complaints call on God to lay more on folk to tame them better O! be sober and if ye be put in a Babel see if ye can build houses there and make your pressures as supportable as lawfully ye may without sin make them not intolerable for that is to break your back but see how tolerable ye can make them without sinning against God that ye may dwell beside your cross with silence and submission who wots but ere many days go over ye may meet with an out-gate But 2. As variety of pressures are supposed here so it expresses plenty of Redemption in God for all that variety time will not permit me to break in on that other thing that this plenteous Redemption relates to the recurring of pressures how frequently the people of God may fall under repeated pressures and may be ofter than once pressed but here for variety of pressures there is plenteous redemption He will deliver in six troubles and in seven Job 5.19 If they be assaulted on the right and left hand there is armour of righteousness for both 2 Cor. 6.7 If they be troubled on every side he can keep them from being distressed if perplexed they shall not despair c 1 Cor. 4.8 If they be troubled on every side have fightings without and fears within God that comforts those that are cast down can comfort them 2 Cor. 7.8 When thou sits down and cannot tell all thy pressures and are like a weak patient who when his wounds are opened up swerfs thy heart grows sick and thou faints He is all sufficient to afford Cordials for thy support thou cannot have so many wants but he can supply them And as the old man said to the Levit Judges 19.20 All thy wants shall be upon him Thou cannot be straitned in God though through the narrowness of thy confidence thou may be straitned in thy own bowels for with him is plenteous redemption Think upon this ye that have to do with it ye that in your pressures are left on God alone bring up a good report on him cry not up your wants above his furniture cry not up your griefs above his consolations which cannot be exhausted this would make folks life not so comfortless as oft times they make it to themselves while they cry out What will they do with this and with that it 〈◊〉 come in their way If indeed such a thing be before thee we may say as it was said to Jeremy Jer. 12 5. If thou hast run with the footmen and they have wearied thee then how can thou contend with horses If thy few pressures have laid thee by What wilt thou do with more and greater If in the land of peace wherein thou trusted they have wearied thee I shall not say thou wilt have that atheistical word What caâ— God do But what wilt thou do if it come to the swellings of Jordan But if thou keep thy eye and heart on that word With God is plenteous redemption and then ask what shall I do with my troubles I say even bear them go to God and get much from him to bear them many proofs of his power and love his all sufficiency is infinite to bear thee thorow and bod well of him and have well look down on the greatest number of pressures as tolerable in his strength I love not carnal confidence but God loves not drooping or that folk should go discouraged to their work though humble they should be They that go drooping to their work will come halting from it but though a solemn assembly of terrors should surround you hold your eye oâ— plenteous redemption in God and it shall be well with you God bless his word to you for Christ's sake SERMON XLIII Psalm 130. Verse 7. And with him is plenteous redemption And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities AS there is no searching out of the Almighty to perfection as to what he is in himself for he is higher than the Heavens as it is said of his Wisdom and deeper than the Earth So that what can we do or know Job 11.7 8. So we are as little able to comprehend or fathom all that is in him for the good of his people and what wonder when over and above all particular Promises he hath given himself away to be their God hath made infinitness their portion Here we have a taste of what riches are in him for the behove of his people That for misery in Israel with the Lord there is mercy that for bondage and slavery in Israel with him is plenteous redemption And for the particular bondage and pressure of sin He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities I have already said somewhat to that attribute of mercy in God and the last day I came to a close of this That with him is plenteous redemption ye heard that this redemption imports partly authority to interpoâ—â— and partly power to back authority to vindicat his people Ye heard also that it was called redemption on a threefold account 1. On the account of its rise and fountain that every redemption and delivery the people of God get is founded on and is the result of their great Redemption by Christ 2. It is so called with an eye to the trouble and troublers from which he redeems his Israel but without money 3. That it is so called upon the account of the issue when the Lord delivers his people he sets them at freedom and liberty he sets their feet in a large place as it is Psal 18.19 I came also to speak of the plenteousness of this Redemption The Text says that not only there is redemption but plenteous redemption with him and as I shewed it is called plenteous redemption on a double account 1. In relation to the great plenty and variety of pressures wherewith the people of God may be assaulted on the right and on the left hand with fightings without and fears within and as the Church hath it Lam. 2.22 They may have their terrors called as in a solemn day round about them but in reference to all these he hath plenteous redemption to deliver from six troubles and from seven to put on the armour of righteousness when they are assaulted on the right hand and on the left when they are troubled on every side to keep them from being distressed When perplexed to keep them from despair c. 2 Cor. 4.8 Of this I have spoken and shall not repeat It remains in the 2d place That I speak to this plenteous Redemption as it relates to the frequent relapses of the people of God into bondage through their folly after the Lord hath brought them out of former pressures they betray themselves and bring themselves under new pressures they fall in new provocations that bring them in new difficulties which puts them again and again to look up to redemption in God I shall follow out this a little in three heads 1. It is
