violent Temptation which by reason of some sudden assault sway our Passions against the right Rule such Sins as do not arise out of an evil purpose of the Mind but out of humane frailty they are consistent with an Interest in this Covenant which alloweth a means of recovery by Repentance which the Law doth not The Law for one offence once committed doth condemn a Man without leaving him any way or means of recovery But the Gospel saith I came to call sinners to repentance Matt. 13. 9. It accepteth Repentance and doth not cast men off for Sins of Infirmity Where there is a general purpose to please God and an hearty sorrow when we offend him this is the sincerity which the Gospel accepteth of In the Law compleat Innocence is required in the Gospel Repentance is allowed and so he is said to keep God's Statutes that doth not voluntarily and impenitently goe on in a course of known Sin 2. Let me now shew the good that cometh to us thereby David saith indefinitely this I had not telling us what good or priviledge it was onely in the general 't was some Benefit that accrued to him in this life He doth not say this I hope for but this I had And therefore I shall not speak of the full Reward in the Life to come In Heaven we come to receive the full Reward of Obedience But a close Walker that waiteth upon God in an humble and constant Obedience shall have sufficient encouragement even in this Life Not onely he shall be blessed but he is blessed he hath something in hand as well as in hope As David saith in this 119 Psalm not onely he shall be blessed but he is blessed As they that travelled towards Zion they met with a Well by the way Psal. 84. 6. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a Well the rain also filleth the Pools In a dry and barren Wilderness thorough which they were to pass they were not left wholly comfortless but met with a Well or a Cistern that is they had some Comfort vouchsafed to them before they came to injoy God's Presence in Zion some Refreshments they had by the Way As Servants that beside their Wages have their Vailes so besides the recompence of Reward hereafter we have our present Comforts and Supports during our course of Service which are enough to counterballance all worldly Joies and the greatest Pleasures that men can expect in a way of Sin Let me instance in the benefits that Believers find by walking with God in a course of Obedience that every one can say This I had because I kept thy Precepts First Peace of Conscience a blessing not to be valued and this we have because we keep his Precepts Isa. 32. 17. The work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever They shall be free from those unquiet thoughts wherewith others are haunted A wicked man his Soul is in a mutiny one Affection warreth against another and all against the Conscience and Conscience against all but in an heart framed to the Obedience of God's will there is peace Pax est tranquillitas Ordinis When every thing keeps its place there is peace when the Elements keep their place and the Confederacies of Nature are preserved then there is peace so when a man walketh in a holy course there is peace when the thoughts and affections are under rule and government there is a serenity and quiet in the Soul Now this is never brought to pass in the Soul but by Obedience and holy walking according to the Rule of the new Creature Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this Rule peace and mercy shall be upon them as upon the whole Israel of God Such an accurate and orderly life is the onely way of obtaining this peace and harmonious accord in the Soul so Psal. 119. 165. Great peace have they that love thy Law and nothing shall offend them not onely peace but great peace a peace that passeth all understanding a peace better felt than expressed and this resulteth from Obedience or the government of our hearts and ways according to the will of God look as chearfulness and liveliness accompanieth perfect health or the tunable motion of the spirits in the Body so this serenity and quiet in the Soul the regular and orderly motion of our faculties there is a sweet Contentment of mind resulting from it The peace of God shall keep your hearts and minds through Iesus Christ. In a troublesome World we need to have our hearts and minds kept and guarded from the assaults of temptations and diffident vexing cares and fears and therefore 't is mightily necessary in those times to get the peace of God without which the Soul is upon the rack Oh this sweet peace and calm that is in our hearts in the midst of all tempests and tossings from without a man is provided and fortified against the apprehension of injuries troubles
14 15. For the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again And therefore Praise and Thanksgiving is a greater help to the Spiritual Life than we are usually aware of For working in us a sense of God's love and an actual remembrance of his benefits as it will doe if rightly performed it doth make us shie of sin more carefull and solicitous to doe his will for shall we offend so good a God God's love to us is a love of Bounty our love to God is a love of Duty when we grudge not to live in subjection to him 1 Iohn 5. 3. His Commandments are not grievous 2. Submission to his Providence There is a querulous and sowr Spirit which is natural to us always repining and murmuring at God's dealing and wasting and vexing our spirits in heartless complaints Now this fretting quarrelling impatient humour which often sheweth it self against God even in our prayers and supplications is quelled by nothing so much as by being frequent in praises and thanksgivings Iob 1. 21. The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. It is an act of Holy Prudence in the Saints when they are under any trouble to strain themselves to the quite contrary Duty of what temptations and corruptions would drive them unto When the temptation is laid to make us murmur and swell at God's dealings we should on the contrary bless and give thanks And therefore the Psalmist doth so frequently sing praises in the saddest condition There is no perfect defeating the temptation but by studying matter of praise and to set seriously about the Duty So Iob 2. 10. Shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil Shall we receive so many proofs of the love of God and quarrel at a few afflictions that come from the same hand and rebel against his Providence when he bringeth on some needful trouble for our tryal and exercise And having tasted so much of his â—…ounty and love repine and fret at every change of dealing though it be useful to purge out our corruptions and promote our communion with God Surely nothing can be extreamly evil that cometh from this good hand as we receive good things chearfully and contentedly so must we receive evil things submissively and patiently 3. It is a most delightful Work to remember the many thousand mercies God hath bestowed on the Church our Selves and Friends To remember his gracious Word and all the passages of his Providence is this burdensome to us Psal. 147. 1. Praise ye the Lord for it is pleasant And Psal. 135. 3. Sing Praises unto his Name for it is pleasant Next to necessity profit next to profit pleasure No necessity so great as spiritual necessity because our Eternal well being or ill being dependeth on it and beggery is nothing to being found naked in the great day No profit so great as spiritual that is not to be measured by the good things of this World or a little Pelfe or the great Mammon which so many worship but some Spiritual and Divine benefit which tendeth to make us spiritually better more like God more capable of Communion with him that is true profit it is an increase of Faith Love and Obedience So for pleasure and delight that which truly exhilarateth the Soul begets upon us a solid impression of Gods love that is the true pleasure Carnal pleasures are unwholsom for you like luscious fruits which make you sick Nothing is so hard of digestion as carnal pleasures This feedeth the Flesh warreth against the Soul but this holy delight that resulteth from the serious remembrance of God and setting forth his excellencies and benefits is safe and healthful and doth chear us but not hurt us Use. Oh then let us be oftner in praising and giving thanks to God Can you receive so much and beg so much and never think of a return or any expression of gratitude Is there such a being as God have you all your supplies from him and will you not take some time to acknowledge what he hath done for your Souls Either you must deny his being and then you are Atheists or you must deny his Providence and then you are Epicureans next door to Atheism or you must deny such a Duty as Praise and Thanksgiving and then you are Antiscripturists for the Scripture every where calleth for it at our hands or else if you neglect this Duty you live in flat contradiction to what you profess to believe and then you are practical Atheists and practical Epicureans and practical Antiscripturists and so your condemnation will be the greater because you own the Truth but deny the Practice I beseech you therefore to be often alone with God and that in a way of Thanksgiving to increase your Love Faith and Obedience and delight in God Shall I use Arguments to you 1. Have you received nothing from God I put this Question to you because great is our unthankfulness not onely for common benefits but also for special deliverances the one are not noted and observed the other not improved Humble persons will find matter of Praise in very common benefits but we forget even signal mercies Therefore I say have you received nothing Now consider is there no return due You know the story Luke 17. 15 16 17 18 19. Christ healed ten Lepers and but one of them returned and with a loud voice glorified God and fell down at his feet giving thanks and he was a Samaritan And Iesus answering said were there not ten cleansed but where are the nine There are not found that returned to give glory to God save this Stranger and he said unto him Arise go thy way thy Faith hath made thee whole All had received a like benefit but one onely returned and he a Gentile and no Jew to acknowledge the mercy They were made whole by a miraculous Providence he was made whole by a more gracious dispensation thy Faith hath made thee whole he was dismissed with a special Blessing God scattereth his benefits upon all mankind but how few own the supream Benefactor Surely a sensible heart seeth always new occasions of praising God and some old occasions that must always be remembred always for Life and Peace and Safety and daily Provision and always for Christ and the hopes of Eternal Life Surely if we have the comfort God should have the Glory Psal. 96. 8. Give unto the Lord the Glory due unto his Name bring an offering and come into his Courts He that hath scattered his Seed expecteth a crop from you 2. How disingenuous is it to be always craving and never giving thanks It is contrary to his directions in the word for he sheweth us there that all our
and Silver but he that wants the Benefits which the Word of God offereth and conveyeth to us Gold and Silver are but one sort of Riches and but the lowest and meanest sort You do not count a man poor if he have Lands though he hath not ready Money much less is a man poor if he hath Gold though he hath not Silver so a Christian is not poor if he hath God and Christ and the Spirit though he say with the Apostle Peter Silver and gold have I none Acts 3. 16. Angels are not poor though they have not Flocks and Herds and yearly Revenews they have an excellency suitable to their Natures So a Christian is not poor while he possesseth him who possesseth all things But that I may not seem onely to say that the Treasures of Grace are the true Riches I shall prove it by two Arguments 1. That 's the true Riches which can buy and purchase all other things but all other things cannot buy and purchase it now all the Riches in the World cannot buy and purchase those Benefits which the Word offereth to us They cannot purchase the Favour of God For what hope hath the Hypocrite if he hath gained when God comes to take away his Soul Job 27. 8. Many a carnal Wretch doth not make a saving Bargain of it but be it so he looketh for Worldly gain and hath it what will this stead him when God puts the Bond of the Old Covenant in suit and demandeth his Soul from him he is loth to resign it but God will have it What can he give in exchange for his Soul Money cannot purchase the Grace of the Redeemer 1 Pet. 1. 18. Ye are not redeemed with Corruptible things and Psalm 44. 6 7 8. The Redemption of the Soul is precious Men would if they could give a thousand Worlds for the pardon of their Sin when they come to receive the fruit of it but all will not doe the Wrath of God must be appeased and the Justice of God satisfied by another kind of Ransome They cannot purchase the Grace of the Spirit Simon Magus would give money for the Gifts of the Holy Ghost but Peter said to him Thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money Acts 8. 20. His Request was base and carnal yet thus far it yieldeth a testimony to the truth in hand that he thought the Gift of the Holy Ghost better than Money or else he would not have offered his Money for it yea the lowest and far less necessary Gift than his sanctifying guiding and comforting Work well then all other things cannot purchase these Benefits But on the other side these Benefits procure all other things Grace giveth us an advantage in worldly things above others for certainly man doth not live by bread onely Matth. 4. and his Life doth not lie in worldly abundance the natural much more the sanctified and comfortable use of the Creatures dependeth on the Favour of God and his Fatherly Care and Providence which is assured to the Heirs of Promise Matth. 6. 33. First seek the Kingdome of God and his Righteousness and these things shall be added 1 Tim. 4. 8. Godliness hath the promise of this life and that which is to come Prov. 3. 15 16. Wealth is not to be compared with Wisdome Because in her right hand is length of days and in her left hand riches and honour A Child of God that is obedient to the Word hath more advantage for the World than a wicked Man hath he hath a Promise which the other hath not a warrant to cast his Care upon God he gets more by the want of worldly Things than a wicked Man by the possession of them for his want is sanctified and worketh for good 2. The World cannot recompence and supply the want of that Grace we get by the Word but this can easily supply the want of the World The Worth and Value of things is known by this what we can least want Now there is no earthly Thing but may be so supplied as that its want should be better to us than its injoyment Sickness may be better to us than Health because of experiences of Grace 2 Cor. 12. 10. Poverty may be better than Wealth because we may be rich in Grace Iames 19. so Iames 2. 5. so 1 Tim. 6. 6. Godliness with Contentment is great gain Slender Provisions with a contented Heart is much better than a great deal more Wealth Godliness can supply the room of Wealth but Wealth cannot supply the room of Godliness If the want of Wealth helps us to an increase of Grace and Communion with God it helpeth us to that which is of higher and greater value than the injoyment of Wealth could afford But now on the other side the World will not give us a recompence for the want of Godliness Matth. 16. 26. What is a man profited if he shall gain the World and lose his Soul What shall be given to the Party for that loss his Soul is lost not in a natural Sense but in a legal Sense forfeited to God's Justice We may please our selves in our carnal Choice for a while but Death bloweth away all our vain Conceits Ier. 17. 11. At his latter end he shall be a Fool. He was a Fool before all his life time but now in the Judgment and Conviction of his own Conscience His Conscience shall rave at him Oh Fool Madman to hazard the Love of Christ for worldly Things These things cannot be recompensed by any other What poor Rewards can the World yield you for the loss of Christ and Heaven Alas then you lose your Treasure and have nothing to comfort you but Rattles and Bables which will no more comfort us than fine Flowers will a man going to Execution thus in the Nature of Riches 2. Let us come to the Use and End of these things the Use of the Law of God's Mouth and the Use of Wealth the Use of Wealth is to support and maintain the present Life and the bodily State during our Pilgrimage and passage through the World but the Use of the Word is to guide and direct us in the way to the Blessedness of the World to come The World supplieth our bodily Necessities But the Law of God is perfect converting the Soul Psalm 19. 7. It discovereth a man's Soul-misery and remedy as it directeth to Christ and enforceth our obedience to God and prescribeth an universal adherence to him and dependance on him Our Souls are faln off from God by Sin into a most dolefull state and have no other way of recovery than is prescribed in this blessed Word of God There are three Uses of the Word of God and they do all commend and endear it to our respects 1. 'T is the great means to sanctify and convey a divine Principle and Nature in us 't is not onely the Rule but the seed of the New
