and afflictions awaken Conscience and bring those sins to remembrance that were long ago forgotten Secondly Reas 2 miseries and afflictions bring a man to a more clear and experimental knowledge of God and of himself then otherwise he could attain unto As of Manasses it is said Then Manasses knew that God was the Lord he that in his prosperity forgat God And as they bring a man to know God so likewise to know himself as the Prodigall of whom it is said Luke 15. He came to himself when he was thoroughly pinched with poverty and his companions had cast him off now home home welfare home I will home again I will go to my father And as Job hath it Iob 36.8 9. If they be bound in fetters and holden with the cords of afsliction then he sheweth them their works and their transgressions that they have exceeded And thus at one time or other by one affliction or another we shall be brought to know God and our selves if we belong to him Seeing that Gods judgements bring Use 1 thus sin to light that in times of peace and prosperity lay undiscovered This may serve for matter of tryal whether we have made the right use of our sufferings yea or no which may be known by this If we have discovered those corruptions in us that before were undiscovered Many are at that pass to bear off crosses and afflictions with head and shoulders as they say Many have been sick say they and have been well again Many have this Ague amongst them and done well enough and so I hope shall I. Thus men flatter themselves as they did Ier. 10.19 It is my sorrow and I will bear it Why the best have their afflictions and whom God loves them he chasteneth and with these and the like conceits men put off Gods strokes and dealings with them But alas where is that searching into our own hearts and wayes to finde out our sins that have not yet been discovered the cause of Gods anger and displeasure few make this use of Gods judgements to say What have I done what are those sins I am guilty of that have provoked the Lord to be thus angry with me But it may be truly said of many of us in our afflictions and miseries Es 42.25 He hath poured upon him the fury of his anger and he knew it not and it burned him yet he laid it not to heart And this is the reason the Lord many times brings long and lasting sorrows and afflictions upon us till we be brought to know our selves and finde out those sins for the which the Lord is so displeased with us O that men were wise in this particular to finde out the cause of Gods anger and displeasure and to desire the Lord to help them in this search as holy Job did Shew me sayes he wherefore thou contendest with me and again Iob 10.2 13.23 Shew me my rebellion and my sin Till we do this we do nothing neither can we have any comfort in our sufferings that the Lord intends our good therein or that the same are sanctified unto us Secondly Use 2 seeing the Lord by his judgements many times brings sin to light which in times of peace and prosperity lies hid undiscovered This may teach us to admire the wonderful wisdome power and goodnesse of God who hath so many wayes to do us good to humble sinners and to bring them home unto himself Indeed the preaching of the Word is the ordinary means whereby God doth break the stony heart of man this is Gods Hammer Ier. 23. appointed by him to that end It will make the hardest heart to quake and tremble as Felix did and the most desperate sinners to be humbled as those wicked Jews that had imbrued their hands in the blood of the Lord Jesus Act. 2.37 It is a two-edged sword cutting both wayes But when that will not serve the Lord can clap such irons upon the soul and conscience as can make the stoutest heart to buckle As the Lord dealt with Manasses laid him in cold irons and then he knew that God was the Lord. Thus dealt he with the Prodigall Acts 16. the Jaylor and with this people here by sharp and sore afflictions he makes way many times for repentance So that we may cry out with Paul Rom. 11.33 O the deepness of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes past finding out Surely the greatnesse of his wisdome and power is wonderful that by so many means can work good to his people And last of all this may serve for matter of terror unto such that have been in the furnace of affliction Use 3 and have had the hand of God lien heavy upon them yet have not been bettered by them to finde out their sins and to be humbled for them there is few families amongst us but have felt Gods hand in our late visitation To have affliction is no certain signe of Gods favour but to profit by affliction as to finde out our sins to be humbled for them and bettered by them thus are the afflictions of the godly sanctified unto them But alas the Lords hand hath been upon many of us upon some in one kinde and upon others in another and yet they are not bettered It was a sad complaint that the Lord takes up of his people I have corrected them but they have not been humbled there cannot be a greater signe of Gods anger then to set light by afflictions In that day did the Lord call for weeping Es 22.12.13 14 and mourning c. and behold joy and gladnesse c. But what saith the Lord This iniquity shall not be purged till ye die Am. 6.9 Shall a Trumpet be blown in a City and the people not be afraid Shall Gods judgements be upon a land and Nation or upon any particular person and they not lay them to heart There can be no more certain sign of a hard heart and desperate sinner then not to profit by the rod. I have brought thy way upon thy own head Eze. 16.43 yet hast thou no consideration of thy abominations And as it is said Reprobate silver shall men call them Ier. 6.30 because the Lord hath rejected them And our secret sins in the light of thy countenance Text. NOte we farther how Moses confesseth here that the Lord did punish them for their secret sins as for their open iniquities And these God did set before his eyes to take vengeance and to punish them for as for their open rebellions teaching us That it is the nature of godly sorrow and true repentance Doct. 4 A true pentient will be humbled for his most secret sins to be humbled and repent for lesser sins as for great offences yea for our most secret sins such as the world could never take notice of yet a true penitent
MOSES HIS PRAYER OR An Exposition of the Nintieth PSALME In which is set forth the Frailty and Misery of Mankind most needfull for these Times Wherein 1. The Sum and Scope 2. The Doctrines 3. The Reasons 4. The uses of most Texts are observed By Samuel Smith Minister of the Gospel Author of Davids Repentance and the Great-Assize and yet Living Esay 40 6. The voice said cry And he said what shall I cry All flesh is grasse c. London Printed by W. Wilson and are to be sold at his House in Well yard neare West-Smithfield 1656. TO THE TRVLY RELIGIOUS And his much honored Friend Mr SAMUEL FREBORNE and his Religious Consort in Prittlewell in Essex The Author wisheth the increase of all Happinesse Temporall and Eternall SIR THE very Heathen could say That Ingratitude was plagued of their gods How unbeseeming it is then for a Christian that hath tasted of so much kindnesse and Christian respect as I have done from you unlesse I should prove ingratefull in the time of Jacobs troubles when it was not my case alone but the condition of many hundreds of the Ministry in this Nation to fly to London as that City of Resuge to the which they fled when it was not safe for them to live at their Pastorall Charges Whose bounty and kindnesse towards them at that time as I can speake by experience was such as doth assure me that God hath yet mercy in store for that Citty Was not your bowels likewise inlarged to me somtimes your unworthy Pastor Did not you when you heard of my condition in London send up to have me and my aged Wise come downe to you Did you not most chearefully supply our wants and were as Ebed Melech to Jeremy And as Onesiphorus to Paul 2 Tim. 1.16 to supply our wants with Foode and Rayment and Money at our departure I cannot forget the goodnesse of your nature but acknowledge especially the power of Gods grace in you and tell the world of it whether you will or no Though I know you looke not after the praise of men And now since providence hath since these times of more happy peace Separated us so far asunder let this Fruit of my Ministry in my old age bee the messenger of my unfained Thankfulnesse unto you with the rest of my Antient and Christian Friends with you for their undeserved kindnesse towards us And if this small peece may but add to the increase of your knowledge the growth of your Faith the fitting of your accompt at last And prove profitable to the Church I have my desire And shall remaine Your Remembrancer to the throne of grace SAMUEL SMITH To the Christian Reader Reader THe kind acceptation of those first fruits of my Ministry many yeares since published viz. Davids Repentance The Great Assize with some others which were the fruits of the Spring time of my Ministry Hath been no small encouragement unto me to present thee with some fruits of the Autumne of my dayes which should be more ripe The Lord having lengthened out my pilgrimage that I have passed the first age of man which Moses saith according to the ordinary course of nature is Threescore yeares and ten And have now for some yeares entred upon that other age wherein I find that true by experience of Moses in this Psalme that that part of mans life is but labour and sorrow Besides old age is enough to render my life a burthen unto me the manifold infirmities creeping daily upon me and which seeke to make a breach for Death to enter in at with those spectacles of mortality we have daily before our eyes put me at first upon the Exposition of this Psalme in my owne Cure Not knowing but that God might afford me that honour to preach my owne Funerall Sermon I am sure whilst I handled it it proved so to others that heard it Now what subject could be more necessary for such times of common mottality then this It was the wisdome and care of Joseph of Arimathea Joh. 19.41 To have his Tomb in a Readinesse in his Garden And why in his Garden But that in the midst of all his delights and pleasures he might be put in mind of his Death and might prepare for it And indeed That man may truly be said to live that is alwaies prepared to dye It was Gods Ordinance at the Institution of the Passover Ex. 12.11 That it should be eaten thus VVith their Ioynes girded their Shoes on their feet with their staffe in their hands and to eate it in hast No doubt the reason of all this was That they might be in a continuall readinesse when God should call them to passe out of Egypt into Canaan The spiritual use still remaines That we should alwaies be prepared for our passage out of the Egypt of this world into the Celestiall Canaan And herein could my pen have aswered my Meditations of this subject or those enlargements of the Spirit that many times we meet withall in our publike Ministry which none can expect It had not appeared so livelesse as here it doth And howsoever I may seeme to light a candle to the Sun in these times wherein so many exquisite pens have been set on worke as no age since the Reformation of Religion could paralell Amongst whom I cannot forget the fruitfull labours of my Learned Friend Mr. Richard Baxter those Practicall and Soule-searching peeces of his already published Especially his Saints Everlasting Rest which I could wish that every Family in England where any one can reade were not without Yet if in the Exposition of this Psalme I can but add one cubit to thy Stature and helpe thee forward through the wildernesse of this world towards thy Celestiall Canaan I have my desire In which journey I wish thee good speede chearefulness in thy way and constancy in thy course And in the end that happy rest of Gods Redeemed ones purchased by the blood of the Lambe And rest Thine in the common Saviour SAMUEL SMITH The XC Psalme A Prayer of Moses the man of God v. 1. Lord thou hast been our Dwelling place in all generations 2. Before the Mountaines were brought forth or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the VVorld even from everlasting to ever lasting thou art God 3 Thou turnest man to destruction and sayst Returne yee children of men 4 For a thousand yeares in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past as a watch in the night 5 Thou Carriest them away as with a flood they are as a sleepe in the morning they are as grasse which groweth up 6 In the morning it flourisheth and groweth up In the Evening it is cut downe and withereth 7 But we are consumed in thy anger and by thy wrath are we troubled 8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee our secret sinnes in the light of thy countenance 9 For all our dayes are passed away in thy wrath we spend our yeares as
tribulation hee knew God to be the Lord and humbled himselfe greatly before him Thus David in all times of his distresse had still recourse to God Ps 18.3 4. The Lord is my strength in whom I trust my shield my salvation and my refuge Thus Paul buffited by Sathan 1 Cor. 12 prayes three times So that the point is clear and plain that the only refuge of Gods Church and people in time of affliction and distresse hath ever been Gods bosome as a sure refuge And great Reason Because it is the Lord that hath the principal hand in all the tryalls afflictions of his people Reas 1 Now who can cure the wound better than he that gave it Deut. 32.39 Hos 6.1 It is he that killeth and maketh alive He woundeth and he healeth When we are judged we are chastned of the Lord. 1 Cor. 11.32 And he is said to be the God that heareth prayers and therefore to him shall all flesh come Secondly Reas 2 affliction bringeth men to a more clear certain and experimentall knowledge of God and of our selves 1. 2 Chron. 33.13 Of God as Manasses by his affliction knew that God was the Lord. 2. Of our selves for now the Lord awakens conscience and brings our former sins to remembrance that we had forgotten as Job hath it If they be bound with fetters Job 36.8 9. and holden with the cords of affliction then he sheweth them their works and their transgressions that they have exceeded When sicknesse comes and affliction seize upon us that we know not which way to turn our selves then if ever we begin to look up to God the thoughts of death and the thoughts of eternity will make the most desperate and hard-hearted sinner to look about him Object But do we not see Object that many that have been under Gods hand have had piercing sorrowes and sore afflictions and yet have not been humbled nor brought nearer to God but are as Ahaz that in time of his distresse 2 Chron. 28.22 he sinned yet more against the Lord. Answ 'T is true Answ this is not true of all neither doth affliction in its own nature drive us to God But this comes only from God who sanctifies affliction for the good of his chosen To wicked men they are the beginning of sorrowes and tend to their further ruine as they were to Pharaoh but they tend to the great benefit to such as love and fear God Rom. 8.28 to whom all things work for their best Is the time of affliction the time that God is to be sought unto by prayer Use 1 then let this minde us of our duty whether our afflictions be Nationall or personall to flye unto God as our only refuge There is a strange expression of the Prophet Hear the rod and who hath appointed it Mic. 6.9 Hear the rod What is that Why all Gods rods are speaking rods all Gods rods utter a voice or a cry and therefore must be hearkned unto Lam. 3.39 Man suffereth for his sin Our sufferings then do tell us of our sins and the Lord saith I will plead against them by the pestilence and by blood Afflictions are Gods messengers and alwaies come with a message from God that is that we finde out in our selves the cause of Gods displeasure and that we speedily meet the Lord by repentance And when Gods hand is upon us in what kind soever every soule should make this application to himself Jer. 2 1â— as to say Hast thou not procured this unto thy selfe in asmuch as thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God Surely it was a sad complaint that the Lord takes up I have corrected them but they have not been humbled The Lord help us to finde out the plague of our own hearts wherefore the hand of God is gone out this day against the Land so many waies And yet O the cursed Atheisme of our hearts that lay no more Gods judgments to heart the Pestilence hath spoken aloud to us the sword hath spoken aloud and this strange sicknesse and visitation that hath swept away so many hath spoken aloud all calling upon this Land and Nation for speedy repentance But we have not laid Gods judgments to heart we have not been humbled to this day Secondly Use 2 seeing the bosome of the Lord is the best refuge to flye unto in times of distresse we may see the happy estate and condition of Gods children above all the wicked in the world in their greatest miseries they are never left without comfort whereas wicked and ungodly ones God hears them not in the time of distresse 'T is true in time of misery wicked men wil cry call but God hears them not nor regards their cries They cried not to me when they howled upon their beds Hos 7.14 O when the Lord shall make no more account of our prayers then the very howlings of a Dogg who is able to put to silence the voice of desperation But now for the godly the Lord doth not only give them free liberty to come to the Throne of grace in times of misery but doth give them a comfortable assurance that they shall be heard Mat. 7. Ask and ye shall have And if earthly Fathers can give unto their children good things much more will our heavenly Father give not only what we ask but more abundantly Ephes 3.20 Above all that we are able to ask or think Enemies Tyrants Death Devills cannot make a true believer miserable that hath such a God to flye unto Thirdly Use 3 seeing the Lord hath recorded in his Word the prayers of his servants we may take notice of the great mercy of God towards us in this age of the world for whereas we are ignorant and know not how to pray the Lord hath provided for our weaknesse and ignorance and hath left us patterns of prayers that were made by the holy servants of God that so we might use them in the like case as Psalm 92. A Psalm for the Sabbath as most proper for that day So here A Prayer of Moses when the Church was in great affliction and distresse Dan. 9. So the Prayer of Daniel Nehemiah David c. which we may use in the like case as they did So that there is none in the Church that can plead ignorance but they may learn out of Gods Book how to pray The Lord deals with his people as a Father with his child bids him say after him Thus doth the Lord with his people Take unto you words Hos 14.3 and say thus Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously and so will we render the calves of our lips And the Lord foretells by his Prophet that he will powre upon every member of his Church this Spirit of supplication and of prayer Zach. 12.10 But may set forms of prayer be used Quest or may this Psalm of Moses be used in the
word speaking of God they shall at last rise again Thou sayest Return again ye sons of men This is a fundamentall truth and a principall article of our faith wherein we professe to believe the Resurrection of the dead Besides the Scriptures are most plentifull in this I am sure saith Job that my Redeemer liveth Iob 19.23 and that I shall rise out of the earth at the last day The dead shall arise Esay 26.19 even with my body shall they arise Awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust This is acknowledged by Hannah in her song The Lord killeth 1 Sam. 2.6 and maketh alive bringeth down to the grave and raiseth up The Apostle Saint Paul proves the Resurrection by divers unanswerable arguments as If there be no Resurrection of the dead then is Christ not risen 1 Cor. 15. verse 13. and then is the faith of a Christian vain his hope vain and the preaching of the Gospell vain and the godly departed this life perished all which were foul and grosse absurdities once to think or imagine Besides these there might be added divers other places of Scripture to confirm this Doctrine of the Resurrection as that of Paul If we believe that Jesus dyed and rose again 1 Thess 4.14 even so them also that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him Rom. 14.8 And again Whether we live or dye we are the Lords But I will not insist upon so clear a truth Take the Reasons and Arguments which serve for the farther illustration of the point The first may be taken from that everlasting Covenant of grace that God hath made with his children Reas 1 to be their God for ever by an everlasting Covenant now this Covenant is not made only in regard of their souls but of their bodies also even to the whole man When God said I am the God of Abraham the meaning is not that he is the God of Abraham's soul only but also of his body And hence it is that the bodies of Believers although they are dead and rotten in their graves yet still are within the Covenant But is it not said Object that God is not the God of the dead but of the living In the sence of the Pharisees that denied the Resurrection of the dead Answ God is not the God of the dead But he is the God of Abraham being dead in body to be raised up to life again And so was he the God of the living and this is the meaning of Christ on that place Because all true beleevers being members of Christ have part in the Resurrection of Christ Reas 2 whom Paul calls the first fruits of them that sleepe 1 Cor. 15.20 25. Now Christ did not rise from the dead as a private person as Lazarus or as his widdowes Son but as the head of the Church and therefore said Ioh. 11. when I am lifted up I draw all men unto me Againe Reas 3 there could be no perfect happiness to the godly if these bodies of ours should not riseagain at last for the Soule cannot be perfect without the body the glorification of the body makes for the perfection of the Soule The Souls vnder the Altar cry Rev. 6.11 How long Lord which art holy and true c. They long for this Resurrection If the bodies of the Saints should not at last rise again Reas 4 they were of all men most miserable 1 Cor. 1â— for who are more hated scorned derided and persecuted then they what folly then was it in Paul to indure so many watchings perils and so much hardship as he went under but that he had hope in this Resurrection Reas 5 But especially Gods truth and promise lyes at the stake who is yea and Amen in all his promises and cannot faile Now he hath said When thou makest a feast Luke 14. call the blind and the lame And he gives the Reason for God shall reward thee in the resurrection of the just I confesse there is nothing that crosseth carnall and naturall reason more then this that these bodies of ours should moulder to dust and rottennesse cast into the Sea devoured of fishes burnt to ashes and scattered upon the earth that these bodies thus wasted and consumed should at last bee raised up againe To beleeve this our faith must bee taken up with the admiration of the mighty power of God and we must say with Iob I know thou canst doe every thing and that no thought is hid from thee till we looke upon this Almighty power of his and captivat our reason thereto we shall still stagger in our beleefe of this Article of our Resurrection Now let us apply this Seeing these bodies of ours by reason of sin doe tast of death Use 1 yet by a word speaking God at last shall raise them up againe Thou turnest man c. This may serve to strengthen our faith in this great Article of our beliefe the Resurrection of our bodies That these bodies of ours shall at last rise againe 't is a point that carnal reason is hardly brought to beleeve But why should we scruple or dispute that which God hath so plainly affirmed and the Scrptures so fully prove faith lookes unto Gods Almighty power as Abraham in the promise of Isaac he judged him faithfull and that God was able to do it Secondly Use 2 this Doctrine of our Resurrection that God at last will raise up these bodies of ours out of the dust and rottennesse and though they cast off Corruption they shall not perish in Corruption Saint Paul would have us to comfort our selves in these things 1 Thess â—â— ult wherefore comfort you 〈…〉 these words that is in the Doctrine of the Resurrection Quest But what ground of comfort can there arise to a Believer by the knowledge of it Ans Many and great are the comforts and consolations Comforts from the Doctrine of the Resurrection that a true believer may receive from the knowledge of it First of all this will arme us against the feare of Death T is true there is something in death that breeds feare and horror and dread that makes flesh and blood to shrink and to tremble To lie in the grave and there to bee eaten up of wormes and to bee made subject to corruption c. yet this may be our comfort that ere long we shall be raised out of this condition to a blessed and glorious estate It is but the putting off our cloathes at night we shall put them on againe in the morning Shall we bee like unto little children that cry when they put off their cloathes Secondly this may comfort us against all our troubles and sufferings that we meete withall in the world The worst that Tyrants can doe is but to kill the body yet when they have done that and put them to the greatest cruelty and torture that they can devise they shall be restored to us againe
I may know how fraile I am And indeed we have manifold examples in the word that let us see that naturally we do the cleane contrary viz. forget our latter end and put the thoughts of death far from us and what shall become of our soules at last that Rich man that was so wise for the world yet was a starke foole in this knowledge he could number his Riches his Gold and his silver His Sheepe and his herds of cattle but had no Skill at all to Number his dayes But reckoned them up by the grosse summ even many yeares to come And yet alas poore man he lived not one day But even that night had his soule taken from him and was sent to hell So that ungratious servant Luk. 12 that thought his Master would not come yet but fell to eating drinking and beating his fellowes was suddainly taken tardy Mat. 24.49 50. and what shall I say of those foolish virgins who never thought of providing of oyle but slumbred and slept and at midnight the Bridegrome came and then it was too late to cry and call Lord Lord Mat. 25. open unto us so that you see that naturally we are ready to forget the Numbring of our dayes and are not easily brought to consider the shortnesse and uncertainty of our life Besides experience makes this cleare for what man is there amongst us though he have lived threescore or fourescore years which doth not flatter himselfe to thinke that hee may rub out yet another yeare and so another to that so that you see it is naturally given to us to be ignorant of this knowledge that Moses prayes for unlesse we are taught of God neither nature learning nor dayly experience can teach us this lesson that our life is short It is God onely that must teach us this wisedome Reas 1 in regard it is not the pregnancy of naturall wit not the ripenesse of years neither is it common to gray haires to be perswaded of the shortnesse of life and to prepare for Death Iob. 32. But as Job sayth It is the inspiration of the Almighty that giveth understanding till we come to be weaned from the world and have our eyes set upon more glorious things thou are here below our hearts will bâ— bound up from this wisedome Because none can teach the heart Reas 2 but he that made the heart A man may search the register and know his age and by Arithmetique number his dayes and howers that he hath lived and yet be ignorant of this wisedome to esteeme of every day as his last day and so to live as if every day were his dying day God alone must teach this wisedom well then seeing Moses and the people of of God acknowledge their ignorance and forgetfulnesse in this poynt and withall pray to God that he would give them wisedome to number their dayes then let us lay this Doctrine to heart let us try and examin our selves whether we be not as forgetful of this poynt do promise long life to our selves If this be our case let us likewise intreate the Lord to give us this wisedome and to teach us and perswade us of the exceeding shortnesse of our life that we might apply our hearts to this wisedome of learning to dye for till the Lord od open our eyes become our Schoole-master we shall never come truely to know it nor to make that right use of it as we ought to doe Secondly Use 2 this shewes the extreame folly of the greatest part of the world who think it so easie a matter to number their dayes Moses was a wise man yet as not sufficiently instructed in this poynt he humbly intreats the Lord to teach him this knowledge that he might number his dayes aright this is that David doth so earnestly beg for at Gods hand Psal 39.4 Lord make me to know my end and the measure of my dayes that I may know how fraile I am And therefore seeing it is so hard a lesson to be learned and of so great use being attayned let us intreat the Lord to teach it us To number our dayes But may not this seeme strange that Moses should so beg for this Quest Did not Moses know how to number his dayes He could number Adams dayes and set downe how long he lived Hee could number Enoch his dayes and set downe how long he lived Methusala Abraham Izack Jaacob and all the. patriarks dayes and how long they lived and could not Moses number his own dayes this may seeme strnage we see a child of ten or twelve years old can by arithmetike quickly tell you how many days he hath lived yea how many howres and minuts I answer that neither Moses Ans nor the wisest man living though he may be never so expert in all kind of Arithmeticke and humane learning so as he knowes the nature of the Stars their distances motions longitudes latitudes altitudes c. can skill of this numbring unlesse the spirit of God be his Schoole-master unlesse God give him wisedome and grace from above to perswade us of the shortnesse of our time and of the suddain and speedy coming of Death can truly learne this lesson to number his dayes aright but it must be the Lord that must teach it us Hence we learne Doct. 2 that it should be our chiefest care and study Wee ought to esteem of every day as our last day Deut. 32.29 to practise that which they so earnestly prayed for viz that upon the same grounds that they were moved withall that we learne to number our dayes aright and make account of every day as our last day O that men were wise sayth Moses that they would consider their latter end True wisedome consists in this in the continuall meditation of the shortnesse of our life when we arise in the morning to thinke that we may be dead ere night and every night to thinke this may be my last Many men thinke to what end is this who knoweth not that our life is short uncertaine who knoweth not this But it is not for naught that the spirit of God in the scripture beats so much upon this poynt and puts us so often in remembrance of it would men be so carefull for the world and so carelesse for heaven and eternitie did we truly know and were perswaded of the frailty and uncertainty of our being here Surely if we could but reckon our life and dayes as Moses doth all along in this Psalme that it is but as vesterday nay not so long but rather as a watch in the night the space of three howers that death comes as a flood that our life is but as a sleepe or a Dream suddainly vanishing away that it is but as grasse And all the excellencies of man as Beauty Honour riches strength pleasures c. but as the flower of grasse and that our dayes are but as a taâ—e that is told were these
thoughts throughly imprinted in our hearts they would dam all our pleasures and cause us to thinke more of Death then we doe Could we reckon our days upon our fingers ends as we can other things and withall the great work that God hath sent us into this world to doe and how prodigally we have mispent our time how little we have done and how much is yet to doe when we are ready to drop into our graves could we I say thus number our life and dayes we would never live as we doe so carefull for this life and so carelesse for Heaven We see that those that shoot at Buts they pricke their arrowes sometimes here and sometimes there round about the marke at last they hit the white thus doth Death cast his Darts sometimes a friend is taken away sometimes a kinsman sometimes he comes nearer and takes a Husband wife child at last we our selves are struck with death and away we must Though we see this daily before our eyes and see coarses daily carried upon mens shoulders to the grave◠yet who layes it to heart and considers that the feete of these that carried them may carry us to our long home ere long we passe not away one minute of our life but we have taken one slep more towards the grave to day wee heare that A. B. is dead to morrow we may heare that C. D. is dead shortly you shall here that S S. is dead It is noted for the great commendations of Joseph of Arimathea Jo. 19. who whilst he was in health made his tombe in his garden and why in his garden No doubt to put him in mind continually of his Death and that in the midst of all his delights and pleasures he might think on his latter end Thus it is said of that godly Father St. Jerom that he thought with himselfe that whether he did eat or drink or whatsoever he did he thought he heard that voice Arise yee dead and come vnto Judgement Now that we ought thus to make accompt of every day as our last day let this reason perswade Because of that inevitable necessitie that lies upon all Adams posterity that dye we must Reas 1 as the woman of Tekoah said to David that mourned so excessively for the death of Absalom We must all dye And as the Psalmist hath it Ps 89.48 Ps 49.19 Heb. 9.27 What man liveth and shall not see death and shall hee deliver his Soule from the hand of the grave Againe Man shall enter into the generation of their Fathers and shall not live for ever And It is appointed for all men once to dye The consideration where of may put us in mind of our duty to be in a continuall readinesse for death We ought to make accompt of every day as our last day Reas 2 because we cannot sever our life and death but such as our life hath beene such will our death be for albeit that all must dye and sleep in the dust yet there is a great difference betwixt the godly and the wicked in death They that dye in the Lord are blessed Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord and these at last shall rise againe to life and glory but as for the wicked it is not so with them for they enter by death into everlasting paine where the worme dyeth not and the fire shall never be quenched so that our weale or woe for ever doth depend vpon that short inch of time that is allotted unto us here which also should put us upon this duty to be in a continuall readiness when death comes This serves to instruct us in the necessity of learning this lesson well Vse 1 of the measuring out the length of our time and the numbring of our dayes aright There is a great deale of art and skill to doe this This is the best Arithmetick whē we know how to number our dayes aright the numbring of our acres of land the numbring of our sheep and cattel is nothing to the numbring of our dayes Quest But what is it to number our dayes Answ It consist principally in these things First in Accompting every day as our last day and so to live as if every day we were to dye now what would we do if we were sure to dye ere night if you were sure that this were your last sabbath this were your last Sermon that ever you should heare you would not need to be warned of sleeping you would not willingly have death to take you tardy we would that rather death should take us upon our knees then upon our Ale-bench To number our dayes aright is to dye daily 1 Cor. 15. this was the care of the blessed Apostle I protest by our reioycing which I haue in Christ Iesus our 〈◊〉 I 〈◊〉 dye dayly that is by the continuall thoughts and meditation of death inure our selves by litle and litle whilest we are here of the art of dying well before we come to dye indeed Paul dyed daily because he knew not the day and time when God would call him away by death the more we fit and prepare our selves for death the lesse terrible will death this King of feare be unto us when it cometh Thirdly to number our dayes aright and to be prepared for death is to pluck out the sting of death now the sting of death is sin 1 Cor. 15 56. the sting being taken out death cannot hurt The Philistimes were so wise as to discover wherein the strength of Sampson lay Iud. 16.5 And therein they prevailed it shall be our wisdom to repent us of our sins for therein lyes the strength of death And last of all if we desire to live for ever in the kingdom of glory that we begin it here that we lay a good foundation for the time to come Those virgins that still expected the coming of the Bridgroome and had their lamps stored with oyle hereby merited the name of wise Virgins and entred into the marriage chamber whilst those foolish Virgins that were carelesse of the bridgrooms coming and rested themselves with the bare name of Virgins and with the bearing the Lamps of an outward profession without the oyle of grace in their hearts were for ever shut out This serveth to discover unto us the reason why sin doth so abound Use 2 drunkenesse swearing uncleannesse prophanesse and all other abominations in the lives of men It is because men have not learned this heavenly Arithmetick to number their dayes and to esteeme of every day as their last day This was the reason of that damnable securitie in that rich man Luk. 12.37 That bad his soule to take her fill of all pleasures and delights little thinking that that night his soul should be haled from him And this is the reason why men powre out their hearts to all manner of sins abominations they never consider the shortness uncertaintie of their