his people and his allowances upon his people are so rich that there is need of preparations by Tryal and Afflictions to make them capable of them for were they not put into the Depths they could not be capable of them Hence it is Paul's remark in the forecited place 1 Cor. 1.4 5. God comforts us in all our Tribulation that we may be able to comfort them who are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ we might not want these depths of tribulation because without them we could not be capable of the consolations we receive from Christ And 5. To add no more we may take notice of somewhat in the Saints tenderness above others that occasions these Depths many folks may be under as great outward trouble that are not so plunged and perplexed with it as they are Many a man has been tossed as David was by Saul who have not so exprest their resentments as he did How is this The tender spiritednesse that is in the people of God occasions their trouble of mind they see God in their afflictions and they would fain see more of him and of his mind as to their duty and this makes affliction take a deeper stamp and impression on them and to draw Blood of them more than it doth on an unsubdued Spirit who hath no mind of God or Providence but hath only the outward trouble to graple with Thus we see how it comes to passe that the people of God are put in the Depths For the 3d. thing I proposed to be spoken to That is the Use of the Doctrine the whole Observations to be gathered from the two following Verses are Instructions how to improve such a lot and consequently Uses of the Point in hand Therefore I shall content my self to hint briefly at three general words here And 1. From what hath been said ye would learn to be more jealous of a crosselesse life of a life without trouble and exercise Why It speaks little of a soul thriving in the life of God Take notice of that word Psal 55.19 Spoken of the wicked because they have no changes therefore they fear not God And that spoken of Moab Jer. 48.11 Moab hath been at ease from his youth and hath settled on his lees and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel neither hath he gone into captivity therefore his taste remained in him and his sent is not changed and he rots on his lees And as a crossess life speaks little thriving in the life of Grace so it speaks to very many little of Gods love and care There is a sort of indignation kythed against sinners that they little notice and wherein there is a snare when they get leave to go on in sin and meet not with a Cross when a person will not deinze one that is going wrong with a reproof it speaks hatred so that is a sad word from God Ezek. 3.26 Thou shalt not be a reprover to them for they are a rebellious house and that word Hos 4.17 Ephraim is joyned to idols let him alone That is a sad dispensation a douk to the hazard of drowning in the Depths is better company And 2. From this ye would be Cautioned not to mistake the sad exercises of the people of God whose lot in ordinar is outward troubles they get ordinarly the stakes to keep and to mark it in the by I wonder what a mistake is befallen us or rather a distraction is come upon us that we should stumble at the people of God their want of prosperity look to the frame of the people of God they are in ordinary broken folk Others can bear their afflictions with a sort of gallantry they can drink them down rant them down But they are broken with their affliction as if they had no spirit at all to bear them but I say ye would not mistake for it is a token of Gods love and care who donks them in the Depths to put them out of the Depths to cry unto him and it is a more blessed posture to be put out of the Depths to cry than to be in a Palace with neglect of Prayer and therefore I can call it no better than a distraction to stumble at their want of prosperity they are the folk that faint and have no might and yet they will lay by the young men and the youths for all their ranting because they wait upon the Lord they shall renew their strength Isai 40.29 This I speak not to foster discouragement in any but to caution them that are ready to stumble at the people of God their being in trouble and broken in that condition And a 3d. word of Vse shall be that every one that is in the Depths would try how they improve that lot and this Vse is the Key to open the Door to the following purpose which I shall not now break in upon only remember The Lord doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men to crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth Therefore there must be something that in affliction when we are in the Depths he is calling us to and which we would ply to in earnest and therefore we would take heed that the Bellows be not burnt that the Founder do not melt in vain and that we provoke not God to call us reprobat silver whom he hath rejected Jer. 6.29 30. SERMON II. Psalm 130. Vers 1. Out of the depths have I cryed unto thee O LORD 2 Lord hear my voice let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications BEing so long detained in the morning in