Life 1 Pet. 1. 23. He hath begotten us not by corruptible but incorruptible Seed c. Iames 1. 18. He hath begotten us by the word of Truth 2 Pet. 1. 4. To us are given great and precious Promises that we might be made partakers of the divine Nature John 17. 17. Sanctify them through thy Truth thy Word is Truth All this is said of the Word 't is the means to sanctify us the immortal Seed the beginning of the New life the divine Nature to make us live after a God-like manner therefore 't is better than thousands of gold and silver A Child of God findeth a greater Treasure in one Chapter of the Bible than worldly Men in all their Lands and Honours and large Revenues A poor Christian meeteth with more true Gain in a Sermon than others can in their Trades while they live God begetteth him at first by the Word of Truth and giveth him there the supply of the Spirit therefore be swift to hear much in reading and meditation day and night Oh there is the true Treasure the Pearl of price there their Souls become acquainted with God 2. It directeth us and keepeth us from being carried away with every deceit of Sin Psalm 119. 105. Thy word is a light unto my path and a lamp unto my feet Here are Directions for all Cases here is a general Direction 't is a light to our path and sheweth us what to doe in particular Actions 't is a lamp to our feet So 133 verse Order my steps in thy word and let no iniquity have dominion over me 'T is the Word prevents the reign of any one Sin To have a sure Rule to walk by in the midst of so many Snares and Temptations is a greater favour than to injoy the greatest affluence of worldly Felicity 3. It supporteth us in all our Afflictions and Extremities All the Wealth in the World composed and put together cannot yield us that true Contentment and Satisfaction which the Word of God doth to the obedient Soul Wealth cannot allay a grieved Mind nor appease a wounded Conscience The Word directeth us where we may find rest for our Souls Ier. 6. 16 Goe ask for the good old way and you shall find rest for your Souls We lose our selves in a maze of Uncertainties till we come to the Word of God Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden and you shall find rest for your Souls here is ease for the great wound and maim of Nature The great maim of Nature is Sin now where shall we have a Plaister for this Sore but onely in the Word of God So for particular Afflictions Rom. 15. 4. That ye through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Comfort is the strengthening of the Mind or the fortifying the Mind when 't is vexed and weakened with doubts fears and sorrows I had fainted in my Affliction unless thy word had quickened me Psalm 119. 50. The Comforts of the World appear and vanish in a moment cannot firmly stay and revive the Heart every blast of Temptation scattereth them Philosophy and natural Reason cannot give us true ground of Comfort that was it they aimed at how to fortify the Soul and keep it quiet notwithstanding Troubles in the Flesh but as they never understood the true ground of Misery which is Sin so neither the true ground of Comfort which is Christ. That which Man offereth cannot come with such power and authority upon the Conscience as that which God offereth and bare Reason cannot have such an efficacy as divine Testimony and the Law of God's Mouth This Moonlight rotteth before it ripeneth Fruits but the Word acquainteth us with Christ who is the Foundation of Comfort with the Spirit who is the efficient cause of Comfort with the promise of Heaven which is the true matter of Comfort with Faith the great Instrument to receive it 3. Let us look to the Duration there is a vanity and uncertainty in all these outward things they soon take the wing and leave us in sorrow If they continue with us till death then they have done all their work Wealth may bring you to the Grave but it can stead you no farther then Wealth is gone but Horrour doth continue Luke 16. 24. Son in thy life time thou enjoyedst thy good things these good things are onely commensurate with Life Sometimes they do not last so long but when we must leave the World and lanch out to those unknown Regions Iob 27. 8. how miserable shall we be Worldly Comforts will fail us when we have most need of them as Ionah's Gourd when the Sun scorched him So in the hour of Death what will Bags of Gold doe then but now on the other side Wisdome is better than Gold and Silver because with her are durable Riches and Righteousness Prov. 8. 18 19. therefore my fruit is better than gold yea than fine gold and my revenue than choise silver If a man would labour for any thing labour for that which is Eternal Iohn 6. 27. No Treasure can be compared to eternal Life and this the Word assureth us of II. Let us now come to examine why the Children of God value it so 1. Because they are enlightned by the Spirit when others have their Eyes dazzled with an external splendour and their Judgment is corrupted by their Senses 'T is not Ignorance undoes the World so much as want of spiritual Prudence spiritual and heavenly Things can onely be seen in the light of the Spirit without which we can neither discern the truth or worth of them in order to choice 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit and therefore till we have this illuminating and sanctifying Light of the Spirit we shall not make a good Choise for our selves Eph. 1. 17 18. The Apostle prayeth That the Lord would give you the spirit of Wisdome and Revelation The eyes of your Understanding being inlightened that ye may know what is the hope of his Calling and the riches of the glory of his Inheritance in the Saints That saving Knowledge of divine Mysteries which causeth us to prefer and choose them above other things comes from the spirit of Wisdome and Revelation otherwise in seeing we see not There is a perfect contradiction many times between speculative and practical Knowledge the common Wisdome and Knowledge of divine Mysteries is a Gift that cometh from the Spirit much more this spiritual discerning 2. They are affected with their true Necessities Our real Necessities are the Necessities of the Soul bodily wants are more urging and pressing upon us but these are more dangerous therefore Gold and Silver which supplieth our bodily Necessities is not so welcome to them as the Law of God's Mouth which provideth a remedy for their Soul defects How to be justified how sanctified is more than what shall we eat and drink and wherewith shall we be cloathed
upon me that I may once more see good and comfortable days in the World for a life spent in sorrow is as no life Or 2. He putteth life for some comfortable sense of Gods Mercy or assurance of his love to him Most Interpreters both Antient and Modern goe this way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Theodoret he counted himself but as a dead man without the sense of Gods favour and good will to him but it would be as a new life or resurrection from the dead if God would shew him Mercy and cast a favourable aspect upon him This sense suiteth well with the context for David was for the present deprived of the tokens and effects of Gods tender Mercy why else should he so earnestly beg for that to come to him which he had already and it suiteth well with a gracious spirit such as David had The points 1. That Gods tender Mercy is the fountain of his Peoples comfort and happiness 2. That 't is not enough to hear somewhat of the Mercy of God but we should by all means seek that it may come unto us 3. That 't is life to a believer to have a sense of God's Mercy and Love in Christ and death to be without it 4. Such as would tast or have a sense of Gods ' mercy must delight in his law This was Davids plea. The two last propositions I shall insist upon the other being handled elsewhere and so much consideration of them as is necessary for the opening and improving of this Verse will occur in one or both of these Points That 't is life to a believer to have a sense of Gods mercy and love in Christ and death to be without it David was a dead man because he felt not Gods mercy as formerly he did eat and drink and sleep and transact his business as others did but he counted this as no life because he felt not the wonted sense of Gods love Gracious Spirits cannot live without Divine comforts they take no joy in the world unless God favourably look upon them Let me Illustrate this note with these observations 1. Observe he seeketh all his comfort from mercy and tender mercy so in the former so in the present Verse I shall shew you the necessity and utility of so doing First the necessity of it the best of Gods Children have no other claim For a Publican to come and say God be mercifull to me a sinner Luke 18. 13. is no such wonder but for a David to use the same plea that should be noted From first to last the Children of God have no other claim 't is meer mercy that took us into a state of Grace at first and meer mercy that keepeth us in it and furnisheth us with all the supplies that are necessary to keep it up in vigour and comfort and mercy that giveth us the final consummation and accomplishment of it at last Our first entrance into the state of Grace is always ascribed to meer mercy Nothing moved the Lord to bestow life upon dead and graceless sinners but his meer pity and tender compassion 1 Pet. 1. 3. Of his abundant mercy he hath begotten us to a lively hope Eph. 2. 4. God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he hath loved us while we were yet dead in trespasses and sins yet quickened us Titus 3. 5. Of his mercy he hath saved us by washing us in the laver of regeneration Mercy was then exercised not onely without our Desert but against our Desert God was not moved to bestow his Grace by any goodness which he did foresee or find in us but meerly by his own pity Misery offered the occasion but mercy was the cause of all the good done unto us After Conversion all our supports and supplies are given us of his tender mercy Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this rule peace and mercy be upon them New Creatures and the most accurate walkers are not so free from sin but they still stand in need of mercy All their receipts come to them not in the way of Merit but undeserved mercy Our peace and comfort when we walk most according to rule is the fruit of mercy The Elect are called Vessels of mercy Rom. 9. 23. because from first to last they are filled up with mercy and supplied by the free favour and love of God in Iesus Christ. Our final consummation is from mercy the same mercy that laies the first stone in this building doth also finish the work Iude 21. verse looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ to Eternal Life We take Glory out of the hands of mercy and 't is mercy that sets the Crown upon our heads after we have done and suffered the will of God here upon Earth We can merit no more after grace than before 2. The utility of it this giveth boldness and more hopefull expectation that will appear if we consider what mercy is 't is Gods Propension and Inclination to doe good to the sinfull and miserable so far as his wisdome seeth convenient As mercy is a perfection in the Divine nature so God is necessarily mercifull as well as just but the exercise of it is I confess free and arbitrary 't is not necessarily exercised but according to his will and good pleasure to some more to some less as his Wisedom thinketh fit yet this advantage we have by it that mercy rather seeketh a fit occasion to discover it self than a well qualified object as Justice doth For it doth not consider what is due or deserved but what is needed Therefore First the needy and miserable have some hope for misery as misery is the object of mercy and therefore when our afflictions are pressing and sore our miseries and streights are some kind of argument which we may plead to God Psalm 79. 8. Let thy tender Mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low they plead their miserable condition Mercy relents towards a sinfull people when they are a wasted People he heareth the moans of the Beasts and therefore certainly he will not shut up his Bowels against the cries of his People their very misery pleadeth for them Secondly the broken hearted that have a sense of their misery have a greater advantage than others and are more capable of God's mercy because they are not onely miserable but miserable in their own feeling especially if this feeling be deep and spiritual they are sensible of the true misery and they are more troubled about sin than temporal inconvenience Matth. 9. 13. Go learn what that meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice 3. When we flee to his mercy and seek it in the appointed way of repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Iesus Christ the Lord will not utterly destroy a sinner fleeing to his Mercy he hath ingaged his word and oath Heb. 6. 18. and this comfort we may make use of Partly When the sense of guilt sits
compared with all that may be called life Life is either Natural Spiritual or Eternal Compare it with life Natural and there the Psalmist will tell you Psal. 63. 3. Thy loving-kindness is better than life life is not life without it without the feeling of this love or the hope of feeling it it is little worth To have the light of the Sun which is the comfort of the senses without the light of God's Countenance which is the comfort of the soul is a sad and dark estate especially to the Children of God that know they are made for another world and for this onely in their passage thither Natural life onely giveth us a capacity to injoy the comforts of sense which are base dreggy and corruptive but the special favour of God lets us into such consolations as perfect the Soul and affects it with a greater pleasure than our natural faculties are capable of life natural is a frail brittle thing but these saving effects of Gods mercy lay a Foundation of eternal happiness Life natural may grow a burden but the love of God is never burdensome the days may come in which there is no pleasure Eccl. 12. 1. Job 33. 20. his life abhorreth bread and his soul dainty food in sickness and age in troubles of Conscience Men do pretty well with their worldly happiness till God rebuke man for sin then all the glory profit and pleasure of the creature doth us no good Psal. 39. 11. When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth Iudas halter'd himself when filled with the sense of Gods wrath Iob chose strangling rather than life At death when all worldly things cease and are of no more use to us the sense of Gods love will be of great use to us All the world understand the worth and value of Gods love when death cometh then a child of God feeleth it Oh saith he I would not for all the world but that I had made sure of the love of God before this hour how terrible else would it have been to leave all and leap out into an unknown world Ier. 17. 9. The unjust man at his latter end shall be a fool and Iob 27. 8. What is the hope of the Hypocrite if he hath gained when God cometh to take away his Soul 2. Life Spiritual the Soul hath no life but in communion with God who is the fountain of this new life now the more sensible and close this is the more they live the vitality of this life lyeth in the sensible participation of the effects of his special grace and mercy then we have it more abundantly Iohn 10. 10. not onely living but lively 3. For eternal life a comfortable sense of Gods mercy is the beginning and pledg of the true and heavenly life Rom. 5. 4 5 6. The shedding abroad the love of God in the heart of a believer maketh this his hope sure and certain he needeth not be ashamed for he hath earnest beforehand 2. Gods favour furnisheth us with a remedy against all evils and miseries i. e. wants troubles sins The want of other things may be supplyed by the love of God but the want of the love of God cannot be supplyed with any thing else if poor in the world yet we may be rich in faith Iam. 2. 5. if afflicted destitute yet this loss may be made up by the presence of God in the Soul 2 Cor. 4. 16. As our outward man decayeth our inward man is renewed day by day If they want the creature they have God there is no want of a candle when they have the Sun if they want health the Soul may be in good plight 3. Epist. Iohn 2. as Gaius had a healthy soul in a sickly body If they want liberty they ly open to the visits of his grace the Spirit of God is no stranger to them nor can his company and comforts be shut out Tertullian telleth the Martyrs you went out of the prison when you went into it and were but sequestred from the world that you might converse with God the greatest prisoners are those that are at large darkened with ignorance chained with lusts committed not by the Proconsul but God If they want the favour of men they have the favour of God God smileth when the world frowneth they may be Banished but every place is alike near to God and Heaven Some climates are nearer and some further off from the Sun but all alike near to the Sun of Righteousness Ibi pater ubi patria that is our Country where God is we are harrassed beaten afflicted in sundry manners but the sting is gone therod that is dip'd in guilt smarteth most but a pardoned man may rejoyce in tribulations Rom. 5. 1 2. But now on the contrary suppose a man high in honour wallowing in wealth spending his time and wealth in ease and pleasure but after all this God will bring him to Judgment the world is his friend but God is his enemy and he is all his life time subject to bondage Heb. 2. 14. not always felt but soon awakened and during the time of his comfort and delight he is danceing about the brink of hell liable to an eternal curse and there is but the slender thread of a frail life between him and execution a few serious sober thoughts undoe him 2. Sin that is the great evil both as to the guilt of it and the wages of it the guilt and obliquity of it no creature can provide a plaister for this sore to get our Consciences setled and our natures healed this is the special fruit of Gods mercy in Christ his business is to save us from sin Matt. 1. 21. Acts. 3. 26. God having raised up his son Iesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from your iniquity Rom. 11. 26. There shall come out of Zion the deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Iacob have Gods Image repaired and restored to his Grace and Favour those that have felt sin a burden nothing will satisfie till the Lord looks graciously upon them 3. The favour of the Lord is the fountain of all blessings Get an interest in his special mercy and then all things are yours you have God for your God who commandeth all things 1 Cor. 3. 22. Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all things are yours Matt. 6. 33. First seek the Kingdome of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you Prov. 10. 22. The blessing of the Lord maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it 4. It sweetens every Comfort a piece of bread with the love of God is a plentifull feast A little that a righteous man hath is better than the revenue of many wicked Quid prodest regium alimentum si ad Gehennam pascat What profiteth it to be fatted