the consideration of this point That howsoever the Church as the Disciples boat may bee tossed and tumbled up and down with the waves and billows of furious spirits for a time let us not despair for the day of her Deliverance wil come when the Sun of righteousness shall arise and healing shall be under his wings and that at such a time when deliverance will prove most seasonable and comfortable Hitherto of what they pray for Comfort According to the daies wherein thou hast afflicted us AS they crave this at Gods hands that the Lord would comfort them in their misery So they intreat the Lord to keep some proportion and according to the time of their great affliction to give them comfort that as the Lord had a long time kept them under the rod so hee would now upon their true repentance be reconciled unto them and vouchsafe a plentiful measure of comfort and joy unto them Hence wee learn that the Lord doth never cast his people so low by affliction Doct. 3 The godly as they are cast down God will raise them up but he will in time raise them up as high with comfort They that sow in tears shall reap in joy It is spoken of the Churches return out of Captivity they went out weeping and carrying prâ—tous seed but they shall return with joy and bring their sheaves with them And this doth the Lord make clear by his Prophet Ps 126.5 6. when he saith For a little time have I for sâ—ken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee Our light afflictions saith Paul which last but for a moment Esay 54.7 8. bring unto us a far more excellent even an eternall weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 If the Lord should alwaies dandle us as an indulgent Father his child it were the way to make us wantons And if he should alwaies be beating us as our sins deserve wee could not serve him so cheerfully But now he mixeth his frowns favours together that he might shew his hatred to our sins yet so as to love our persons Thus the Lord in his wise dispensation is pleased to carry us through the wildernesse of this world as this people through the wildernesse they travailed through yet at last they came to Elim where they had fountains of water to refresh them And if we looke for Examples of Gods dealing in this kind we may see it in Job who was brought low even to the Dunghil Iob 42. yet the Lord did restore him that the latter end of Job was better then the beginning Thus Davâ—d Daniel yea Christ himselfe were thus humbled and layd full low and then raised up againe with Comfort According to that of David Psal 34.19 Many are the troubles of the Righteous but the Lord delivereth them out of all The Lord is thus pleased to cast his people many times full low Reas 1 and so againe to raise them up on high Because he is privy to our sins and to our wickednesse as that he will not wink at our sins but will visit our iniquities with the rod and our sins with scourges So he hath alwaies compassion upon the weaknesse of his servants for he knoweth whereof we are made he considereth that we are but dust What Father will suffer his Childs Rebellion and disobedience but will correct him and yet in his misery will not pittie him 1 Cor. 10.13 the Lord is much more good to his children who will not suffer us to bee tempted aboue that we are are able In all the miseries of Gods children Reas 2 Gods ears are alwayes open to their cryes and is he even a spectator of their sorrows I have seen I have seen sayth the Lord the troubles of my people I also have heard their cry and I will deliver them So long then as the children of God have a tongue to call upon God and a heart to sigh and groane unto him why should they doubt of deliverance Seeing the Lord deals thus with his people Vse 1 and keepes some proportion in their afflictions and comforts that their comforts shall be answerable to their sorrowes yea much greater this may teach us this profitable lesson to possess our souls with patience in bearing afflictions and corrections and not to grâ—dg and repine at the Lords dealings though he seem to load us with great and long calamities as this people here not to pine and murmur at his hand but patiently to bear them because here is comfort unto us that if the Lord lay long piercing sorrows afflictions upon us yea for many years together yet he will make us amends at last by giving us such a measure of comfort as shall be proportionable and answerable unto them if not in this world which the Lord often doth yet most certainly in the world to come As Christ sayth Mar. 16.28 If any man forsake all for me I will give him in this world a hundred fold and in the world to come life everlasting That is comfort for ever Seeing that God doth thus often cast downe his people low Vse 2 and then raises them up on high As this may be a ground of patienceunto us in all our trials and miseries So we are hence instructed not to judge of our condition according to our present comforts But to have an eye to the end Marke the upright man and behold the just the latter end of that man is blessed The end we say proves all things Should the painfull and laborious Husbandman hope onely upon his seed-time which is so full of labour and toyle wet and cold and not to looke withall upon the Harvest it were able to make him heartlesse to undergo his labour But when he considers of that beautifull increase that he may reape this makes him indure all weathers The godly in all their greatest miseries and sufferings want not the grounds of joy and when the Lord hath sufficiently humbled them and fitted them for comfort and deliverance the Lord will not faile to come in to their succour According to the days where in thou hast afflictedius WHen once the days of sorrowes and times of afflictions are over gone and past Doct. 4 Afflictions past seeme but a few dayes 2 Cor. 4 19. Ps 30.6 they seeme but a few dayes According to the dayes c. The Apostle calls our afflictions light and momentary And God indureth but a while in Anger Heavinesse may indure for a night but joy commeth in the morning And the reasons why they esteemed their affliction short and but for a few dayes are Was because they had deserved great and more tedious Calamities Reas 1 in regard of the greatnesse of their sins and the Hainousnesse of their rebellions Though afflictions seem to be long whilest we are under them Reas 2 it is the nature of present comfort to swallow up the thoughts of them as Jacob when he served Laban sâ—aven years
when he injoyed his Rachel they seemed unto him but a few dayes Which should serve for our instruction Vse that if the Lord lay many and great afflictions upon us and that a long time together to consider that the Lord might have laid a thousand times more for our sins and the joyes of their life to come will quickly swallow up the remembrance of them all so as we are with one eye to looke unto Gods mercy that our afflictions are no sorer and that our comforts at last will surmount them all as with the other eye to looke upon our present sufferings how bitter soever And the yeares wherein we have seene evill No doubt herein Moses had respect to the time of their affliction in Egypt Exod. 1. wherein passed many yeares even foure hundred and thirtie and now againe for the space of fourty yeares in the wildernesse q.d. O Lord we have been a long time in misery and sore affliction we beseech thee now at last let us receive comfort proportionable and answerable thereto Doct. 5 Whence we may further observe We may pray for mercy answerable to our misery that we may and ought to pray that God would bestow mercy answerable to our misery As we see a man that hath a great wound in his body the plaster must be made as large as the wound or rather broader so must we crave at Gods hand that our comforts may be not onely as great as our miseries but if the will of God be more plentifull A man that hath beene many yeares in misery and affliction had need of a great measure of comfort as a man that hath beene made weake by long sicknesse so as his strength is much decayed he must have a time answerable to recover his strength againe So here a child of God that hath beene long humbled and afflicted by Gods hand such stand in need of a great measure of comfort to recover the health of their Souls againe ver 16. Let thy worke appeare unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children IN this verse we have the fourth petition which Moses and the people of God do make unto God And the thing they here beg and crave at Gods hand is protection which they acknowledge to be the proper work of God And this protection of his they crave not onely for themselves but also for their posterity after them Let thy work HEre by the work of God we are to understand some speciall and singular work of God towards them in their protection safety and deliverance And for this they use a double Reason 1. Drawne from the end of their protection viz. the glory of God because this glory of God would appeare in protecting them from their enemies the cursed Canaanites whose country they were now going to inhabite 2. That so it might fare well with the Church of God after them And that the promise of God made unto their forefathers Abraham Izaac and Jacob might not be frustrate but the Lord would give them and their posterity after them the land of Canaan to inherit Let thy work appeare SEing Moses and the people of God crave protection at Gods hand and this they acknowledge to be a work of God We learne Doct. 1 from whom to seeke for protection in times of danger God the protector of his people and in times of distresse viz of the Lord. Because all our help comfort and protection comes from him He is the Lord high Protector of his Church and people Thou art the God of my salvation saith David Ps 15.5 on thee do I wait all the day He lookes not to men or Angels but unto God alone to be his Saviour and Protector Salvation saith he belongeth unto the Lord. Psal 3.8 Whatsoever the Instrument be that God useth in the deliverance of his Church and people it is not in their Horses and Chariots but God onely that saves Thus Jehosaphat and the men of Judah 2 Chron. 20. when they were at that great straight that they knew not what to do Our eyes say they are toward thee And hence is it that David was so confident and held himselfe so safe in danger that he rested upon Gods protection Psa 23.4 Though I walke throughout the valley of the shadow of Death I wil feaâ—e no evill for thou art with me And againe The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I feare The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid what became of Pharaohs plots from time to time against the Church did not God disappoint them and still delivered his people what became of Hamans plot Achitophels counsell And those that vowed they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul Acts 23.10 Was not the Lord their Protector And hence is it that he is calld the God of patience the God of Consolation and the God of comfort By whose power assisting us and Spirit inabling us we who can neither do nor suffer any thing as of our selves 2 Cor. 1.4 Rom. 15.5 are able to do al things thorough Christ Now the Reasons why we must only seek for protection comfort and deliverance in times of distresse only from God are Reas 1 It is his commandment that in the time of misery and distresse we should still have recourse unto him Ps 50.15 Jam. 5.13 Call upon me in the time of trouble c. Is any be aflicted let him pray And thus when the Lord hath foretold the great afflictions that should betide the Church the Lord directs them to this way of their deliverance take unto you words Hos 14.23 and turne unto the Lord. Yea hee prescribes unto them the very forme of words how they are to seeke him Take away our iniquities and receive vs gratiously Secondly this is our maine end Reas 2 wherefore the Lord many times doth humble his people and bring them low that we might fly unto him for help and succour this honour God gaineth by our afflictions to drive us home to him as it is said in their afflictions they will seeke me diligently Esa 26.16 Thirdly God only is to be sought unto for protection in times of danger because the power of all creatures is but finite and they are but servants to his hand of providence but it is he that is the great Lord Protector of heaven and earth And without him neither Satan nor his instruments have power so much as over one haire of our heads and therefore the Apostle exhorts us To goe boldly to the throne of grace Heb. 4.16 that we may receive mercy and finde grace to help in time of need Seeing all protection and safegard is from God Vse 1 it is his worke How may this condemne the preposterous course of many in these dayes that in times of misery and distresse seeke any where even every where rather then unto God for help and
some to merit some to be seene of men pharisaical like c. And do not thefe things for Gods sake to honour God with their substance can have no comfort at all in it And thy glory unto their Children Here we have the second end of their petition and request made unto God for protection viz that it might not only fare well with them but also with their posteritie and the Church of God that should live after them From whence we learne Doct. 5 that it is the duty of all Godly Christians We ought to take care of the Church after our dayes to have a speciall care of the Church of God after their departure that when we are dead and gone yet our seed and posterity after us may likewise flourish and be in a good estate How earnest is David for the Church that it might prosper and flourish O be favorable to Sion Psa 51.18 build thou the wals of Jerusalem Where David prayes for all heavenly blessings and graces for the Church That God would repaire the decayed estate of it and fence it about with the wals of his protection against the Churches enemies And this hath been the speciall care of Gods people in all their prayers to pray for the good of Gods Church and people Even after their dayes that it might prosper and flourish As for such as are the enemies of the Church he prophecyeth vengeance against them They that hate Sion shal be ashamed Psal 12.9 By all which he sheweth his exceeding care he had of the Church And such was that tender affection that good Nehemiah bare towards the Church of God That when he heard by those poore Jewes Nehem. 1 that came to the Pallace at Shusan for reliefe by whom he understood the miseries of the Church that was at Jerusalem He sat downe and wept and mourned and fasted and besought God for his Church We are all members of one and the same mysticall body the Church Reas 1 and if a man be a true member of this body he cannot but desire the welfare of the whole Secondly the welfare of a State and Kingdome is lapped up in the happie and florishing estate of the Church Reas 2 It cannot be well with the right side when there is a plurifie in the left miserable is the estate of those Princes and common weales that labour not for the prosperitie of the Church and Gospell Religion hath beene a friend to Princes when Princes have not beene friends to Religion in the Churches peace they have peace When there is no order but confusion in the Church Princes can never looke to be truly setled on their thrones This condemnes them as no true members of the Church of God Vse 1 that respect not the walls of Jerusalem but their owne walls that so they may build up their owne houses leave the house of God desolate that mind themselves in their prayers but seldom mind the Church that it may flourish when they are gone Moses Josuah and David Deut. 33. los 24. their greatest care was for the Churches welfare after their dayes that the generations to come might serve the Lord. And surely there is no religion where the coutinuance of religion for our posteritie is not thought upon The Lord knows this duty is little thought upon at this day now that Religion is ready to take her wings and fly away though we see the enemies busie to sow tares and sects and Heresies increase upon us all threatning ruine as if the Lord had a purpose to lay his vineyard waste Yet how few lay the Churches miseries to heart Doubtlesse the great securitie that is amongst all even amongst professors themselves this day ' are sad Omens and presages that God is not far off with some further judgment then yet we have tasted of It shall be our wisdome then to make more conscience of this duty Vse 2 to beg hard at the throne of grace that the Lord would not remove his candlestick from amongst us but continue his Gospell still amongst us and to our posterities after us even to the comming of Christ that we may never see nor our posteritie after us Popery or Heresie set up and countenanced but that God would still dwell amongst us owne us for his Church and people that his glorious Gospell Englands glory may not depart from us And thy glory to their children THere is one thing more observable in these words that they which in the former part of this Psalme lay as it were in the gulfe of despaire as not worthy to open their lips to God for themselves Yet now are bold not only to pray for themselves but for the Church of God and their children and posteritie afer them Hence we are taught that poore sinners Doct. 9 Sinners cannot pray for themselves noâ— others Pro. 28.9 whilst they live in their sins and are not reconciled to God can neither pray for themselves nor for others But upon their Repentance and reconciliation to God can pray for themselves and others The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord but the prayers of the righteous are his delight Iob. 9.31 God heareth not sinners And ye as living stones Heb. 13.16 are made a spirituall house c. To offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God thorough Jesus Christ Till we become living stones in Gods Temple there is no accepting of our sacrifices we offer up to God The Lord had first respect unto Abel and then to his Sacrifices where the person is not accepted the sacrifice is rejected And the reasons are First every unregenerate man is called a stranger and an enemy to God Reas 1 Ye that were strangers and enemies to God c. Eph. 2.19 Now things done by strangers are not much looked upon but by Enemies are no whit regarded Secondly whilest a man lies in an impenitent estate and in his sin Reas 2 not being reconciled to God such can ask nothing at Gods hand by vertue of any promise for God hath not made any promise to the wicked unlesse it be of Hell and of wrath but all the promises are made over to the faithfull in Christ In whom all the promises are Yea and amen But now when a wicked man shall turne from his wickednesse and by repentance come to be reconciled to God he may goe boldly to the Throne of grace and beg mercy not only for himselfe but for others There is no way to be heard of God in prayer but first to be at peace with God and reconciled unto him How may this stir up every Soul speedily to returne unto God Vse 1 by repentance and to seeke reconciliation againe with him that so they may come boldly to the Throne of grace to beg mercy in time of need for our selves and the Church for without this we cannot looke to obtaine any thing at Gods had For wanting faith whereby we lay
so much as a star in comparison of the Sun in respect of him And in those spirituall indowments of the soul and sanctified graces of his spirit humility meekness faith patience love feare of God c. If thou wantest this inward and spirituall beauty though thou wert as faire as Absalom or the fairest woman in the world alas thou art but a deformed and filthy creature in the sight of God It is the white rayment of Jesus Christ that thou must be cloathed withall that thy filthy nakednesse do not appeare Revel 3.18 That must make thee truly beautifull in his sight Seeing the Church is thus deformed Vse 3 till the Lord set his owne beauty The beauty of the Lord upon it Then when the beauty of the Church is observed as at this day by sects and heresies and for want of order and discipline which is the greatest blemish to a Church Then it is time high time and more then time to beg hard at the Throne of grace that the beauty of the Lord may be upon his Church that the Lord would take from us that shame and reproach that at this day we lie under Eze. 36.26 amongst other reformed Churches That the Lord would be pleased to adorne Sion and deck his Church with her perfect beauty That the Lord would take away his Churches mourning-weed and put upon her her beautifull attire fit for the Spouse of Christ that all Heresies at last may be abandoned the Gospâ—ll truly preached the Sacraments duly administred and Discipline executed herein stands the beauty of a Church which beauty of the Lord Lord let it be upon us Stablish thou the work of our hands upon us HEre we have the second thing they crave at Gods hand That as before they desired his glory in the first place so now they pray that the Lord would so order direct guide and prosper them in their worke and enterperize that they had in hand that all might be for his glory Hence we learne that nothing that men take in hand can prosper Doct. 2 Nothing can prosper without Gods blessing Ps 127. and come to good effect unlesse the Lord give a blessing to it and prosper the same Except the Lord build the House they labour but in vaine that build it Except the Lord keepe the Citty the watchman waketh but in vaine It is vaine to rise up early to sit up late to eate the Bread of sorrowes for so he giveth his beloved sleepe wherein the Prophet sheweth that whatsoever is attempted or taken in hand either in family or Citty either for the good of one or another cannot be succeâ—sfull without the blessing of God When Nehemiah and the Jewes were about to reedifie the wals of Jerusalem how were the people disheartned discouraged by Sanbâ—â—â—â—d and Tâ—bâ—ah Neh. 6.16 yet because the worke was of God the Text saith Pro. 10.22 That the enemies of Gods people were afraid and their courage failed them for they knew that the work was wrought by God The blessing of the Lord saith Solomon maketh us rich And where this blessing of God is wanting men put their money in a broken bag as the Prophet hath it Ye have sowen much and bring in little ye eate and have not enough ye drink and are not filled you cloath you and are not warme and he that earneth wages putteth it into a broken bag Meaning indeed that there can be no successe in any of our labours or indevours that we take in hand without Gods blessing And hence it is that the servants of God in all their enterprises that they have taken in hand especially such as have been of weight and importance have ever first had recourse to God for a blessing Abrahams servants being sent to provide a wife for his Masters Son Gen. 24.12 begins first with prayer to God O Lord God say he of my Master Abraham I pray thee send me good speed this day and shew kindnesse unto my Master Abraham Thus good Nehemiah when he heard of the desolation of Jerusalem and intending to beg help of the king his master Neh. 1.11 he betakes himself to prayer and desires the Lord to prosper him therein and to give him favour in his sight Thus Paul before he went to Sea and undertooke his voyage he kneeles down upon the shore and calls upon God so that if we desire to have the worke of our hands to prosper and to see a blessing upon our labours trades and occupations O then begin with prayer to God without whose blessing we cannot prosper See the reasons First in regard of that propriety that God hath in all his creatures Reas 1 The Gold is mine c. sayth God Hag. 1.9 Psal 50. And the Beasts upon a thousand Hills are mine He is the soveraigne Lord of all things and it is he that gives them to the children of men to some more to some less And to him they must one day be accomptable for their receipts and expences He onely is wise Reas 2 with him is wisedome and strength Iob 12.13 Counsell and understanding He knowes best when where and how to bestow his help and blessing and therefore our dependency must be upon him And lastly Reas 3 because without his blessing even that which we have and enjoy can doe us no good Psal 78. 2 Reg. 7. VVhilest the meate was in their mouthes the wrath of God fell upon them And the prince of Samaria saw the plenty that was prophecied of but did not taste of it For men to eate and drink and rejoyce in their labours sayth Solomon I find that this is the gife of God So that in the getting and inioying of all earthly comforts God is to be sought unto for his blessing without whom no creature can doe us good This shewes the wickednesse madnesse and folly Vse 1 of many wicked and ungodly men that seeke so earnestly to increase their Substance by unlawfull meanes as by lying Stealing oppression usury by deceite false measure c. Here is their misery they cannot seek to God by prayer for a blessing upon such gettings but may rather looke for a curse upon their substance and many times God doth visit the sins of the Father upon their children that such goods doth seldome prosper but carry the curse of God along with them Bâ—sides here is the misery of such wicked men they cannot thank God for their riches What thank God for thy substance thou hast gotten wickedly and deceifully what is this but to make God a partner in thy sin Now God is not the author of sin nor partner with any in sin but his curse rather shall pursue such to destruction Seeing that nothing we take in hand can prosper Vse 2 without Gods blessing this may mind us of our duty continually to seeke unto him for his blessing that he would direct us and blesse our labours and indevours or else be our
a tale that is told 10 The dayes of our yeares are three-score yeares and ten and if by reason of strength they be foure-scere yeares yet is their strength labour and sorrow for it is soone cut off and we flee away 11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger even according to thy feare so is thy wrath 12 So teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisedome 13 Returne O Lord how long And let it repent thee concerning thy Servants 14 O Satisfie us early with thy mercy that we may rejoyce and be glad all our dayes 15 Make us glad according to the dayes wherein thou hast afflicted us and the yeares wherein we have seene evill 16 Let thy worke appeare unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children 17 And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us and establish thou the worke of our hands upon us yea the worke of our hands establish thou it MOSES His PRAYER Or An Exposition of the Nintieth PSALM A Prayer of Moses the man of God A Word spoken in due time saith Solomon is like unto Apples of Gold Prov. 25.11 and pictures of Silver And hence it is that the Doctrine of Humiliation doth best sute with the times of Humiliation and the Doctrine of Mans Mortality those times wherein that of the Apostle of the Church of Corinth is true to us That many are sick and many are weak 1 Cor. 11.30 and many are taken away by death God having shaken the rod of his Anger and displeasure of late over this Land and Nation with unwonted diseases and suddain deaths of many that the learned Physitian cannot find out the Cause much lesse is able to prescribe a remedy The Consideration whereof hath set me upon this portion of Scripture at this time The Psalm you hear is a Prayer The Author and inditer of it is the Holy Ghost The Pen-man or Instrument that wrote it was Moses the man of God The Sum of it is nothing else but a pitifull complaint of Moses and the people of Israel The Argument of the Psalm of their wofull estate and condition in the which they now were in the wilderness by the heavie hand of God upon them for their sins whereby they were miserably wasted consumed And withall a humble sute petition that they make unto God that he would in mercy be intreated to spare them and be gratious unto them The Psalm hath in it 2. general parts 1. A Preface 2. The Psalm it self In the Preface we have 1. The person Moses 2. His praise The man of God 3. His practice he prayeth 4. The time when when the Church was in great affliction and distresse In the Psalm it selfe wee have three particulars 1. An acknowledgement of Gods goodnesse and mercy to their Forefathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob and to their posterity in protecting them from their Enemies and that in many dangers Even for his own names sake and his mercifull Covenant sake unto them v. 1 2. 2. From the third ver to the 12 there is a Narration in the which is set down the common frailty and mortality of mankind And this he doth 1. Generally from ver 3. to the 7. wherein Moses compares mans life to a watch in the Night to a Flood to Sleep to Grasse c. 2. In particular that their estate was far worse then the Common estate of the rest of mankind for whereas the life of man ordinarily is 70. years or 80. yeares their life was far shorter by reason of Gods Judgements upon them for their sins they were suddainly wasted and consumed 3. An humble Supplication of Moses and the people unto the Lord that he would in mercy turn away his Judgement and return again unto them in mercy and grant them gracious deliverance and his former favour Concerning the occasion of this Psalm The occasion of the Psalm It is like that it was penned by Moses when as the spyes returned from searching the Land of Canaan Numb 14. In the thirtieth of Numbers wee may see how the Lord commanded Moses to send twelve men of the heads of the tribes of Israel to search the Land of Canaan They return after forty daies and bring of the first fruits of the Land Now all of them Josuah and Caleb excepted discourage the people telling them that their Cities were strong and their walls high and that there were the Sons of Anak of the generation of Gyants and that these would devour them Onely Joshua and Caleb incourage the people to set upon that Land The people hearing this they murmured against Moses and Aaron exceedingly wishing that they had dyed in Aegypt Now the Lord hearing of the murmuring of the people was angry and told Moses that of all them that had seen his Miracles in Aegypt upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians and at the red Sea there should not one of them come into the Land of Canaan But that great multitude even six hundred thousand that came out of Aegypt that were above the age of twenty years Ioshua and Caleb excepted should perish in the Wildernesse as Numb 14.37 This being the occasion of this Psalm Wee may first note Doct. 1 what a grievous thing it is in the sight of God for those that have had experience of Gods mercy in former times to call his power into question and to despair of his mercy for future times This people had many times experience of Gods power his goodnesse and mercy in many great deliverances As in their deliverance from Pharaoh and the Aegyptians at the red Sea How did the Lord there fight for this people when Pharach and his Host pursued them when the Sea was before them the Egyptians behind the Mountains on each hand of them that they could see no means left them to escape Yet how did the Salvation of the Lord appear in their deliverance Besides hee had given them much experience of his mercy and goodnesse in the Wildernesse giving them Manna from Heaven and water out of a Rock c. And now after all this to doubt of his providence and to call his Covenant in question and to make God a lyer in that they would not believe that he would or was able to bring them into the promised land was such a sin as the Lord did punish most severely as we may read Numb 14. and 1 Cor. 10. Now this calling of Gods power and goodnesse into question by such as have had experience thereof must needs be a hainous sin Because God is so highly provoked by this sin See Psalm 78. Reas 1 Psal 78 the whole Psalm there the holy Ghost reckons up a large Catalogue of those mercies and deliverances he had bestowed upon this people Marvelous things did he in the fight of their Fathers in the Land of Egypt in the field of Zoan He divided the Sea and caused them to passe through He led them in