breaking in upon this Purpose I shall now the more briefly come to that where I left Ye have heard that in these two first Verses the distrest Psalmist was wrestling with the difficulties and sinking perplexities in his condition wherein we have an account of what he had to wrestle with The depths the way of his wrestling with these Depths to wit by Prayer his reflecting on that exercise and telling God That he cried unto him out of the depths and his Prosecution of it or insisting and pleading with God in a new doubled suit vers 2. For the first of these the Depths wherewith he wrestled somewhat was spoken both for Explication and to a more general Application of that purpose which I shall not now repeat That which lyes before me in the second place is the way of his wrestling with these Depths or Difficulties Others had they been in the like exercise might fret and repine or they might labour to rant them out or drink them down so far as they were able to rid themselves of them or they might crush under them but he drives another Trade his being in the Depths puts him to Prayer and to fervency in Prayer he not only intimats that out of
closing therewith ye would look upon pride of Heart as having a main hand in it Rom. 10.3 The reason why the Jews did not submit unto the righteousness of God they went about to establish their own A doubting Soul in its exercise may seem to be very humble and crucified it may be but it is not humbled but while it stands a-loof from pardoning Mercy proclaims its Pride for it proclaims it would have a price to bring in its hand to God and God is angry at that pride he will have thee coming to him as a Dyvour when thou hast tryed all thou can do to the yondmost And 6. and lastly in this aversion read another mistake folk think it presumption when they are convinced of their vileness to close with pardoning Mercy but it is so far from being presumption that it is the greatest evidence of humility to take mercy freely when thou comes to the Mercat of Free-grace with no price in thy hand and not only so but it is a high honouring of God The man that being sensible of his sinfulness closeth with pardoning Mercy doth with Abraham Rom. 4.20 Give glory to God and by his receiving his testimony put to his seal that God is true Joh. 3.33 and therefore any that are sensible of sin and have any thing of the conviction of the dreadful desert of sin and are in any measure in the exercise of repentance for sin they would take notice of these things that I have named as stumbling blocks in their way of closing with pardoning Mercy and labour to take them out of it that they may come up to close with it and say But there is forgiveness with thee 3. But now because folk may readily say all that I spoke to in the Morning for preparation to closing with pardoning Mercy is good and when they hear it holden out as the will of God that a sensible sinner should lay hold on Christ for pardon who are they that will not say they have sense of sin and may take a pardon therefore to prevent the stumbling of such I shall in the 3d. place as I proposed in the entry speak to some things required consequentially as a fruit of pardon whereby a man comes to know and evidence that he is pardoned and to improve his pardon answerable to that subjoyned to forgiveness in the Text and here in speaking to the evidences of pardon a posteriori as we use to speak or which are consequential to pardon I might touch upon many things but in general as those that would see the rising of the Sun in the East they would look to the West where they will see by the shade of his Beams when he rises so these that would make their pardon sure would mind well the consequences of pardon as the surest evidences of their pardon and that they are not deluded in that matter And the 1st that I would recommend to youâ— is Love to the Pardoner There is none hath gotten pardon but it will kyth in this and for proof of it take notice of that Luk. 7.47 Where Christ speaking of the woman that washt his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head he says her sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much The meaning is not that her great love to Christ did merit a pardon for if ye read the Parable before from verse 40. It will clear that that is not the meaning Christ says to Simon Which of the Debitors will love the Creditor most Simon answers I suppose be to whom he forgave most There Love is the result of pardon and the consequent of pardon not the cause and it is in that case that Christ applys it to the woman such love to me is an infallible evidence that much is forgiven her I would have imbittered folk and such as are reflecters upon and carps at Providential Dispensations noticing this That it is no good evidence of pardon and thou that has love to him whatever be his Dispensations towards thee it speaks good news of pardon though thou cannot discern it 2. I recommend much Heart-melting and Evangelical Repentance whereof I spoke before as it is required antecedently to pardon now I press that which is consequential to pardon when a sinner hath closed with pardoning Mercy and by a reflex act looks back upon what hath been forgiven him O what melting of heart hath it as in that woman Luke 7.47 Much is forgiven her therefore she loveth much and that melted her heart and made her weep much she is a tender melting woman and certainly if thou be a Child the too look to pardon and much more the application of pardon will melt the heart and work more than many Rods. And 3. I recommend to you as a Consequence of Pardon a deep sense of the hainousness of the sin pardoned and much compassion toward them who are yet lying in the same pollution and guilt a pardoned sinner looking on his sin through the Glass