observing what God will do by them 2 Sam. 16. 11. Let him curse for the Lord hath bidden him God hath work for them to do to mortifie our wantonness to break our stubborn humors 2dly Because God's salvation will come in the best time and in the best way Psal. 62. 1. Truly my soul waiteth upon God from him cometh my salvation Isa. 30. 18. God is a God of judgment Blessed are they that wait for him God doth all things with wisdom and in the best manner USE How afflicted soever we be let us not seek to be delivered in a way not allowed by God nor take any sinister Courses or use any base Shifts to rid our selves out of danger This is to distrust God and to intangle our selves the more and to miscarry in a long Voyage after we are about to enter into the Port. See the Story of Saul's sacrificing in 1 Sam. 13. from the 8th verse to the 15th If he had tarried a little longer all had been well before the day was quite over Saul would sacrifice and then Samuel cometh and telleth him God had rent the Kingdom from him for his distrust and disobedience So many will forestal the Blessing IV. DOCT. Hope keepeth us alive in the midst of Faintings My soul fainteth But I hope 1. Observe here That though the Faith of God's Children seem to faint yet it doth not dye nor wholly fail Some seem greedily to catch at Promises at first but their ardor is soon spent and when it is a troublesom business to wait upon God they give it over This is the faith and hope of Temporaries but the good ground bringeth forth fruit with patienâ—…e Luke 8. 15. God's Children tarry his leisure and though now and then they are ready to faint yet they recover Their Faith Hope and Patience seemeth to be almost spent yet it is not utterly put out As David here was not broken with long and tedious difficulties though he saw no end of his miseries yet he would still depend upon God There is an abiding seed 1 Iohn 3. 8. Their state is secured by God's Covenant that there shall be no total rupture nor utter deficiency Perseverance is a condition of the New Covenant not only required but given as all conditions of the New Covenant are There is Donum Perseverantiae not only a power to persevere but Perseverance itself 2. That which keepeth our Faith from dying and sustaineth the Soul of the Faithful and keepeth life in them is the resuscitation of our hopes What doth hope to the supporting of a fainting Soul First It draweth off the mind from things present to things future and diversion is one way to cure Trouble while we pore only on our grievous Troubles they prove a temptation to us but Hope lifts up the head and looketh above these things That poring on the Affliction and Trouble causes fainting See Lament 3. 18 19 20. but remembring God's mercies and promises reviveth us The remembring the great depth of Affliction and Extremity overwhelmeth us I have them in mind continually and so am dejected but when I begin to call to mind God's infinite mercies I conceive some hope of recovery That which was remembred is in the 22 23 24 25 26 verses 2dly Hope representeth the excellency and certainty of these future things and so causeth earnestness and patience 1. The Excellency 'T is a question among Divines What is the difference between Faith and Hope because they are much of a like nature One difference is Faith looks to the truth of the Promise Hope to the goodness of the thing promised For Faith respects the person giving his fidelity and Hope the persons receiving their benefit and exciteth them to look for it 'T is something worth the looking and waiting for and such as will recompence present Troubles 2 Cor. 5. 17 18. 2. The Certainty For though it mainly comforts its self with the goodness of the thing promised yet it causeth patience in waiting because of the sureness It seeth things that cannot be seen and perceived by sense Rom. 8. 25. If we hope for that which we see not then do we with patience wait for it 'T is good and 't will not sail therefore we may and must tarry God's leisure 3. The most noble and principal object of Hope is the great Promise of Eternal Salvation This must in chief be hoped for partly because temporal salvation is not so surely promised but under sundry cautions and reservations As If it be for our good if God's glory will permit it and the beauty of his work and the many things God hath to do before the deliverance be brought about especially if it be a common salvation wherein others are concerned as well as we as if their hearts be prepared c. Partly because Christians are to be at a point of greater indifferency about outward things than the Believers of the Old Testament now life and immortality is brought to light 2 Tim. 1. 10. They were trained up by sensible things both in their worship and promises The Cross is one of our conditions Mat. 16. 24. If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me We must look for Afflictions and those not ordinary Afflictions but the loss of all or else we do not count the charges aright we must refer all to God's Will Christ may let some slip through at a cheaper and easier rate but all must resolve on it Partly because this is propounded as the great comfort Luke 12. 32. Fear not little flock it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom and accordingly used by the Saints David in his disappointments Psal. 39. 7. And now Lord what wait I for my hope is in thee He meaneth the hope of immortality opposite to that vain shew and false appearance which is in worldly things This was that Iob comforted himself with that ancient Believer Job 19. 26. Though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God And the Maccabees Heb. 11. 35. They were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection Partly because that which God hath promised in the world to come is only satisfactory and able to quiet a man's mind and make him patiently wait upon God in all his troubles Here is enough to countervail all difficulties to support us under them to recompence us for them 't is not long e're it will come in hand it cannot enough be desired it may be hoped for by the righteous in their greatest extremities Prov. 14. 32. The righteous hath hope in his death USE For Instruction When your Souls are apt to faint let Hope look out for better times or better things 1. For better Times God will not always chide Psal. 103. 9. He will not always chide neither will he keep his anger for ever Nor shall the Rod of the wicked always rest
Law but the doctrine of the Gospel As if he had said Stick to that Doctrine where you have been quickned comforted revived and your hearts setled for God hath owned that doctrine He appeals to their own conscience and to their own known experience that they should not quit the doctrine of Faith but prize and keep close to it for surely that which hath been a means of begetting grace in our souls that should be highly prized by us If God hath wrought grace and any comfort and peace stick there and own God there and be not easily moved from thence Another Apostle reasons Iam. 1. 18 19. God hath begotten us by the word of truth wherefore be swift to hear that is O! do not neglect hearing take heed of forsaking or neglecting the Word for then you go against your own known experience you know here you had your life quickning comfort strength and will you be turned off from this for many times a Seducer may turn off a Believer from the Word which hath given him his first knowledge of Christ. There are three Causes which carry Saints to the Word and other Ordinances viz. Necessity Natural Appetite and inward Inclination and Experience Necessity they cannot live without the Word Natural Appetite and inward Inclination they have hearts suited to this work the Spirit which wrought in the heart hath put a nature in them sutable to the work And Experience they have found benefit by it These are the three grand Causes of respect to the Word and they are all implied or exprest in that 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born Babes desire the sincere milk of the Word there 's natural appetite for the Word we have them come as new born Babes and there 's necessity you cannot live nor keep nor increase what you have unless you keep to the Word and there 's Experience if so be you have tasted you have had powerful impressions and quicknings by this Word We should engage our hearts upon experience the comfort life and light that we have had by the Word of God 3d Reason Our own spiritual Estate will sooner be discerned by these Experiences the comfort and quickning received from the Word in the way of duty for experience worketh hope Rom. 5. 4. If your experiences be observed and regarded this works a hopeful dependance upon God for everlasting glory your evidences will be more ready and sooner come to hand The motions of our souls are various and through corruption very confused and dark and this is that which makes it so difficult upon actual search to dâ—…cern how it stands between us and God it 's for want of observation But now if there be constant observation of what passeth between us and God how he hath quickned comforted and owned us in our attendance upon him and what he hath done to bring on our souls in the way of life these will make up an evidence and will abundantly conduce to the quickning and comforting of our hearts Use I. For Information It shews us 1. The Reason why so many neglect and contemn God's Word because they never gâ—… benefit by it they find no life in it therefore no delight in it Those that are quickned 〈◊〉 knowledge the mercy and improve it they esteem the Word and have a greater câ—…science of their duty It is not enough to find truth in truth not to be able to contradâ—… it but you must find life then we will prize and esteem it when it hath been lively in its operations to our souls 2. It shews the Reason why so many forget the Word because they are not quickned You would remember it by a good token if there were a powerful impression left upon your souls and the reason is because you do not meditate upon it that you may receive this lively influence of the Spirit For a Sermon would not be forgotten if it had left any lively impression upon your souls 3. If we want quickning we must go to God for it and God works powerfully by the influence of his grace and so he quickens us by his Spirit and he works morally by the Word both by the Promises and Threatnings thereof and so if you would be quickned you must use the means attend upon Reading and Preaching and meditating upon the Word As he works powerfully with respect to himself so morally by reasonings Use II. By way of Reflection upon our selves Have we had any of these Experiences David found life in God's Word therefore resolves never to forego it or forget it Therefore what experience have you had of the Word of God surely at least at first conversion there was the work of Faith and Repentance at first you will have this experience How were you brought home to God what have you had no quickning from the Word of God Case But here 's a Case of Conscience Doth every one know their Conversion or way of their own Conversion Christians are usually sensible of this first work There is so much bitter sorrow and afterwards so much rejoycing of hope which doth accompany that surely this should not be strange But though you have not been so wary to mark God's dealings with you and the particular quicknings of your souls yet at least when the Lord raised you out of your security and brought you home to himself you should have remembred it 1 Thess. 1. 9. They themselves shew of us what manner of entring we had unto you The entrance usually is known though afterward the work be carried on with less observation Growth is not so sensible as the first change God's first work is most powerful meets with greater opposition and so leaves a greater feeling upon us and therefore it were strange if we were brought home to Christ and no way privy and conscious to the way of it as if all were done in our sleep I say to think so were to give security a soft Pillow to rest on And therefore what quicknings had you then Can you say Well I shall never forget this happy season and occasion when God first awakened me to look after himself Many of God's Children cannot trace the particular Footsteps of their Conversion and mark out all the Stages of Christ's Journey and approach to their Souls 〈◊〉 are not alike thus troubled But yet that men may not please themselves with the 〈◊〉 position of imaginary grace wrought in them without their privity and knowledge let â—…e speak to this grand Case this manner of entrance of Christ into our souls how we are quickned from the dead and made living 1. None are converted but are first convinced of their danger and evil estate God's first work is upon their understandings Ier. 31. 19. After I was instructed I smote upon the thigh c. There is some light breaks in upon the Soul which sets them seriously a considering What am I Whither am I going What will become of me And Rom. 7. 9. When the
their hearts to chuse him for their Portion and to make his Will their only Rule and obey and serve him whatever it cost them They have such a taste of this sweetness as doth engage their hearts to a close and constant adherence to Christ. Carnal men have only a naked knowledge of these things weak and uneffectual notions and apprehensions about them and if the sublimity reasonableness and suitableness of these truths to soul necessities cause any taste it is but slight slender and unsufficient So indeed Temporaries and Hypocrites are said to taste the heavenly gift the good Word of God and powers of the world to come Heb. 6. 4. They have some languishing apprehensions but they do not so taste them as to relish and feed upon them They do not relish Christ himself but only some benefit which they hope to get by him upon slight and easie terms have not such experience and sweetness of God in Christ as that their souls should constantly cleave to him It may be their fancy may be pleased a little in a supposition and possibility of salvation by Christ or in some general thought of those large promises and great offers which God makes in the Gospel not as it enforceth duty and subjection to God well then it differs from a bare understanding of the goodness of God's ways 2. This constitutes a difference sometimes between a renewed man and himself as to some things his inward senses are not always alike quick and lively he is still like-minded as he was but yet not alike affected his sight is not so clear nor taste so acute nor his feeling so tender though he hath the same thoughts of things he had before yet his spiritual sense is benummed and is not at all times affected alike while he keeps his spiritual eye clear from the clouds of Lust and Passion he is otherwise affected with things to come than he is when his eye is blinded with inordinate passion and love to present things and while he keeps his taste how sweet and welcome is this to his soul the remembrance of Christ and salvation by him And so while he keeps his heart tender he is sensible of the least stirring of sin and is humbled for it and the least impulsion of grace to be thankful for it Those Instructions Reproofs Consolations which at sometimes either wound or revive their spirits at other times do not move them at all their senses are benummed not kept fresh and lively And thus in the general I have proved That there is such a thing as spiritual taste 2 Secondly What is this spiritual sense It is an impression left upon our hearts which gives us an ability to relish and savor spiritual things but it cannot be known by description so much as by these two questions 1. The use of it what doth this taste serve for 2. What are the requisites that we may have such a taste and relish of divine and spiritual things 1 What doth this taste serve for There is a threefold use of them 1. To discern things good and wholsom from things noxious and hurtful to the soul that 's the use of spiritual sense in general to discern things good and evil Heb. 5. 14. Iob 6. 30. Is there iniquity in my tongue Cannot my taste discern perverse things God hath given all sensitive Creatures a taste whereby they may distinguish between things pleasant or bitter sweet or sowr wholsom or unwholsom savory or unsavory that they may chuse what is convenient to nature so the new Creature hath a taste to know things things contrary to the new nature and things that will keep it in life Iob 12. 11. Doth not the ear try words and the mouth taste his meat or as it is more plain Iob 34. 3. For the ear trieth words as the mouth tasteth meat Spiritual taste distinguisheth between what is salubrious and profitable to us that which is the pure Word milk agreeable to the new nature and what is frothy garnish'd out with the pomp of Eloquence it is tasteless to a gracious soul if it suiteth not with the interests of the new nature they have a faculty within them whereby they distinguish between Mens inventions and God's message A Man of spiritual taste when reason is restored to its use he comes to a doctrine and many times smells the Man saith he This is not the breast-milk that must nourish me the pure milk of the Word by which I must grow in strength and stature and if he finds any thing of God he owns God he discerns what is humane and what is divine 2. The use of this taste is also to refresh and comfort the soul in the sweetness of spiritual things Cant. 2. 3. I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste The taste of Christ's Fruit in the comforts of Redemption the Fruit that grows there is sweet and pleasant to the new nature when the love of God to sinners in Christ is not only heard but believed not only believed but tasted it ravisâ—…ieth and transports the soul with sweet delight and content that excels all the pleasures of the world 3. It serves for this use to preserve the vitality of grace that is to keep it alive and in action Omnis vita gustu duciter every life hath its food and the food must be tasted this grace quickneth us to look after that food it keeps the new creature free for its operations helps it to grow 1 Pet. 2. 3. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious The truths of the Gospel are as necessary and natural for the cherishing and strengthning the spiritual life as the milk of the Mother is to the new born Babe and taste is necessary that we may relish it They that have a taste have an appetite and they delight in the Word more than in any other thing whereas those that have no taste or appetite grow not up to any strength they thrive not 2 What is requisite to cause this taste 1. Something about the object 2. Something about the faculty 1. Something about the Object which is the Word of God eating or taking into the mouth that 's necessary before tasting for the tongue is the instrument of taste the outward part of the tongue that serves for meats the inward part towards the root for drink so for this spiritual taste there is required eating or taking in the Object therefore we read often of eating the Word of God Ier. 15. 16. Thy Word was sweet and I did eat it And Ezek. 3. 3. We read of eating the Roll it is interpreted spiritually I did eat it then follows his taste it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness So Rev. 10. 10. I took the little book and eat it and it was in my mouth as sweet as