this was Eliah called the Chariot and Horseman of Israel because his prayers were so powerfull with God Secondly Use 2 this lets people know what a high esteem they ought to have of faithfull Ministers Let men so account of us saith Paul as the Ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God They are the Josephs that God hath sent into the land to open the Lords granaries to preserve the souls of Gods people from spirituall famine Had it not been that God had had these Moses Aaron Phineas Jeremie and Daniel amongst us and such faithfull ones that had stood in the gap Englands sin had brought Englands ruine before this day How forcible were the prayers of Abraham to spare the Sodomites What had God done at his request if there had been but ten righteous found in those Cities How did Moses bind the hands of God by his prayers when his wrathfull displeasure was ready to break out against the people Surely our daies of Humiliation Exod. 32.10 and our seeking of God have not returned in vain But God hath heard us And for the sake of some few in this Land God hath deferred his wrath that England hath not been a Boachim a Land of mourning and desolation And what may England now expect when these that have been the Chariots and Horsemen of our Israel and have hitherto stood in the gap and for whose sake the Lord hath spared the Land When these I say shall be judged the troublers of Israel as they that are the greatest Enemies of Englands peace Surely this high contempt of the Ministry of England this day is that which prognosticates no good to England this day This may serve to mind us of the Ministry of a necessary duty that belongs unto our calling Use 3 viz. that wee be frequent and oft in this duty of prayer not onely at Sermon time to begin and end the same with prayer which the most do But even in private to bee earnest Solicitors to the Throne of grace in the behalfe of our people What blessing can wee look for from God upon that Sermon that God is not sought unto by prayer I am sure it is not the least comfort that many a Faithfull Minister of Christ reapes to himself his conscionable discharge of this duty of private prayer for his Flock When he receives but little comfort in his publick Ministry And that Minister that minds onely preaching and neglects this duty of prayer may well question his owne heart that hee aims more at his own glory then Gods And last of all this may serve for Exhortation Use 4 That seing prayer is such an essentiall Duty of a faithfull Ministry and such as are teachers of the people should pray for the people And that by this meanes many mercies have beene obtained and many judgments have been removed this should move us all that are the Ministers of the word to be much in prayer Es 62.2 to give the Lord no rest untill he have mercy upon Sion Let us that be the Lords Remembrancers and the Watchmen of the Lords Flock never give the Lord rest nor let him bee still till we see that hee shall in mercy remove his Judgments which lie heavy upon us for our sins Let us that are the Watch-men of Israel take heed that the Lord put not up against us that wofull complaint Eze. 22.30 I sought for a man that should have made up the hedge and stood in the gap before me for the Land that I might not destroy them But I found none therefore have I poured out my indignation upon them and consumed them with the fire of my wrath What shall then become of those that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap to stay the wrath of God That shall be hedge-breakers and open a gap by their sinns their negligence and carelesnesse their scandalous lives How fearfull will Gods anger be against such one day as wee may see in that Chapter A Prayer of Moses the man of God THE last particular in the title is the time when Moses composed this prayer The time when Moses made this prayer viz. when the Church and people of God were in great affliction and distress now in the Wilderness being almost wasted and consumed with the plague and pestilence and other Judgements of God upon them for their sins Now in asmuch as they make this their onely refuge to fly unto God by prayer Doct. 4 The time of affliction is the time of prayer The Doctrine is That the time of affliction is the the time of prayer This Moses and the people of God at this time make their onely Refuge to fly unto God to humble themselves before him and intreat the pardon of their sinns and that the Lord would turn away his wrath and return again in favour and mercy towards them and indeed this is the Argument of this Psalm And this is such a remedy as the Lord himself prescribes Ps 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear thee and deliver thee Where the Lord prescribes this as the chiefest remedy and refuge in times of calamity and distress To seek unto God by prayer This doth Moses and the people of God at this time of great affliction and distresse when they were almost wasted and consumed with the Plague and Pestilence they fly unto God as their onely Refuge in this time of distresse And this hath been the practice of Gods Church and people in all ages The Jewes in Hesters time when Haman had laid his plot utterly to destroy them Hest 4. they make God their Refuge Thus when Senacherib sent a mighty Host against Hezechiah and his people 2 Reg. 19.17 2 Cron. 20. He spreads his blasphemous letters before the Lord and makes an earnest prayer unto God Thus was it with good King Jehosophat when the Ammonits Moabits came up against them that hee and his people were at that straight that they knew not what to do or which way to turne themselves yet flying unto God by prayer were delivered And this the Lord himselfe doth witnesse unto when he saith Hos 5.14 I will be unto Ephraim as a Lyon and as a young Lyon to the house of Judah c. till they acknowledge their offences and seek my face for in their affliction they will seek me early And so indeed they did for immediately they call on one another and provoke one another Come let us return unto the Lord Hos 6.1 for he hath wounded us and he will heale us And if wee look into particular Examples wee shall find that Gods servants in their greatest straights have still had recourse to God Jonas in the Whales belly Ion 2.1 2. Out of the belly of Hell cryed I and thou heardst my voice Manasses albeit in the time of his prosperity he forgat God 2 Chron. 33. yet in his
And welfare those afflictions that send us home to God By this dealing of the Lord with a Nation and with a people Reas 3 by sharp and sore afflictions the Lord is pleased to humble them and thereby to fit them for mercy and deliverance And this is no other thing then what the Lord himself hath promised If a Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their wickednesse Ier. 18.5 I will repent of the plague that I thought to have brought upon them Thus Niniveh prevented her Judgement And this is the right way to stop the breach of Gods wrath and to call in his Judgements when they are gone out against us This serves to shew the monstrous impiety and prophanesse of this age Use 1 and time wherein we live that do not thus mark and observe the dealing of God with us We have seen the hand of God in a grievous manner upon the Land in generall The Lord hath rode Circuit amongst us and what Country nay what Family hath not suffered in these times the sword hath been in the bowells of this Nation and hath drunk much blood The Lord hath likewise sent forth other messengers of his anger against us as unseasonable years at one time making the fruits of the earth dung for the earth at another time making the Heavens as Brasse and the Earth as Iron that the Creature hath mourned to teach us to mourn and now again by an universall sicknesse and disease the like whereof no age can remember when so many are sick and weak and taken away by death Yet who makes this use of it as Moses and the people of God here who is humbled under Gods hand who mournes for sin the cause of all No no we can be content to passe over the Lords dealing thus with the Land as if these Judgements concerned us not we lay them not to heart Surely it is to be feared that the Lord wil come nearer unto us yet in the end Take we heed that it be not found true of us which the Lord speaketh I called for sackcloath and fasting Esa 22.13 14. but behold mirth eating and drinking c. when was there ever the like excesse of drinking then at this day but what saith the Lord This inquity shall not be purged untill ye die Secondly Use 2 this Doctrine serves to direct us what we ought to do and how wee ought to carry our selves in times of Common Calamitie Not to be gazers and lookers on of Gods Judgements But to search and try our waies to discover the sins of the Land and the evills of the times which should thus provoke the Lord to punish us in a different manner then our Forefathers in former ages as Moses here Surely it is a dangerous fin heedlesly to passe by Gods dealing with us at this time from former times How can we be humbled aright for our present miseries if we do not consider hiâ— former mercies This were to deprive God of his glory and our selves of confidence and comfort Lord thou hast been our dwelling place WE are farther to observe in this prayer of Moses Text. how they begin their prayer viz. with putting the Lord in mind of his former mercies shewed unto their Forefathers in times past and in former generations Thou hast been a Covert unto our Forefathers and good unto them guiding directing and protecting them Note hence That it is a speciall motive and reason to plead in prayer Doct. 3 To plead Gods former mercies a good Motive for futute to move the Lord to pitty and compassion to put him in mind of his former mercies and deliverances bestowed either upon us or our Forefathers The Prophet out of experience of former mercies prayeth for the continuance thereof Lord thou hast been favourable to the Land Ps 85.2 3 4. thou hast brought back the captivitie of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all their sinne Thou hast taken away all thy wrath thou hast turned thy self from the fiercenesse of thine anger c. And hence he grounds his request to God Turn us O God of our salvation Ver. 4 and cause thine anger towards us to cease And thus do Nehemiah and Daniel begin their prayers for the Church Nehc. 1. Dan. 9. they mind the Lord of his Covenant and mercifull promise to his people And thus David persecuted by Saul hee pleads his cause with God thus Ps 4.1 Hear me O God of my righteousnesse thou hast set me at liberty c. Hee minds God of his former mercies and deliverances and thereby is confimed in his faith and confidence that God would not now leave him at this time of distresse And so when he was to go out against Goliah 1 Sam. 17.34 hee calls to minde the Lords mercifull deliverance from the Lyon and the Bear and grounds his hope of successe at this time also upon it And this hath been the care of Gods people to keep a Catalogue of Gods mercies and deliverances to strengthen Ps 22.21 their prayers in the like time of danger yea so carefull have the people of God been to keep in memory former mercies and deliverances that they have raised up monuments and given name to prisons times and places for perpetuall records of mercies and deliverances as Jehosophat called the place wherein the Lord had given him the victory 2 Chron. 20.26 to be called the valley of Beracha and the Jewes it is thought have their Purim to this day This is to give the Lord the honour and glory of his works Reas 1 when they are kept in remembrance 1 Sam. 12.24 Consider how great things God hath done for you saith Samuel to the people that his glorious works might be kept in remembrance amongst them Yea this is such a duty that we are often to presse upon our hearts Ps 103.2 as David did Blesse the Lord O my soul and for get not his benefits We cannot honour God more then to mind him of his former mercies and deliverances This makes a believer bold with God as we are with a trusty friend that we have had experience of It serves to strengthen our faith to quel our doubts and fears and causeth us with much confidence to rely on him Besides Reas 2 it is one of the greatest comforts in times of extreamities and dangers the experience we have had of Gods goodnesse and mercy Experience saith the Apostle worketh hope God being the same ever to his people In him is no variablenesse Jam. 1.17 nor shadow of change And hence it is that the godly in times of adversity can hold up their heads with comfort when wicked men are at their witts end and many times overwhelmed with sorrow This serves for our Direction Use 1 how to begin our prayers unto God the better to move him to pitty and to have compassion upon us viz. to remember the former mercies of
God for protection For let men seek what shifts they can and use all the means they can to winde themselves out of misery yet unlesse the Lord keep them unlesse they seek unto him by repentance and prayer they shall be but as the bird in the net strive and struggle but shall never be able to get out but the more she strives the more she is intangled So the wicked the more they seek to avoid Gods judgments by their shifts and devices the more they are ensuared in them Unlesse the Lord be our habitation and dwelling place to protect and defend us by his owne power and providence Thirdly Use 3 the consideration hereof that God is our habitation and dwelling place to hide and shelter us when stormes and tempests are up and ready to annoy us The consideration hereof should serve to arme Christians with a holy resolution to keep in with God to obey him and to go on in a godly course and not to fear the threats and terrours of men or what man can do unto us Hath God undertaken to protect us and to be a habitation unto us to be our shield and buckler our defence and hiding place Whom then should we fear 'T is true Gods servants whilst they are here are subject to a world of dangers inward and outward But why should we fear when the Lord hath undertaken to be a buckler a shield a shadow and a hiding place unto us How oft doth David the to this Psal 18. in times of danger I love the Lord my buckler my shiâ—â—d and defence q. d. What though my troubles are many and my enemies are mighty yet I have at hand a buckler and a shield that will keep off all dangers He is my buckler my shield and my defence What a comfort was it to Jonas when scorched with heat God so seasonably provided the Gourd to spring up that refreshed him from the scorching beams of the Sun this God provided for him and thus will the Lord provide a shadow and shelter for us in times of danger What comforts have we here that may not fitly be resembled to Jonas Gourd riches honour power c. These may yield a shadow for a time but then comes the Sun shine the East-wind or the worm that nips them and they are gone Who would then trust to such shadows as these are the daies and times that we have lived to see hath declared this unto us that all earthly things are meer shadowes How is the Crown it selfe withered how many noble families and houses are now laid in the dust and what is it that we do enjoy that we can promise to our selves any certainty in at the best they are but weak helps But saith David The Lord liveth and blessed be my strong help If God be a dwelling place to his people Use 4 and that they are so safe under his wings whose faithfulnesse and truth shall be their shield and Bucker Then how fearfull is the condition of those that walk not in his waies and live not under his protection that have not God for their Habitation these lie open to all stormes and Tempests of Sathans temptations and all such miseries that a poor Creature can be subject unto Howsoever God may feed them and fill their bellies with the good things of this lise yet what comfort can they have in the evil day when conscience is let loose to speak terrible things to the soule and Sathan shall cast his fiery darts against them such must needs be at their wits end that have not a God to fly unto Doth not carnal policy teach us thus much to get into some Noble mans or some great mans Family and then we think our selves highly priviledged and wee looke for protection under them O where are our hearts Christians and where is that spiritual wisdom that ought to be in us that look no more after Gods service whose service is perfect freedom and which brings with it so much safety and security And the last is Use 5 that seeing wee may say as Moses here Lord thou hast been our dwelling place our Covert and defence in dangers thou hast protected and covered us by thy hand thou hast kept us in these contagious times wherein many have been sick many weak and many taken away by death Lord thou hast given us health after sicknesse deliverance from dangers consolation after all our sorrows and afflictions thou hast been our defence and protection Thou hast been a cover unto us or else wee had long a go perished O what shall we render to the Lord for all these benefits what rent do wee owe unto God for our Habitation and safe protection If we should finde this favour at any mans hand that he would let us have a dwelling place fit and needfull for us to defend us from storms and tempests and that for seaven years or twenty years together will he not look for some rent or service at our hands but the Lord hath been our dwelling place twenty thirty forty years from time to time unto this day Now wil not the Lord look for some Rent and service at our hands even the Rent and service of obedience and thankfulnesse that wee should not displease our Landlord that we should not grieve him or provoke him to anger but keep his favour and good will and please him in all things this Rent of obedience and thankfulnesse doth the Lord require at our hands But alas how few do pay the Lord this Rent and perform this service who albeit they receive daily from him many benefits and mercies few with that Leper in the Gospell remember to return thanks From generation to generation Text. MOses doth not here speak in the present tense that God was their Habitation But that he was the same to their Forefathers Abraham Isaack and Jacob long before even from Generation to Generation Hence wee learn that the Church in all ages is one and the same Doct. 5 The Church is ever one and the same since the first Creation God hath ever had his Church and so from Generation to Generation God hath continued his Church in the world and ever will to the end 'T is true it was sometimes limited to one Nation as to the Jews He shewed his word to Jacob his statutes and judgements to Israel He hath not done so with any Nation Io. 4.22 and Salvation is of the Jews But now in the times of the Gospell since the comming of Christ that Wall of separation is plucked up and Japhet is perswaded to dwell in the Tencs of Sem. Cant. 6.8 My Dove my undefiled is but one she is the onely one of her Mother And this is testified by that of Paul 1 Cor. 12.12 As there are many members but yet but one body so we being many are one in Christ And this doth our Saviour make clear and plain unto us Io. 10.16 when he saith
Other sheep I have which are not of this Fold them also must I bring and they shall hear my voice and there shall be one Fold and one Shepheard And the Church is figured by one woman Rev. 12 And this woman hath Christ married to himself which shewes the unity of the Church in all ages Hos 2.19 'T is true this one Church of Christ may have many parts as the Sea hath many Chanells and is called by the name of the Country by the which it runs as the Germ an Sea the Baltique Sea c. so the Church of France the Church of England the Church of Scotland c. yet the Church of God is but one Militant Church upon the face of the whole Earth Reas And the Reason is because it hath but one Head As we account that but one Common-wealth that is under one King and governed by one and the same Lawes and is under one Government So is the Church of Christ one professing one and the same faith hath one and the same hope and Baptised into the same spirit and reserved unto one and the same glorious inheritance is but one This quite overthrows the Church Use 1 of Rome as no true Church of Christ who quite overthrow the Nature of the Church Catholick thus inlarged by God and confine the same to Rome What is Catholick but Universall And to speak in their language The Catholick Roman Church is as much as to say the Universall Church which must needs sound in the ears of any reasonable man to be most absurd Gods Church is not tyed to any one time much lesse to any one place but in respect of time and place is Catholick and Universall Secondly Vse 2 is this so that the Church of God is one and the same from generation to generation This may serve to unite the hearts of believers together in unity and peace The Unity and Onenesse of the Church should teach unity and concord amongst those that professe themselves members of this Church We are all of one house and habitation have one Father one Christ one Spirit one Bread one board one Bread to feed upon one Cup to drink on so should we be of one minde and of one heart Christians should cleave together and hold together If one member suffer all should suffer with it 1 Pet. 4.10 if one member be in honour all should rejoyce at it As every man hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another Those that are of the family of the Devill will do so Drunkards have a league amongst themselves what a shame then is it for Christians that professe themselves of the houshold of God to rent asunder the seamlesse Coat of Christ Surely the sad divisions that are in England this day like the divisions of Ruben cause great thoughts of heart and frustrates all our hopes of our desired peace O what a shame is it that there should be strife and dissention in that family where the Father is the God of peace and the son is the Prince of peace What an excellent Church and house of God was it in the Apostles time when the multitude of believers were of one heart and of one minde Such therefore as make these rents and divisions in the Church as too many do in these daies shew apparently that they are not of Gods houshold See that place of Paul Now I beseech you brethren Rom. 16.17.18 mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have received and avoid them for they are such as serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Ver. 2. Before the mountains were made or ever thou hadst for med the earth or the world even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God IN this second Verse Moses prevents an objection and removes a doubt that might arise in the minds of the people who might think thus Surely though the Lord did deliver our fore-fathers by his mighty power and defended and protected them in all dangers and straights yet now his power being not put forth for our succour and defence that are their posterity he is not now so able to save and deliver us No saith Moses that cannot be for the Lord is that mighty God from all eternity he is that eternall God and therefore cannot lose any of his power or strength but is now as able every way to save us as our fore fathers of old inasmuch as he doth continue the mighty God from all eternity from generation to generation thou art God Hence we may see what is the corrupt nature of man Doct. 1 In times of distress we are ready to uestion Gods power when we have not that we desire and when it goes not with us as we wish we are ready to question Gods power and to put off the cause from our selves and to lay the same upon God And hence is it that the Lord expostulateth the case with his people thus Es 50.2 Is my hand shortned at all that it cannot redeem or have I not power to deliver Behold at my rehuke I drie up the sea I make Rivers a wildernesse And again Es 59.1 2. Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither is his ear heavy that he cannot hear But your iniquities have separated betwixt you and your God How did the people provoke the Lord to wrath against them Psal 78.19 20. when they said Can God prepare a table in the Wildernesse can he provide flesh for his people This the Lord was angry at Therefore the Lord was angry and the fire was kindled in Jacob Ver. 21. and wrath came also upon I srael And the reason is given because they believed not in God Ver. 22. and trusted not in his help And whereas God sware unto their fathers that he would give them the Land of Canaan to them their seed after them yet the Holy Ghost saith Heb. 3.19 They could not enter in because of unbeliefe This was the sin of the Prince of Israel that when the Prophet had told him of the great plenty that should be in the gate of Samaria 2 Reg. 7. To morrow this time he doubted of it and concludes against the words of the Prophet that it could not possibly be Though the Lord should open the windowes of heaven Ver. 20. But he saw it with his eyes but did not eat of it for the people trode him to death in the gate of the City Yea the Lord hath severely punished this sin in his own servants themselves that have been guilty of it as we may see in Moses the man of God Num. 20.8 12. that shut him out of the Land of Canaan And the Lord was so highly displeased with Zachary Luke 1.20 otherwise a good man who doubted of the
promise concerning Elizabeth his wife that she should bear him a son that the Lord struck him dumb till the day that the promise was fulfilled So that the point is clear and plain that our corrupt nature is such that we often call Gods power into question in times of straights that we fall into Because it was the first sin of our Father Adam Reas 1 by the which Sathan entered into mans heart Gen. 3.4 and so drew him from God to question Gods love and the same is derived to all his posterity And this is the root and mother of all other sins by it we depart from God when we call Gods power truth promises Heb. 3.12 and mercy into question what is this but to make God a lyar 1. Joh. 5.10 and so dishonour God in a high degree As we cannot honour God more than by sanctifying his name Numb 20.12 and acknowledging his power in times of affliction and distresse So is God highly dishonoured when we doubt of his power and goodnesse and call the same into question Secondly Reas 2 as it is the work of Faith to see God to be of power All-sufficient to help and succour us in times of straights And herein appeared the truth and power of Abraham's faith that he doubted not of the promise through unbeliefe Rom. 4.20 for he was perswaded that what he had promised he was able to perform Whereas the unbelieving heart blocks up the gate of mercy against it selfe and makes a man uncapable of mercy If we examine our selves by this Doctrine Use 1 we shall finde that we are guilty in some measure of this sin when our estate goes not so well with us as we desire how ready are we to thrust off the cause of it from our selves and to lay it upon others When we are in health peace and prosperity and set free from trouble O then we can acknowledge and say that God is all-sufficient mercifull and gracious But if the Lord send affliction sicknesse tryalls times of adversity then we are ready to call all into question and think that Gods power is shortned we dare not follow God in the dark we can hardly confesse God to be almighty powerfull just mercifull at such times Iudg. 6.13 but are ready to say with Gideon If God be with us why is this befallen us We shorten Gods arme and call his power into question as this people did Can God furnish a Table in the Wildernesse Psal 78. He gave us drink indeed out of a Rock but can he give bread also This is that sin which this cursed nature of ours is most prone unto and therefore are the more carefully to watch ouer our own hearts against it Seeing it is the sinne of our nature thus to question Gods power Use 2 his mercy and goodnesse towards us especially in times of trouble and adverfity and to lay the blame on him Let us learn to know that God is alwaies one the same most mighty most just true faithful in his Covenant towards his people Though our condition change yet God changeth not he is one and the same from all eternity and cannot change But if our condition be otherwise with us than we desire Lam 3.39 Es 59.2 let us ascribe all to our selves Man suffereth for his sin Your iniquities have separated betwixt you and your God Your iniquities have turned away these things and your sins have withholden good things from you Let us condemn our selves and accuse our selves that we are thus afflicted and know that God is just and the arme of his power is not shortned towards his people Quest Quest But how comes it to passe that the Lord seemes thus to leave his people so long a time in such fore affliction and distresse as his people here Answ Answ The Lord doth this in much wisdome and love to his people First to bring them to a clearer sight of their sins and to work in them a greater measure of humiliation for the same then yet they have attained unto We are apt to think that a little sorrow for sin is enough and every light and slight confession will serve the turn But the Lord sees it meet that the foundation of our repentance and conversion should be laid deeper Secondly herein and hereby the Lord will exercise our graces which in times of Gods delaies are exercised in us How was the faith of Abraham exercised whilst he took Isaac in his hand three daies together when he went up to the Mount to sacrifice him How was the faith of Paul tried when he received this answer from God My grace is sufficient for thee though the temptation was not removed The Lord will have it so to quicken the prayers of his people seeking him The Canaanitish woman had divers denyalls in her suit to Christ in the behalfe of her daughter yet at last had a gracious answer returned unto her And this is ordinarily the fruit of sore afflictions they produce fervency in prayer and have at last a welcome deliverance Before the Mountains Text. c. even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God MOSES being now to have recourse unto God by prayer for his people flies unto the Covenant of grace made unto the Church in Christ pleads that minds the Lord of that and that gives him boldnesse in prayer Before the Mountains c. thou art our God Hence we learn That the knowledge of Gods Covenant of grace in Christ Doct. 2 gives boldnesse in prayer The knowledge of Gods Covenant gives boldnesse in prayer It is the knowledge of our interest in the Covenant of grace that God is our God kindles prayer as a Sacrifice kindled with fire from heaven and is much accepted of God Upon this ground we are to pray Gods Covâ—nant made with his Church and faithfulnesse in all generations in keeping promise with his people is the staffe and strength of prayer And this Covenant of grace the godly have been ever carefull to lay hold upon in prayer Heb. 10.23 Rev. 19.11 He is faithfull that hath promised And he that fits upon the white Horse is called faithfull and true Thus the Lord minds Jacob with his Covenant made with Abraham and Isaac his father Gen. 28. ver 15. and then confirmes the same unto Jacob Behold I am with thee and will keep thee which way thou goest Rom. 10.14 This made Paul to ask that strange question How shall they call on him on whom they have not believed implying thus much That where there is not faith in Gods Covenant there is no calling upon God Iam. 1.5 If any man lack wisdome saith Saint James let him ask it of God But how Let him ask in faith nothing wavering And again Let us draw neer with a true hears in assurance of faith sprinkled in our hearts from an evill conscience So that the point is clear and plain Ephes