of pardoning Mercy it grows much more hainous than it was and a pardoned man cannot but with compassion look on others lying in the puddle of Nature Titus 3 2 7 Speak evil of no man says he but be gentle shewing all meekness to all men for we our selves were sometime foolish disobedient c. till the loving kindness of God was manifested O what compassion will the pardoned man have towards others wallowing in that pollution from which he is delivered There are other two Evidences consequential to pardon one is Our forgiving of others Mat. 6.12 which is no meritorious antecedent cause of pardon for it is the sense of Christ pardoning Mercy to us that should and doth loose our hearts to pardon others we are bidden say Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors Another Evidence in the Text is holy filial fear but because the one of these is a Point in the Text and the other concerns the pardoning of one another as an evidence we are pardoned which will require more time to deduce than now we have I shall fist here for this time The Lord bless his Word to you SERMON XVII Psalm 130. Verse 4. But there is forgivenness with thee YE may remember that I have insisted long upon this excellent Priviledge The remission or the forgiveness of sins I have spoken to the Object of pardon or what it is that is pardoned Iniquity I have also spoken to the Author of pardon GOD To the Nature of Pardon and when it is that Pardon is pronounced and I entered the last day upon the Applicatory part of this Doctrine to lead you in a right way of closing with pardoning Mercy following the scope of the Context I proposed to speak of somewhat required antecedently to pardon to somewhat required in closing with pardon and of something consequential to pardon whereby we Evidence that we are pardoned and do improve our pardon I spoke to the first
of these and shew that in order to the obtaining of pardon men should be careful not to run headlong and voluntarly on in sin for that will make the coming at pardon more difficult that they should be frequent in self examination to find out sin That they should be serious in laying to heart the desert of sin as the Psalmist is verse 3. And serious in Repentance for sin I told you also that these things being premitted it was the duty of the penitent sinner by Faith to close with pardoning Mercy which I closed with a check both to the wicked who because they see not the advantage which is on the back of Conviction of Sin never look their sin in the face and with a check to the godly who notwithstanding their being humbled in the sense of sin stand aback from closing with pardoning Mercy And I came in the third place to speak to what was consequentially required to pardon as the Psalmist here having said There is forgiveness with thee he adds as a consequence of it that thou mayest be feared And upon this Head I named two or three things as native Consequences of pardoning Mercy as that there must be love to the Pardoner as that woman Luke 7. did evince much was forgiven her because she loved much That there must be a Heart-melting when we reflect upon the pardoning of iniquity and a Compassionâ—â— looking on them that are still lying in that pit that through mercy we have escaped I told you there are other two consequential evidences of pardon that I intended to insist a little more on As 1st The forgiving of others that have injured us And 2ly The fearing and serving of God the one of these I find it necessary to insist upon because it is put in by Christ in that pattern of Prayer Mat. 6.12 And the other because it is recorded in the Text to be a consequent of pardon For the 1st of these concerning the forgiving of others I shall briefly speak to these three anent it as it is spoken of in that Pattern of Prayer 1. That the people of God are getting wrongs in the World 2. That it is the will of God that we should forgive those that wrong us 3. That folks forgiving of others that wrong them is an evidence of their being pardoned themselves 1st The people of God these that are allowed in the Pattern of Prayer to call God Father they are getting wrongs in the World they are getting debts in the World they have their debters in it thereby is not meant so much men that are under civil obligations to pay the debt they owe to them though that may have its own place as we may hear as chiefly and mainly wrongs injuries unrighteous dealing violating the Law of Love in their carriage and deportment This is the condition the woful condition that all the Children of men are in since the fall Tit. 3.3 They are foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another and Hab. 1.13 14. Tells that men are like the fishes of the sea and the creeping things that have no ruler over them where the greater are ready to devour the smaller and the children of God are large sharers in this matter And Paul confesses 1 Tim. 1.13 That before Conversion he was a blasphemer injurious and a persecuter and Mat. 5.44 Christ supposes the godly will have enemies cursers of them haters of them such as will despitefully use them and persecute them and experience in all ages makes it out how much work fearers of God have for this sweet disposition called for in them to be forgivers of others All that I shall say from this shall be in the first place to invite you to consider the state of all mankind since the fall as the Proverb is Homo homini lupus one man is a wolf to another that men are now more ready to wrong and injure one another than the brute beasts are in their own kind this is a sad document how far man is fallen from God by sin 2. From this I would have the Lords people to take warning what they are to expect in the world they will have wrongs to bear injuries to suffer and endure