good evidence of the new nature it is a sign you have gotten that other heart that new spirit which must have new comfort new supports 1 Pet. 2. 3 4. As new born babes you desire the sincere milk of the Word If so be you have tasted that the Lord is gracious Hereby we may know the new man by his appetite and savor Life is known by this as much as by any one thing else 2. This will give you a more assured knowledge of the truth and worth of spiritual and heavenly things whereas otherwise we shall but talk of them by rote until we experiment the comfort and sweetness of them in our own souls then we will see there is more than Notions in promises the Word of God is not a well devised Fable and golden Dream for our taste will be our confirmation The greatest demonstration is from the senses 1 Iohn 5. 10. the Believer hath a testimony of the truth of Religion within himself in his own heart O! it is a great advantage to have our remedy there where our danger lies in the heart where Atheism and Disbelief lurks to have spiritual sense there when you have a real experience of them then Satan cannot have such advantage and atheistical and unbelieving thoughts such advantage for you have felt the benefit of spiritual things It is a great advantage against temptation when you have had a sense when you do not only know by hear say and guess that the Word is sweet but you have had a taste as a man that hath been at the fire knows it warms when we can not only say with him we have heard the Kings of Israel are merciful Kings but with the men of Samaria we have seen him our selves 3. The life of grace mightily depends upon it all your liveliness in grace depends upon this taste therefore get it When you have no taste you lose your appetite and when you lose your appetite you lose your strength and when you lose your strength all goes to ruine in the soul sin prevails and deadness increaseth upon the soul. All the strength comfort and vitality of your lives depend upon your taste 4. It is this taste that will make you more useful to others That which we have seen heard and tasted that we commend to others A report of a report and tradition it may be or not that 's a cold thing this is not a valid testimony Ay but when you can speak of that which you have felt and tasted your eyes have seen and hands handled of the Word of Life 1 Iohn 1. 1. When it is matter of sense then we can speak boldly and affectionately as the Apostle 2 Cor. 1. 4. That we might comfort them which are in trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God When we our selves are comforted of God and that which we speak is the result of our own experience it makes us more useful in our Christian converse The Prophet Ezekiel was to eat his own Prophesies and St. Iohn to eat the Book the meaning is they must digest it What we communicate to others we must digest it our selves that finding it sweet we may speak the more effectually for God 2 Do not lose this taste O it 's a sad thing to lose these spiritual senses Hypocrites their taste doth lightly come and lightly go they have a little vanishing sweetness now and then but it 's soon gone it 's a sad thing to lose our spiritual taste It may be lost in a great measure sometimes a Christian hath it and sometimes he hath it not at least not in such a degree as formerly Experience shews it may be lost too too often all the business will be to discern the first tendencies of this evil when we begin to lose our taste and spiritual senses This may be discerned with respect to the three fold object of this taste heavenly Gift the good Word of God and Powers of the World to come 1. Heavenly Gift that 's Christ Jesus When we do not so highly value the love of God in Christ and prize his blood and the precious effects of it when we do not so earnestly beg pardon of sin and hunger and thirst after his righteousness when we have not that former earnestness and strength of desire to enjoy Christ time was when thou thoughtest no terms too dear for him when thy heart made hard pursuit after him but now thou art grown cold and careless and so pass him by lightly as a full stomach with meat with which it is cloyâ—…d when you are not so earnest and zealous for Christ it 's a sign you have lost your taste 2. Your tasting of the good Word of God When you slight the Word either in not reading hearing meditating in it so frequently as you were wont to do oh time was when you could say No honey or honey-comb so sweet as this to my poor soul Psal. 19. 10. when you could hardly call off your thoughts now you are more unfrequent in these godly exercises or else if conversant about it not with that life and that affection in a more customary manner you can read of the love of God and sufferings of Christ Jesus without any love to him again can read the Promises and they seem to be but like dry Chips and wither'd Flowers and not yield that marrow and fatness to you You can read the promises of eternal life and have not that joy thankfulness and blessing of God You could hardly contain your selves before but cry out Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and blessed be God that hath visited and redeemed his people Now your affections are more flat and cold and have not that relish in holy conference sweetness in hearing and that contentment of soul in meditating 3. You may lose your taste in the Powers of the World to come when you grow more mindless of God and eternal blessedness when you have not such fresh and warm thoughts as you were wont to have when your desires hopes expectations of the life to come is abated you have not that lively hope 1 Pet. 3. 3. to quicken you for the attaining of eternal blessedness While this taste is fresh upon the hearts of Christians they are for Heaven for God carried on with vigor and strength in the way of holiness but when your hearts are carried out to worldly vanity and you relish more the honour applause fulness of estate worldly increase and you are grown more cold in heavenly things you have lost this taste of the Powers of the World to come Heb. 6. 4. The causes of this One is want of a due esteem not an esteem in an Idea naked or abstract notion from those thoughts out of a temptation No man is so unreasonable but if he be a little enlightned with Christianity will say The favor of God is better than all things Ay but want of that
him from it but to preserve him in it If you ask why God's Children are thus afflicted I answer It is not Heaven we now enjoy 1. We are not in our eternal rest therefore here we must be exercised tried afflicted The World is a middle place between Heaven and Hell therefore have somewhat of both their principles and actions are mixt so their condition is mixt intermixt with sorrows and joys until they come there where they shall rest from all their labours So it must be 2. God doth it to purge out sin Isa. 27. 9. By this shall the iniquity of Iacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin Gold is cast into the fire why to have its dross consumed Corn is beaten with the Flail why to be severed from its chaff husks and straw and Iron is fil'd to get off its rust so this is the fruit of all the taking away sin Afflictions are a necessary cure for sin Iohn 15. 2. Every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit Look as in a Vine there are certain superfluous luxuriant leafs and branches that grow up with the fruit and hindreth the increase of it which the Vine-dresser pares off not to destroy the Vine but to cultivate and manure it so it is with no ill intent So corruption grows up with our graces and hindreth us that we cannot bear fruit when we are in a flourishing condition therefore these need to be purged away 3. God doth it to humble us This was that which God aimed at in all his afflictive dispensations towards the people of Israel Deut. 8. 2. God's eminent servants need affliction to humble them David had many things to puff him up his Royal Dignity the Gift of Prophecy Familiarity with God great Opulency many Victories Pride of Life c. and he needed many afflictions to keep him humble Psal. 132. 1. Paul he was apt to be lifted up with abundance of Revelations therefore God humbled him with a thorn in the flesh 2 Cor. 12. 7. Use 1. If we be out of affliction let us provide for a time of exercise David a Saint is afflicted God's Bosom friends may feel his hand sore upon them David a King is afflicted those in the highest station have their incident cares and troubles David an Old Testament Believer saith I am afflicted I observe this because God then dispensed himself to his people in and by temporal promises and yet even then they had great mixtures of trouble to shew that which they had in the world was not all they had to expect from God The promises now in the New Testament now life and immortality is brought to light they run to us in another strain not of temporal but spiritual things therefore we must expect our portion of sorrow before we go to Heaven Be not of such a woman like nature and so delicately brought up as never to see evil days for ought I see we are entring upon our trial The strain of our Ministry is mainly consolatory usually but there comes a time of expence and laying out when such comforts are to be laid up in our heart therefore let us be provided 2. If we be for the present under affliction let us bear it with patience observing how God's ends are accomplished It is smart and grievous now Heb. 12. 11. but it will be salutary and healthful it will yield to you righteousness and that righteousness will yield you peace give the peaceable fruit of righteousness If God will take away the fuel of our sin empty us of our pride self-conceit weaken the security of the flesh let us be content only let us take heed that the time of mortifying sin be not the time of discovering sin and that we do not trespass the more To be sinning and suffering is the case of the damned Take heed you do not sin in your suffering especially take heed of those sins that are proper to affliction Fainting If thou faint in the day of adversity thy strength is but small Distrust of God's Providence I shall one day perish by the hands of Saul Despair of God's Promises I said I am cut off c. Then you lose the benefit of God's Family Discipline when you yield to these sins But see how it drives you out of the way of Hell for affliction is a gentle remembrance of Hell for look as those whose garments were singed as when they threw the three Children into the Furnace their own garments were singed by the force of the flame they knew what it was to be thrown into the Pit So the Lord in effect doth tell you what will be in Hell this is a gentle remembrance stand farther off that you may not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 10. 32. And then how it quickens you to look after heavenly things for when the outward man decays then look to things not seen 2 Cor. 4. 17. When you are fitted more and more for your change when you grow more humble mortified as stones are hew'd and squar'd for the building Let us come to the degree I am afflicted very much the Septuagint renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am afflicted very sore Doct. The Afflictions of God's People may not only be many but very sore and heavy So David here and Psal. 71. 20. Thou hast shewed me great and sore troubles Why many 1. Many and strong lusts are to be subdued and we need great afflictions to subdue many and great corruptions Some stains are not easily washt out but need much rubbing When Pride is deeply rooted in the heart God brings down even to the grave that a Man goes up and down like a walking Ghost and like a Skeleton or dry bones there is such an one described Iob 33. 17. with 22. and why to bring down pride in his heart The Physick must be according to the distemper if the distemper be more rooted the Physick must be more strong Psal. 107. 11 12. Because they rebelled against the Word of the Lord and contemned the counsel of the most high Therefore he brought down their heart with labor they fell down and there was none to help When people begin to grow high and stomackful contemptuous against God and his Ordinances then God brings them into sore distresses to break their pride and stoutness of heart 2. That God may have the more experience and tryal of his people In daily and little afflictions there is no tryal of their Courage Faith Patience and Submission and all other graces The tryal of â—…aith is in extremity Graces are exercised to the life when we are even at the point of death 2 Cor. 1. 9. We had the sentence of death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead So patience it is not tried but by sharp affliction therefore the Apostle saith Let patience have its perfect work
I am afflicted very sore O Lord quicken me Doct. We must not give over Prayer though our afflictions be never so great and heavy Why because 1. Nothing is too hard for God he hath ways of his own to save and preserve his People when we are at a loss This was the glory of Abraham's Faith that he accounted God was able to raise up Isaac from the dead Heb. 11. 19. difficult cases are fit for God to deal in to shew his Divine Power When means have spent their allowance then is it time to try what God can do Psal. 142. 4 5. I looked on my right hand and beheld but there was no man that would know me refuge failed me no man cared for my soul. I cried unto thee O Lord I said Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living When all things fail God faileth not 2. We must still pray Faith must express something above sense or else living by Faith and living by sense cannot be distinguished In desperate cases then is the glory of Faith seen Iob 13. 15. Though he should kill me yet I will trust in him In defiance of all discouragement we should come and profess our dependance upon God Use. To condemn those that despond and give over all treaty with God as soon as any difficulty doth arise whereas this should sharpen Prayer rather than discourage us This is man's temper when troubles are little and small then to neglect God when great then to distrust God A little head-ach will not send us to the Physician nor the scratch of a Pin to the Chyrurgion So if our troubles be little they do not move us to seek after God but we are secure and careless but when our troubles are smart sore and pressing then we are discouraged and give over all hopes so hard a matter is it to bring Man to God to keep an even frame neither to slight the hand of God nor to faint under it as we have direction to avoid both Extremes Heb. 12. 5. to cherish a due sense of our troubles with a regular confidence in God That he prays you have seen Now what he prays for He doth not say deliver me but quicken me Doct. Strength and Support under Afflictions is a great Blessing to be sought from God and acknowledged as a Favor as well as Deliverance 1. You shall see this is promised as a Favor Isa. 40. 31. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength That is shall not faint nor be weary but mount up as it were with wings as Eagles they shall have a new supply of grace enabling them to bear and hold out till the deliverance cometh They that wait upon the Lord do not always see the end of their troubles but are quickned comforted and strengthned in them they shall renew their strength 2. This is accepted by the Saints with thanksgiving and valued by them as a special answer of prayer they value it more than temporal deliverance itself many times as 2 Cor. 12. 9 10. Paul prays for the removal of the thorn in the flesh thrice when God only gives him this answer My grace is sufficient for thee saith Paul then I 'll rejoice in mine infirmities so I might have strength and support in grievous weaknesses reproaches and afflictions whatever they be So Psal. 138. 3. In the day when I cried thou answeredst me and strengthnedst me with strength in my soul. That 's noted as a special answer of Prayer How did he hear him with strength in my soul. Though he did not give him deliverance he gave him support so that was acknowledged as a very great mercy 3. There are many Cases wherein we cannot expect temporal deliverance then we must only go for quickning and support when by a lingring disease we are drawing down to the chambers of death and our outward strength is clean spent and gone then have we support that 's a great mercy Psal. 73. 26. when strength fail and heart fail God is the strengtâ—… of my heart and portion for ever That is to have his heart quickned by God in the languishing of a mortal disease So 2 Cor. 4. 16. Though our outward man perish yet our inward man is renewed day by day There are many troubles that cannot be avoided and therefore we are then to be earnest with God for spiritual strength Use. Well then you see upon what occasion we should go for grace rather than for temporal deliverance we should pray from the new nature not deliver me but quicken me and if the Lord should suspend deliverance why that will be our strength in time of trouble Psal. 37. 39. The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord he is their strength in the time of trouble But more particularly let us take notice of this Request Quicken me saith he Doct. Quickning Grace must be asked of God 1. What is quickning 2. Why asked of God 1 First What is this quickning Quickning in Scripture is put for two things 1. For Regeneration or the first infusion of the life of grace as Ephes. 2. 5. And you that were dead in trespasses and sins hath he quickned That is infused life or making to live a new life 2. It is put for the renewed excitations of God's grace God's breathing upon his own work God that begins life in our souls carries on this life and actuates it Now this kind of quickning is twofold spoken of in this Psalm there is quickning in duties and quickning in afflictions quickning in duties that 's opposite to deadness of spirit quickning in affliction that 's opposite to faintness 1 Quickning in duties that 's opposite to that deadness of spirit which creeps upon us now and then and is occasioned either by our negligence or by our carnal liberty that deadness of spirit that doth hinder the activity of grace 1. By our negligence and sloathfulness in the spiritual life when we do not stir up our selves Isa. 64. 6. There is none that stirreth up himself to take hold on thee When Men grow careless and neglectful in their souls An Instrument though never so well in tune yet if hang up and laid by soon grows out of order so when our hearts are neglected when they are not under a constant exercise of grace a deadness creeps upon us Wells are the sweeter for the draining Our graces they are more fresh and lively the more they are kept a work otherwise they lose their vitality A Key rusts that is seldom turned in the Lock and therefore negligence is a cause of this deadness 2 Tim. 1. 6. Stir up the gift that is in thee We must blow up the ashes There needs blowing if we would keep in the fire we grow dead and lukewarm and cold in the spiritual life for want of exercise 2. This deadness is occasioned by carnal liberty Psal. 119. 37. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken thou me