spell for God teacheth us two waies 1. By his Philosophy Lecture in the creature Rom. 1.20 The invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen 2. By his Divinity Lecture in the Word Ps 19.1 Now if the knowledge we have of God in the creature shall leave men without excuse how much more inexcusable are those that have the Word to instruct them Seeing this is so Use 2 that the Mountains Earth and World sometimes were not and that they were created by God so certainly they shall have an ending time they shall not last to eternity but the heavens and the earth shall at last vanish like a scroule and as the Apostle shewes shall perish by fire 2 Pet. 3.10 The day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night in the which the Heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up All our goodly houses and stately buildings the whole Earth and all the Creatures therein shall at last become but fewel to the fire And therefore why should we set our hearts upon the Creature seeing hee that made all can destroy all and bring the wealthiest of us all to nothing at his pleasure And this also meets with a vaine conceipt Use 3 that is this day in the world in the hearts of many that when they hear and are taught the wofull and miserable estate wherein they are by nature and are threatned with Eternall death Hell and Damnation if they die in such an estate presently say they hope not so for hee that made them will save them and not suffer them to perish They are his Creatures and the workmanship of his hands c. So art thou no nearer Heaven then thy Oxe or thy beast thou ridest upon for are not they the Creatures of God as well as thou If thou be not in Christ and so a new Creature thou art in a worse estate then they for when they die they vanish away and come to nothing But thou hast in thee an immortal soul that shall live to all eternity even whilst God himself liveth Creation is but a Common benefit extended to brute beasts as well as to man they have God to betheir Creator is wel as we we are never then to rest til we have Christ to be our Redeemer and the Holy Ghost to bee our sanctifier to partake of a new Creation or Regeneration As Christ saith to Nicodemus Ioh. 3. Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Herein lies the happinesse of man above other Creatures in our title to Christ as our Redeemer otherwise of all creatures man is most miserable Hitherto of the first that God is the Creator of all things Secondly Doct. 4 that this God was from all Eternity long before God was from all eternity Before the Mountains were brought forth or ever thou hadst formed the Earth or the World even from Everlasting to everlasting thou art God Herein Moses proceeds to a farther proof of the Godhead and that is taken from his Antiquity and Eternity Before the Earth or the World waâ— made thou art God From whence we learn that in respect of time God was before all time even from Eternity and so is eternall Some things there are that have a beginning in time and have their periods and ending in time as brute beasts c. Some things have a beginning in time but have no time to end in as Angels and men Onely there is God that neither had a beginning in time nor shall end in time but is eternal Now that God is Eternal is cleare in this from ever lasting to everlasting thou art God Pro. 8.23 I was set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the Earth was It is spoken of God and of Christ Mich. 5.2 But thou Bethlem Ephrata though thou art little among the thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel whose goings forth have been of old from everlasting As God had no being in time but is without the measure of time so Eternity is his essentiall property which shewes that God cannot end in time but as he was from Eternity so shall be ever one and the same God without shadow of change Ps 102.25.26 27. Of old thou hast laid the soundations of the Earth and the Heavens are the works of thy hands They shall all perish but thou shalt endure they shall all wax old as doth a garment and as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed But thou art the same and thy years shall not fail The Consideration of this Eternity of God should serve to humble us in our own eyes Use 1 and cause us to think meanly of our selves when wee come before him that is of this eternall being This made Abraham when he was to come unto God to confesse that he was but dust and ashes when he was to deal with him And the Saints of God have ever laid themselves low before him when they have come into his presence Secondly Use 2 the consideration of this eternity of God should help to wean us from the world and take off our hearts from these earthly things that are here below that as they had their being and beginning in time so in time shall have their period and ending They shall all perish Ps 102.27 and wax-old like a garment and they are reserved to the fire of the day of judgment 1 Pet. 3.10 when the earth and the works thereof shall be burnt up Thirdly seeing God is eternall Vse 3 the consideration hereof should minde us more of this eternity that we think more of eternity and provide more for eternity There is an eternity behinde us and that is our eternall Election For such he knew before Eph. 1.4 And there is an eternity before us and that is our eternall Glorification Now betwixt these two Eternities there is a short interjected time cast in which is our short life and being here in this world and our weal or woe for ever doth depend upon this short inch of time alotted unto us here Some are so spiritually wise to improve this time to make their Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 and to work out their salvation with fear and trembling These passe from Eternity past their eternall Election to Eternity to come their eternall Glorification Othersome there are and that the greatest part of the world that spend their time in eating and drinking Note in chambering and wantonnesse that as they came into the world in a state of nature so they live and so they die And these passe from Eternity past which is Reprobation to Eternity to come and that is eternall Condemnation So that our happinesse for ever doth
depend upon this short inch of time that is allotted us here Ver. 3. Thou turnest man to destraction and sayest Return again ye children of men FRom the beginning of this Verse to the eleventh we have the second generall part of this Psalm and that is his Naration in the which he sets down the common frailty and mortality of mankind from Verse 3. to the 11. and this he doth 1 In generall 1. By the efficient cause of mans frailty and mortality verse 3. Thou turnest man c. 2. By the instrumentall cause viz. The manifold miseries sicknesses and diseases these frail bodies of ours are subject unto As also from the composition of mans body which is made but of the dust of the earth and therefore must return to dust again 2. In particular by comparing it 1. To a Watch in the night that is the space of three houres ver 4. 2. To a Sleep or a Dream that is a vanishing thing and of no continuance verse 5. 3. To a Flower or Grasse that groweth up in the morning but cut down and withered ere night ver 6. Thus of the estate of mankind in generall Then verse 7 8 9. he applies this to themselves in particular now in great affliction and distresse in the Wildernesse and shewes that though the life of man be frail and short yet their estate at this time was far worse and more miserable and the Reason was 1. Because of Gods anger and terrible displeasure whereby they were pittifully wasted and con-consumed verse 7. 2. He sets down the speciall procuring cause why their estate was thus miserable viz. Their sins and rebellions which the Lord did now charge them with verse 8. Thou turnest man to destruction Text. THat is at thy will and pleasure and appointment is the life of man when it pleaseth thee thou turnest man to destruction that is to breaking and crushing even to dust and ashes Hence we learn Doct. 1 that the gretest stay and comfort of the godly under affliction is the consideration Greatest comfort to the godly in times of affliction that they come from God Hos 6.1 Am. 3.6 that their miseries and afflictions come from God He hath spoyled he hath wounded saith the Church They do not look so much upon the Assyrians that afflicted them but they look up higher and see Gods hand upon them and say The Lord hath spoyled and He hath wounded us Is there any evill in the City and the Lord hath not done it That is any judgment sicknesse afflictions or calamities but they come from the Lord it is he that sends them and laies them upon his people Thus when the Lord was minded to bring his Church from Idolatry he saith thus Behold I will stop thy waies with thorns and make a hedge that she shall not know her paths Thus the Lord threatned Senacherib 2 Reg. 19.6 Behold I will sond a blast upon him This is more clear by that of Moses Levâ—t 26.16 17. If ye will not obey me and do these commandments I will appoint over you fearfulnesse a Consumption and a burning Feaver the Sword Famine and Pestilence to destroy you And this truth is acknowledged by Job in his sharpest tryalls Iob 1.21 The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away even as it pleaseth the Lord so commeth things to passe 1 Cor. 11.32 And When we are judged we are chastned of the Lord. The Reasons will make the point yet more clear and plain unto us First in regard of his providence Reas 1 which ordereth and disposeth of all things in Heaven and Earth according to the purpose of his own will so that there is no room left for Fortune or Chance but as it pleaseth the Lord so commeth things to passe This doth our Saviour teach most clearly when he saith Are not two sparrowes sold for a farthing and not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father Yea the hairs of your head are numbred Now if the providence of God be in such small things as in the fall of a Sparrow and the numbring of the hairs of our head how much more in the tryalls and afflictions of his children Secondly Reas 2 the miseries and afflictions of Gods Church and children must needs come from God because he ordereth and disposeth of the tryalls and sufferings of his people in the nature and kinds of their sufferings what they shall be how long they shall continue and the happy issue and effect of them as the Apostle hath it No man should be moved with these afflictions 1 Thes 3.3 for your selves know that we are appointed thereto God will have the rod lie upon the back of his servants sometimes a long time as upon the Church in Aegypt 430 years together where the Lord exercised them with cruell bondage under Pharath Sometimes shorter as those seventy yeeres they were in captivity in Babylon somtimes shorter Rev. 2.10 Ye shall have tribulation for ten daies Sometimes but for a night Sorrow may endure for a night c. Yea sometimes not so long but for an hower there is an hower of temptation and the time that God hath purposed and decreed being expired they shall see the salvation of the Lord. Seeing that the only stay and comfort of the godly in times of affliction and distresse Use 1 is the consideration that their miseries and afflictions of what kinde soever they come from God This should teach us at all times of distresse still to have recourse unto him by earnest and hearty prayer either to remove the rod if it be his good pleasure or else to sanctifie the same unto us and to give us patience under it This duty the Lord requires and looks for at our hands especially in times of affliction and distresse and for this we have both precepts and examples Ps 50.15 Call upon me in the day of thy trouble and I will hear thee and deliver thee Yea to that end he hath prescribed unto us a form of seeking him at such times Hos 14.2 3. Take unto you words and turn to the Lord and say unto him Take away all our iniquity and receive us graciously Secondly he hath made a gracious promise of hearing our prayers especially at such times Ps 50.15 Mat. 7.7 1 Ioh. 5.14 and that whatsoever we ask the Father in his Sons Name he will give it us Thirdly there is none else can help us Lord whither shall we go saith Peter thou hast the words of eternall life He is known for a sure refuge Ps 48.3 he is the God that heareth prayers Besides we have the examples of Gods servants who in all times of extreamity have ever fled unto God Psal 18.3 4. 2 Chr. 20 2 Chr. 33 by earnest and hearty prayer as David Jehosophat Hezechiah Manasses c. who ever had recourse unto God in times of misery and God was intreated of them Secondly the consideration
This was that comfort that Christ gave to his Disciples Mat. 20.19 when he spake of his owne death The Son of man shall be delivered to the chiefe Priests and Scribes and they shall condemne him to death and deliver him to the Gentiles to be Crucified but the third day he shall rise againe Now that which was Christs comfort may be ours also Thirdly there is comfort in it in regard of our friends that die in the Lord that though death may separate us asunder for a time yet we shall meet again If a man take a long journey his wife friends do not weep lament as if they should never see him again So a man that dies in Christ though he take a long journey yet we should not mourn as those which have no hope we shall meet again And lastly this may also comfort us in regard of the present infirmities of our bodies blindnesse lamenesse crookednesse and other deformities that we are subject unto here In the Resurrection we shall leave all these behinde us in the grave and our bodies shall rise again glorious bodies and incorruptible bodies As those two godly Martyrs going to the stake the one blinde the other lame comforted each other Be of good cheer Brother my Lord of London will this day cure thee of blindnesse and me of my lamenesse Thus will death do and in the Resurrection these imperfections shall be done away So that the comforts are great which flow from this Doctrine of the Resurrection But as this Doctrine serves for matter of comfort and consolation to the godly Use 3 so it serves for matter of terrour fear and astonishment unto all wicked and unregenerate men that are out of Christ that as they live so die in a naturall estate 'T is true these also shall partake of this Resurrection and shall rise again at last but in a sarre different manner from the godly The bodies of believers shall arise by vertue of that union they have with Jesus Christ as members of that mysticall body of his whereof Christ is the head so shall he at last draw his members to himselfe But now all wicked and ungodly men they shall arise by the power of Christ at the voice of the Arch-Angel at the sound of the Trump for as the Apostle saith the Trump shall sound 1 Cor. 15 And these shall arise out of their graves as out of a Prison and that to go to the place of execution These shall no sooner put their heads out of their graves and behold the Lord Jesus comming in his glory That Christ whom they have crucified by their sins that Christ whom they have persecuted in his members that Christ whose blood they have trampled under their feet but they could wish that they had never seen his face O thinks a wicked man that I were in my grave again O that this filthy and polluted carcase of mine had never been made alive again but as it tasted of corruption it might for ever have perished there And it is not impossible but they that at the last shall cry to the mountains to fall upon them Rev. 6. and the hills to cover them but they may seek to hide themselves in their graves from the presence of Christ As the bodies of believers shall arise glorified bodies the bodies of the wicked shall arise most black ugly and deformed bodies black faces gastly countenances more like Devills than Men and Women ugly as Toads hatefull to themselves and others Thus shall they arise at last they shall arise out of their graves quaking and trembling wishing that they had never been born or born Toads or Serpents rather than Men and Women O the horrour and terrour that shall seize upon the wicked at that day no heart is able to conceive or tongue able to expresse When the Lord delivered the Law to the people upon Mount Sinai when the Trumpet sounded how did the people quake and tremble Exod. 19 How terrible then will his appearance be at the last day when he shall come to exact vengeance upon the transgressors of this Law O consider this ye that now forget God you that will not now be wrought upon by the sound of the Word to be raised from the death of sin to the life of righteousnesse How will you endure at this day the voice of the Arch-Angell and the sound of this Trumpet Arise ye dead and come unto judgment And last of all Use 4 seeing these bodies of ours that now go to their graves shall return again and rise again how carefull should we be to keep our bodies clean and pure and undefiled and every member of the same The Apostle Saint Paul exhorts us unto this 2 Thess 4.4 To possesse our Vessells in holinesse and honour If death leave thee a drunkard an unclean person a swearer a worldling a vile and prophane wretch in a naturall condition in the same condition shalt thou be haled to judgment when that wretched body and that wofull soul of thine that have been a Simeon and Levi brethren together in sin shall now for ever share alike in punishment and torment When a man hath done some foul and shamefull fact we use to say of such a man he will never be able to shew his face again How then will many a vile and desperate sinner shew his face before God at that day How carefull then ought we to be to keep our Vessells in holinesse and honour This is that very Use the Apostle Peter makes of this Doctrine of our Resurrection Seeing all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be Paul professing the hope of the Resurrection I exercise my selfe saith he to have a clear conscience before God and all men Acts 24. voide of offence And of Jerome it is said that whatsoever he did he thought he heard this voice Arise ye dead and come to judgment Return again ye sons of Adam Text. MOSES as he hath shewed be fore that our lives are in Gods hand and at his disposing and that at his will and pleasure he can turn man to destruction to dust and rottennesse He adds also another cause of mans frailty and mortality and that is the nature composition and frame of mans body which is of it selfe very frail and brittle subject to mortality For the first word Man thou turnest Man to destruction signifies a man full of misery full of sicknesses and infirmities a miserable man Enosh And the other word here used in the end of the verse signifies a man made of Clay or of the very slime of the earth From hence we learn what is the nature of all men Doct. 4 Man a piece of living clay of all the sons of Adam viz. A piece of living Clay a little piece of red Earth And besides that man is subject to breaking and crushing every way a miserable man so is he of a brittle
meet with unexpected accidents in their way our life being like a lighted candle which wasts with the winde and is often blowen out before it be burned How many griefs and how many cares and feares are we daily pestered withall that help to waste the spirits of mer we are like unto him that stept upon the stage and presently went downe againe as if he came thither of purpose to shew himselfe and no more so many steps upon the stage of this worlde and act litle but downe againe And though men should be so happie as to be freed from outward Miseries which fewe are Yet we continually carry death in our Bosoms for look how many infirmities this frail Natures of ours are subiect unto so many secret Enemies we harbour within us to provide for Death yea every crum of bread that goes awrie is ready to make a breach for Death to enter in at In a word be we at sea or on land be we in Citty or Country at home or abroad waking or sleeping we are still in danger that Death like a violent Flood may break in upon us we are here never at one stay but in the midst of life we be in Death So oft then as this Corrupt nature of ours shall stir us up to pride because of Beauty Riches strength c. O let these thoughts humble us these flowers every day wither apace The root is dead already The body is dead because of Sin There is a worme at the roote as there was at the roote of Jonahs Gourd all our earthly felicities are feeding a pace we know not how soone Death like a violent Flood will breake in upon us and put an end to them all Thus for the first that Death is inevitable there is no resisting of it it breakes in upon us as a violent Flood Thou Carriest them away as with a Flood MOses in these wordes will likewise intimate unto us that as Death comes violently and unresistably as a Flood Doct. 2 So Death comes Suddainly unexpectedly as a Flood Death comes suddenly Many times when men are not aware nor thinke not of it then Death coms and takes them tardy And no doubt this was Christs intent and meaning when he saith Mat. 25.6 At midnight there was a cry made to shew unto the world that his coming by Death and judgment will be in an Houre when men will not think of it that so we might expect him every day and every hour You know not the day nor the hour Maâ— 24.42 when the Son of man cometh It is sufficient for us to know that come he will and that his coming shall be at such a time when men least of all expect it Mat. 24.26 and as he saith In the houre that ye think not will the Son of man come And upon this very ground the uncertaintie of the time when Christ shall call us is that watch-word given what J say unto you I say unto al watch Mat. 13. And Behold I come as a theefe in the Night Rev. 16.15 Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments I confesse these places of Scripture are principally meant of Christs second comming to judgment yet are they true also in this sence of his comming by death When a Thiefe hath a purpose to do mischiefe he makes choice of the night when men are asleep and so comes unawares when men are not prepared for resistance Such will the time of Death and the last judgment be And upon this ground Christ grounds that exhortation of his to have our loynes girded and our light burning that we may be alwaies ready And certainly when men are most secure then is death nearest at hand as it was with that rich man that promised to himselfe many years Luke 12. had that night his soul taken from him And when men shall say peace peace then shall suddain destruction shall come upon them And besides these clear examples and testimonies in the Word that shew the comming of death to be suddain and unexpected our own experience and observation daily before our eyes doth declare this truth How many have gone well to bed at night that have been dead ere the morning some at bed and some at board some at home and some abroad death hath met them and suddainly surprised them and when he comes he will have no nay The point then is clear and plain that as death comes as a Flood and there is no resistance so as a Flood death comes suddainly when men think least of it But why will the Lord have the time of death thus uncertain to us Quest Many may be the Reasons wherefore God will not have this day and time known unto us Ans That not knowing the set day and houre Reas 1 we might be prepared for every day and every houre Watch saith Christ for you know not what houre the Master of the house commeth whether at midnight c. Secondly Reas 2 that herein and hereby the Lord might exercise the faith patience hope and other graces in the hearts of his servants all which are now exercised and set on work whilst we know not the time when the Lord will call us hence And this serves for the just reproofe of the great security Use 1 wherein so many are so fast asleep that notwithstanding they hear clearly from the Word and see daily by experience before their eyes the sudden comming of death as a flood rushing in upon them yet put the thoughts of death far from them O the security and dead heartednesse that is in many that having so many caveats watchwords and warnings from God besides their own daily experience yet never minde their own latter end nor deaths sudden comming This was the sin of the old world in the daies of Noah that were so drowned in their own pleasures that they would not believe a drowning by a flood till the flood came and swept them clean away And this is the great sin of this world and times wherein we live upon whom the ends of the world are come The deadnesse of heart and carnall security the little laying of Gods judgments to heart the overflowings of sin in all sorts and conditions of men are certain precursors and forerunners that the Lord is at hand either with some sorer vengeance to awake us or by putting a speedy end to all things But the main use that we are to make of this Point Use 2 that death comes many times so suddainly rushing in upon us as a violent Flood It should teach us this wisdome at all times to be in a readinesse and prepared when death comes Upon this ground Christ admonisheth his Disciples and us all to watchfulnesse because the day and hour knoweth no man But I hope I shall have time to prepare for death Object 1 I am yet young and strong c. Herein men blesse themselves and flatter themselves that howsoever they
Doctrine of the Resurrection by comparing death to a Flood whereby men are over-whelmed in the Grave In these words he mitigates that speech in comparing Death to a Sleep that even as a man lying down to sleep though he seemes to be dead for the present yet ere it be long awakes again Even so though death seems as a Flood to over-whelm us and drown us in the Grave yet ere it be long at the day of Judgment we shall awake and rise again From this allusion the point observable is That death is a sleep Doct. 3 or to die is but to sleep Death is a sleep Es 57.2 And thus the Scriptures resemble the Grave to a Bed and Death to a Sleep He shall enter into peace and they shall rest in their beds every one that walketh before the Lord in righteousnesse And this thing holy Job speaks of himselfe Job 7.21 Now I shall sleep in the dust and thou shalt seek me in the morning and I shal not be And this is said of David 1 Reg. 2.10 that he slept with his Fathers And thus Daniel speaking of the last judgment Dan. 12.2 Many that sleep in the dust shall awake to life eternall And this Christ saith of Lazarus Ioh. 11. Mat. 9.24 Lazarus is not dead but sleepeth And Paul comforting the Thessalonians for their dead saith 1 Thes 4.13 Brethren I would not have you ignorant concerning those that sleep in the Lord. So that you see the phrase is very usuall in the Scripture to compare death to a sleep And the Reasons of this resemblance may be these The first may be taken from the nature of sleep Reas 1 which is indeed a binding up of the senses for a time till sleep again be dissolved at which time the senses have again their naturall power restored to return into the members of the body whereby they act afresh Thus is it with the sleep of death hereby the bodies and minds of men are set free from cares fears distempers and molestations for such rest from their labours Both the souls and bodies of the Saints by death are set free from them all Rev. 14.13 Secondly Reas 2 as sleep doth give much refreshment to the bodies and mindes of men being wearied with labour and pains in the day time O how sweet is sleep to a labouring man and how comfortable is rest to a weary traveller No lesse sweet and comfortable is the grave to the bodies of the Saints these rest in peace as on a bed of down such sleep sweetly and safely untill the morning of the Resurrection when they shall arise again Psal 17.15 When I awake up saith David I shall be refreshed with thy Image Thirdly Reas 3 as those that are asleep may easily be awaked and raised up again by some sound in their ears or stirring of their bodies or the like So easie will it be with the Lord at the last day when he comes to judgment by the voice of the Arch-Angell and sound of the Trumpet when this voice shall be heard of all Arise ye dead and come unto judgment to raise up the dead that are asleep in their graves This may serve for matter of singular comfort and consolation unto the godly all believers Use 1 that Job calls the King of fear and the Grave which is the chamber and house of death dreadfull in their own nature should thus have their nature altered and changed that they should become so comfortable and beneficiall unto them to become a place of sweet repose and rest That soul that hath made its peace with God may with much comfort look death in the face and say with Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace Such blessed souls rest with God and die in peace and may commend their souls to God as to a faithfull Creator See the boldnesse and confidence of the blessed Apostle 1 Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought the good fight I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousnesse But whence have the godly this boldnesse and confidence in death Quest was not death threatned as a curse and inflicted as a curse how came the nature of death thus to be altered and changed This thing so comes to passe through the death of Christ Ans 1 who was himselfe in the state of the dead and was himselfe in the grave and hath triumphed over death and hell and the grave and hath removed the curse and plucked out the sting of them 1 Cor. 15.54 Heb. 2.14 15. Death is swallowed up of victory And that by death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devill and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage So that death as a curse was laid upon Christ that our death might be blessed unto us So that it is by Christ and his death that the sting of death is plucked out and that our Graves become a bed of rest unto us Secondly every true believer is a member of Christs body and hence it comes to passe Ro. 14.8 That whether we live or die we are the Lords Secondly this lets us see the misery of all wicked and ungodly men Use 2 from whom the curse of Death and of the Grave is not removed As in Death their bodies return to the Grave so their souls go immediately to Hell their bedies go to their Graves as to a stinking and loathsome Prison a Dungeon of darknesse from whence they shall arise in the morning of the Resurrection to be joyned again to their souls that both together may be sent into utter darknesse The godly and wicked in death may well be resembled to Pharaoh's Butler and Baker Both go to Prison one is restored to serve his Master the other reserved for execution Is death a sleep Use 3 and do the bodies of the Saints rest in their Graves as in a Bed and their Spirits return to God that gave them How fond and vain then is the conceit of those that say that dead bodies walk after their death the ground I suppose of this superstitious speech so frequent with many God rest his soul and Gods peace be with him c. a grosse absurditie and howsoever a common conceit in time of Popery and times of ignorance yet in the times of the Cospell utterly to be abandoned And last of all Use 4 since death is a sleep This should teach us not to mourn as those that have no hope for the departure of our Friends Husbands Wives Iohn 11. Parents Children c. Thy Brother saith Christ to Mary shall rise again So shall they What though they tast of corruption they shall not perish in corruption They go to their graves but as to a bed there to rest for a time till the morning of the Resurrection come Now who would not be glad of rest after
abates it suddenly and brings it downe that it is turned to weaknesse And therefore sayth the Lord Ier. 9.23 let not the strong man reioyce in his strength As Elihu said unto Job Iob 36.19 The Lord regardeth not them that excell in strength The strength of the strongest by sicknesse is weakened assoone many times as it comes it takes its leave and is gone this flower fadeth And lastly pleasures Pleasures these are one of the goodly flowers of mans life He that gave way to his owne heart and drunk his fill of all earthly Contentments and delights gives in his verdict that all was vanity and vexation of Spirit they vanish in the use The injoying of one pleasure is but a lusting after another and he that enjoyeth most hath no satietie in them How suddenly doth the pleasure of Eating and Drinking vanish away The pleasures of sports pastimes they end in a moment Musique is past and gone in the very hearing the most delectable playes and shewes that most affect us are gone in a moment So that of all earthly Comforts and Contentments this may be said and concluded of them all they are but as grasse or at the best but as the flower of the field that quickly fadeth and falleth away And the Reasons are In Regard of the uncertaintie of our lives that now possesse them Reas 1 we cannot long continue with them though they might somtime Continue with us we have bodies that have in them the Seeds of sicknesse Diseases and Death it selfe we are but as grasse and all our earthly comforts but as the flower of the field which quickly vanish and fade away As we our selves art but as grasse Reas 2 So all our glory and pompe and earthly felicities which men doe so much doat upon are but as the flower of the field of a withering and fading Nature There is nothing here belowe that is not subiect to mutabilitie and change Yea the very Heavens themselves are not freed from Alterations the Sun and the Moon have their eclipses kingdoms and states have their wanes The Crowne lasts not from generation to generation no man is to day that he was yesterday Our Bodies and our estates do daily shewe that we are but as grasse And all our glory and excellencies but as the flower of the field Seing then that the life of man is so fraile as no example can expresse it Use 1 O let us then see what a momentany interest we have both in our selves and in what we possesse All flesh is grasse that is our condition And the glory of man that is all his outward excellencies But as the flower of the field that is their condition why then should we set our affections on the earth or on any thing that is here belowe since our life is so momentany and the things of this life so transitory We should rather take out the lesson of the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.31 to use the world as though we used it not to buy as though we possessed not because the fashion of the World passeth away It was the great Comendation of those primitive Christians that they lived here Heb. 11. but as pilgrims and strangers and sought a Citty having a foundation whose maker and builder was God It shall be our wisdom to looke out for a more sure 1 Pet. 1.3 and certaine estate and such as shall never decay nor change even that kingdom that is immortall fadeth not away God never gave us these earthly Cottages to that end our harts should be so taken up with them So as to neglect our seeking after a more durable inheritance What wise traveller will loyter and sit still in his way because he is in a faire Inn or take any great Contentment while he staies Since his stay is but short for a night and the next day he must leave all and come to a reckoning for that short time Here is our case we are in ourjourny the world is our Inn we have but a short time to stay in it away we must we know not how soone and we must be called to a reckoning for the time of our being here Secondly seeing our life is so short Use 2 so vain and so transitory as examples will scarce shew it compared to a day that is past to a Flood to Sleep to Grasse which suddainly growes up and as suddenly is cut down to a Flower of the field to a Tale that is told yea to vanity it selfe O then how doth it concern every one of us as we tender the everlasting welfare of our souls to provide for eternity and that life that shall never give place to death Let us consider that as our life is short so it is uncertain What assurance have we when we arise in the morning that we shall live till night or when we go to bed that we shall rise again Stewards we are here on earth and we do not know how soon our great Master will call us to an account we should lay up to provide for a certain estate that shall not fade nor decay We know what hapened to that rich man Luk. 12.19 20. that said to his soul Soul eat drink c. even the same night God said unto him Thou fool this night shall they take thy soul from thee This day is ours wherein the Lord calls upon us to convert repent and turn unto him Now he knocks and cries and calls how do we know whether he will ever knock more cry or call any more But that it may be our case Heb. 12. that was the case of Esau who found no place for repentance though he sought it with tears And lastly seeing Beauty Use 3 Honour Strength Pleasures and all other endowments of Nature are but as Grasse and as the Flower of the field we should esteem of them as they are but as Nosegaies for the present use as we do our flowers A Nosegay cannot long continue it will quickly fade and then we cast them away And so far as they may fit us for Gods service so to use them and not to make too high account of them Ver. 7. For we are consumed by thy anger and by thy wrath are we troubled MOSES the man of God having before shewed the common frailty of mankinde in generall that the Lord can and many times doth take them away suddenly as a Flood that they are as a Sleep and as Grasse that is suddenly cut down and withered This being the estate and condition of mankinde in generall In this verse he comes to applie this unto themselves and shewes that by reason of their sins they were in a far worse case and condition then other Men and other Nations and People for their life was not only short but they were hastily consumed by the Plague and Pestilence and other judgments of God upon them for their sins And in the next verse Moses proceeds to