debts to forgive Cement as we will these two seeds the seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent will never be one one Family and Ark one Womb will never make them one But as it is Gal. 4.29 As he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit even so is it now Therefore ye are not to wonder when ye meet with trouble and persecution in the world but rather wonder at the moderation ye meet with 3. Let it be a warning to them that wrong others that thereby they constitute themselves debitors injurers breakers of the Law of love if not of justice and righteousness also They run themselves under debt which they must repent of Luk. 17.4 and make restitution of with Zacheus Luk. 19.8 They must not stand upon their credit so to do neither must they be as many who if they do an injury resolve to crush them utterly to whom they have done it that they may not be able to repay it and beside that they may remember that God is the principal Creditor who will crave and exact that debt if it be not repented and pardoned The second thing proposed to be spoken to is That it is the will of God that these debts men contract in reference to the people of God his people should forgive them Christ will have them to say Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors Mat. 6.12 It is commanded Eph. 4.32 Forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Col. 3.13 Forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you so also do ye And our Lord Jesus Mat. 5. when v. 44. he hath bidden his followers love their enemies bless them that curse them do good to them that hate them and pray for them that despitefully use and persecute them he adds v. 45. That thereby they should evidence their good condition they should evidence themselves to be children of their Father which is in Heaven that maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sends his rain on the just and unjust That which I would say anent this forgiving of injuries shall be briefly in answer to a few Questions As 1. If it be inquired what it is that men should forgive 1. I answer for Civil Debts what-ever the Law of Charity requires in some cases as to that yet it is as we hinted before mainly wrongs injuries defraudations persecutions oppressions and the like 2. If it be asked How can we forgive these they being sins against God Ye may remember when I spake before of the Author of pardon
unseasonable were it but to give a check to the malicious disposition that haunts too too many in this generation What shall I say of it I shall only say this that little love is the first step to this malicious disposition when love grows cold and folk lives uncouth and fram'd one to another without intimations of that warmness of affection that should be which is much creept in among the fearers of God love I say growing cold then injuries bitter resentments back-bitings reproaches evil speakings c will threed in with that needle yea this is one of the great in-lets to that monstruous damnable dreadful sin of Witchcraft into which some have been led by their lusts others have been tempted to through poverty but moe by malice than by both to give themselves formally over to the Devil to renounce Christ to renounce their Baptism hope of happiness and to sacrifice all to their malicious and revengful temper therefore look to it and upon this as a necessary Doctrine that presses you to have love one to another forbearing and forgiving one another that love that suffers long is not puffed up behaveth not it self unself unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provocked thinketh no evil rejoyceth not in iniquity but in the truth beareth all things hopeth all things believeth all things endureth all things 1 Cor. 13.4 It was the most known badge of the primitive Christians and no wonder their Master left it with them Joh. 13.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another love to kindle up kindness that malice drowns love that extenuats faults that passion aggreges love that pities and compassionats where malice and revenge severely punishes love that will meet an injurer mid-way and more when revenge bids run away As ye would not be given up to the most dreadful temptations study love and from love to forgive and harbour not a malicious and revengful disposition Lord bless c. SERMON XVIII Psalm 130. Verse 4. But there is forgivenness with thee that thou mayest be feared IN the morning I was detained upon that evidence of a pardoned man which is of very common use in our walk that we have a tender-hearted disposition and be in a readiness to forgive others Now there remains before I leave this point another evidence or consequence of pardon when it is rightly closed with held out in that which ye may remember I made a third branch of this Text being an amplification of pardoning mercy taken from Gods design in letting it out even that he may be feared I shall not here stand on a general how needful it is to look to Gods design and what he drives at by every thing he doth unto us and about us as the Psalmist takes notice of Gods end in pardoning Though it were needful that we should look to it that we abuse no dispensation of God to serve our own ends neglecting his ends The reason why we speed not in many suits is we ask and receive not because we ask amiss that we may consume it upon our lusts Jam. 4.3 But passing that I come to the word in the Text. The word here fear of God it is one of these internal graces that naturally results upon the acknowledgment of a Deity and consequently belongs to the first Command where knowledge and acknowledgment of God faith and hope in God love to him and fear of him and patience under his dispensations are all commanded under that of having no other gods but frequently the fear of God is taken more largely for all the service and fear and worship of God and that because fear and reverence is a necessary ingredient called for in every part of service and worship we perform here we need not restrict the sense of the Word and so the meaning is pardoning Mercy is in God and let forth by God to the penitent that the pardoned sinner may stand in awe to offend God and may be invited to worship and serve God who invites him to it by a free pardon of iniquity under which he could not stand if God should mark it in strict Justice And hence in that sum of Christianity Philip. 