in thy way When we have been too busie about the vanities of the world or pleasures of the flesh when we have given contentment to the flesh and been intermedling with worldly cares and delights it brings a brawn and deadness upon the heart Luke 21. 34. Take heed that your hearts be not overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and the cares of this world c. I say by this the soul is distemper'd and rendred unapt for God Christians this is a disease very incident to the Saints this deadness that creeps upon them We have not such lively stirrings nor a like influence of grace we have not those earnest and lively motions we were wont to have in Prayer Now God he quickneth us how by exciting the operative graces as Faith Love Hope and Fear when these are kept pregnant and lively as we read of lively hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. There is living Faith and lively Faith and living Fear and lively Fear of God and living Hope and lively Hope All graces God makes them lively and vivacious that they may put forth their operations the more readily Well this is quickning in duties 2 There is quickning in afflictions and so it is opposed to fainting that fainting which is occasioned by too deep a sense of present troubles or by unbelief or distrust of God and his promises and the supplies of his grace O when troubles press upon us very sore our hearts are like a Bird dead in the Nest overcome so that we have no spirit life nor aptness for God's service my soul droopeth for very heaviness we have lost our life and our courage for God Well How doth God quicken us By reviving our suffering graces as our hope of eternal life and eternal glory patience and faith and so puts life into us again that we may go on chearfully in our service by infusion of new comforts He revives the spirit of his contrite ones so the Prophet saith Isa. 57. 15. He doth revive our spirits again when they are dead and sunk under our troubles O! it is very necessary for this Psal. 80. 18. Quicken us and we will call upon thy Name Discomfort and discouragement it weakens our hands until the Lord cheers us again we have no life in prayer By two things especially doth God quicken us in affliction by reviving the sense of his love and by reviving the hopes of glory By reviving the sense of his love Rom. 5. 5. The love of God is shed abroad like a fragrant ointment that doth revive us when we are even ready to give up the ghost Psal. 85. 6. Wilt thou not revive us again that thy people may rejoice in thee I say when he restores the sense of his love after great and pressing sorrow then he is said to quicken so when he doth renew upon us the hopes of glory Rom. 5. 2 3. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God Well you see what this quickning is 2 Secondly This quickning must be asked of God 1. Because it is his Prerogative to govern the heart of man especially to quicken us God will be owned as the Fountain of all life 1 Tim. 6. 13. I charge thee in the sight of God who quickneth all things It is God that quickneth all things All the life that is in the Creature all the life that is in new Creatures it comes from God it is he that giveth us life at first and he must keep in this life in the soul and restore it The meanest Worm all the life it hath it hath from God When Iohn would prove the Godhead of Christ he brings this argument Iohn 1. 4. In him is life There is not a Gnat but receives this benefit from Christ as God He hath the life of all things and this life is the light of Men much more the noble Creature Man hath this life from God much more the new Creature greater opâ—…ration of spiritual life more depends upon his influence and therefore if we would be quickned and carried out with any life and strength we must go to God for it 2. God as our Judge he must be treated with about it for he smites us with deadness therefore till he takes off his sentence we cannot get rid of this distemper it is one of God's spiritual plagues which must be removed before we can hope for any liveliness and any activity of grace again Under the Law God punished sins more sensibly as unhallowed addresses he punish'd them with death Under the Gospel he punisheth sins with deadness of heart When they seem careless in the worshipping of God they have a blow and breach as he smote Uzza and Nadab and Abihu dead in the place and now he smites with deadness Rev. 3. 7. He hath the Key of David that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth without his permission we can never recover our former lively estate again for there is a judicial sentence passed upon us Use. To press us to be often with God for quickning that we may obtain this benefit I have spoke of it at large upon another Verse if you would have this benefit rouze up your selves Isa. 64. 7. There is none that stirreth up himself And 2 Tim. 1. 6. Stir up the gift that is in thee A Man hath a faculty to work upon his own heart to commune and reason with himself and we are bidden to strengthen the things that are ready to die Rev. 3. 2. When things are dying and fainting in the soul we are to strengthen our selves therefore if we would have God to quicken us thus must we do chide the heart for its deadness in duty we can be lively enough in a way of sin chide the heart for its deadness in affliction Psal. 42. Why art thou cast down O my soul still trust in God And after you have done this then look up and expect this grace from God in and through Christ Jesus It is said Iohn 10. 10. I am come that they may have life and have it more abundantly Jesus Christ he came not only that we might have life enough to keep body and soul together but that we might not only be living but lively full of life strength and chearfulness in the service of God He is come into the world for this end and purpose expect it through Christ who hath purchased it for us And then plead with God about it according to his promise Ah Lord according to thy Word hast thou not said I will quicken a dead heart When thou art broken and tossed with affliction remember it is the high and lofty One that hath said he will revive the heart of the contrite ones Isa. 57. 15. and plead thus with God Ah Lord dost not thou delight in a chearful spirit Wilt thou not revive us again that thy people may rejoice in thee Psal. 85. 6. And then humble your selves for the cause of the distemper what 's the
growth in bulk and stature who from little Plants grow up into most excellent Cedars In hearing smelling seeing many of the Beasts go before us Eagles in sight Dogs in scent c. Sense is their perfection Some see better others hear better others smell better all have a better appetite to their meat and more strong to digest it For life rational endowed with reason many Philosophers and Ethnicks excel Christians in the use of reason Our excellency then lyeth not in the vegetative life wherein Plants excel thee nor in sensitive which Beasts have better than thou nor in the reasonable which many Reprobates have which shall never see the face of God but in life spiritual to have the soul quickned by the spirit of Grace Secondly Life natural is short and uncertain but this eternal Grace is an immortal flame a spark that cannot be quenched All our labour and toil is to maintain a lamp that soon goeth out or to prop up a Tabernacle that is always falling when we have made provision for it taken away this night c. it is in the power of every Ruffian and Assassinate but this is a life that beginneth in Grace and endeth in Glory Thirdly The outward life is short but yet we soon grow weary of it but this is a life that we shall never be weary of 1 Kin. 19. 4. Elijah requested for himself that he might dye the shortest life is long enough to be incumbred with a thousand miseries If you live to Old Age Age is a burthen to it self Days come in which there is no pleasure Eccl. 12. 1. but you will never wish for an end of this life Fourthly In the preparations and costs which God hath been at to bring about this life at first Without any difficulty God breathed into man the breath of life Gen. 2. 7. But to procure this life of Grace God must become man and set up a new fountain of life in our Natures Ioh. 10. 20. And not only so but to dye Iohn 6. 51. My flesh which I give for the life of the world Consider the price payed for it God would not bestow it at a cheaper rate than the death of his only Son Fifthly In the provisions of it Isai. 57. 10. the life of thy hands With a great deal of toil and labour we get a few supports for it But this is fed with the bloud of Christ influences of Grace and comforts from the Spirit not with gross things but sublime high noble Sixthly In the use for which it serveth It fitteth us for Communion with God as the other fits us for Communion with men Things can have no Communion with one another that do not live the life of one another We dwell in God and God dwelleth in us Seventhly Its necessities are greater which shew the value of the life The higher the life the more dependance Things inanimate as stones need not such supplies as things that have life Where Plants will not grow they must have a kindly soil Among Plants the Vine needs more dressing and care than the Bramble Beasts more than Plants their food appointed God hath most left to mans care as the instrument of his Providence Man more than Beasts Saints more than Men much waiting upon God No Creature so dependent in need of such daily supplies as the inward man Eighthly Its sense is greater There is a greater sensibleness in this life than in any other life all life hath a sweetness in it as any life exceedeth another so more sensibleness a Beast is more sensible of wrong and hurt than a Plant. As the life of a man exceedeth the life of a beast so more capable of joy and grief As the life of Grace exceedeth the life of a Man so its joy is greater its grief is greater trouble of Conscience a wounded spirit So the joy of Saints is unspeakable and glorious Peace that passeth all understanding 4. When is this life in good plight It sheweth it self in these two effects First A comfortable sense of Gods love Secondly An holy disposition to serve and please God The vitality of it lyeth in these two Grates Faith and Love when they are kept up in their height and vigour then it is a life begun it lyeth in the height of Faith apprehending and applying Gods love to the soul I live by faith and the height of love swaying and enclining the heart to obedience 2 Cor. 5. 14. Therefore they desire God to uphold them that they might be kept in heart and comfort and in a free inclination to serve him Now when they find any abatement of faith so that they cannot rejoyce in the promises as they were wont to do they count themselves dead or when their inward man doth not delight it self in the Law of God but they are dull and slow to good things they look upon themselves as dead But on the other side when they find the vigour of this life in them they are merry and glad when they feel their wonted delight in prayer and holy exercises this is that they mainly prize that which is not seen and felt is as if it were not to their comfort not to their safety Use. To exhort us all to look after this life and when you have got it to be very chary of it First Look after this life You that are alienated from the life of God through ignorance and hardness of heart be invited to come to him it is for life Iob 2. 4. Skin for skin and all a man hath will he give for his life We all desire life vile things that live excel more precious that are dead A living Dog is better than a dead Lion Eccl. 9. 4. A Dog was an unclean Beast and of all Creatures a Lion is the most noble and generous A Worm is more capable of life than the Sun Now if life natural be so sweet what is life spiritual No such life as this it fits us for communion with God and blessed Spirits Christ chideth them You will not come to me that you might have life Better you had never lived if you live not this life of Grace When Beasts dye their misery dyeth with them but yours beginneth Secondly If you have this life begun be chary of it If the bodily life be but a little annoyed we complain presently but why are you so stupid and careless and do not look after this to keep the spiritual life in good plight Let your prayers and desires be to have this life strengthened make this your prayer To be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man A Christian maketh this to be his main comfort and his main care O how busie are we to provide for the outward man that we may be well fed well cloathed Most mens care is for Back and Belly Oh be more careful for the inner man let that be refreshed with the bloud of Christ and the comforts of the
the good neglected and despised it is a temptation to men to think there is no Providence no God So when the nocent are prosperous and the good vexed with all manner of displeasure As Claudian the Poet much doubted whether there were any such thing as Providence that had a care of sublunary things but at length when he saw Ruffinus was only lifted up that his fall might be the greater then he no more calls in question Gods Providence or taxes him of indifferency to good and evil Secondly It will be a notable curb and awe upon us to keep us from sin for all these things befal them for our learning 't is our stupid incogitancy when God puts these examples before our eyes and we are not affected with them and so are of little use to us Iosh. 9. 3. When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Ioshua did to Iericho and to Ai they were wiser than we they did not expect the coming of Ioshua but sent messengers to meet him and strike up a Covenant with him Or as that Captain that came to Elijah 1 King 1. 13. when two Captains were destroyed with their fifties he comes and desires the Prophet to spare his life and that those he brought with him might be dear and precious in his eyes As he did so should we God hath smitten this and that for sin we should the more humble our selves and desire terms of Grace but our blindness and stupidness is such that we are not moved with Gods Judgments on others to look to the state of our Souls Prov. 22. 3. The wise man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself but the fool goeth on and is punished II. I come now to the Reason rendred For their deceit is falshood The Septuagint have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou hast despised all those that erre from thy Statutes for their thought is unjust But to open the words These two Notions deceit and falshood sometimes are taken for the vanity of outward things the disappointment of trust for by an ill-built trust a man deceives himself and his hopes prove false and sometimes they are put for craft guile and hypocrisie Now according to these different acceptions of the word divers sences are given First Some think these words relate to the disappointment of their trust Thus their confidences wherein they trust will deceive them at last and be found falshood Certain it is that carnal men have many imaginations and carnal confidences wherein they flatter themselves and hope to avoid their appointed Judgments which prove in the conclusion but lying vanities If this were the sense that at length it shall appear how deceitful their trust is then it concerns us to see to our trust to see what in probability those confidences might be whereby they deceive their own souls Is it their greatness and present height This deceiveth them when they are brought down wonderfully Isai. 14. 12 13 14 15 16. Or is it meant of their devices and witty Counsels wherein they trust but their subtle devices fail and they are often taken in the snares they laid for others Isai. 29. 14. The wisdom of the wise men shall perish and the understanding of the prudent shall be hidden All their craft will do them no good all their cunning and policy by which they hope to fortifie and defend themselves and prevent their ruine shall come to nought Or they do not get that by their deceit which they hope for though they have many methods and stratagems to circumvent the people of God yet they shall prove but vain Secondly Most simply it seemeth to be taken for hypocrisy and guile of spirit manifested either in shews of piety or any guileful course whereby they would undermine others for this reason God will bring them down Doctr. All fraudulency and hypocrisy is hateful to God therefore he will sooner or later discover and destroy those that practise it Fraudulency is twofold 1. Either falshood in ordinary Commerce lying or treacherous imposing on the simplicity of upright and honest men Most mens wisedome and policy lies in their falshood and deceitfulness but this shall be manifested and whilst they think to deceive others they shall be deceived themselves Iob 5. 13. and be taken in their own snares and whilst they seek to ruine and undermine others they are ruined and undermined themselves Or 2. There 's another sort of fraudulency pretences of piety whereby such men deceive the world Now this deceit is threefold either the deceit of the Heretick and erroneous person or the Formalist and superstitious person or the deceit of those that pretend to be truly religious All these cheats put upon the world shall not long hold First The cheat of erroneous persons and heretical Seducers who under a fair mask and plausible appearance carry on such designs as prove troublesome and noxious to the Church of God Though for a while they carry great sway under colour of a godly life yet at length God will tread them to dust and nothing and then all will be counted but deceit The deceit of Heretical Seducers is often spoken of in Scripture Rev. 2. 9. I know the blasphemy of them which say They are Iews and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan And 1 Tim. 3. 5 9. But they shall proceed no farther for their folly shall be manifest unto all men When under a form of godliness they carry on a horrible design unto the great disturbance of the Church to the Kingdome and Commonwealth the day shall declare it 1 Cor. 3. 13. God will bring them down Secondly There is the deceit of superstitious Persons and Formalists who seem to be devout and have great zeal for outward things not commanded by God such make a fair shew in the flesh Gal. 6. 12. by observing outward and carnal Rites as Circumcision difference of Meats legal purifications all their Religion is but a vain shew to beguile a loose Conscience This same sort of men are again described to be those that speak lies in hypocrisy 1 Tim. 4. 7. These also do in time discover the folly of their way manifested by some notable Judgment for these things take not hold of mens Consciences but only of their affections and when publick Countenance is gone they are of no more esteem Thirdly There 's the deceit of those that only pretend to be truly religious and are not so and because false and counterfeit they are hateful and abominable to God Now these God will not only punish in the other world Matth. 24. 51. He shall appoint him his portion with the Hypocrites Hell seems to be their Free-hold and Patrimony but here sooner or later God will pluck off these Vizards and bring disappointment and ruine upon these deceivers Prov. 26. 26. The Hypocrite shall be discovered before the Congregation Things that are counterfeit and false do not long hold out God will discover them either by some trying Judgment as