it may be said of every grosse and presumptuous sin in the godly it provokes God to anger But yet there is a great difference betwixt Gods anger towards his children Difference betwixt Gods anger towards his children and the wicked and that wrath of his that commeth upon the children of disobedience First his anger towards his Children endures but for a moment In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment Es 54.8 but with everlasting kindnesse wil I have compassion on thee And of the godly it is said Ps 103.9 He will not alwaies chide neither keepeth he his anger for ever But as for the wicked it is not so with them but those tokens of his anger and wrath are but the beginnings of their sorrowes and a fire kindled that shall devoure to destruction It differs betwixt the godly and the wicked in measure God ever proportioneth the sufferings of his Children according to their strength He will not suffer them to be tempted above that they are able 1 Cor. 10.13 But now the Lord never takes notice what strength a wicked man hath to bear his punishments but oftentimes they sink under the burthen of them as Cain Saul Judas c. They bring forth the quiet fruits of righteousnesse in the one they make the wicked more desperate in sinning they tend to the instruction of the one they tend to the destruction of the other Thirdly Gods judgments are medicines to cure his children of the maladies of sin and to fit them for mercy and deliverance But as for the wicked that are vessells of wrath they tend to fit them for destruction so as the Prophet saith Es 21.24 Hath he smitten him meaning indeed his own Children as he smot them that smot him meaning indeed the wicked The Lord is not angry with them both alike nor smites them both alike And lastly Use 3 seeing the anger of God is so terrible and insupportable even a consuming fire and lies so heavy many times upon his own Children the malignity whereof is taken off by Christ It is our duty that as we sin daily Use 4 and provoke him daily by our sins so to be earnest solicitors to the Throne of grace daily that the Lord would not rebuke us in his anger Ps 38.1 2. neither chastise us in his wrath That the Lord would not deal with us according to our sins nor reward us according to our iniquities for if the Lord should we were never able to answer him for one of a thousand our provocations are so many and great that we may say with the Church Lam. 3.22 It is the Lords mercy that we are not consumed There is no way to escape Gods anger but as we sin daily to repent daily since we forfeit his mercies daily by our sins And in thy wrath are we troubled Text. MOSES and the people of God here confesse that they were exceedingly amazed and troubled by Gods anger and wrath gone out against them for their sin Whence we may observe Doct. 6 what it is that doth most affect the godly Sin most of all affects the godly wounds their souls and makes their hearts to bleed viz. The sense and feeling of Gods anger and frowning countenance against them for their sins that by their sins they have so far provoked God thus to frown upon them and to be displeased with them For as the loving kindnesse of God is better than life it selfe Ps 63.3 so the sense and feeling of his wrath and displeasure is that which wounds their souls to the quick so as there can be no comfort no joy no rest nor peace but sorrow griefe vexation and trouble of heart No doubt there were many things that troubled the heart of David in the matter of his sins of Adultery and Murther as the murther of his faithfull servant and subject Uriah the drawing of Bathsheba to the sin of Adultery and his drawing of Joab and others into the guilt of his sin besides the seandall that he had given to Religion But this was it that wounded him to the heart his sin against God and therefore he cries out Against thee against thee have I sinned nothing went so neer his heart as his offence against God and the sense of his displeasure Many times the wicked mourn for sin with worldly sorrow 2 Cor. 7. when by their sins they bring shame punishment or some detriment to their estate and the like Thus Pharaoh was troubled and took on Exod. 9.27 because of the Thunder and Hail and when that was over his trouble was over Gen. 27.38 Thus Esau wept when he had parted with his Birth-right for his own losse not for his offence against God And thus was Saul troubled when Samuel told him 1 Sam. 15.14 1 Reg. 11.21 that God had rent his Kingdome from him and Ahab when the judgment was denounced against his house Whereas in the godly the apprehension of Gods displeasure and the sin against him works the greatest sorrow though their sins were never so secret and should never come to light A gracious soul lookes more upon God offended then upon what he hath deserved This the Apostle calls a sorow according to God 2 Cor. 7 10. when it proceeds not from selfe love but because of God And this is that Zach. 12.12 which the Lord in some measure works in the hearts of all his And the Reasons are The first is taken from the nature of sin Reas 1 which is a Transgression of the Law By sin the most holy and righteous Law of God is violate and broken and hereby God is provoked A small offence against a Prince is made Treason so are sins committed against him being an infinite God Is given by the Apostle Reas 2 Ye have not received the Spirit of bondage to fear again but ye have received the Spirit of adoption Now such as have received this Spirit the Spirit of Adoption to be made the Sons of God these cannot but love God are affraid to offend God and much grieved if at any time by their sins they provoke God Is for tryall Use 1 whether our griefe and sorrow for sin be a godly sorrow and a fruit of true repentance yea or no. The vildest wretch its possible may some times have compunction and sorrow of heart for sin and they may wish that they had never committed such evills Ahab mourns and Judas repents himselfe and yet all was but worldly sorrow that brought death A wicked man and a very Hypocrite may go wonderfull far this way but upon tryall it will be found that their sorrow is conversant about the evill of punishment and not for the evill of sin It is the losse of credit detriment in estate shame punishment or the like that affects them selfe love works it in them and were it not for shame punishment hell or torment for sin they would
live and die in their sins Cain cries but why My punishment is greater then I can bear Pharaoh is troubled for what O take away this Plague of Thunder and Hail 1 Sam. 15.24 Saul mourns for what The losse of his Kingdome Ahab puts on sack-cloth for what For the evill threatned against his house O the deceitfulnesse of mans heart Here is the sorrow in wicked men let but the judgment be removed and Pharaoh hardens his heart again It is not sin as it is a breach of Gods Law neither is it the apprehension of Gods displeasure they so much care for or look after as the punishment of sin that thus affects them But now come to a child of God a gratious heart indeed that hath in it the work of grace his sorrow is principally for the evill of sin that God hath been offended and his righteous Law violate and if there were no danger at all in sin either of shame punishment here or hereafter yet this wounds their souls and grieves their hearts that they have dishonoured God and brought upon them Gods displeasure Beloved when we come once to see sin in this glasse in the glasse of the Law and in the wounds of Christ as it offends God and provokes his wrath then shall we mourn kindly for our sins and this sorrow will cause that repentance that is not to be repented of Secondly Use 2 seeing the anger of God is so terrible as no creature is able to bear it In thy wrath are we troubled this should stir us up to labour for reconciliation with God David that knew what it was to lie under the burthen of Gods displeasure exhorts us to kisse the Son lest he be angry Ps 2.12 If his wrath be kindled yea but a little saith he they only are blessed that trust in him And as this should make us affraid to provoke him to anger so when we perceive that he is offended as at this day the Lord hath shewed many tokens of his displeasure against the Land to look about us and to labour for reconciliation to come in unto him by Repentance and Humiliation for he is a strong God yea a consuming fire to all rebellious sinners When Jacob heard that Esau was angry with him he presently sends a present and speaks very mildly to his Brother Tell my Lord Esau c. And when Nabal had provoked David we see how Abâ—gal she came with her present to intreat for her life So when any great man is offended O what riding and running and labouring to win his favour again O where are our hearts that we labour no more for reconciliation with our God whose anger is provoked against the land this day But alas we are little moved with these signes of his wrath and tokens of his displeasure Verse 8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee and our secret sins in the light of thy countenance IN these words Moses sets down the more nearer and more proper cause of all those grievous judgments of God upon them viz. their sins Wherein they confesse that the Lord had not only called to a reckoning and account their great sins of infidelity and murmuring against Moses and Aaron but even their most secret sins which they committed closly and whereof none else could accuse them In the practice of this people here Doct. 1 we may note this speciall point in generall namely Sight of sin ground of humiliation for sin That it is impossible for any truly to be humbled and to seek unto God unlesse they come first to see their sins the greatnesse and hainousnesse of them For so long as this people lived in sin and rebelled against God so long they stood out and were no whit humbled to seek unto God But now that the Lord by these heavy afflictions and grievous judgments upon them having tamed them and brought them under now they begin to enter into their own hearts and to call their waies to accompt Thus the Prophet directing the Church to this necessary duty of repentance when Gods judgments lay so heavy upon them exhorts them thus Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our waies and turn unto the Lord implying thereby that there could be no true humiliation for sin nor turning to God by unfained repentance till they had first found out their sins It was a sad complaint that the Lord takes up of his people Ier. 8.6 No man repented him of his wickednesse saying What have I done And no marvell there was no repentance for sin because they never questioned their own waies to discover their sins And hence it is that the Lord commands his Prophet Ezek. 16.2 To cause Jerusalem to know her abhominations And to shew Israel her transgressions Es 58.1 and the house of Jacob her sins Conviction of sin is the Lords method that he useth to bring his people to repentance for sin Thus was David convinced of his sins by Nathan 2 Sam. 12.7 Acts. 2.23 Lam. 3.19 the Jewes by Peter And this is acknowledged by the lamenting Church Remember my affliction the wormwood and the gall my soul hath them in remembrance and is humbled In remembring I remembred an Hebraism that is by reason of thy afflicting hand upon me I came to search out the cause thereof which was my sins the happy fruit whereof was their repentance and their seeking of God So that the point is clear and plain that till we come to see sin with the odiousnesse thereof we cannot be humbled nor seek unto God Because none can repent him of that whereof he is ignorant Reas till the Lord be first pleased to open our eyes and let us see wherein we have offended and provoked his wrath against us we can never humble our souls as we ought before him It was David's sence of the heavy burthen of his sins that made him flie to God for pardon Make me to hear the voice of joy and of gladnesse Psal 32. that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Secondly Reas 2 the sight of sin is necessary to true humiliation for sin in regard it qualifies the soul for Christ for we shall never seek to Christ nor rest upon Christ till we feel the heavy burthen of sin The whole need not the Physician Lu. 5.31 but those that are sick And Christ calls such as travell and are heavy laden to come unto him Mat. 11.28 Neither will God ever bestow his saving benefits upon such that neither see their wants of them nor will not esteem them This serves first of all to direct the Ministers of the Word Use 1 that as they desire to see the fruits of their Ministry what foundation they ought to lay to do good to the souls of their people they are to take that course and to use those means that God hath chalked out unto them in his Word viz. To convince their hearers of their sins that so
for all this they sinned still and believed not his wondrous works But what followed verse 33. Therefore their daies did he consume in vanity and their years in trouble To this agreeth that of the Prophet Behold Es 59.1 the Lords hand is not shortned that he cannot save nor his ears heavy c. But your sins have separated between you and your God Eph 5.6 and your sins have hid his face from you But what are those sins Quest that in a speciall manner provoke God to anger against a Land and People All sin Ans even the least sin moves the Lord to anger Speciall sins that provoke Gods anger yet there are I confesse some speciall sins which do inflame the anger of God and these be capitall and hainous sins and such are First Idolatry Idolatry to worship a salfe God instead of thetrue God or the true God in a false manner this the Lord can no more endure then a Husband can endure the wanton behaviour of his Wife but is exceedingly provoked by it This appears by that golden Calfe that the Israeâ—ites made to worship for this sin three thousand were slain Exod. 32.4 28. There fell of the people that day about three thousand men O it is a dangerous provoking sin in a Land and Nation that have enjoyed the glorious liberty of the Gospell to Apostatize and fall from their first love either to Babylonish Idolatry or to Sects and Heresies this is a provoking sin and causeth God to remove the Candlestick from such a people The Lord lay not this sin to our charge The second provoking sin Infidelity that stirres up the Lord to anger against a People is Infidelity or a distrusting of Gods power or calling into question his promises in times of tryall that either the Lord cannot or will not help This was the great sin of this people for the which the Lord was so wrathfully displeased with them Ps 78.33 and for the which their daies did he consume in vanity and their years in trouble The third provoking sin Blasphemy is the blaspheming of the Name of God Because of Oaths the land shall mourn The shedding of innocent Blood is a provoking sin Blood as a loving Father cannot endure to see his Child slain before his face and the blood of his Child to be shed no more can the Lord endure the wicked to shed the blood of his Children Again the sin of Adultery Uncleannesse Fornication and uncleannesse these are provoking sins as appears in the firing of Sodome and Gomorrah It is true every sin provokes the Lord to anger but these sins especially encrease his anger against a Nation or People Hos 4.2 by swearing and lying and killing and whoring they break out therefore the Land shall mourn The point then is clear and plain that the principall cause of Gods anger and displeasure against a Land and people is their sins Gods justice calls for vengeance upon the sinner Reas Now God is most righteous and just and he will not fail to punish sin in whomsoever the same is committed The Angels saith Saint Jude that kept not their first estate he hath reserved in chaines c. The sinfull World drowned Sodom and Gomorrah burned Pharach and the Aegyptians plagued yea the Nation and the People of the Jewes fearfully consumed all clearing this truth that sin is the principal cause of Gods anger and is that which drawes down his judgments upon a people Seeing then it is sin that stirs up God to anger Use 1 and draws down his judgements upon a people by the effect we may judge of the cause Hath not the Lords hand of late years gone out against us the people of this Nation what by the Sword the Plague and Pestilence these late yeares of Drought and our present visitation by an unwonted Disease and sicknesse generally over the land whereof so many have been taken away by death What do all these but declare that God thah a Controversie with us this day Do not those forementioned sins that pull down Gods Judgements upon a land and people abound amongst us and make head at this day Idolatry and Popery in open and secret manner seems to take root again Sects and Heresies in former ages cried down and for many years dead and buried we have seen their resurrection again from that Bottomlesse Pit What age did ever produce the like outrages and abominations that this day are rife amongst us Swearing and Blasphemy Drunkennesse and Uncleannesse Contempt of Christ and his Gospel Thefts Murthers and all other abominations the like never age produced And unlesse the Lord put it into the hearts of those in present Authority to root out these sins it is not to be expected that England shall long escape more heavy Judgements then yet we have tasted of And yet alas how few are the number of those that lay these things to heart We hear and talk of our miseries but we are not affected with the cause of them which are our sins no man layes Gods judgements to heart as to say Alas what have I done Secondly Use 2 seeing sin is the cause of all Gods judgements upon a Nation or People this may inform us who are the great enemies of our state this day Surely the greatest sinners These are they that obstruct all our hoped for deliverance from our Parliaments and from our Councels We have a long time looked for peace for freedome for settlement in Church and State But when will it once be or indeed what hope can we have it will be so long as Tobias and Sanballats are amongst us so long as our Chams continue their scoffing our Esaus their profaning our Nabals their coveting our Achans their thieving our Jezabeâ—s their whoring and all of us our sinnings and rebellions against God Our Parliaments and Councels will be rendred weak they will not they cannot help us How can England look to prosper when the most high God is against us and doth forsake us What hath been the ruine and overthrow of Nations and Kingdomes but sin What hath tumbled down Cities ruined stately Houses and overthrown so many Noble Families but sin And when we shall see Religion countenanced a faithful Ministery set up and maintained Discipline in the Church established Justice duly administred and wholesom Laws duly executed Piety incouraged Sin duly punished and the Kingdome of the Lord Jesus set up in the hearts and Consciences of men Then there will be hope of better times that God will delight to dwell amongst us Seeing sin is the principal cause of all Gods Judgements upon a land and people Use 3 How then doth it concern all Superiours that are in the place of Magistracy to look well to their places and Callings since the weal or woe of the Church and State depends upon them How many foul and enormous sins were committed in Israel and the
reason assigned was this Every man did that which was right in his own eyes Iudg. 17.6 What confusion is there at this day in Church and State and all under pretence of Liberty of Conscience Who doth not see that Sects and Heresies Blasphemies Contempt of Magistracy and Ministery in all places of the land is grown to such a head that if the Lord put not a stay to these spirits and licencious times what can be expected but Confusion The Apostle saith The Magistrate doth not bear the sword for nought Ro. 13.4 But as the Ministers of God are to take vengeance on them that do evil It is a sad condition that that Land and State is in when Magistrates that have the sword in their hands shall stand like a George on Horseback with his sword drawn yet never strikes How can such Magistrates approve their calling from God and look for protection from him that shew no more zeale for God Phinehas zeal in executing judgement upon Zimri and Cosbi Num. 25.11 12. brought a blessing upon the whole Congregation of Israel And the Lord shewed mercy to good Nehemiah Neh. 13.20 because he had shewed such zeal for God in punishing the profaners of the Lords Sabbaths The Lord knows this zeal for God is wanting in many Magistrates amongst us And indeed the want of the execution of Justice against the sins of these times is not the least cause wherefore things are at this passe in the Church and State as they are at this day and wherefore things prosper no better under our present Government O that all that are in Authority from the highest to the lowest would make it their care with David Ps 101.8 early to destroy the wicked of the land and to cut off wicked doers from the City of the Lord Can. 2.15 And take those foxes those little foxes that spoil the vines That Justice might run down like a stream and be duly administred without partiality that Sects and Heresies might be discountenanced and punished piety and godlinesse more incouraged that God at last may remove his anger from us and delight to dwell amongst us Thou hast set our iniquities before thee Text. c. THis Moses speaks for our capacities as if the Lord did keep a Register of our sins and set them before his sight The meaning of the words will appear by the contrary As when the Lord is said to cast our sins behinde his back as things he never means to call to minde but to put them out of his remembrance and to drown them in the sea as he did Pharaoh Now as the Lord is said to cast our sins behinde his back when he means not to punish them So he is said to set them before his eyes when he calls them to minde to punish them Whence we may note the happy fruit of affliction Doct. 3 Times of affliction discovers corruption when the Lord is pleased to send and sanctifie the same unto his people This makes them look home and to discover the evils of their own hearts and wayes which before this time they could not see In times of peace and prosperity many sins lie hid and undiscovered in Gods people but Gods judgements bring them to light Now that Gods hand is upon this people being miserably wasted and consumed with the Plague and Pestilence Now they can say Thou hast set our iniquities before thee c. In the times of Gods forbearance whilest they had their Manna and their Quails at full they were fat and wanton Jesurun waxed fat Deut. 32.15 and lightly esteemed the Rock of their salvation But now in their affliction and distresse they are taught to know themselves to look home and acknowledge that God called their sins to accompt and justly punished them for them This the Lord himself doth witness unto Hos 5.14 15. when he saith I will be unto Ephraim as a Lion and as a young Lion to the house of Judah I even I will tear and go away I will take away and none shall rescue I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face for in their affliction they will seek me early And so they did for in the next Chapter they say one to another Hos 6.1 Come let us return to the Lord for he hath wounded us and he will heal us c. Thus Esay Es 26.16 Lord in trouble have they visited thee they poured forth thei prayers when thy chastisements were upon them The Scriptures are ful of examples in this kinde how that in times of peace and prosperity many sins in Gods people have lyen hid and undiscovered which Gods judgements have discovered and brought to light Gen. 37.24.42.21 An excellent example wherewhereof we have in the Brethren of Joseph whose sin against their brother never came to Conscience for many years together untill they came into Egypt and were there stayed as spies Then their hearts smote them for their sin We have justly suffered these things for we sinned against our brother The like we may see in Manasses who did much evil in the fight of the Lord till he was carried captive into Babylon and there laid in cold irons Then Manasses knew that God was the Lord. 2 Chron. 33.13 And this we may see in the Prodigall whilest his purse was full he cared not for his father Luke 15. nor for his fathers house onely a famine makes him think of returning home Thus did Hagar grow proud and insolent in Abrahams house she then knew not her self but despised Sara her Mistris but being in the wildernesse in want was taught to know her self It is true the Philistines could not understand Sampsons Riddle Iudg. 14.14 how sweet should come out of sowre and meat out of the eater So worldlings cannot understand that tribvlation bringeth forth patience Ro. 5.3 2 Cor. 4.13 Heb. 12.11 and patience experience and experience hope and our light and momentany afslictions should cause us a far more excellent and eternal weight of glory But Gods children finde it true by comfortable experience that howsoever no visitation be sweet for the present yet afterwards it bringeth forth the quiet fruits of Righteousnesse unto them that are thereby exercised And it must be so in regard Because miseries and afflictions are excellent means to humble the heart of man Reas 1 and to abate its pride for such is our corrupt nature that in times of health peace and prosperity men are lifted up swell with pride and forget themselves Now there is no sin makes a man more odious to God then pride doth Iam. 4.6 God resisteth the proud Now the Lord many times layes sore afflictions upon his own children for this end and purpose to cure the evil And this is one end that God aimeth at in correcting man Iob 33.17 That he might hide the pride of man Miseries
singularity and deprive themselves of that liberty and pleasure that others enjoy they will not swear nor drink for company nor run with others into the same excesse of riot It is true indeed this they do not neither dare they do it and this is indeed the main cause why the world hates them But it is better that men should hate us for good then that God should plague us for evil Little doth the graceless world know what the terrors of the Lord are and how sensible a tender conscience is of sin especiall such as have been in the furnace of Soul-affliction Davids heart smote him for the very renting off of Sauls garment when his life it self was in his hand It is neither folly nor precisenesse in any to avoid the least sin that is so hated of God and will be so severely punished of him Let such remember that it was the sin of cursed Cain to hate his brother for good 1 Ioh. 3.12 And last of all Use 3 this serves to discover the wofull estate of those that covet nothing more then to shut their eyes yea and stiflle the checks of their own Consciences that when by the Ministery of the Word they are convinced of their sins and of the miserable estate wherein they stand by reason of sin labour by all means to keep this sorrow of heart from them like a poor condemned creature that stops his ears that he may not hear the Sentence of Condemnation passe against him whereas his onely way were to be humbled for his offence and to beg pardon there cannot be a more certain signe of an obdurate and hard heart then thus to stifle Conscience to hate reproofs that they might go on in a sinfull course without controlement Ps 141.5 Whereas a godly heart can say with David Let the righteous smite me for that is a precious oyle And by their judging of themselves they shall escape the judgement of the Lord 1 Cor. 11.32 That sin that is judged here shall not be judged hereafter Our secret sins in the light of thy countenance THere is one thing more observable in this Text viz. That the Lord having now by those sharp afflictions humbled this people they are brought at last to know and acknowledge that God had not onely set their iniquities before him but even their most secret sins in the light of his countenance Whence we learn Doct. 5 That our most secret sins that are committed are done God looking on The most secret sins are done God looking on Our secret sins in the light of thy countenance It is true Job 22.13 carnal hearts are ready to reason as Eliphaz with Job How doth God know can he judge through the dark Thick clouds are a covering to him that he seeth not These and the like are the carnal thoughts of carnal men Doth God know or is there any knowledge in the Most High Many a wicked and graceless wretch thinks the dark night will cover his sin and hide his abominations where as there is nothing that ever we did but the Lord is privy to it Ps 119.168 Ps 139.4 All my wayes saith David are before thee and There is not a word in my tongue but thou O Lord knowest it altogether And as Job hath it Iob 42.4 There is no thought hid from thee So that all our wayes words and thoughts are knowne to him Many are those glorious titles that are given to God in the Scriptures And amongst the rest this that He is the Searcher of the heart a property no way communicable to any creature for of him onely it is said Heb. 4.13 All things are open and naked before his eyes This is fully cleared by the Prophet David Ps 139.2 Thou knowest my down-sitting and my up-rising thou understandest my thoughts afar off verse 4. There is not a word in my tongue but loe thou knowest it a together And again verse 12. The darknesse hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darknesse and the light are to thee both alike Am I a God at hand saith the Lord Ier. 23.23 24. and not a God afar off Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him Do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord There is no point of Doctrine in all the Scriptures more clear and plain then this That it is God that searcheth the heart sees all things and beholds our most secret thoughts and wayes The Reasons will make it more clear First Reas 1 his Omniscience is a special property of God an attribute of his His Knowledge is infinite hath no bounds nor limits he knows the Nature Reason and Causes of all things Heb. 4.13 All things are naked and open to his eyes or as the word is anatomized before him He is that God that fills heaven and earth with his presence and therefore must needs know and observe all our actions and take notice of our most secret sins Reas 2 Is given by the Prophet Ps 94.9 It is he that made the eye shall he not see It is he that made the ear shall he not hear He teacheth man knowledge shall he not know These were all absurd to think or imagine in God that hath in him perfection of all things Can the work be unknown to the workman or the creature to the Creator Since it is in him that we live and move and have our being Acts 17.27 The Lord at the last day will then lighten things that are hid in darknesse Reas 3 1 Cor. 4.5 Eccl. 12.14 and will make the counsels of the heart manifest and bring every secret thing to Judgement Therefore out of question he knows every secret thing yea he is privy to all those secret thoughts motions windings and turnings in the heart of man and every man at last shall receive judgement accordingly We shall now apply this Use 1 Seeing that our most secret sins are done and committed in the light of his countenance How may this strike terrour in the hearts of all wicked and ungodly men that live in the daily practise of many known sins Can therebe a greater terror to a malefactor then to know that the Judge himself is an eye-witnesse of his villany So what greater terror can there be to the wicked then this to have the Lord himself to behold their doings Many a wicked wretch thinks with himself that the sins he daily commits that no eye sees him nor beholds him could they be perswaded that but the eye of some godly man yea but a childe of five years old did see and beheld them what a terror would this have been unto them O where are our thoughts of the Lords All-seeing Presence whose eye is ever upon us Yea the more cunning and slight men have used in covering and concealing their sins the more doth the Lord abhor them and the greater