3.3 If a man from having no confidence in the flesh come to rejoyce in Jesus Christ the result of that is to worship God in the Spirit hence Job 37.23 24. When God is taken up as one excellent in Power Judgment and plenty of Justice that will not afflict it hath this consequence resulting upon it men do therefore fear him and 1 Kin. 8.38 when his people pray to him he by his hearing of Prayer forgiving of sin doing and giving to every man according to his ways doth hereby invite them to fear him all the days that they live in the Land which he gave to their Fathers and Hos 3.5 It is said of converted Israel That they shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter dayes Now that I may speak somewhat of this for your edification I shall take a word or two from this purpose abstractly considered and then consider it with an eye to the scope 1. Then considering the words abstractly we may mark that fear and reverence is due to God that God is a suitable Object of humble and reverential fear in the Creature the fear of God is a thing frequently spoken of and prest in Scripture as most due to him Rev. 15.4 Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name Psal 76.7 11. Thou even thou art to be feared bring presents to him that ought to be feared Isai 8.13 Sanctifie the Lord of hosts himself let him be your fear and your dread Heâ—â—e not to insist upon the Derivations that some give of the Greek and Latine Names of God from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying Fear the Scripture sometimes Names God by this That he is the fear of his people Gen. 31.53 when Laban sware by the God of Abraham and the God of Nabor Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac that is by the God that was the Object of Isaac's fear and that word is very emphatick which ye have Psal 76.11 in your Translation it is bring presents to him that ought to be feared but in the Original and as it is rendred in the margin of your Bibles it is bring presents to the fear that is to God the Object of the reverential fear of his people It may be said that the Object of fear being things evil God who is the Chief Good seems not to be the proper Object of fear but that is easily cleared affection to God as to the chief Good cannot be without holy solicitude and reverential fear lest either our sin deprive us of him and of his favour or he be provocked to send evil on us upon the account of our provocations Now for the kinds of this fear of God I shall not insist upon
waiters on God or if ye be backslidden and sitten up I confess there may be a temptation as to this haunting a tender soul some may think because they make not such din and noise of their Religion as sometime they did that they are backslidden but thou may have more life now than thou had in thy former fraziness and forwardness thou was before like green wood that has much din will crack much but hath less heat and light but now thou art like the dry wood that has better light and more heat and there may be also a mistake on this account that because God is leading thee through the abominations of thine heart and humbleth thee with the naughtiness of thy disposition which he discovers to thee thou may think thy self worse than sometime thou was when thou art not worse but sees better than thou did before therefore where there is tenderness we would guard against such mistakes upon that hand where tenderness lies But alas we have greater cause to guard against a blind upon the other hand that is that because folk keep up the tale of Duty and are as frequently about Relâ—gious Performances as they wont to be they think they are not back-slidden nor sitten up in the way of God and yet they are far from that love to and delight in God that once appeared in their Service and Worship And to instruct this a little to you I would have these that would try if they be backslidden from that they had or might have had or that others have attained looking to these four or five things 1. If they be growing according to that 2 Pet. 3.17 Beware lest being led away with the error of the wicked ye fall from your own stedfastness but grow in grace in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ There is no standing still in a Christian course the person that is not growing in the fruit or to the root that is not making progress in Sanctification nor is not growing in Mortification and Humiliation for his shortcoming he is certainly a backsliding person 2. I would have folks looking to this whether Religion in many be not come from their hearts to their heads so that these who wont to be full of sap are now sapless these who had a lively impression on their Souls of the life and power of Religion are now come to that that all they have is bare tastless notions speculations not only do folks that are sitten up forget to look to the frame of the heart and few cabinet counsels are betwixt God them but O how tasteless sapless lifeless is Religion Religious Duties to them they have a notion of Misery and Mercy of Sin and a Saviour but it is like a dream a thing they can look on with very little or no affecting of heart 3. I would