thy heart for entertaining the light and power of these truths and in due time God will shew thee other things In the mean time bless God that whatever is necessary is plain to them that are docile and heedful and willing to do the will of God As in the world the most necessary things are at hand the less necessary are hidden in the bowels of the Earth so in Scripture necessaries are facile and easie 2. Let us use this method in learning and teaching of others In learning our selves First Be sure to get a clear understanding of and firm assent unto the main plain truths of Scripture That there is one God Heb. 11. 6. He that cometh to God must believe that he is That Jesus Christ is the Son of God Iohn 17. 3. This is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent It is a corner truth that enliveneth all Religion Matth. 16. 16. Thou art Christ the Son of the living God then Upon this Rock will I build my Church John 6. 69. We believe and are sure that thou art Christ the Son of the living God This is the great enlivening truth that hath influence both on faith and obedience We must believe that he is able to bring us to God Iohn 14. 6. Heb. 7. 25. and must be obeyed Heb. 5. 9. that every man needeth this Christ to bring him to God Acts 4. 12. There is a necessity of his merit that God may be propitious of his Spirit as the foundation of a new life that we may be reconciled to God that we should live holily because there is a day of account when every one shall receive according to his works We should bestow more cost upon the main truths to get a clear distinct knowledge of them there must be a removing of Rubbish and digging to lay the foundation of the knowledge of the principles of the Doctrine of Christ before there can be any safe building or going on unto perfection Heb. 6. and firm assent to them For he is the best Christian that doth most clearly understand and firmly believe these things Not the Opinionist the Disputer he that best promotes the interest of his party or side which are the distempers now afoot in Christendome Those truths well accepted would so purifie the heart as we should sooner discern Gods interest in other things and be able to find out that So for teaching our Children God reckons on it from his people Gen. 18. 19. For I know Abraham that he will command his Children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do Iustice and Iudgment Deut. 6. 6 7. And these words that I command thee this day shall â—…e in thy heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house and when thou walkest by the way when thou liest down and when thou risest up Train them up in wholesome truths in the nurture and admoniâ—…ion of the Lord Ephes. 6. 4. how to carry themselves towards God in matters of Religion how towards men in righteousness civility and good manners chiefly that they may be instructed in the knowledge of Christ and salvation by him 3. Let the entertainment we have upon our first entrance into the study of Religion encourage us to follow on to know the Lord that we may see more into his mind and counsel concerning us When we are first serious we have notable experience of light and comfort and power this is a bribe to draw us on further more light for it is a growing thing Prov. 4. 18. The path of the Iust is as the shining light that shineth more and more to the perfect day more taste 1 Pet. 2. 3 4. If so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious to whom coming as to a living stone c. It should sharpen and put an edge upon our desires more power Iames 1. 18 19. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creation wherefore my beloved brethren let every man be swift to hear slow to speak slow to wrath You saw the entrance and your first acquaintance with the word succeeded well Doctr. II. By the word of God we get light or our understandings are enlightened Prov. 6. 23. For the Commandment is a lamp and the Law is light and reproofs of instruction are the way of life 1. Light is a great benefit This is the perfection of the rational Nature the benefit that we have above the Beasts He teacheth us more than the Beasts of the field They are guided by instinct ruled by a Rod of Iron we have Reason and in it more resemble God who is light and in him is no darkness at all 1 Iohn 1. 5. we come nearest to our happiness in heaven it is called The inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. Our knowledge is perfected and the vision of God is our happiness 1 Cor. 13. 12. For now we see through a glass darkly then face to face now I know in part then I shall know even as also I am known 2. This light hath excellent properties First It is lux manifestans it manifesteth it self and all things else How do I see the Sun but by the Sun by its own light how do I know the Scripture to be the Word of God but by the light that shineth in it commending it self to my Conscience So it manifests all things else By this light a man may see every thing in its own colours it layeth open all the frauds and impostures of Satan the vanity of worldly things the deceits of the heart the odiousness of sin Ephes. 5. 8. 13. All things that be reproved are made manifest by light for whatsoever doth make manifest is light It sets out the odiousness of sin as a breach of Gods most holy Law enmity against the Great God the procurer of his eternal wrath Nothing manifests things as this light doth Secondly It is lux dirigens a directing light that we may see our way and work As the Sun lighteth man to his labour so doth this direct us in all conditions Psal. 119. 105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths It directs us how to manage our selves in all conditions in prosperity adversity in all affairs paths steps in all the particular actions of our life it filleth us with spiritual prudence the wayfaring the fool a man of parts that is a stranger the man of mean parts all may meet with plain and clear directions hence to guide them in the way to Heaven Thirdly It is lux vivificans a quickening light Lux est vehiculum influentiarum Joh. 8. 12. I am the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of
of the law it is no more of promise but God gave it to Abraham by promise The Commands and Promises were not commensurate There was not a promise in that Covenant for every command of the Law of Nature but in the Gospel God promiseth what he requireth In the Covenant of Works Justice is the Rule of Gods dealing for though he entred into that Covenant and promised a reward out of Grace yet being entred into it Justice holdeth the Ballance and weigheth the works of men and giveth to every man according to his works what is due to him Rom. 2. 6 7 8. Who will render to every man according to his deeds to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for life and glory and immortality eternal life But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath c. But the rule of Gods dealing in the new Covenant is grace The Covenant of works was more independent on God and grace without man and more dependent on man and grace within himself In it man was left to stand by his own strength to be justified upon his own righteousness God having furnished him with a stock at first or a sufficiency of power to keep that Covenant But the Covenant of grace findeth us without strength therefore we are kept in dependance upon another Psal. 89. 13. I have laid help upon one that is mighty And Phil. 4. 13. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me Man was to keep the first Covenant but here in effect the Covenant keepeth us 1 Pet. 1. 5. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation Jer. 32. 40. And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Thirdly In the terms Unsinning obedience is the Condition of the Covenant of works The Covenant of works is wholly made void and the promise thereof of none effect by any one sin without any hope of cure or remedy Once a Sinner and for ever miserable as the Angels for one sin were thrown down from Heaven and reserved in Chains of darkness unto the judgment of the great day Jude 6. It admitteth of no such thing as repentance neither doth it offer any provision for such it speaketh much to the whole nothing to the sick it maketh a promise to the righteous but none to Sinners But the Covenant of grace is otherwise Matth. 9. 13. I will have mercy and not sacrifice for I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Acts 5. 31. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins Every failing doth not make void the Covenant no not every grosser fault Psal. 89. 33 34. Nevertheless my loving kindness I will not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips The first Covenant is an uncomfortable Covenant to a Sinner and can be only comfortable to a perfect righteous person for in case of the least failing it speaketh nothing but wrath and the curse But the Covenant of Grace is comfortable to Sinners it offereth pardon to them As to the first Covenant it is impossible to be fulfilled by man in the state of corruption Rom. 8. 3. What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh Since the day that Adam fell never did nor could any man fulfil this Covenant Well then the demands of this Covenant cannot be satisfied without a continuation in all things written therein in height of exactness and perfection But the Gospel admits of a sincere uniform obedience as perfect 2 Cor. 8. 12. But if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not There is a merciful lenity as to acceptance though the Rule is as strict Mal. 3. 17. And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in the day when I make up my Iewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him Use 1. Then enter into this Covenant You have no benefit by it till you personally enter into the Bond of it The Covenant of works was made with man generally universally considered with Adam as a publick person representing all his Posterity but the Covenant of Grace is made with man particularly and personally considered and his consent is expresly required or else it can convey no benefit to us That was a Law and so did bind whether man did consent or no. This is a priviledge Christ draweth to consent to him doth not force us against our will Iohn 1. 12. But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name Will you owne him as the Son of God and Redeemer of the World Every man must consent for himself The effects of the first Covenant are uncomfortable for the present the spirit of bondage Heb. 2. 15. And deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage But dreadful hereafter Iames 2. 13. He shall have Iudgment without mercy When none to mediate for them they have to do with Justice strict Justice The least sin is enough to ruine you it will pass by no transgression remit no part of your punishment it will have satisfaction to the utmost farthing admits of no pardon no Advocate regardeth no tears What Justice can give you that you may look for If Justice speak no good promise no good you are to look for none for Justice doth all in the Covenant under which you stand Psal. 130. 3. If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand What you may claim as a due Debt that you may look for that Covenant gives no gift Oh then give the hand to the Lord. 2 Chron. 30. 8. But be ye not stiff-necked as your fathers were but yield your selves to the Lord and enter into his sanctuary which he hath sanctified for ever and serve the Lord your God Receive Gods condition Acts 9. 6. Lord what wilt thou have me to do You have not leave to chuse and refuse Use 2. Let us bless God and admire his grace in bringing about this new Covenant 1. Man irreparably had broken the first Covenant fallen from his state of life so that all the world is lost under guilt and a curse Rom. 3. 19. That every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God 2. Upon this fundamental breach the Lord was acquitted and absolved from the promise of life in this way of works for man could never stand in that Court Rom. 8.
3. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh c. Then 3. God taking occasion by this miserable estate opened a door of hope by Christ 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them God hath set up a new Court of righteousness and life where sinners may appear where Grace taketh the Throne and the Judge is Christ and the Gospel the Rule and Faith and sincere obedience accepted 4. The Lord giveth notice to fallen man and sendeth him word That if he will come to this Court and put himself under the Laws thereof he shall be delivered from the Curse Luke 1. 77 78 79. To give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins Through the tender mercies of our God whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death to guide their feet into the way of peace 5. Because men are backward he hunteth and pursueth them by the Curse of the Law and the sense men have of it to take Sanctuary at his grace Heb. 6. 18. That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us 6. When a poor Creature cometh he receiveth him graciously Ier. 3. 12 13. Return thou backsliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I will not keep anger for ever Only acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God 1 Iohn 1. 9. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness If he had not set up another Court of righteousness no tears no repentance could have helped us there had been no help that way Now he is willing to receive you he standeth with his arms open From first to last he dealeth with us upon terms of Grace II. Judgment is put for manner and custome or course Gen. 40. 13. Thou shalt deliver Pharaoh his Cup after the former manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Iosh. 6. 15. They compassed the City after the same manner The same word again 1 Sam. 2. 13. The Priests custom with the people was c. 1 Sam. 8. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This will be the manner of the King that shall reign over you 1 Sam. 27. 11. So did David and so will be his manner So in other places Doctr. I. That it is Gods constant method to encourgae all those that serve him by shewing to them all manner of expressions of favour and mercy The Proposition is often expressed in Scripture Psal. 25. 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies Psal. 84. 11. For the Lord God is a Sun and a Shield the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly Psal. 34. 10. The young Lions do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing David presumeth it Psal. 23. 6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life And many other places But it seemeth to be contradicted by sense They that love God most are most calamitous and have many afflictions Answ. 1. These belong to Gods Covenant and are expressions of his good will and faithfulness Psal. 119. 75. I know Lord that thy judgments are right and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me God were not faithful nor merciful if he did not now and then take the Rod in hand our need our good requireth it Heb. 12. 10. For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness Discipline is necessary for a Child as food Winter as necessary as Summer rainy Days as fair Days to curb the wantonness of the Flesh and to withdraw the fuel of our Lusts. 2. He useth to shew mercy to people in their afflictions to cause light to rise to them in darkness 2 Cor. 1. 5. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. We are not capable of taking in spiritual comforts till we are separated from the dregs of worldly affections 3. God will sanctifie afflictions Rom. 8. 28. All things shall work together for good to them that love God And he will finally deliver when the Season calleth for it 1 Cor. 10. 13. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it But he dealeth more hardly with them than others he doth not punish the gross iniquities of his Adversaries when the lesser failings of his people are severely chastised Answ. It is meet Iudgment should begin at the house of God 1 Pet. 4. 17. That it may be known God doth not favour any in their sins Amos 3. 2. You only have I known of all the Families of the Earth therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities Their sins though small have more aggravations being committed against clearest light dearest love Ezra 9. 13. And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds should we again break thy Commandments Isai. 26. 10. Let favour be shewed to the wicked yet will he not learn righteousness God is jealous over his people and careful to have them reclaimed from every evil course 1 Cor. 11. 32. But when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world In the bitterness of the Rod God discovereth the vileness of their sin for he will reclaim them when he suffereth others to walk in their own way 4. His enemies shall in time taste the Dregs of that Cup whereof his own people tast a little Psal. 75. 8. For in the hand of the Lord there is a Cup the Wine is red it is full of mixture he poureth out of the same but the dregs thereof all the wicked of the Earth shall wring them out and drink them Jer. 25. 29. For lo I begin to bring evil on this City that is called by my name and shall ye be utterly unpunished Ye shall not be unpunished for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth saith the Lord of Hosts They shall have the bottom 5. In the mean time Gods people have his love their sins are pardoned they are admitted into communion with him and Gods mercy and favour to his people must not be judged by temporal accidents