as one of his enemies The like we may see in David that was a man after Gods own heart yet exercised with sore afflictions in his estate body minde and conscience as that he hath often very sad complaints Psal 6.3 My soul is sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou delay Thy indignation â—ieth upon me and thoâ— hast vexed me with all thy waves Will he Lord absent himself for ever 〈◊〉 88.7 and will he shew no more favour Ps 77.8 Hath God forgotâ—en to be gracious and hath he shuteâ— his loving kindnesse in displeasure Nay our Saviour Christ himself when he lived here what was his life but a life of sorrows and afflictions even All his dayes even from the Manger to the Crosse his whole life indeed was a continuall passion So that the point is clear that the afflictions of Gods Church and People many times doe and may last long But how can this stand with those places of Scripture that say Quest that our afflictions in this life are short and momentany 2 Cor. 4.17 Es 54.7 Our light afflictions which are but for a moment and again for a small moment have I forsaken thee The afflictions of Gods Church and People are short Answ 1 not simply of themselves for so many times they last long but in comparison of the glory that is hereafter to be revealed they are short They are not short to sense for so many times are they long but to faith they are so which apprehends Gods favour presence and grace in the sharpest trials and expects the accomplishment of Gods promise in giving a happy issue unto them so are they short If we look unto this life so are afflictions long But if we look to eternity and that glory that hereafter is to be revealed so are they short and last but for a moment But what might be the Reasons why Gods hand should lye so heavy Quest and that so long a time upon his children The first may be that of the Apostle Ans Reas 1 We are chastened of the Lord that we might not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11.32 Should not the Lord many times put this bridle upon us by sharp affliction to keep us in and make us know ourselves the Prodigal would never think of returning home nor Manasses know that God is the Lord. Were it not for the rod many of Gods children would run riot as the Prodigal did and kick against God as Manasses did But afflictions keep them in And David can say Ps 119.75 I know that thou of very faithfulnesse hast caused me to be afflicted It is an argument of Gods anger and heavy displeasure against the wicked to suffer them to go on in sin without check or controlement to fill up the measure of their iniquities Hos 4.14 I will not visit your daughters for their whoredomes that was a heavy judgement of God upon them Thus doth God many times plague most when he seems to spare most Whereas of his own people the Lord speaketh thus Amos 3.2 You onely have I known of all the families of the earth therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities Gods glory is another main end of all Gods chastisements and afflictions he layes upon his people Reas 2 He is the Author and Giver of all graces and when these shall break out shine and appear the glory of their excellency shall most redound to God that gave them O how did the patience of Job and his holy dependency still upon God even in his sharpest brunts and trials which Satan by Gods permission brought upon him shine and appear to the glory of Gods grace that he could blesse God Iob 1.12 and say Though the â—ord kill me yet will I trust in him And when we can be content for Gods sake Ps 44.22 To be killed all the day long and with those blessed Apostles Rejoyce that we are accounted worthy to suffer for Christ Hereby Gods people are driven to God the onely Refuge in times of misery Reas 3 as the malefactor to the horns of the Altar It was the depths of Davids misery that caused him to send forth deep sighs and groans to the Throne of Grace And lastly Reas 4 hereby the Promises taste the more sweet It was the famine that made the Prodigall to see the priviledge of Servants in his Fathers house And to procure unto us the sounder comfort the deeper the incision is made into the wound the more perfect will the cure be The Prophet cries out My belly trembled my lips â—â—rok rottennesse entred into my bones but the end and issue was Heb. 3.16 that I might rest in the day of trouble And herein the Lord provideth for his own glory in bringing light out of darknesse and by the humiliation of his children brings their greatest exaltation When Jacob must be blessed he must first wrestle for it and when Joseph shal be exalted he must first to the Prison Thus God many times deals with us Seeing afflictions thus many times lye long upon Gods people Use 1 This may serve for the just reproof of those that judge of Gods favour and love towards themselves and others by their outward estate and hence conclude those most happy upon whom God bestows most and those most miserable that enjoy least and lye under affliction Thus Jobs friends though otherwise good men yet when they saw the hand of God upon Job in that strange manner most uncharitably judged him for an hypocrite Eccl. 9.1 2. This is a false rule to go by and this is to condemn the generation of the righteous Pro. 3.12 No man saith Solomon can judge of love or hatred by all that is before him God many times plagues the wicked in sparing them and God loves his children when most severely he corrects them So that outward prosperity is no infallible signe of Gods love neither are afflictions crosses and calamities infallible signes of Gods displeasure Use 2 Secondly this may admonish us that if the Lord shall at any time thus deal with us as with his people here and send us long and tedious afflictions in our bodies mindes or estates by trouble of minde sicknesse poverty losses crosses or the like we are not therefore to despair or presently to think that God loves us not but hath cast us off Shall we not drink of the cup that Christ himself drank off We pray Thy will be done Now if it be his will that we shall thus spend our daies in affliction and misery our very passive obedience in suffering Gods Will be to done upon us brings not lesse glory to God then when we actually doe his will We are not to murmure repine and complain but possesse our souls by patience Acts 14.22 for if we will be his Disciples we must through many tribulations enter into the Kingdome of Heaven But is it possible Quest that the
thing that crosseth it But Gods anger and wrath is ever at sin which is so contrary to that holy and pure nature of his that he will not fail to correct even in his own children O how happy were we if we could bring our hearts to this to be angry Eph 4.26 and sin not to make sin the object of our anger and wrath in our selves and others As Moses though he were the meekest man living yet when the people had made the golden Calfe he caused the same to be grownd to powder and made the people in a holy anger and indignation to lick up the dust thereof Thus was the zeal of Phineas kindled against Zimri and Cosbi and executing judgment upon them Gods wrath was appeased Secondly Use 2 seeing the effects of Gods wrath for sin are so terrible what then is sin the cause of Gods displeasure In all diseases we say the cause is worse then the effect Now all the plagues and judgments that God executeth in the World are but the effects of sin We have seen in our times the great alterations that have been in Church and State the Crown it selfe is withered many Noble Families and Houses brought down and laid in the dust Inheritances translated to others the Sword hath begot a new tenure confusion in the Church Sects and Heresies abound in every corner the Ordinances of God contemned and despised the Ministry slighted and disesteemed as if it were uselesse and might be spared never more open prophanenesse nor aparent signes of Gods anger and wrath against a people then God hath manifested against us with his unwonted judgmeÌ„ts and strange visitations by unwonted sicknesses and diseases Surely in the midst of them all we are to justifie God since England's sin hath caused all our plagues upon us this day and we are to confesse with the lamenting Church that it is the Lords mercy we are not quite laid wast That it might be said of England that we were a people that kept not Covenant with God And when we shall see Religion advanced discipline and order in our Church Sects and Heresies discountenanced Piety encouraged and Prophanenesse suppressed then and not till then may we hope that God will remove his wrath and turn away his anger from us And last of all Vse 3 this may serve for Exhortation to admonish all to take heed of sin we shall never escape Gods anger nor displeasure whilst we are guilty of sin sin laies us naked and open to all judgments But especially this concerns Magistrates that as they desire to keep off Gods judgments from a Land and Nation that they see that sin be duly punished When Phineas executed judgment the Plague ceased And this care ought Parents and Heads of Families to have that as they desire protection from God and to see his blessing upon their Families that they suffer not an Achan under their roof Ps 101. Zach. 5.4 Pr. 3.33 but purge their house as David did his For certain it is the curse of God is up-the habitation of the wicked whereas the habitation of the righteous shall prosper There is one thing more to be observed that as the effects of Gods anger and wrath are terrible So it is the sight of sin Doct. 4 Sight of sin and sense of Gods displeasure for sin ground of repentance and â—â—â—ious consideration of Gods anger and displeasure against sin that is the ground-work and foundation of true repentance There are many excellent fruits of godly sorrow and true repentance manifested by this people from verse 12. to the end yet if we observe well these two verses 8 9. we shall see it was the sight of their sins and the apprehension of Gods anger and displeasure for sin that set them upon their repentance The fight of sin and the apprehension of Gods anger and displeasure for sin ever goes before true repentance This Church and people acknowledge that God had set their their iniquities before him c. And withall had a deep sense of Gods anger and displeasure before they addresse themselves for pardon And surely this is Gods order of working in the great work of Repentance and Salvation first to cast down through the sight of sin and apprehension of Gods displeasure for sin and then to raise up in the apprehension of mercy in Christ Never did any truly repent but first apprehended the curse and Gods indignation against sin before Let this be duly thought upon as a most certain ground of truth that those whom the Lord intends to save he will first discover unto them their sin and Gods wrath due unto them even the curse of the Law which is eternal death of Soul and Body for ever before he ever give them the sweet apprehension of his favour and love in Christ The Scriptures are clear and plain in this point Come let us return unto the Lord Hos 6.1 for he hath wounded us Where we see the Lords order first to wound and then to binde up Thus dealt he with those Jewes Act. 2.37 who had imbrued their hands in the blood of the Lord Jesus they were first brought to see their sins by the Ministry of Peter and apprehend Gods wrath due for the same and then they cry out to the Apostles Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved The Lord deals with a pure soul whom he intends to save as he said to Moses Deut. 28.66 Thy life shall hang in doubt before thee and thou shalt fear day and night Now it is with a soul in this plight as it was with Balshazar in his cups Dan. 5. when he saw the hand writing the joynts of his knees smote together thus doth the Lord strike the soul with amazement and fear whilest he shall see before him nothing but death hell and condemnation thus the Lord ordinarily breaks the heart and humbles the â—oul before he fills it with mercy Baloved let us not flatter our selves to think that repentance and reconciliation with God were a matter so easily got No no the Lord will have us into the furnace first and the Lord will make us to see our sins and to feel the waight and burthen of them Mat. 9.13 Es 55.1 Joh. 7.37 with the sence of his anger and wrath against sin before we can look for mercy The Scriptures are full in this particular And the Reasons are God hath so appointed it Reas 1 that all the Elect should thus be brought home to him Ioh. 16.8 I will send you the Comforter saith Christ and he shall rebuke the world of sin and of righteousnesse First of sin unto condemnation and then of righteousnesse viz. the righteousnesse of Christ unto salvation And thus the Prophet brings in Christ speaking thus Es 61.1 The spirit of the Lord is on me and the Lord hath annointed me and sent me to preach good tidings to the poor to binde up the broken
labour and sweat for a poor life here of so short a continuance how much more should we study and labour for life eternall As Christ saith Labour not for the meat that perisheth John 6. but c. So let us labour for that life that perisheth not and shall not last for seventy or eightie years and then end as this life doth but shall last whilst God himselfe lasts even to all eternity Thirdly and lastly Use 3 seeing the ordinary time of mans life is seventie or eightie years a goodly time to live in the world if we have grace to use it well O if God give a man this goodly time what a great mercy is it if men bestow it well how much glory might we bring to God how much good to his Church and what a measure of heavenly knowledge faith repentance and other graces may a man get in these seventie or eightie years if we are not wanting to our selves But alas who makes this use and benefit of his time Commonly men bestow this time pretious time vainly and unprofitably and little of it is spent in the service of God in doing good to his Church and furnishing their souls with grace against the time of need Did men but learn-one lesson at every one Sermon that they hear how much knowledge might be gained in seventie or eightie years and what a stock of grace might men have in store against the time of sicknesse and when death shall come Yet is their strength but labour and sorrow MOSES having in the former part of this Verse shewed the common rate of our life here in this world and the ordinary stint beyond which few passe Doth here likewise show that as this long life that men 〈◊〉 being compared to eternity is but short and not to be stood upon so it is not free from trouble and sorrow from misery and affliction but that the chiefest part of it even the pride and flower of the strongest man is but labour and sorrow so that the sweetnesse of the longest life is tempered with manifold sorrowes troubles and afflictions we never continue long at one stay but in our chiefest prosperitie our comforts are often blasted and suddainly gone So that in these words we have to observe 1. The misery of mans life even in his best and most flourishing estate it is mixed with labour and sorrow 2. The ground and cause of this which is It is soon cut off and we flie away First in that Moses affirmes that the life of man is ordinarily not only short and shut up within the compasse of seventie years or at the most eightie years but also affirmes that the best and most excellent part of this time is 〈◊〉 â—â—ouble and sorrow Hence we learn Doct. 2 That the misery of man since his fall is exceeding great Misery of man since the fall great Gen. 47.9 because let his life be what it will be yet his very best time is full of labour and sorrow As Jacob said to Pharaoh The dayes of the years of my pilgrimage are few and evil So true is that of Job Job 14.1 Man that is born of a woman is of few dayes and full of trouble The very honey and sweetnesse of this life is mixed with wormwood and gall what day almost passeth over our heads without some crosse or other and cause of grief He that drank deepest of the cup of all worldly prosperity as Solomon took his fill of them yet at last concluded Eccl. 2.13.23 That all was but vanity and vexation of spirit That mans dayâ— are full of sorrows and his travel grief of heart we see our joyes are uncertain our sorrows and grief more sure whilest as Job saith The evils which we fear befall us and the comforts we desire fail us We are still expecting better dayes and times but finde worse In our mirth there is mourning in our joy there is sorrow our false fears beget reall grief though the things we fear never come to passe And as if our present miseries were not enough to make our lives miserable we torment our selves in laying hold of those we have already suffered and fear those that are to come by which means many times we torment our selves before the time In a word there is no age or time of mans life nor estate or condition we are in here but it meets with its severall miseries incident thereunto youth middle age old years all of them have their labour and sorrow daies of vanity full of misery Seeing our life here in this world is so frail and so miserable Use 1 full of labour and sorrow both inward and outward of body and minde this shewes that the greatest part of the world are far from this perswasion of Moses as look not upon this world to be so full of misery for many a man could wish he might ever live here and never die It seemes these men did never yet tast of the misery of sin and of the misery of this life or else they could never yet see what a blessed thing it is to be freed from these miseries and to live eternally in Heaven Secondly seeing our life is so short Vse 2 frail and miserable full of labour and sorrow this should teach us that lesson of the Apostle To use this world as though we used it not seeing it is so full of misery and trouble We see a Mother when she would wean the Child from the breast she laies some bitter thing upon it that so the Child tasting of it might be out of love with it and desire it no more Even so the Lord knowing that we are exceedingly in love with the world with the pleasures and profits of this life lest we should surfeit with these things hath laid many bitter troubles and afflictions upon us and all to wean us from the immoderate love of it This doth David acknowledge from experience O Lord thou hast made my daies as an hand-breadth Surely every man in his best estate is but vanity Ps 39.5 6. And that this might be remembred of us he sets upon it a note of attention Selah and shewes what use himselfe made of it O Lord my hope is in thee He casts off all care of the world and only flies to God and seeks to him for succour Yet is their strength but labour and sorrow Text. WE have yet farther to observe that in asinuch as Moses saith their Strength that is the chiefest and most excellent estate the very flower of their life wherein men do so much glory and rejoyce is but a time of labour and sorrow We are taught Doct. 3 that there is no estate of man in this life No estate but full of labour and forrow so high or so sure and certain or so sweet and comfortable but it is subject to alterations and change subject to misery and trouble For Moses speaks this in generall both of Prince
our time hath cut down so many some with one disease some with another confus'dly quickly and hastily this sin hath not been the least provoking sin of this land this day Our distrusting of Gods power and providence and murmuring against the Lord as though we should never see peaceable daies again or Religion established and the Gospell to flourish and that we shall never see those golden daies we have so long defired Even this sin of murmuring and distrusting of Gods power and providence is no small let and hindrance to our desired peace This this was the sin of this Church and people though they had had much experience of Gods power and goodnesse towards them in delivering them from their cruell bondage in Aegypt and that the Lord had now brought them to the sight of Canaan yet for their sin of unbeliefe and murmuring against Moses and Aanon the Lord would not suffer them to possesse that good Land but cut them off and swept them away by hundreds and thousands that they dyed in the Wildernesse And how severely God hath punished this sin in his own servants Numb 20 8.12 Luke 1.20 For the Reasons and Uses see the first Doctrine And we fly away MOSES speaks not here of the people alone that they were wasted and consumed But joynes himself with them The Lord hath cut us off and we fly away He joynes himselfe in the sin and also in the punishment They all had sinned even Moses himself and for his sin the Lord would not suffer him to come into the land of Canaan Num. 20.8.12 His sin he here confesseth with the sins of the people and Gods righteous Judgement upon them for the same Hence wee may observe Doct. 5 That the usuall manner of the servants of God Gods servants confesse their own sins as the sins of others in their prayers hath been to confesse themselves sinners And by their sins to have drawn down Gods Judgements as well as the sinns of others This doth Moses here links himselfe with the rest of the people of Israel in the case of Gods Anger Thus Daniel in that solemn prayer of his for the Church Dan. 9.5 that the Lord would make good his promise to deliver them from their Captivity and Bondage confesseth his own sins and the sins of the people We have sinned saith he and committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and from thy Judgements And again Ver. 7. O Lord righteousnesse belongs to thâ—e but unto us confusion of face as at this day Thus godly Nehemiah when hee makes his prayer in the behalf of the Church Neh. 1.6 We have sinned against thee both I and my Fathers house have sinned If any man sin saith Saint John we have an Advocate c. He joynes himself with others that stood in need of Jesus Christ for their Advocate And who could have said more against Paul then he against himselfe when he confesseth that he was the Chiefest of sinners Luk. 16.13 Luk. 15.18 And thus doth the poor Publican the Prodigall c. And it must be so For First Reas 1 the godly have learned to give glory to God when his Judgements are gone out into the World which they do when they acknowledge God to be just and themselves to have sinned This Reason doth Joshua presse upon Achan Jos 7.19 My Son I pray thee give â—lory to God and confesse thy fault Hereby we clear his Justice when wee take shame to our selves And this was Davids Reason Ps 51.4 why he was so long and ample in the Confession of his sins That thou mightest be justified c. Secondly Reas 2 a child of God and true believer cannot but know that hee lies under the guilt of many sins which must be taken off by true Repentance and godly sorrow And hence it is that in hearty prayer when they confesse the sins of the Church they cannot they dare not exclude themselves Thirdly in a true and hearty Confession of our sins Reas 3 is grounded our hope and confidence that God will hear and answer our prayers And hence it is that we shall find Gods people when in the most solemn manner they have sought the pardon of their fins they have grounded their hopes of Mercy from their hearty confession of their sins Thus David Ps 51.3 Wash me throughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin for saith he I acknowledge mine iniquity Ps 32.5 And again David presseth the Lord with this I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid And in times of publick Humiliation much of the work hath been spent in Confession of sins This serves for the just reproof of those Use 1 who seeing others plagued and afflicted condemn them as justly punished and yet they themselves as great sinners no whit affected As we see it common in the World O say some no marvel though the Lord plague them they are such and such a people Did Moses say thus of this people did he so unmercifully single out himselfe and say that it is but just that these Rebells be plagued they murmured against me and would not belive me No no Moses joynes himself with them and saith We are Cut off and we fly away What Spirit then are those led by that condemn others without pitty and compassion and justifie themselves as if they were Righteous This may serve also for our instruction Use 2 That we learn by Moses his Example who though he was an excellent man of God highly in Gods favour yet he humbly joynes himselfe with the Church in the Confession of his sins as well as theirs Acknowledging that his sins were the cause of Gods Judgements as the sins of the people though hee escaped and they were punished Thus should we do now that so many places and Families and persons are visited with sicknesse whilst we escape let us not think onr condition better then theirs or that they were greater sinners then our selves But let us know that our sins have been the cause to pull down Gods Judgements upon others as well as their own As Moses here acknowledgeth himself in the number of them that had sinned and had compassion on them and prayed for them Even so though others die and thou escape others are in misery when thou art free O know that thou maist have a hand in their plagues Thy sins may be deep in the cause of Gods Judgements on the Land And therefore to have compassion on others miseries to pitty them and to pray for them and to acknowledge that it is not thy goodnesse above others but the Lords goodnesse towards thee that thou escapest and art not wrapt up in the same misery Ver. 11. Who knoweth the power of thy Anger even according to thy fear So is thy wrath IN this verse Moses seems to apply and to make use of the
former destruction of so many thousands of the people that were so suddenly cut off and swept away Who knoweth the power of c. q. d. what man living is able sufficiently to confider of the greatnesse of thy wrath and fearfull Anger against sin And who doth fear thee according to thy exceeding and unspeakable Anger to tremble at it as thine indignation and displeasure ought to be feared As if he should say surely few or none For Interrogations in the Scripture are often strong Negations And those that doe fear thee yet fall short of the measure of their fear that thy anger and wrath doth require Who knoweth THat is doth well consider it and acknowledgeth the unsupportable waight and burthen of it The first Instruction observable is That albeit we tast of Gods anger Doct. 1 yet few take notice of it Few take notice of Gods anger And that is ordinarily the case of desperate sinners that contemn the rod of Gods chastisements and profit not by them Jer. 8.6 as the Prophet hath it No man said What have I done And again Ezek. 16.43 I have brought thy waies upon thy own head yet hast thoâ— not had consideration of thy abominations Thus did the Lord call to weeping and mourning Es 22.12 13 14. to baldnesse and sackcloath and behold joy and gladnesse eating of flesh and drinking of wine But what followed this damnable security Surely this iniquitie saith the Lord shall not be purged till ye die Gen. 6. This was that damnable securitie of the old World in the daies of Noah though Gods judgments were threatned and even at the doore Yet they gave themselves to eating and drinking marrying c. till the Flood came and swept them all away And hence it is that we are commanded to hear the rod and who hath appointed it Mic. 6.9 Every affliction and every judgment from God utters a voice which we are to give ear unto and labour to finde out the Lords minde in wherefore the Lord sends forth such tokens of his anger and displeasure and not to do this when Gods hand is upon us argueth much security It is a dangerous thing when Gods wrath is gone out against a Land and Nation or any particular person to harden our necks against the stroak of the Almightie It was a sad complaint that of the Prophet Strangers have devoured his strength Hos 7.9 and he knoweth not O when the Lord shall inflict upon his people and plead against them with the pestilence and with blood Ezck. 38.22 and men shall not take notice of it but remain sencelesse under Gods hand this is the way to double Gods strokes and to kindle a fire that shall devoure to destruction He hath poured upon him the fury of his anger and yet he knew it not Es 42.25 and it burned him and he laid it not to heart Such look not up to God that striketh them nor to their sins Reas 1 that justly drawes down Gods judgments upon them but they rather look upon secondary causes or instruments and over-look God How usuall a thing it is for men to ascribe all their miseries and calamities that men suffer to destiny fortune or chance and sometimes to their own want of providence as if they might have prevented them and thus men through the wretchednesse of their own evill hearts they over-look God looking after the stone but not the hand that cast it Secondly Reas 2 it is the only fruit of Faith to behold God chastising us as a loving father for our good Now when men either want Faith or Faith is not exercised under the crosse no marvell though men over-look God and make not the right use of their sufferings whereas David in his greatest trials could comfortably conclude I know that thy judgments are just Ps 119 75. and that thou of very faithfulnesse hast caused me to be troubled This serves to admonish us Vse 1 that when the hand of God is gone out against us either against the Land in generall or against us in particular in any kind whatsoever in our bodies names estates c. that we take heed that this be not our case that we are insensible under Gods correcting hand but take notice of his anger and displeasure gone out against us In all extraordinary and strange judgments of God upon us we should look home Deut. 31.17 and say Righteous art thou O Lord and true are thy judgments And all these things are come upon us for we have sinned against thee This was Jobs care under his sore afflictions he puts not off the matter lookes not upon the Caldeans and the Sabeans that had plundered him of his substance but he lookes up higher even unto God and desires to finde out the cause of all his misery Iob 10.2 Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me Thus doth the Church in great afflictions first they acknowledge that their sins had deserved all their miseries and they desire to finde them out and to turn unto the Lord Man suffereth for his sin Lam. 3.39 Let us search and try our waies and turn unto the Lord. This is one main end of all those tokens of his anger and displeasure to humble the proud heart of man to make him look home and then is God glorified when he attains the end of his corrections laid upon us The Lord knowes this Land and Nation of ours is too too faulty in this that notwithstanding his wrath hath gone out against us by many tokens of his displeasure by the sword by the pestilence and by our late visitation of common sicknesse and unwonted diseases whereby many in all parts and corners of the Land have been suddenly swept away as it was the case of this Church and People here Yet how few lay these judgments of God to heart to be humbled for sin the cause of all We have had our daies of Humiliation but where is that Reformation the Lord lookes for at our hands We still complain of our miseries we groan under but we complain not of our sins the cause of all How can we look that Gods hand should be removed and his wrath appeased whilest Englands sins cry for fresh judgments upon us I am no Prophet nor the Son of a Prophet yet I am given much to fear that Englands's miseries are not yet at an end but that God hath yet a farther controversy with us When Moses intreated the Lord for his sister Miriam Num 12.14 God returned him this answer If her Father had spit in her face should she not have been ashamed seven daies q. d. How much more ought she to be humbled and ashamed since I have shewed my displeasure against her God hath many waies shewed his anger and displeasure against this Land and yet wee have not laid his Iudgements to heart why then do we not fear that he will yet plead against us with
offendeth God so good and so gratious a Father in Jesus Christ they should principally deter from sin Yet this sence of Gods wrath and heavy displeasure against sin must not nor may not be cast aside this was the case of David Psal 119 120. My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am affraid of thy Judgments David no doubt had a child-like feare and awe of God And yet in the second plaee he stood in awe of Gods judgments thus were Gods judgments a terrour unto Job the Destruction from God was a terrour unto me Job 31.23 So that howsoever the godly are freed from Gods wrath by Christ yet being continually preserved with the ill neighbourhood of the flesh by the which we are often drawne into sin the consideration of Gods judgments is an excellent preservative to keepe us from sin Seeing the power of Gods anger is so great and terrible Vse 1 so powerfull and unsupportable it is our duty to feare the power of his wrath Now to doe this there is no way but to repent us of our sins to turne unto God and by faith to lay hold on Christ who alone must stand betwixt God and us Mal. 4.2 Vnto you that feare my Name shall the Sun of Righteousnesse arise with healing under his wings It is he that must Shield us from the heat of Gods wrath Would we then have the heat of Gods anger to fly away and to be safe from wrath kisse the Son get we under the wings of Christ and so shall we be safe under his Feathers otherwise we lye open to the fire of Gods anger which at last shall devoure to destruction This serves likewise to informe us of the Reason Vse 2 why there is so little fear of God amongst us little trembling at his Judgments but men are bold to sin The Reason is Men know not the power of Gods wrath they consider not what the Lord is able to do when he is provoked There are two speciall causes why so few do so truly feare God Is a high conceit of our selves Be not high minded in thy owne eyes but feare the Lord. Pro. 3.7 Where the Holy Ghost opposeth pride to the feare of God Such as are proud and think their estate good enough cannot truely feare God The second Reason why men cast off the feare of God is the hardnesse hearts Blessed is the man that har of their that feareth the Lord. Prov But he dens his heart shall fall into misery a hard heart shuts out all feare of God Is for Exhortation Vse 3 that seeing the wrath of God is so fearefull and so terrible it may teach us wisdome and circumspection to take heed to our selves that we doe not provoke his wrath against us this was that exhortation that Moses gave to the people â—eut 29.18 take heed that there be not amongst you man or woman which should turne their heart away from the living God And he gives the Reason Lest the wrath of God breake out and every curse that is written in this booke light vpon him It is sun that Brings this wrath of God upon the Children of Disobedience Who knoweth c Text. According to thy feare THe meaning is Doct. 4 what man doth truely know and acknowledge the power of thy anger The best faile in the feare of God according to that measure of feare wherwith thou oughtest to be feared Note hence How Moses and the people of God though they feared God yet notwithstanding confesse that they failed in respect of that measure of the fear of God which they ought to have had for we must not think but Moses and some of this people did truly feare God But yet in regard of the power of Gods anger which was now very great grievous their fear of God was not answerable and proportionable then it is apparant that Moses and this people fayled in respect of the measure of the feare of God which they ought to have had in regard of the greatnesse and grievousness of the judgments of God upon them See that the best of Gods servants in this life fall short in their feare of God and so in all graces of the spirit in that love of God in faith in repentance and in obedience we come short all of us of that measure the Lord requires at our hands and which in regard of the means we ought to have For though we do know God and that he is a just God and righteous and cannot winke at sin Yet what man is there that so feares before him as he ought to be feared what man so quakes at his anger as he should and is so afraid of sin as he ought to be wee have no grace here in perfection but the best faith is mixed with infidelitie our hope with feare our joy with sorrow It is wel we can discern our wants and imperfections and cry out with the man in the Gospell Mar. 9.24 I beleeve Lord help my unbeleefe It is true our Justification is done at once and perfect when we are ingrafted into Christ But our faith whereby we apprehend it is not perfect here but grows and increaseth as our sanctification doth Rom. 1.17 the Righteousnesse of God is revealed from faith to faith It is the priviledge of the Soules in Heaven Heb. 12.23 to be just and perfect But not on earth Paul himselfe that had a great measure of the Sanctifying graces of the Spirit yet confesseth I account not my selfe that I have attained Phil. 3.12.13 either am already perfect But I forget those things that are behind c. and presse towards the marke It is a good signe of the truth of grace when we can discern in our selves the want of grace and strive against those doubts and feares that are in us Whereas it is an ill signe that that man wants the truth of grace in his soule that discovers not those manifold wants and imperfections in himselfe If thou hast not a greater measure of grace then David had it may be thy case to complaine as David did feare and trembling are come upon me Psal 55.5 and an horrible feare hath overwheâ—med me Our life saith the Apostle is hid with Christ in God It is hid from the world and it is hid many times from us here in respect of that fullnesse and perfection of it our hope and happinesse is in reversion not in possession And God will have it so Reas 1 That we might see our continuall need and necessity of Gods ordinances for had we the graces of the spirit here in perfection to what end come I here to preach or you to heare But now God bestowes upon us his gifts and graces by measure that we may still hunger and thirst after more daily and waite upon him in the Conscionable use of the meanes whereby all saving graces are not only begun but increased daily in us We