thou afflicted and tossed with tempest Names are taken a notioribus things are known and distinguished by their name 't is one of the Way-marks to Heaven Act. 14. 22. Through many tribulations enter into the Kingdom of God As the way to Canaan lay through a howling Wilderness If we were told before that we should meet with such and such marks in our Journey to such a place if we found them not we should have cause to suspect we were out of our way From the beginning of the World the Church hath always been bred up under troubles and innured to the Discipline of the Cross Psal. 129. 1. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth may Israel now say The spirit of enmity wrought betimes The first Family that ever was in the World yielded Abel the Proto-Martyr and Cain the Patriarch of Unbelievers While the Church kept in Families the outward estate of Gods People was worse than their Neighbours Abraham was a Sojourner though owned and blessed by God when the Canaanites were possessors and dwelt in walled Towns Iacob's Family grew up by degrees into a Nation but Esau's presently multiplyed into many Dukes and Princes And as they grew up they grew up in Affliction Egypt was a place of retreat for them for a while but before they got out of it it proved an house of Bondage Their deliverance brought them into a Wilderness where Want made them murmur but oftner Wantonness But then God sent fiery Serpents and broke them and afflicted them with other Judgments After forty years wandring in the Wilderness they are brought into Canaan a Land of Rest but it afforded them little rest for they forfeited it almost as soon as they Conquered it it flowed with Milk and Honey but mixed with Gall and Wormwood Their story as 't is delivered in the Book of God acquaints you with several varieties and intermixtures of Providence till wrath came upon them to the utmost till God saw fit to inlarge the pale and lines of Communication by treating with other Nations Now if the old Testament Church were thus afflicted much more the new God discovered his approbation and improbation then more by temporal Mercies and temporal Judgements The Promises run to us in another strain and since Life and Immortality was brought tolight in the Gospel we must not expect to be so delicately brought up as never to see an evil day he hath told us 2 Tim. 3. 12. We must be conformed to our head Rom. 8. 29. And expect to pledge Christ in his bitter Cup and our condition must inform us that our hopes are not in this World 1 Cor. 15. 19. In the Gospel-dispensation God would deal forth temporal Blessings more sparingly and spiritual with a fuller hand the experience of all Ages verifieth this When Religion began first to fly abroad into all Lands the Pagans first persecuted it and then the Pseudo-Christians the holiest and best People were Maligned and Bound and Butchered and Racked and Stoned but still they Multiplied 'T were easie to tire you with various Instances in every Age those that went home to God were those that came out of tribulations and had washed their Robes and made them white in the bloud of the Lamb Rev. 7. 14. There is always something set a-foot to try God servants and in the latter times the roaring Lion is not grown more gentle and tame rather more fierce and severe Rev. 12. 12. For the Devil is come down unto you having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time Dying Beasts struggle most As his Kingdom beginneth to shake so he will be most fierce and cruel for the supporting of it 2. As to particular persons The whole Creation groaneth Rom. 8. 22. and Gods Children bear a part in the Consort they have their share in the Worlds Miseries and Domestical Crosses are common to them with other Men in the World Yea their condition is worse then others Chaffe and Corn are threshed in the same floor but the Corn is grinded in the Mill and baked in the Oven Ieremiah was in the Dungeon when the City was besieged The World hateth them more than others and God loveth them more than others The World hateth them because they are so good and God correcteth them because they are no better There is more care exercised about a Vine than a Bramble God will not let them perish with the World Great receipts call for great expences first or last God seeth it fitting sometimes at first setting forth as the old Germans were wont to dip their Children in the Rhine to harden them so to season them for their whole Course they must bear the yoke from their youth or first acquaintance with God Heb. 10. 32. Sometimes God lets them alone while they are young and raw and of little experience as we are tender of Trees newly planted as Iacob drove as the little ones were able to bear 1 Cor. 10. 13. He will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able They are let alone till middle age till they are of some standing in Religion Heb. 11. 24. Moses when he was come to years 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sometimes let alone till their latter time and their season of fighting cometh not till they are ready to go out of the World that they may die fighting and be crowned in the Field but first or last the Cross commeth and there is a time to exercise our Faith and Patience before we inherit the Promises I will not inlarge in the common place of Afflictions and tell you how necessary the Cross is to subdue Sin which God will do in an accommodate way to weaken Pride to reclaim us from our Wandrings to increase Grace to make us mindful of heavenly things these are discussed in other Verses to make us retreat to our great Priviledges to stir us up to Prayer c. Tribulatio tam nobis necessaria quam ipsa vita immo magis necessaria multoque utilior quam totius mundi opes dignitates saith Luther We think Wealth is necessary for us Dignity and Esteem is necessary for us no Affliction is necessary for us 1 Pet. 1. 6. If need be you are in Heaviness c. Use 1. Let us look for Troubles and provide for them we shall not alwayes have a life of ease and peace the Times will not alwayes be friendly to Religion Then had the Churches rest Acts 9. 31. Halcyon dayes the enmity of wicked men will not always lye asleep we would gather rust and grow dead therefore look for them If because you are Christians you Promise your selves a long lease of temporal Happiness free from Troubles and Afflictions 't is as if a Souldier going to the Wars should promise himself Peace and continual Truce with the Enemy Or as if a Mariner committing himself to the Sea for a long Voyage should promise himself nothing but fair and calm
gave it at first Gen. 2. 7. God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his Nostrils the breath of Life and Man became a living Soul and still this Life is at Gods disposing and he will sooner continue it to us in a way of Obedience then in a way of Sin Iob 10. 12. Thou hast granted me life and favour and thy Visitation hath preserved my Spirit Act. 17. 28. In him we live and move and have our being The same Power that giveth us Being maintaineth it as long as he pleaseth All is at the dayly dispose of God 2. Life is better preserved in a way of Obedience then by Evil-doing that provoketh God to cast us off and exposes us to Dangers 'T is not in the Power of the World to make us live or die a day sooner or longer than God pleaseth If God will make us happy they cannot make us miserable Therefore give me understanding and I shall live that is lead a comfortable and happy Life for the present Prevent sin and you prevent danger Obedience is the best way to preserve Life Temporal as great a Paradox as it seems to the World 't is a Scripture Truth Prov. 4. 4. Keep my Commandments and live And Verse 13. Take hold of instruction let her not go keep her for she is thy life And Prov. 3. 16. Length of dayes is in her right hand and in her left Riches and Honour And Verse 18. She is a tree of Life The Knowledge and Practice of the Word is the only meanes to live Comfortably and Happily here as well as for Ever hereafter II. Life Spiritual that is two-fold the Life of Justification and the Life of Sanctification 1. The Life of Justification Rom. 5. 18. The free gift came upon all men to Iustification of Life He is dead not only on whom the Hangman hath done his work but also he on whom the Judge hath passed sentence and the Law pronounceth him dead In this sense we were all dead and Justification is called Justification to Life there is no living in this sense without knowledge Isa. 53. 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous Servant Iustify many We live by Faith and Faith cometh by Hearing and Hearing doth no good unless the Lord giveth Understanding as Meats nourish not unless received and digested 2. The Life of Sanctification Eph. 2. 1. And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins And men live not properly till they live the life of Grace they live a false counterfeit Life not a blessed happy certain and true Life Now this Life is begun and carried on by saving knowledge Col. 3. 10. the new man is renewed in knowledge Again Men are said to be alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them Eph. 4. 18. They that are ignorant are dead in Sin Life Spiritual cometh by Knowledge Hence beginneth the change of the Inward Man and thence forth we live Give me understanding ut vere in te vivam that the true life begun in me may grow and increase daily but never be quenched by sin III. Life Everlasting or our Blessed Estate in Heaven So 't is said of the Saitits departed they all live to God Luk. 20. 38. And this is called Water of life the Tree of life the Crown of life properly this is life What is the present life in Comparison of Everlasting life The present life 't is mors vitalis a living death or mortalis vita a dying life a kind of death 't is alwayes in fluxu like a Stream it runneth from us as fast as it cometh to us Iob. 14. 2. He flyeth as a shadow and continueth not We die as fast as we live it differeth but as the point from the line where it terminateth 'T is not one and the same no permanent thing 't is like the shadow of a Star in a flowing stream It 's Contentments are base and low Isa. 57. 10. called the life of thy hands 't is patcht up of several Creatures fain to ransack the Store-houses of Nature to support a ruinous Fabrick And compare it with the Life of Grace here it doth not exempt us from sin nor miseries our Capacities are narrow we are full of Fears and Doubts and Dangers but in the Life of Glory we shall sin nor sorrow no more This is meant here the righteousness of Gods Testimonies is everlasting give me understanding and I shall live 't is chiefly meant of the Life of Glory this is the fruit of saving knowledge Ioh. 17. 3. when we so know God and Christ as to come to God by him Use. Let us seek this saving Knowledge of God that we may live first Spiritually here and Gloriously here But few mind it all desire sharpness of Wit and to be as knowing as others no man would be a fool but would own a wickedness in Morals rather than a weakness in Intellectuals but who thinketh of being wiser for Heaven of being seasoned with the Fear of God Most men choak all the Motions and Inclinations they have in that kind with Worldly delights and Worldly businesses being alive to the World and dead to God thronging their hearts with Carnal Vanities but leaving no room for higher and serious thoughts But at length be perswaded what do men desire but Life If you know God and Christ with a saving knowledge you shall have it 1. We were made for this end to come to the knowledge of the Truth and be Saved 1 Tim. 2. 4. We do not live meerly to live but to make provision for a better Life not to satisfie our bodies out of Gods storehouse but to furnish our souls with Grace and exercise our selves in his Law day and night that we may know his Will concerning us and provide for a better Life and live according to the directions of his Word 2. No Creature is so bad as Man when he degenerateth from his End for which he was created 'T is not so much for the Sea to break its bounds or to have a defect in the Course of Nature as the Degeneration of Man 3. You live not properly when destitute of the Life of God and Heavenly Wisdom he doth not live the life of a Man nor preserve the rectitude of his Nature SERMON CLXII PSALM CXIX VER 145. I Cryed with my whole Heart hear me O Lord I will keep thy Statutes IN these Words are First An Allegation I cryed with my whole Heart Secondly A Petition hear me Thirdly A Promise of Obedience I will keep thy Statutes First In the Allegation we have a Description of Prayer by the two Adjuncts of it 1. Intension and Fervency I Cryed 2. The Sincerity and Integrity of it with my whole Heart Secondly The Petition is for Audience only what we translate hear me is in the Heb. answer me Now this being a General it is uncertain what he prayed for it may be for deliverance out of
and God is too Fatherly to deny it to his Children You may deny an Apple to a wanton Child but you will not deny Bread to a fainting Child The bowels of a Father will not permit you to do that you may deny them superfluities in wisdom but your love will not permit you to deny them necessaries Meat is not so necessary to revive and refresh the Body as Grace for the Soul and his Holy Inspirations to act and guide you And will God deny these requests 7. Know when you have received Quickning Many Christians look for rapt and extatick Motions and so do not own the work of God when it hath passed upon them they under-rate their own Experiences and so cannot take notice of Gods Faithfulness Sense Appetite and Activity are the fruits of life and quickning 1. We have the more sense of indwelling Sin as an heavy Burthen Rom. 7. 24. None groan so sorely as those that are made partakers of a new Life Elementa non gravitant in suis locis a delicate Constitution is more sensible of pain Wicked Men scarce feel deep wounds given to their Conscience nor have any remorse for gross sins Gods Children their hearts smite them for the smallest disorders and irregularities 2. Appetite after Christ his Graces and Comforts 1 Pet. 2. 2. the more life any have the more craving of Food to maintain it in being they are always hungering and thirsting after God Matth. 5. 6. our Appetite will be after the things that conduce to the maintaining and preserving that being which they have If a man lose his Appetite the body pineth and languisheth and strength decayeth desire prepareth the soul to take in its supplies Your Life is in good plight when that is desired 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 't will be a means of Spiritual growth a kindly appetite after this Milk They are under a great decay who have lost their Appetite after the Gospel 3. Activity in Duties That we may honour Christ 1 Pet. 2. 4 5. To whom coming as a living stone ye also as lively stones are built up into a spiritual House Christ liveth and we live by him as the stones in the building carry a proportion with the corner-stone So Christians as the body with the Head It must needs be so because of Gods Spirit dwelling in us Ezek. 36. 27. Ioh. 7. 37. and because of the Graces in a Christian Faith and Love Faith working by Love is the great evidence of the new Creature If Faith and Love be strong it will quicken us to do much for God the apprehension of Faith doth enliven our notions of God Christ Heaven and Hell Faith puts Life into our thoughts of him Love is a notable pleader and urger 2 Cor. 5. 14. The Love of Christ constraineth us c. Secondly The Reasons why c. 1. They that have so much to do with God do see a need of it for he is a living God and will be served in a lively manner Rom. 12. 11. Not slothful in business fervent in Spirit serving the Lord. They that serve the Lord Negatively must not be slothful in business Affirmatively fervent in spirit God will not be served negligently coldly but with Life and earnestness The twelve Tribes served God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instantly Act. 26. 7. Instantly serving God with the uttermost of their strength He that hath a Right to our all must have our best surely he will not be put off with every slight thing Now the Children of God that are sensible of this are earnest for quickning that they may serve God in such a way as becometh him with Life and Power and Zeal for the manner in every Duty is to be regarded as well as the matter A man may do many things that are good but there is no Life in what he doth He prayeth but without any life in Prayer dead in Prayer Heareth but no Life in Hearing dull of Hearing All things in a Christian may be counterfeited but Life cannot be counterfeited that cannot be painted 2. They are acquainted with themselves and observe the frame and posture of their own spirits Now they that know themselves will see a need of Quickning 1 Because of the instability and changeable frame of mans Heart it hardly stayeth long in the same state now 't is up and anon 't is down as the constant experience of the Saints witness Sometimes they have a forwardness and strong propension of Heart to that which is good at other times a lothness and dulness or unfitness to perform any spiritual service when their Will is more remiss and their Affections unbent 'T is not indeed the constant frame of their Hearts yet it is a disease incident to the Saints even good men may feel a slowness of Heart to comply with the will of God and some hanging off from Duty Spontancae lassitudines sunt signa imminentis morbi so is this laziness and backwardness of spirit a sign of some great spiritual distemper Sometimes they are carried with great largeness of Heart and full sail of Affections at other times they are in bonds and streights that they cannot pour out their Hearts before God Psal. 77. 4. I am sore troubled that I cannot speak sometimes they have great Life and Vigour at other times no such lively stirrings but are flat and cold and dead when with Sampson they think to go forth and shake themselves as at other times Iudges 16. 20. by sad Experience they find that their Locks are gone that their Understandings are lean sapless and their Affections cold and their Delight and Vigour lost Man is a sinful weak inconstant Creature his heart is as unstable as water and much of this levity and instability remaineth with us after Grace as is seen in the various postures of spirit that we are under 2 Because of the constant opposition of the Flesh. There is an opposite Principle in our Hearts Gal. 5. 17. The body of Death that dwelleth in us doth always resist the life of the Spirit in us and therefore God must renew the influences of his Grace to preserve Life There are desires against desires and delights against delights this must needs abate our Vigour The Spirit draweth one way the Flesh another 'T is drawing Iam. 1. 14. Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed 'T is depressing Heb. 12. 1. Seeing we also are compassed about with so great a Cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us Carnal Affections hang as a weight retarding us in our Heavenly flight and motions 'T is warring Rom. 7. 23. I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin And therefore the Lord had need to cherish the new Creature and good seed which cannot but be weakned with this opposition 3 Because our outward condition doth
seriously give up our selves to the observation of Gods Will and attend upon this work Thus wicked men do not seek it is the least of their Cares Psal. 73. 27. Lo all they that are far from thee shall perish The whole stream and course of their Affections Lives and Actions do run from God to the Creature they care not whether they please God yea or no Prov. 19. 16. He that keepeth the Commandments keepeth his own soul but he that despiseth his ways shall dye He slights his way that goeth on as his own heart leadeth him as a Traveller that regardeth not to choose his way but goeth through thick and thin he despiseth his way so he that careth not whether his way be pure or filthy Well then the sum is wicked men care not to know and obey Gods Word II. Reasons Why they are wicked that do not seek Gods Statutes 1. Because Omissions where they are of Duties absolutely necessary and total and universal and do necessarily draw sins of Commission along with them do argue a state of wickedness but such is the Case here to live in a known sin whether of Omission or Commission is damnable Iam. 4. 17. To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not to him it is sin but especially when Total c. The wicked are thus described them that forget God Psal. 9. 17. The wicked shall be turned into Hell and all the Nations that forget God Iob 8. 13. So are the paths of all that forget God Psal. 50. 22. Now consider this ye that forget God left I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver This sayeth a man open to all Sin and maketh way for his Destruction So Zeph. 1. 6. They have not sought the Lord nor enquired after him that is enough to damn them if they do not break out into Excess 2. Because they are guilty of great wrong to God and to their own Souls 1. To God It is a Contempt of his Authority when men will not study to know and do his declared Will that is make it their business to do so For it is a great slighting of him looking upon his direction as of little importance Hos. 8. 12. I have written to him the great things of my law but they were counted as a strange thing and therefore were strangers to it as if there were no danger in walking contrary to it 2. To themselves Gods Statutes concern our Salvation as well as his own Glory Luk. 7. 30. The Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves Thus a wicked man is Felo de se. Prov. 8. 35 36. Whose findeth me findeth life and shall obtain favour of the Lord but he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul all they that hate me love Death Use. I. You see now who are far from Salvation they that do not study the Word of God to conform themselves thereunto Use. II. Let us be sure to be far from the disposition of the Wicked let us with all our hearts seek to comply with the Precepts of God and be more diligent and earnest in bringing our hearts to a true Scriptural Holiness that we may not be in this danger Motives 1. From the excellency of these Statutes to be employed in the service of God is the greatest honour and the most blessed Life upon Earth if it be irksome it is a sign of a Disease and some great Distemper or Inclination to some base dreggy delights of the Flesh if the Soul were rightly constituted it would be our greatest pleasure honour and content other work spendeth our strength this increaseth it the way of the Lord is strength to the upright 2. From Salvation it is great sure near Great both as to Body and Soul Sure Gods Word past is unalterable Near should we faint in the sight of our Country and be sluggish and negligent when heaven is at hand 3. There is present content in the sight of our Qualification and clear distinction from the wicked SERMON CLXXIV PSALM CXIX VER 156. Great are thy tender Mercies O Lord quicken me according to thy Iudgments IN the former Verse we presented you with the Judgment of God against the wicked we shall now present you with a more comfortable Argument his Mercies to his people When ever we think or speak of the Damnable Condition of the Wicked we should remember the Grace of God that hath made the difference between us and them We were no better by Nature than they only Mercy interposed for our rescue and snatched us as brands out of the burning So here David flyeth to Gods Mercy as the original Cause of all that he had or hoped for from him great are thy tender mercies O Lord c. In the words there is I. An Eulogy or an Ascription of Praise to God Great are thy tender mercies O Lord. II. A Prayer Quicken me according to thy Iudgments The one maketh way for the other for because Gods Mercies are so great therefore he is incouraged to come unto him for help In the Eulogy we have the thing praised Gods Mercy 'T is set forth by a double adjunct one taken from the Quality the other from the Quantity From the Quality 't is Tender and Bowel-Mercy from the Quantity 't is great Or the word may be rendered many the Mercies of God as one saith are many and Motherlike Having layed this Foundation for his hope the Man of God proceedeth to his Prayer which is our second branch where you have the Request Quicken me the Argument according to thy Iudgments that is thy Promises in the New Covenant as we before explained the word Those Premises are called Judgments because they are Rules of proceeding in the New Court which God hath set up Many things might be observed from these words 1. That the Primary Cause of all that we have and expect from God is his Mercy The Man of God beginneth here when he expected different usage from the wicked or that God should deal with him in another manner than with them 2. That this Mercy is so great and large that it is every way sufficient for our help 3. The Termes and Rules according to which we are to expect this Mercy are set forth in the New Covenant where God hath bound himself to shew Mercy to his People upon such Conditions as are there specified So that this Covenant doth inform us and assure us both of Gods Mercy and Gods Quickning 4. One special New-Covenant-blessing is the preservation of the Life of grace in our Souls There is a great necessity of it because in the spiritual life we are subject to fainting and the Children of God have a great value and esteem for it for they are more sensible of Soul-distempers than other men and when they see others stark dead in Trespasses and Sin they are the more displeased with their own remaining deadness and therefore would have the
distinction between them and wicked men made more clear and sensible by the activity and vigour of Grace and their diligence and care of Salvation which the wicked neglect awakened by new influences from God and therefore do they so often pray for Quickning Accordingly God in the New Covenant as the God of their Life and Salvation hath undertaken to keep them fresh and lively and therefore when ever we are under deadness we should not be satisfied with it or think it a light evil but present our condition to God looking to the Promise of the New Covenant wherein God hath promised to put his Spirit into our hearts to cause us to walk in his wayes But because all these Points have been often discussed I shall only handle this one Point Doctrine That in the Lord Iehovah there are great and tender Mercies First I shall open the Mercy of God Secondly The Adjuncts the Greatness and Tenderness of them First I shall open the Mercy of God That Mercy is one of Gods Attributes the Scripture is plain and clear Psal. 62. 12. Also unto thee O Lord belongeth Mercy he had said before once hath God spoken and twice have I heard this that power belongeth unto God This is an evident and certain Truth that God is Almighty and hath all power to avenge his Enemies and Reward his Friends but because this is not a sufficient Foundation for our Trust there wanteth more to invite the Creature to depend upon God than his bare Power and Ability to help us there must be also an assurance of his Readiness to do what he is able and that we have in this other Attribute which is as proper and as much belonging to God as Power and that is Mercy Yea 't is an Attribute in the exercise of which God delights most of all Mich. 7. 18. Because he delighteth in mercy God delighteth himself in all his Attributes yea in the manifestation of them to the World but chiefly in Acts of Mercy These come readily from him and unextorted Though God willeth the Punishment of a sinner for the manifestation of his Justice yet these Acts of his Vengeance are not so pleasing to God as the Acts of his Mercy for he never doth them of his own accord but is provoked Acts of Mercy flow from him like life-honey but acts of Vengeance are his strange work Isa. 28. 21. Bees give honey naturally sting when provoked therefore God is no where called pater ultionum whereas he is called pater miserationum 2 Cor. 1. 3. The father of mercies 'T is the Original and Fountain-cause of all our Comfort get an Interest in his Mercy and all his other Attributes shall be for our good Mercy will set a-work his Wisdom to contrive his Power to Accomplish what is for our Comfort and Salvation his Justice and Wrath to avenge your quarrel all other Attributes are serviceable to Mercy among the things that are ascribed to God there is this order that one is given as a reason of the other As in the business of our Salvation why doth God discover himself with so much Wisdom and Power Because of his Mercy Of his Mercy hath he saved us Tit. 3. 4 5. Of his Mercy quickned us Eph. 2. 4 5. Of his Mercy begotten us to a lively hope 2 Pet. 1. 3. But what moved him to shew Mercy to us You can go no higher unless you assign a Cause like itself God who is rich in Mercy out of his great love wherewith he hath loved us indeed so he shewed Mercy because he would 1. The Goodness of the Divine Nature as it doth discover itself to the Creature is called Benignity or Bounty sometimes Grace and sometimes Mercy The first issue or effect of the Divine Goodness is his Benignity or Bounty by which God by giving something to the Creatures sheweth himself Liberal or Bountiful this is his goodness to the Creature as a Creature Thus he hath given being to all things bare Life to some Sense to others and to Man and Angels Reason and Grace The next Term by which the Goodness of God is expressed is Grace by which he freely giveth to the Creature all that good which they have beyond all possibility of Requital The third Term is Mercy which implyeth the ready inclination that is in God to relieve our Misery notwithstanding Sin These three Terms agree in this that they all express the Goodness of God or his Communication of himself to the Creature God knoweth himself loveth himself but he cannot be said to be Bountiful or Gracious or Merciful to himself these things respect us And again that none of these can be reciprocated or turned back from the Creature to God we may Love God who hath loved us first 1 Ioh. 4. 19. but Mercy or Grace never results from the Creature to God we know God and love him but cannot be said to be Merciful to him He giveth out Mercy and Grace but receiveth none thus they agree but they differ in that Bounty or Goodness respects the Creature as a Creature Grace respects the Creature as being able to make no recompense to God or to Merit any thing at his hands but Mercy addeth these two things to the former as supposing us in Misery the Object of it is persona miserabilis or as finding us under demerit or ill deserving and appoints a remedy for us God doth good to the Angels that never sinned out of Grace but to Man fallen out of Mercy so that his Mercy is nothing else but his proneness to help a man in Misery notwithstanding Sin 2. We must distinguish between Mercy as 't is an Attribute in God and the Acts and Effects of it as they are terminated upon the Creature As 't is an Attribute in God Psal. 103. 8. The Lord is merciful and gracious so 't is Infinite as his Nature is but in the Effects as to us there is a great difference Mercy is one in the Fountain many in the Streams because there are divers Effects divers wayes of shewing mercy Mercy in the Effect may cease as when the Angels turned Devils and when God threatneth to take away his mercies from us but God doth not cease to be merciful in himself the effects of Gods mercy are more or less but the Attribute in God is not so Mercy as an Attribute doth not oppose Justice but the effects of Gods mercy may be and are contrary to the effects of his Justice as Punishment is contrary to Blessing 3. Gods Mercy is either General or Special or Peculiar First Gods general mercy hath for the Object of it not only men even them that are strangers to the Faith but also all the Creatures for 't is said Psal. 145. 5. His tender mercies are over all his works God helpeth the poor brute Creatures in their needs and doth supply them with provision convenient for them then there is his special mercy to Man helping and succouring him in
Flames for a little contentment here in the World for a little ease and delight here given to your carnal Nature Is an Earthly Life that you cannot long hold more valuable then an Eternal Heaven you shall enjoy for ever no let us go to heaven though we get thither with many pains and sufferings If you forsake all not only in Vow and Purpose but Actually and in Deed yet still you have something better you shall be no looser in the end you shall so choose the blessed God and live with him for evermore and be fill'd with his Love as full as you can hold and be employed in his service and all this in an Eternal Perfection and glorified Estate 4. Motive Choose for you will never have cause to repent of your choice The Lord stands upon his Justification is very tender of giving his People any Cause to repent of his service Micah 6. 3. O my people what have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearied thee testifie against me Pray what hurt hath Holiness done you Who was ever the better for sinning or who was the worse for Holiness There was none that ever made a carnal choice but first or last they had cause to repent of it either they repent of it in a kindly manner while they may mend the matter or else they shall repent for ever in Misery but who ever repented of his Repentance or cursed the day of his new Birth To whom ever was it any grief of heart that they were acquainted with God and Christ or the way that leadeth unto life who dieth the sweeter death or who repents of their choice then the serious or the carnal Oh they that have chosen the World they cry out how the World hath deceived them but never any repented of choosing God and the wayes of God Let these things perswade you to choose his Precepts Secondly For Directions 1. In Choosing the Object is to be regarded Gods Precepts indefinitely all of them not one excepted the smallest as well as the greatest the troublesome as well as the easie the most neglected as well as the most observed we must choose all Gods Precepts not abate any thing but especially the main or the essential Precepts of Christianity or the Fundamental points of the Covenant Now the Question is What 's the Fundamental Point of the Covenant Truly that 's known by the form of Baptisme Baptisme is the solemn Seal of entring into Covenant with God it 's the Seal of our initiation or first entrance into Covenant with God Mat. 28. 19. Now what is it to be Baptised in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost when you first choose the ways of God here you must begin you must close with Father Son and Holy Ghost heartily take them to be your God that is you must close with God the Father as your All-sufficient Portion or chiefest happiness to be loved above all and also as your highest Lord that he may be served pleased and obeyed above all Well and in the name of the Son that is Jesus Christ he must be taken as your Saviour and Redeemer to bring you to God and to reconcile you to him And to be Baptised in the name of the Holy Ghost is this to take him as your Sanctifier Guide and Comforter to make you a holy people to God to cleanse your hearts from sin to write all Gods Laws upon your Hearts and put them into your Minds and to guide you by the Word and Ordinances to everlasting Life This is the main thing that is first to be minded because it contains all and doth necessarily infer the rest for otherwise to be resolute in some by-point of Religion though it be right this is but the Obstinacy of a Faction not the constancy of a Christian Zeal 2. As you must look to the Object of this choice so to the Causes of it and what are they An Enlightned Mind a renewed Heart a Love to God and then the Spirit of God enlightning and inclining our Hearts 1. An Enlightned Mind is a cause of choosing the ways of God when the Lord hath taught us his Precepts an enlightned mind discovers a beauty and amiableness in the ways of God Psal. 119. 128. I esteem all thy Precepts to be right and they are the rejoycing of my soul. 2. A Renewed Heart wherein all the precepts of God are written over again They were written upon our Hearts in Innocency but that 's a blurred Manuscript therefore in Regeneration they are written over again God writes his Law in our hearts and puts them in our inward parts Heb. 8. 10. and then the Law within suits with the Law without for the new Creature is created after God in Righteousness and true Holiness In true Holiness which relates to the first Table of the Law and Righteousness which relates to the second Table of the Law the renewed heart that hath this inclination and propension is carried out to them 3. Love to God for that 's implied in the choice Iohn 14. 21. He that hath my Commandements and keeps them he it is that loves me and he that loves me hath my Commandements and keeps them It follows the other way where there is love to God there will be choosing of his ways 4. Gods Spirit the Lord Enlightning and Inclining our Hearts to this choice God Enlightens for he teacheth us the way that we shall choose and when we see these things in the light of the Spirit then we see the Beauty of them Psal. 25. 12. It holds good as to the path of Life and in particular cases but chiefly in the main case God teacheth him the way that he shall choose And the Spirit of God enclines the Heart too as well as enlightens the Mind 1 Pet. 1. 22. Ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit 3. There are the Effects of this Choice What are they Delight Diligence and Patience 1. Delight Psal. 40. 8. I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy law is within my heart When the Law is not only written in the Book but written in the heart then there 's a Delight a ready and willing Obedience It is spoken first of Christ of David it was said in Type it 's true also of all Believers for they have the Spirit of Christ and the same also is exprest of the People of God Psal. 112. 1. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his Commandments When a man hath chosen the precepts of God and bound himself in this way then his heart is taken with a delight 2. Diligence Gods Precepts are the great business and employment of our lives and then there 's a constant study to please him Col. 1. 9 10. Filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding that you may walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing We must do Gods Will and