have here no grace in perfection Reas 2 in regard this world is not the place of our perfect happinesse God hath appoynted Heaven for our home where all tears shall be wiped away from our eyes and sin from our soule here wee sigh desiring to be cloathed upon 2 Cor. 5.2 Rom. 8.24 we are saved now by hope our happinesse is not in present possession but in reversion This serves both discover unto us the misery of such Vse 1 and how far they are from the work of grace in their souls that are so far from discovering any such wants and imperfections in themselves and in their graces as that pharisaically they brag and boast of their strong faith and that they should be sorry to live to doubt of their Salvation when they heare of the moanes and complaints of the Godly complayning of their want of faith the hardnesse of their hearts and their backwardness indisposition to any good Duty c. they wonder at them they would not be in their case for all the world they never felt such doubts and feares in themselves Surely these are the most miserable men in the world they shew that the strong man hath taken possession of their souls that thus holds them in this damnable Security there is but a step betwixt such a one and hell thy case is fearefull it is a signe that thou ar thardned in thy sin and art far from the worke of grace in thy soule Mat. 5. wo unto such as now laugh for they shall wayle and weepe and Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Such as have had the greatest measure of Grace have found many wants and imperfections in their graces as Moses here and not to be sensible of our wants and imperfections is an argument of the want of the truth of grace in such asoule Secondly Vse 2 this may serve for matter of comfort and consolation unto such as do unfaynedly love and feare God and are troubled much with doubtings and feares and discover more more in themselves their wants and imperfections in all their graces and in all their duties know O know that thy case is not singular neither art thou alone in these complaints many of Gods deare children are full of them My faith is weake my hope feeble my love is cold and I find so much backwardnesse and coldnesse in duties O what shall I doe I feare my estate is not good I confesse here is just cause of trouble and complaint in the Godly when they find this to be their case that grace is no more vigorous and active in them and when they want the Sensible assurance of Gods favour and love But such must stay themselves upon this that a man may be in the state of grace and yet want the assurance of it in himselfe A man may have faith in him and yet conclude against it What a case was David in when he complayneth thus Psal 13.1 2. How long-wilt thou forget me O Lord how long wilt thou hide thy face from me How long shall I take counsell in my soule and have sorrow in my heart His heart must needs be ful of sorrow when God hides his face from him But yet God turned againe and spake peace to his servant and fild him at last with the joy of his salvation and thus will the mourning and sadnesse of Gods Children bring a joyfull harvest at last when these doubts and feares shall vanish away their hearts shall be filled with comfort Vers 12. Teach us O Lord to Number our dayes that mee may apply our herts to wisdome Hitherto we have spoken of the two first generall parts of this psalme viz. The complaint of Moses and the people that they put up unto God now in the wildernesse in great affliction and distresse vers 1 2. Secondly the Narration of the frailty and misery of man from the third verse to the 11. Now in the 12. ver and so to the end of this Psalme He comes to the third and last generall of this Psalme and that is the prayer of Moses and the rest of the people of God put up to God for grace and mercy And this prayer of theirs hath in it two parts 1. They beg for reconciliation againe with God ver 13. Return O Lord how long c. 2. They pray for the happy fruits and effects of Gods favour and reconciliation from verse 17. to the end of the Psalme Teach us O Lord to number our daies c. In this v. we have their first petition wherein Moses this man of God prayeth that the Lord would make them to consider of the shortnesse and uncertainty of their time that so they might be wise to provide for their latter end God seeing our life is so short so fraile and so momentary But as yesterday that is past as a watch in the night And that death comes as a flood unresistable and suddainly that our life is but as grasse and all our excellencies but as the flower of the field and our dayes but as a tale that is told And that we are so suddainly cut downe and we flye away that we may throughly consider of this brevitie shortnesse of our life and being here to the end that laying aside the excessive cares for the things of this life we may apply your hearts to wisedome that is to repent of our sins past to cast up our accounts and to provide for a better life where we have 1. the petition it self which Moses made for himselfe and in the behalfe of the people teach us O Lord to number our dayes 2 the end of this petition on the use of this request viz that we may apply our hearts to wisdome Note we first of all How Moses prayeth to God to teach him and the rest of the people of God to Number their dayes that is to be perswaded of the shortnesse of their time in this world and what shall become of their soule in Death hence we learne that Though God in his word hath plentifully taught us and experience daly before our eyes Doct. 1 We can not number our dayes unlesse God teach us doth confirme the same that our life is short fraile and momentary yet unlesse God become our Schoolemaster we shall herdly take out this lesson our foolish hearts are so ignorant of this knowledge as Christ said to Peter when he had made that confession of Christ Mat. 16.17 flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee but my father which is in heaven So no man by nature can attaine this knowledge to judge aright of the frailty and shorinesse of his life but must have God to be his teacher from whom every good gift Iam. 1.17 and perfect gift proceedeth How earnest is David with God to teach him this lesson Lord make me know my end and the measure of my dayes what it is Psa 39.4 that
lives Is there any so vile or so wretched that if they were perswaded that they should dye this night before to morrow would they deck and trim paint and pounce and pamper those bodyes of theirs that so suddenly must feed the worms no no if men made this accompt of their life as at an howers warning they would provide better for that life that shall last for ever This was the reason why that evill servant fell to eating and drinking and beating his fellow servant Mat. 24.48 he thought his master would be long a coming A contrary example we have in Moses this man of God that albeit he might have inioyed the pleasures of Pharaohs Court with honour wealth and what not yet refused them all upon this accompt that they were but for a season All the pleasures comforts contentments and outward felicities that the world can afford us are but for a season short and momentany and must have an end And the end of a wicked mans pleasures ends in paine Son remember that thou in thy lif time Luk. 16. c. when one howers torment in hell will make the wicked forget all their pleasures on earth And therefore this should serve in the last place for Exhortation That we alwayes have death before our eyes and to think upon it to accompt of the present time and day as our last and so to live as if every day we should dye that we may be in a continuall readinesse for our dissolution and change when we shall goe hence and be no more There can be no worse deceipt then when a man deceives himselfe in this reckoning Vse 2 Luk. 12.37 He was worthily called a foole that said Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years eat drink and be merry And since it is the Lord that must teach us this wisdome we must pray unto him to teach us this lesson to number our dayes aright for till God teach us this wisdom we shall never repent forsake the world and seek for a better life And therfore I earnestly commend this duty to you and it is my desire to presse it upon my self that we all reckon this with our selves as though this day should be our last day and this nigh our last night that when the Lord shal call us hence he might find us so doing hitherto of the petition Lord teach us to c. That we may apply our hearts to wisdom HEre we have the second part at first propounded Part. 2 And that is the end of this petition or the use of this request viz. that we may apply our hearts c. These words may be taken in a double sence That we may apply our hearts to wisdom That is that seeing our life is so short here and so uncertaine we may no longer live in sin as we have done but may truly repent Doct. 3 live more wisely and circumspectly feare thy anger Men are never truly wise till they accompt of every day as their last day and be afraid to provoke thee by our sins as we have done this Moses accompts true wisdom And the words being taken in this sence the doctrine is That men are never truly wise till they accompt of every day as their last day Herein lyes true wisdom O that men were wise Deut. 32 29. then would they remember their latter end As if men were never truly wise till then There is nothing more naturall unto us then to perswade our selves of long life And that we shall still continue in a happie and flourishing estate It was Davids case to be thus lifted up in times of prosperitie I said saith he I shall neve be removed Psal 30.6 thou Lord of thy goodnesse hast made my hill so strong When God had setled David in his Kingdom had made him to prosper and given him the upper hand of his enemies He was ready to fall asleep and to make his reckoning that he should ever continue thus happie That his good dayes should last for ever and his prosperitie should never faile And this was the case of Iob that holy man In the time of his prosperitie he had such thoughts as these I said I shall dye in my nest Iob 19.18 and I shall multiply my dayes as the sand And againe my glory shal be renewed ver 28 and my bowe shall be strengthned in my hand What is this but to reckon without our host when we shall thus flatter our selves that we shall continue in our state whereas our very lives and being here with whatsoever we have and enjoy is only at his pleasure we have nothing soe intayl'd upon us here that we injoy in life and death but the Lord when it pleaseth him can either take us from it or it from us It is wisdom then to provide for our change before the evill day come upon us this is Solomons advice Eccle. 12.1 Remember thy creator in the dayes of thy youth while the evill dayes come not nor the yeares of affliction wherein thou shalt say I have noe pleasure in them q. d. certainly the time of sicknes and death will come when all these earthly comforts will fly away A man never comes to be truly wise till he thus comes to esteeme of his life and to provide for his change And indeed what man will have his evidence then to seek when his cause comes to be tryed In the matters of this world men are so wise in summer to provide for winter in health to provide forsickness We will count but such a one a foole that will then goe to sowe when other men goe to reape O where are our hearts that we are noe more spiritually wise for our souls Pro. 10.14 Wise men sayth Solomon lay up knowledg before hand And such prove themselves fooles at last With those foolish virgins that have not the oyle of grace in readiness when death comes Seeing that herein lyes true wisdom Vse 1 to be in a continuall readiness for our change this shewes that the wisdom of the world is but foolishness to God 1 Cor. 1. for whom doe men commonly judge to be wise men but such as have reaching heades to buy and to sell that can tell how to purchase lands and livings and grow rich in the world and grow great and mighty here All this wisdom comes from nature and may have nothing in it but nature If this be not guided by the word you shall see what reckoning and accompt the Lord makes of it When he saith they have rejected the word of the Lord Ier. 8.9 and what wisdom is in them what greater folly can there be in the world then for these vaine and foolish trifles the pleasures of sin that are but for a season to lose for ever a mans most pretions soul to passe away for earthly things with Esau the birth-right of our inheritance which such do that are not wise
Reas 2 the Lords anger and displeasure against us is subdued When God sent his prophet to Niniveth to cry Ion. 3. Yet forty dayes and Niniveh shal be destroyed the Ninivits humbling their souls in sackcloath fasting and praying God turned away from his wrath he intended against that City 1 Reg. 21 yea when wicked Ahab himselfe shall but humble himselfe the Lord suspended the judgment against him and his house And this is no other thing then what the Lord himselfe hath promised Ier. 18.8 If a nation against whom I have pronounced turne from their wickednesse I will repent of the plague that I thought to bring upon them so that this is the only way to stop the breach of Gods anger and displeafure and to call back his judgments when they are gone out against us Seeing this is our wretched nature Use 1 never to seek unto God for reconc liation till the Lord do even by strong hand humble us and breake our hard and stony hearts and cause them to tast of his anger and sore displeasure against us this bewrayes the monstrous securitie and sinfullness of our hearts that will never seeke to God till wee see our selves left and forsaken of him and till he break our hearts by the hammer of his judgments that will not seeke for heaven till he first send us to hell O the cursed securitie that is in these hearts of ours that can by no other meanes be humbled and brought home but by the rod and frownes of so gratious a God Surely it were our wisdom not to be so stubborn and rebellious to stand it out till the Lord do thus bruise us and breake us by his judgments and so compell us to seeke unto him Secondly seeing we shall never seeke unto God for reconciliation Use 2 till such time as the Lord hath truly and thoroughly humbled us and caused us to feel his anger and displeasure O what a terrour may this strike in the hearts of those upon whom the Lords hand hath beene often and yet have not been humbled to turn unto him when the Lord shall not only give us his Word the ordinary means of conversion and bringing us home but shall also send his rod even sharp and sore afflictions and yet men shall stand out against all will not be convinced of their misery nor seek unto God for mercy Here is a signe of an obdurate heart indeed Surely the case of such seems desperate such have cause to fear that they are in a hopelesse condition Ezek. 22.18 19 20. Let such consider that place and tremble at it Because you are become drosse behold I will gather you in the midst of Jerusalem as they gather silver and brasse and iron and lead and tin into the midst of the furnace to melt it So will I gather you in my anger and in my fury and I will leave you there and melt you yea I will blow upon you in the fury of my wrath And what account the Lord makes of such we may see Jer. 6.29 30. The bellowes are burnt the lead is consumed of the fire the Founder melteth in vain for the wicked are not plucked away Reprobate silver shall men call them because the Lord hath rejected them O it is a fearfull signe of Gods wrath upon that soul that when the Lord hath travelled upon us to do us good by the Word and by the Rod and nothing will work upon us but still we persist in our sinfull courses Reprobate silver shall men call such and such may fear they are cast off of God And last of all Use 3 seeing that untill we feel our sins and Gods heavie displeasure against us for sin we shall never seek for reconciliation This may serve likewise to be a stay unto us in the middest of our sharpest afflictions and sorest trialls that may betide us here whether inward or outward to consider the end whereunto God hath appointed them viz. to humble us Mic. 6.9 to discover our sins and to make us look home this is the erand they come with from God There is no visitation sicknesse misery or affliction but comes with a message from God What have we then to do but to search and finde out our sins the cause wherefore the Lord is thus displeased with us and to be humbled for them that so his wrath may be appeased Surely this is the Lords aim and end in his sharpest afflictions laid upon his children to make us look home and to say to our own hearts Hast thou not procured this to thy selfe Ier. 2.17 inasmuch as thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God And with the Church Deut. 31.17 Are not these evils come upon us because our God is not amongst us Not to do this in times of affliction and distresse argues a high contempt of God and his works It ought to be the care of every one of us Ezek. 16.41 to know the plague of his own heart and to finde out that speciall sin that hath made the difference betwixt God and him Return O Lord. THe next thing that we may observe is the person they pray unto viz. the Lord himselfe They run to no Saint nor Angell for help and succour in this time of their great distresse but they flie to God because that he alone was offended and of him they seek for reconciliation Return O Lord. Doct. 2 Hence we Iearn that in times of misery and distresse God alone is to be sought unto In times of misery God is to be sought unto Ps 50.15 And for this we have both precept and example Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear thee and deliver thee And Ask Mat. 7.7 and ye shall have seek and ye shall finde c. O what gratious and mercifull promises hath God made unto his Church and people and all to make them flie unto him and rest upon him in time of trouble yea such is the Lords inclination to pitie and compassion towards his people in times of misery and distresse that he hath said Es 65.24 Before they call I will answer and whilst they speak I will hear And as for Example the Scriptures afford us divers in this kinde of the faithfull that in times of misery and distresse have made the Lord their only refuge to flie unto and have found comfort and deliverance as that of Jehosophat and the men of Judah when the Amorits 2 Chr. 20 the Moabits and they of Mount Seir came up against them that both Prince and people were at a great straight and knew not what to do only say they Our eyes are upon thee They seeking help from God were delivered Thus David in all his troubles Ps 109.4 Ps 4.12 Ps 86 5 6. Ps 86 7 Ps 65.2 had still recourse to God for my love they are become my Adversaries But I give my self to prayer Yea God is pleased to
prayers and complaints to God lay open our miseries and plead our long continuance in them Secondly Use 2 seeing Moses and the people of God here do labour to move the Lord to pitty and compassion from the consideration of their long continuance in their miseries We may take notice how prone we are when God hides himself from us for a short time which he may justly do when wee sin against him albeit it be but for a short time yet it seems unto us long A gracious heart cannot be long without Communion with God Ps 143.6 My Soul thirsteth after thee saith David as the thirsty Land None know the worth of God but the gratious Soul What were all the World without the Sun and what were a believing Soul without God Such as have tasted and seen how sweet the Lord is hunger and thirst more and more to be filled with his presence As Moses the more familiar he grew with God the more he desired to see of God when the Lord is provoked to withdraw himself at any time from his people which somtimes the Lord doth being justly provoked by the sins of his people This brings horror and terrour to to the Soul Thou didst turn away thy thy face saith David and I was sore troubled And again Hide not thy face from me Ps 43.7 else I shal be like to themthat go down into the pit Ps 63.3 Thy loving kindness saith David is better then life it self He accompts himself a dead man if God be not reconciled to him in Christ What life what comfort what joy in a mans Soul unlesse God vouchsafe his gratious and comfortable presence there Return O Lord how long VVE are farther to observe That in respect of Gods comfortable presence Doct. 5 God may turn aside from his people for a time Io. 13.1 God may turn aside for a time from his own people It is true God doth never totally leave or forsake his For whom he loves to the end he loves them His gifts are without repentance in some gracious operation or other his spirit is alwaies present yet in respect of his comfortable presence he may seem to turn away from his people for a time It was Davids case when he had fallen into those dangerous sins of Adultery and Murther for the present he lost the comfort of Gods gracious presence that he had formerly felt and therefore prayes Ps 51.8 Restore me to the joy of thy Salvation and make me to hear the voice of joy and gladnesse that the bones that thou hast broken may rejoyce Ver. 11. And Cast me not away from thy presence And thus he complains at another time Ps 22.1 Why hast thou for saken me why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring Doubtlesse at that time David wanted the assistance of Gods gratious presence in as much as his Soul is thus perplexed And thus again he cries out in much anguish and perplexity of Spirit Ps 88.14 VVhy hast thou cast off my Soul why hidest thou thy face from me It seems Davids comfort and assurance was much eclipsed at these times This was the case of Job Iob 30.20 I cryed unto thee and thou dost not hear me I stand up and thou regardest not And this was the sad complaint of the Church Lam. 3.8 VVhen I cry and shout he shutteth out my prayer O this hath been that that hath wounded the Souls and troubled the Spirits of the godly that the Lord hath seemed to shut out the prayers and not to come in to their succour in times of distresse The woman of Canaan Mat. 5.26 what might she think but that Christ had cast her off seeing he would not answer her and when he did speak called her Dog an answer able to have broke her tender heart yet at last comes in and grants her request The Lord deales many times with his Children as Joseph with his Brethren deals roughly with them Gen. 42.9 You are spies and to prison they must go yet at last fill their Sacks Saith he Thus doth the Lord seem to take day with his people and puts them off to a fitter time when mercy will be more seasonable and deliverance will be more welcome Neither let this seem strange unto us for the Lord may do this That hereby he might take triall of the graces of his Reas 1 in the hearts of his servants as their faith hope patience c. All which are now set on work whilst the Lord is pleased to suspend deliverance for else what would become of the patience of the Saints if there were no more but ask and have Secondly Reas 2 that whilst the Lord is thus pleased to withdraw himself and defer deliverance we might take occasion to search more deeply into our own hearts thereby to discover the greatnesse and hainousness of our sins which have plunged us into such a gulf of misery and labour to find out those secret sins unrepented of that caused the Lord thus to frown upon us and to hide his favourable countenance from us whereas if our miseries were light and quickly removed we should harâ—ly think our sins so great as indeed they are And that when upon our Repentance we have obtained peace and reconciliation again with God Reas 3 wee may prize it ever after at a higher rate and be the more careful that we do nothing that may interrupt our peace again with God or turn away his loving countenance again from us Every good thing that is hardly come by is more carefully kept and more hardly lost Gods favour and love being got with long seeking and often praying is highly prized and not easily parted withall And last of all God many times deferts to help his Church and people in misery and distresse Reas 4 because that seasonable time of their deliverance is not yet come After three daies he will raise us up Hos 6.3 and we shall live in his sight The Lord hath made every thing saith Solomon beautifull in his time Eccl. 3.11 And there is a time for all things under the Sun No doubt but Zachary and Elizabeth prayed for a child whilst they were young Luke 1. and no doubt but God heard them only they must leave the time to him in whose hands are times and seasons Daniel mourned three weeks of daies and receives no answer Yet see the place Dan. 10.12 13. From the first day that thou didst set thy heart to understand c. thy words were heard God ever suspends deliverance for a fit time when it is most seasonable for his own glory and his peoples comfort Seeing the Lord deals thus with his own people thus to withdraw himself Use 1 and to withhold his comfortable presence from them for a time Wee are taught not to despair when we find that this is his dealing with us What though the Lord
and then may do a Char for a meals meat These can claim nothing as due in regard they are not in Covenant but are hang bies They cannot claim protection from the Master of the Family as a Covenant-servant may as David did Save me â—s 119.94 for I am thy servant and I keep thy Commandements It is a certain mark of a Servant of God to keep the Commandments of God if thou keep not the Commandments of God thou art no servant of God God takes no more pleasure in rebellious sinners then a Prince doth in rebellious Traitors Let us then use this reason and argument to move the Lord to pitty and compassion and to be pacified towards us even because we are his Servants and are in covenant with him Ver. 14. O fill us with thy Mercy in the Morning that we may rejoice and be glad all our daies IN the former Verse wee have heard how earnestly Moses and the people of God beg for Reconciliation againe with God and the arguments they use to move him to take pitty and compassion upon them Now in this fourteenth verse and so to the end of the Psalm they come to beg the blessed Fruits and Estates of this Reconciliation And first they pray for Mercy O fill us with thy mercy That is that God would grant them the lively sence and feeling of his love again towards them And in this request of theirs we have two parts 1. The Petition it self O fill us with c. 2. The end of their desire That we may rejoice c. 1. The Petition is of mercy and this is amplified 1. By the quantity of it Satisfie us or fill us It is a great measure that they require according to their great misery and need 2. By the time viz. In the Morning That is as I take it with speed or presently after their Night of their long and tedious afflictions or else in time convenient as some expound it 2d Part of the Verse is the Reason or the end why they so earnestly desire this lively sense and feeling of his love again towards them viz. Not to grow secure thereby as carnall men doâ— Nor yet to abuse it to carnall and worldly rejoicing as libertines use to do But to this end that feeling the love of God shed abroad in their souls they might have matter of joy and rejoycing to praise God that so they might be joyful and chearful in his service And that not for a day or a year but all our daies Where first of all we are to observe â— Coher their order proceeding in this prayer of theirs In the former verse they pray for Reconciliation again with God that he would pardon their rebellions and sins and receive them again into favour Return O Lord c. And now in this verse they pray for the blessed fruit of that Reconciliation viz. the comfortable feeling thereof in their souls O fill us with thy mercy c. The Doctrine is Doct. 1 That untill a man repent of his sins No comfort but in reconciliation with God Esay 57.20 21. and be reconciled to God he can have no true peace joy or rejoycing in his own Soul There is no peace to the wicked but they are like the troubled Sea that casts forth mire and dirt Thus will the conscience of wicked men rage and accuse them and cast up many thoughts of fears and desperation but can find no comfort till they be reconciled to God It is true wicked men have a kind of Drunken peace or rather indeed a Damnable security which Iob compares to a Dream Iob 20.7 And to the crackling of thornes under a pot soon in and soon out which is wonderfull in three respects 1. It is uncertain their Sun many times goes down at noon day As Nebuchadnezzar in the midst of his banquet had his mirth mar'd 2. It is unsound it is somtimes in the face but not in the heart For in the midst of laughter the heart is sad 3. The joy and rejoycing of the wicked doth end in misery Mal. 2.2 The Lord curseth their blessings though they may seem right to themselves yet the issue thereof is death Prov 16.25 Whereas it is the godly that enjoy sound and lasting peace joy and comfort It being grounded and founded upon this sure foundation Repentance for sin and Reconciliation to God What way sought David for comfort when Nathan had convinced him of his sin but by flying unto God by true repentance Wash me clense me purge me Ps 51.8 and then make me to hear the voice of joy and gladnesse This is Gods way of dealing ordinarily with his people as the ground of all true comfort Comfort ye Es 40.1 2. comfort ye my people saith our God speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem But how shall they be comforted The Lord tells them there Cry unto her that her iniquity is paâ—doned Sin pardoned brings true comfort and indeed there can be no true comfort nor peace till then How doth Christ comfort the man sick of the Palsey Mar. 2.3 but by telling him that his sins were forgiven him And thus Christ raised up Mary that sat weeping and blubbering at Christs feet by telling her that her sins were forgiven her So that the point is clear that till a man have repented of his sins and be reconciled to God and have embraced Christ he can have no true peace and comfort in his own soule And it must needs be so Because it is the nature of sin unpardoned Reas 1 to rob the soul of peace That man that truly knowes sin and the wofull fruites and effects of sin cannot but account the pardon of sin the greatest mercy When had this people peace but when they had left Aegypt the Wildernesse the Red-Sea and the Mountains behinde them And when shall a Christian look for peace but when his spirituall enemies sin and sathan are overcome Secondly Reas 2 such as truly repent of their sins and imbrace Christ God hath promised to look upon and shew mercy unto Es 66.2 To this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit And Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted And again Es 57.15 Thus saith the high and loftie one that inhabiteth eternity whose Name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones These are they God hath promised to look upon and to have respect unto to give them beautie for ashes Es 61.3 and the oyle of gladnesse for the spirit of heavinesse This then lets us see the happie priviledge of the faithfull Use 1 above all wicked and ungodly men in their greatest sorrowes there is still ground of joy Joh. 16.20 Ye shall weep saith Christ but your
no desire of mercy and these the Lord sends away emptie O fill us with thy mercy THey crave not here a small pittance or a light tast of Gods mercy but even to have their hungry souls filled and satisfied with mercy Hence we see Doct. 3 We should labour for a plentiful sense of Gods mercy that it is not enough for us to have some light tast of Gods mercy in Christ for the pardon of our sins but we must labour to have it in a plentifull measure To be filled with the fulnesse of God and the feeling of his love The Lord is a bottomlesse Sea of mercy able to fill every soule that comes unto him but we are like a vessell that hath a narrow neck which if it be cast into the Sea yet is not quickly filled but by degrees Even so the mercy of God is as the bottomlesse Sea able to fill every soul that hungers and thirsts after mercy Whence then is the cause that we are not filled with mercy Surely in our selves our Faith which is the mouth of the soul is so narrow that though the Lord be able and willing to powre his graces and mercies into our souls yet we cannot receive but drop after drop one drop after another And hence it is that in a long time we receive but a small measure of grace and mercy because the Lord must distill it into our hearts as we are capable to receive it now a little and then a little Es 28.9 10. precept upon precept and line upon line here a little and there a little It was only true of Christ Ps 45.7 that he received not the spirit by measure He was annoynted with the oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes But as for us we receive grace by measure Whilst we are here We know but in part 1 Cor. 13.9 And according to our knowledge so are our other graces proportionable Gods children in this life have not fulnesse or perfection of any grace but only so much as the Lord in his wisdome sees meet for them and we are still to be adding grace to grace Grow in grace saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby And the Apostle exhorts us to joyne to our vertue faith and to faith knowledge c. So that it is not enough for us to have some light tast of Gods love or of the graces of his Spirit but we must labour to have them in a plentifull measure to be filled therewith The best of Gods Saints in this life Reas 1 have no grace in perfection we are not capable of fulnesse of grace in this life but must pray still Lord increase our faith and with the Church here Lord fill us with thy mercy And Christ teacheth us daily to pray Thy Kingdome come The Lord is pleased thus to exercise his people with many wants and imperfections in his graces given them here Reas 2 to humble them and to keepe down the pride that so naturally is ready to rise in our hearts especially in spirituall gifts Paul lest he should be lifted up with the abundance of Revelations had that prick in the flesh that he should not be exalted above measure 2 Cor. 12.8 Thus many times are the godly kept low in their own eyes that they might walk the more humbly with God Seeing then Use 1 that it is not enough for us to have some light tast of Gods love in Christ for the pardon of sin but we must labour to be filled with the feeling of his love This serves to condemn the greatest part of the world even Professors themselves that when they have got a little tast and feeling of Gods love and of the work of grace in theirsouls have a little measure of knowledge of faith and other graces content themselves and think they have enough But this ought not to be If ever thou hadst any true tast of Gods mercy in Christ it will make thee hunger and thirst after more and therefore the Apostle Exhorts 2 Pet. 1.2 that As new born babes we should desire the sincere milk of the Word that we might grow thereby He adds If you have tasted how sweet the Lord is intimating thus much that untill such time as we truly tast how sweet the Lord is we shall never truly desire the sincere milk of the Word Seeing the cause why we are not filled with the mercy of God Use 2 even at our first conversion is not in God but in our selves even in the want of Faith which is the inlet of all grace into the soul It is our duty to encrease in Faith in knowledge repentance and obedience for as these graces grow and encrease in us so will the feeling of Gods mercy and love towards us in Christ encrease in us Such as have a great measure of Faith there will be a great measure of the feeling of Gods love Fill their Sacks saith Joseph Scanty sacks could not carry away any plentifull store of provision where Faith is weak the neck of the soul narrow and streight there will be but a little measure of the feeling of Gods mercy which should stir us up to grow in Faith because as our Faith grows so our feeling of Gods mercy grows Satisfie us early or in the Morning THat is with speed they that lust for a thing cannot indure to be delaied It is death to a thirsty man to belongwithout drink So they that have their Soules scorched with the sense of Gods anger O it is mercy they long for And such a Soul thinks every hour ten and every day a year till they be refreshed with Gods mercy All delaies to such distressed soules is death it self Hear me speedily O Lord saith David My Spirit faileth hide not thy face from me lest I be like unto them that go down into the â—it Satisfie us early or in the Morning q. d. Lord let us not lye any longer soaking in extream miseries lest we be even swallowed up in desperation but make speed to take pitty upon us The like we have by that of David Ps 5.3 Hear my prayer in the Morning where David intreats the Lord not to defer his mercy but to to make speed to his help So Moses here intreats the Lord to hear them in the Morning That is with speed that hee would not deferre to hear them but with speed to take pitty on their miseries and troubles Now when Moses and the people of God pray thus that God would not defer to help them they do not this with impatient minds but partly in regard of their own frailty lest if the Lord should suffer them to lie longer in misery their faith should fail them in their expectation of Deliverance Doct. 4 And partly to shew their hearty Only Gods favour refresheth a distressed Soul and longing desire and comfort and feeling of
his loving countenance again towards them Hence we learn that only God favour and loving countenance gives satisfaction to a distressed Soul or a poor soul will count it self most happy in the enjoyment of Gods favour And thus did Aaron and his sonns usually blesse the people Num. 6.6 The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and grant you his peace Deu. 28. Thus Moses makes the favour and loving countenance of God the foundation of all happinesse having this they should be blessed with all the blessings of Heaven and of the Earth in Soul and Body Herein David placeth true Blessednesse Ps 32.12 Blessed is the man whose iniquitie is forgiven anâ— whose sin is covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin Pardon of sin and reconciliation to God causeth a man to be truly blessed The favour and comfortable presence of God to a poor distressed Soul is as the Sun to the Creature in Summer it quickens all Creatures Man and Beast Trees Plants Herbes and Flower All Creatures are revived and quickned by the Suns presence which in winter time seem to mourn for its absence So whilst we enjoy Gods favour the Soul is filled with joy and comfort whereas if God hide his face and frown upon us the Soul is then cast down Thou turnest thy face from me and I was sore troubled And it must needs be so that the poor Soul will count it most happy in the enjoyment of Gods favour For all the time the Conscience apprehends his displeasure Reas 1 and looks upon God as angry and displeased the Conscience will never cease to vex accuse Esay 57. and torment a man There is no peace to the wicked saith my God and as Job hath it Iob. 15. A dreadfull sound is in his ears Such a Soul sees as it were the Heavens on fire over him and Helâ— mouth ready open to receive him Men Angells and Devills Enemies unto him whilst God remains his Enemie Secondly Reas 2 when the wrath of God is once appeased and God reveals himself a reconciled God to the soul then come wee to have bold and free accesse unto him and the Throne of grace then we come boldly to the Throne of grace then we come boldly into his presence and ask any thing at his hands with much assurance to be heard Which whilst we lie in our sins and in an impenitent estate God looks on us his enemies neither can we look to obtain any thing at his hands Seeing that Gods favour Use 1 and loving countenance brings such refreshments unto a distressed soul What condition then are all gracelesse sinners in that abide under his wrath and displeasure for sin 2 Reg. 9.2 As Jehu sometimes said to Jehoram What hast thou to do with peace so what peace what joy what comfort can such have to whom God is not a reconciled God but an angry Judge who is a consuming fire and all wicked and ungodly men are but as stubbble before him Surely all the peace all the joy and rejoycing of such is but as the crackling of Thorns under a pot soon in and soon out they want that which is the ground and cause of true joy and that is Gods countenance Ps 63.3 which is better then life it self the spirit of bondage and fear must needs torment them And howsoever soever they may outface conscience for a time yet God at last will open the Mouth of conscience and when conscience shall speak out Horror and Dread will be ready to overwhelm that soul If a poor condemned Creature were now going to execution what were the thing now to be desired that would yield him comfort and render him happy not gold or silver land or livings would not now to be looked upon but the Princes pardon would be the most welcomest thing in the World This the gracelesse World shall find true one day That howsoever Satan the God of this World hath blinded their eies and their consciences are fast asleep that they neither see their misery nor what it is to lie under Gods displeasure yet the time will come when this poor wretched Creature would give all the world for one smile from this angry God And this lets us see the happy priviledge of the faithful above all the men in the world Use 2 let their outward estatâ— be what it will let them endure hunger thirst cold nakednesse imprisonment banishment such cannot be miserable that are at peace with God have their sins pardoned and they reconciled unto him Enemies Tyrants Death Devils cannot make such miserable what though thou wantest health peace libertie and those comforts that others enjoy if thou hast that which thousands in the World do want the favourable countenance of God in Christ is that which wil make amends for all That wee may be glad and rejoice all our daies HItherto we have spoke to the first part of this verse and that is their Petition Now follows the second part of the verse and that is their Reason taken from the end Doct. 5 for the which they crave the feeling of Gods love Gods mercies should provoke to cheerfulnesse in his service and favour again towards them viz. That we may be glad and rejoice all our daies Hence we may observe what is the true use that is to bee made of Gods mercy of his favour and love viz. to make us more joyfull and cheerfull in his service to honour God and to set forth his praise If the Lord would bee so gratious unto them as to Return again and to fill them with his mercy they will not hide such a mercy as that unfaithfull servant that hid his Masters Talent in a Napkin but they will put it out to the most advantage of their Master It should make them more cheerfull in his service and to serve the Lord with gladnesse all their daies As a covetous man puts out his money for his own advantage So will every godly Christian put forth the Lords gifts for his advantage And indeed this is that that God promiseth unto his people as the wages of their service and as a fruit of their seeking of him Esay 65.13 My servants shall rejoice and yee shall be ashamed My servants shall sing for joy of heart and yee shall howl for vexation of spirit as if the Lord had only intailed this joy to his chosen ones it is limited unto them Ps 40.16 Pro. 29.6 Let them that seek the Lord rejoice The righteous shall sing and rejoice And of the Churches returning out of Captivity it is said Ps 126.6 They went weeping and bearing good seed but they return with joy and bring their sheaves with them And this did the Lord make good to his Church and people here in the Wildernesse How soever he chastised them for their sins their infidelity and murmuring against Moses and Aaron for the which his wrath brake out against them and
sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest Yet he made good his promise to their seed and gave them that good Land to possesse it Which serves for the just reproofe of those Vse 1 who having matter of joy and rejoycing to rejoice in the Lord and to set forth the praise of his grace turn it into carnall joy and rejoycing into eating and drinking sports and pastimes As at this time we have indeed cause of joy and rejoycing for the great work of our Redemption by Iesus Christ But alas wee turn it into carnall mirth to feasting and reveling to carding and dicing and unto all prophanesse more liker Heathens then Christians But let such know that thus turn the grace of God into wantonnesse they will cause the Lord one day to turn their mirth into mourning and their carnal rejoycing into weeping and lamentation This was the case of this people though in Aegypt they were somwhat moderate yet when they came out of bondage whereas they should have rejoyced in the Lord Exod. 32.6 and set forth his mercy in their deliverance They set them down to eat and drink and rose up to play Use 2 Secondly seeing Moses and the people of God here will make this the end of Gods mercy to them in their deliverance and in being reconciled again unto them to rejoice in the Lord with joy and gladnesse Then Religion exceeds not mirth and joy neither is matter of dumpishnesse and sadnesse as many vertuous speak of it but it is matter of joy and gladnesse nay there can be no sound mirth joy or rejoycing without this when a man doth truly repent him of his fins is reconciled to God in Christ and feels his love shed into his heart this alone will yield matter of sound joy and solid comfort O say the cursed Ismaels of our times these professors are alwaies sad and heavy full of sighes and groanes and complaining there is no pleasure at all in their waies and courses c. Such are altogether ignorant of the life of a Christian as Christ said I have meat to eat that ye wot not of So hath a Christian joy that the world wots not of when a poor Prisoner that hath offended the Law shall have the King to come to his house and speak kindly and lovingly unto him How will this cheer up his heart then what greater comfort to a poor soul then when God shall put his spirit into the heart of a man and assures him of his love in Christ and where the spirit of the Lord is there must needs be comfort and joy for he is the spirit of comfort It is true in regard of our sins and corruptions we have in us matter of mourning and sorrow yet in regard of Gods love in Christ we may lift up our hearts and rejoyce O then all we desire to have matter of sound and solid joy in our souls let us labour to feel the love of God in Christ shed into our hearts this will make us joyful in sicknesse as in health in the Prison and at the stake as those blessed Martyrs were Ver. 15. Make us glad according to the daies wherein thon hast afflicted us And the years wherein we have seen evill IN this verse Moses and the people of God make their third Request and petition unto God and that is for comfort that the Lord would gladden their souls after their sorrows and afflictions Make us glad according to the daies c. And herein we have 1. What they pray for Comfort 2. That in their comfort that the Lord would keep some proportion that as he had a long time afflicted them for their sins so he would in mercy give them answerable matter of comfort and rejoycing For this is the Lords manner of dealing with his people the lower he humbleth any poor soul for their sins and the deeper sence they have of their misery the greater measure of joy and of comfort he usually bestowes upon them Observe we first of all from the coherence of this petition with the former 1. They pray for reconciliation verse 13. 2. For the feeling of his mercy verse 14. 3. Now for comfort in their misery verse 15. From which order in their requests we learn That the fountain of all true comfort to a distressed soul Doct. 1 Reconciliation the fountain of true comfort is our blessed reconciliation to God in Christ and the comfortable feeling of that love of his to our souls For till a man have truly repented of his sins and comes to be reconciled to God in Christ what dram of comfort can such a one have When the day begins to break then we know the Sun will soon arise In the dark night of affliction what comfort to a distressed soul but when the Sun of righteousnesse shall arise Mal. 1. with healing under his wings and Christ which is our life shall appear Here comes true comfort and the soul is here refreshed as the Sun-rising doth the world It fares many times with a poor soul Mat. 14.24 as it did with the Disciples in the ship they tugged all night but in vain but in the fourth watch of the night Christ came and relieved them when their hope was almost past Jacob wrestled all night with the Angell but about the break of the day he obtained the blessing When we have tugged long and striven hard with God by repentance and prayer at last he will come and in an acceptable time he will command salvation to his people Ps 9.18 The poor shall not alwaies be for gotten the hope of the afflicted shall not perish for ever Whereas wicked men that are in their sins and not reconciled to God they can have no peace they can have no comfort Es 57. There is no peace to the wicked saith my God 1 Sam. 16.23 We may see this in King Sanl what comfort had he in his Kingdome Wife Children Harp Musick or what else so long as God was angry with him and was without the feeling of his love all the world could not yield him one dram of comfort the evill spirit did still torment him A poor condemned Traytor what comfort can he have in wife children gold silver c. nothing will cheer up his spirit but the Kings pardon So a poor distressed soul feeling the anger and wrath of God pressing his soul unlesse God shew his loving countenance in the pardon of sin can have small comfort 'T is true wicked men may tast of worldly comforts and they may seem to have much peace in their consciences as any of the godly themselves for so saith Job Job 2â— Their houses are peaceable and without fear And they aâ—â— not in trouble as other men are Thus Saul when David played upon his Harp had some kinde of ease that the evill spirit for that time did not torment him and thus many wicked men can run to
their harps to their pipes and to their pots and to merry company c. of whom it may be said Es 55.2 They lay out their labour for that which satisfieth not A poor comfort to give a Malefactor a cup of sack when he is going to execution The case of such miserable creatures is well desuibed by the Prophet Es 29.8 A man dreameth and lo he drinketh but when he awaketh behold he is faint and his soul longeth This Doctrine shall hold when all the seeming joyes of the wicked shall vanish away that the fountain of all true comfort is our peace with God when we come to be reconciled to him in Christ Because sin breeds enmity Reas 1 and sets God and men at odds and whilst this enmity continueth this mans person and actions are hatefull to God minde conscience and all is defiled Now what true comfort can such a one have whilst he abides in such a condition all the curses that are written in the book of the Law do wait upon him hardnesse of heart blindnesse of minde searednesse of conscience a continuall fear of hell Gods wrath and damnation to come all these doth the guilt of sin contract and draw upon us the misery whereof we shall never be set free from but by our reconciliation to God in Jesus Christ The Lord crowns all the sorrowes of his servants all their tears Reas 2 and pangs of their new birth whilst Christ is a forming in them with joy and comfort and all to provoke them to come in to God and to encourage them in prayer and seeking of him I love the Lord Ps 116.1 because he hath heard the voice of my weeping If the husbandman should alwaies think on his seed-time and of his labour and pains and never think of the harvest who would be a husbandman And what would become of the Christian in the midst of all his watchings fastings and temptations which here he undergoes were it not for this harvest of comfort at last Seeing then that all sound comfort flowes from our peace and reconciliation with God Use 1 this shewes that the doctrine of the Church of Rome is most vile hellish and uncomfortable who affirme that no man in this life can know or be assured whether God loves him or no and that no man can know whether his sins be pardoned and whether he be reconciled to God yea or no I will say to them as Job somtimes said to his friends Miserable comforters are ye Alas what comfort can a poor sinner have or what joy if it arise not from Gods mercy in the pardon of sin What is this but to set up a gibbet to torture distressed souls How can a poor creature have any comfort in the service of God in prayer hearing receiving c. whilst he cannot tell whether the Lord loves him or hates him We utterly renounce that cursed Doctrine and believe this to be the truth of God that all sound comfort stands in the feeling of Gods love towards us in Christ and in the pardon of our sins and we should never rest till we be able in some measure to say with Paul Rom. 8.38 I am perswaded c. This will make us cheerfull in prayer and in all other duties of his worship and service Seeing all sound and solid comfort ariseth from our reconciliation with God and untill then Use 2 there can be no sound or lasting comfort What mad men are they then that take a preposterous course to raise their comfort that have the Creator blessed for ever and flie to the Creature run to cards dice and merry company c. as if a man to escape a burning feavour should leap into the fire whereas there is no sound comfort to be looked for but only from God in Christ Poor soul go thou to him confesse thy sins to him beg for pardon as for life and death intreat the Lord that he would according to the multitude of his mercies do away thy offences that he would be a reconciled God again unto thee that he would lay aside his displeasure and give thee the feeling of his favour and love again there is no other way to procure sound comfort to thy soul Comfort us THe Lord before had exercised this people with pressing sorrowes and sore afflictions both in Aegypt a long time and after that in the wildernesse and now they beg for comfort Doct. 2 Hence we may observe what is the outward estate of Gods children in this life The outward estate of Gods children subject to alterations and changes it is subject to such alterations and changes that they are sometimes up and sometimes down sometimes full of sorrow at another time filled with comfort Here Moses and the people of God pray for comfort being for the present comfortlesse perplexed and much distressed the Lord trieth humbleth and proveth this people here in the Wildernesse That he might do them good at their latter end Deut. 8.16 look we upon the estate of the Church in generall and upon the particular members of the same and we shall finde that our condition here is like the daies of the year sometimes winter sometimes summer sometimes fair sometimes foul What a long night of affliction did this Church and people of God endure in Aegypt for the space of four hundred and thirty years yet at the last the Lord raised them up saviours Moses and Aaron by whom he brought deliverance unto his people What a condition was the Church in in Hesters time when all the Jewes were appointed as sheep to the slaughter yet God laughed the counsell of Haman to scorn delivered his people and brought ruine and destruction to their enemies What a condition was the Church in in Jezebels time that slew the prophets of the Lord insomuch that Elias thought himselfe alone yet what a suddain alteration was there when Eliah slew the Prophets of Baal and restored religion again How was the Church of God in Christs time pestered by the High Priests who had given commission unto Saul to binde and to deliver bound at Jerusalem all that made profession of Christ yet at another time had the Churches peace and multiplyed So changable hath the estate and condition of the Church of God been in all ages and times of it And if we look into particular examples we shall also finde it true that the estate and condition of the best of Gods children hath been subject to diversities of alterations and changes Joseph one while hated of his brethren at another time advanced under Pharaoh at one time cast into Prison at another time made ruler over the Princes Jacob one while wrestling with the Angell at another time going away with the blessing David one while persecuted by Saul at another time swaying the Scepter Job Job 42. at one time plundered out of all at another time as wealthy as before Thus God is pleased in his wise
protection yea fall upon unlawfull shifts and use unlawfull meanes to help themselves If they can but get under the protection of some Noble man or great man they think themselves secure from danger But if thou have not the Lord for thy Protector vaine is the help of man Men may see and heare and pitty our miseries but they are not able many times to help and succour us But this honour have all the Saints That they have a powersull and omnipotent God that is able and ready to help us Seeing all protection is from God Vse 2 it is his worke to save this may serve to stay us at this day now that the Church and house of God hath many ruines and breaches on it rent and torne in peeces by many unnaturall brethren that have of late endevoured to divide the seamlesse coat of Christ by Sects Schismes factions and fractions the like whereof was never seene in the daies of our forefathers Since the times of reformation sad presages of fearfull times if the Lord speedily put not to his hand and worke sure reformation Yet here is our hope and here is our stay that we have a God to fly unto and it is he that must purge his house and protect his Church O this is a singular work of God We must pray to him to work all our works for us and to be humbled for our sins that have looked so much to an arme of flesh our Councells and Parliaments which hitherto have not stead us whilest in the meane time we have overlooked God the rock of our Salvation O let us at last returne unto him and seeke for protection safety and deliverance reformation and Salvation at his hands and intreat the Lord and say Let thy work appeare to thy servants And that he would take the cause of his poore Church Religion and Gospell into his owne hand and become our Mightie Protector Seeing all Safety and protection come from God Vse 3 this shewes to whom we are bound for safety and protection from all our troubles and dangers both of Soul and body viz. to this Lord Protector of his people who ought to have the praise and glory of his owne Worke. Thus when the Lord hath been pleased to come in with some speedy mercy or deliverance to his Church they have had their solemn dayes of praise and thanksgiving unto God as Israels Deliverance from Pharaoh the Jewes deliverance from that damnable plot of Haman Exod. 15. And Jehosophat and the men of Judah their deliverance from their iniquities Hest 9.2 Chr. 26 And David never partakes of any great mercy or deliverance but still he returnes ptaise and thanksgiving unto God Let thy workes appeare unto thy Servants Hitherto of their request that God would be their protector and deliverer Now for this they use a Double Reason 1. Taken from their condition they were his servants 2. Taken from the end of their protection and deliverance and that is his owne glory Unto thy â—â—ervants that is to those that be in Covenant with thee love and fear thee and serve and obey thee as their Lord and master whence note Who they are that may looke for protection at the hands of God Doct. 2 Gods servants only may looke for protection from God viz. those and onely those that are in covenant with God that honour him as a Father feare him as a master and are ready to do his commands These being the Lords servants and under his roofe they may assure themselves of protection at his hands Whereas such as are not his servants neither in Covenant with him these can looke for no protection from God the framing of the Mercy-seate was a type of the Church In the Arke was the Commandements of God to shew 1 That those that are in the Arke and so members of the Church these keepe his commandements and 2. That they that keepe the commandements of God may looke for protection from God For the mercy-seate was made just as big as the Arke and no bigger to shew that none be shadowed and protected by Gods mercifull providence and protection but onely the servants of God and no more So that of those and none else it may be said Deut. 33.29 Happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O people saved of the Lord the shield of thy helpe and the sword of thy excellency Now wherein stood the happinesse of this people but in that they were in Govenant with God that God was their God and they his people And hence is it that it is usual with the faithfull when they have come unto God in prayer to plead Gods covenant with them as Jacob did when he prayed to be delivered from his Brother Esau Lord sayth he thou hast sayd I will do thee good And thus David oftentimes minds the Lord of his promise Psal 119 ver 74. Quicken me O Lord according to thy word and Let thy mercifull kindenesse be my comfort according to thy word Whereas the estate and condition of all wicked and ungodly ones is most miâ—erable for such can have no hope at all to be heard in prayer for they are out of Covenant with God Nay let such pray in time of misery and distresse and God will say unto them Psal 50. What hast thou to do since thou hast cast my Covenant behind thee Now that such as are in Covenant with God may looke for protection at Gods hands these Reasons shew First Reas 1 in regard of the high esteeme the Lord hath of such they are precious in his sight Esa 43.4 Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast beene Honourable and I have loved thee They are Gods Jewels Mal. 3.17 And they shall be mine sayth the Lord in that day that I make up my Jewels And will not a man looke to his Jewels They are his Friends his Sons and Daughters yea as the Apple of his eye God makes more account of them then of all the world besides and therefore his speciall providence must be over them to protect and defend them Secondly Reas 2 in regard of his promise made to such I will dwell in them and walke in them 2 Cor. 6 16. and will be their God and they shall be my people And how can such want protection from God for as it is a just thing with God to depart from them that depart from him so to stand by them that stand by him and keepe covenant with him This may yield matter of Singular comfort and consolation for every poor child of God Vse 1 If thou be one of the Servants of God a true beleever one that art in covenant with God thou maist both claim protection at Gods hand in time of distresse and assure thy self of it for can a father be unmindfull of his child or will not a loving Master take care of his Servants Will not a King protect his Subjects or
prayers as the principall end of our requests It is the greatest argument and motive to move the Lord to hear and grant our requests Because Gods glory is the chiefest good mans life yea Reas 1 mans salvation is not to be preferred before it which made Moses to wish rather to have his name blotted out of the booke of life then that God should be dishonoured by the Egyptians which would be ready to say that God brought them out of Egypt into the wildernesse but was not able to bring them into the land of Canaan Secondly Reas 2 such as our esteeme is of God himselfe such is our respect unto his glory If we esteeme of God as wee ought as our chiefest good his glory will be our chiefest end in all our actions Whatsoever yee do 1 Cor. 10.30 doe all to the glory of God It is true this glory is eternall with God and admits of no addition or diminution As the Sunne would still retaine his brightnesse though no creature had an eye to see it But hereby wee set forth our high esteeme of it not that God reaps any good by it but the fruit redounds to us God loves his glory as he loves himselfe And as we love him so we love his glory It is the end that God purposeth to himselfe in all his workes Reas 3 his own glory God made all things for his own glory Psal 19. the Heavens declare the glory of God It is the end of our Redemption Yee are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6.20 therefore glorifie God c. It is the end of our Adoption to the praise of his glory Eph. 1.6 And therefore this being the end of all his workes to set forth his glory we are not to prefer any thing before it And such as prefer any thing before his glory as too many do in these dayes the Lord at last will powre contempt upon them Let us apply this Vse 1 This may serve for a prop and stay unto the godly in the land at this time wherein God hath shewed so many tokens of anger and displeasure against our land and Nation by those wofull Changes our eyes have seen and our dayly feares of farther miseries that the gospell it selfe is departing from us by the daily increase of Sects Heresyes with all manner of sin and profanesse which increasing in a nation and kingdome where the Gospell hath been sincerely professed and maintayned have ever proved a fore-runner of desolation if not the departure of the gospell from such a people Surely now is the time if ever that the Spirit of the faithfull should be kindled in prayer And in prayer that we set before our eyes Moses example here that the Lord will take the cause of his Church into his owne hand and root out these Sects and Heresies that are crept in amongst us and every plant that is not of his own planting And this must be the Reason and motive that we must presse the Lord withall His owne glory that doth now suffer And this will be a powerfull motive to move the Lord to heare and help Because he is most most jealous of his own glory And if the Lord would be pleased to save this Land and Nation deliver his people purge his Church this will redound to his own glory Say O Lord what will become of thy glory should the enemies of thy truth Gospell still prevaile shall thy vineyard be trodden down shall this Land and Nation in the which thou hast taken delight to dwell and where thy Gospell hath been preached and thy name called upon for so many yeares now at last become an Habitation of Ohims and Zijmes that the Lord would be pleased rather to humble us if it be his good pleasure by any other judgement then this spirituall Judgment of the Gospels departure from us If Master Herbert some yeares before our troubles began could say that Religion doth on Tiptoe Stand Ready to passe into America Land What would he have said if he had lived at this day to behold those abominable Sects that now have gotten head amongst us O pray pray that the Lord would take his own cause and his Churches cause into his own hand and plead his glory that doth now suffer Secondly Vse 2 by this we may try the soundnesse of our hearts and the sincerity of our prayers we put up unto God viz By our seeking of Gods glory above all our carnall Interests many men in time of sicknesse misery and distresse can pray to God for help and succour but their prayers are but the fruits of selfe-love whilest they mind their own Benefit and comfort more then Gods glory they can be content that God should serve their turns and supply their wants if poor to releeve them if sick to recover them or in any misery to help them But all this while they have no eye at all to his glory neither do they plead that at all in their prayers Whereas a gracious heart and a prayer formed according to Gods will that shall prevaile with God hath ever Gods glory the principal end of it and Argument in it to move God David in extreame sicknesse flyes to God to be his Physitian Psal 6.5 And what Argument doth he use to move the Lord to pitty him In death there is no remembrance of thee and who will give thee thanks in the pit q. d. Thou maist let me live if thou wilt which if thou wilt I shall praise thee and glorifie thy name If I die Who will give thee thanks in the pit Thus he Challengeth his life at Gods hand from this very ground the glory and praise that God should receive by his recovery The like we have else where What profit is there in my blood Ps 30.9 when I goe down to the pit Shall the dust praise thee shall it declare thy truth Shall the Dead arise and praise thee Ps 88.10 Selah It is a signe our hearts are sound and our prayers sincere when Gods glory doth principally affect us The Idolatry of the people whereby God was Dishonoured did most of all afflict Moses And the reproach done against God Dan. 32.19 by the blasphemous letter of Senacherib did more trouble the heart of good Hezekiah then all his threats against him and his people Esa 39.3.4 O well fare a gratious heart that can thus render Gods glory above all And lastly Vse 3 this serves for the just reproofe of many amongst us that albeit doe good things such as in themselves are lawfull commendable yet because they propound not Gods glory as the principall end of their actions can have no comfort in them If a minister of the word shall teach never so well and doe not propound the glory of God to himselfe therein but preach for gaine preferment vain glory c. Alas what comfort can he have in it So to give much to the poore as