have folk that would try their frame looking to this what Conscience is made of sin when the saints are in a right frame they walk tenderly in a continual jealousie of themselves they have many a reflex look back check and heart-sinking for this and that they find amiss and this is not at a start but it will be their trade and exexcise But O when it comes to this that thou art a stranger to a tender walk with God to inward checks and challenges and thy Throat grows wide and thou gets over guilt without reluctancy thou miscarries and thy light tells thee of it but thy heart is not affected with it that tells thou art sitten up for a growing frame is tender in the matter of sin and guilt 4. I would have folk that would try their frame looking well to their diligence It is the hand of the diligent that makes rich Prov. 10.4 The soul of the diligent shall be made fat Prov. 13.4 And therefore folks that are at little pains in the Duties of Religion for the honour of God and their own souls advantage but spend much of their time in laziness and carnalness when they cast up their accompts they will find they are sitten up withered and under a decay 5. And to add no more They that would try their frame would consider that though they be free of these things hinted at yet if they be under a spirit of discouragement they cannot be making progress Look then to your frame who are more tender what discouragement ye find in it The day was when the Duties of Religion and closs following of Christ was thy delight but now thy Conscience is turned a Tormenter unto thee thou drives heavily in any task thou art called to thou art like Thomas Joh. â—1 16 who followed Christ but discouragedly Let us go also says he that we may die with him though thou keep up the tale of Duty thy discouragement evidences thou art fallen from thy first love from that love which once thou had or might have had Well then try your selves by these things what your growth is what your heart-work is what conscience is made of sin what diligence in Duty what discouragement in stead of delight and when ye have tryed reflect on that I said before of your hazard and prejudice what retardment in good what loss is in what ye had gained what indignity hath been offered to God what reflecting on him what stumbling-blocks have been laid before others what sorrows ye have been brewing to your selves And I shall only add this Consideration I wish that all back slidden and up-sitten Professors would ponder that place Rev. 2â—4 5. Where there is a Church that is very zealous cannot bear with them which are evil hath tried them which said they were Apostles and found them liars had born and had patience and for the Name of Christ had laboured and not fainted and yet Christ quarrels her for that she had lost her first love and what follows Remember from whence thou art fallen Repent and do the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place A Church leaving her first Love her gradual decay may provock God to un-Church her except she consider from whence she is fallen repent and do her first works But a 2. word of Vse shall be to hint to you a direction what folk should do with an up-sitten condition when they find it and cannot win out of it I confess it is not so difficult to find out the Disease as the Remedy and here to say nothing to them that are so fast a-sleep that they will not waken to consider of their up-sitten condition I find on the one hand some that are sensible of their backsliding ready to sigh and go backward they look upon their case as deplorable and on themselves as in an evil plight and yet they loiter on and win not to their feet And I find on the other hand others who if a conviction of this kind be called home upon them they think they
earth is full of his goodness yet notwithstanding all that goodness to all his creatures it is said in an appropriat and peculiar sense Truly God is good to Israel It 's a goodness indeed a goodness by it self whence I infer that if the common goodness of God to all which being compared with his peculiar goodness to Israel doth scarce deserve that name be so rich and full how rich and full must that his appropriat and peculiar goodness to his chosen people be If the crumbs cast to the dogs and cast to them in wrath be so plentiful what must the covered Table of his goodness to his children be If the common out-Pasture be so rank and fat what must the Inclosure be If his common communications be such a goodness what a goodness is that and what are these special communications that are reserved for the Chambers O! When thou sees the men of this world glutting themselves with Gods common goodness and blessing themselves in it as being so rich and satisfying to them wilt thou then consider how much more rich and satisfying must his peculiar and Chamber-goodness be that kindness must be a far other thing A 2d thing that may offer some account of this goodness I take from the various names it gets in Scriptu e that one Attribute of the goodness of God which ye have in your Catechism comprehends several under it or it may undergo several notions of this goodness of God in reference to the several cases of the children of men consider it 's called goodness it 's all good and therefore all that thou an Israelite meets with in thy way homeward thou may write upon it This shall work together for my good Rom. 8.28 We know c. Thou mayest say as Psal 23.6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life Thou may say as Psal 119.68 Thou art good and dost good and therefore he will do good to thee Thou may say It is good for me that I was afflicted That is one blest hint of the goodness of God to Israel that what ever an Israelite meets with it is goodness or it hath goodness written upon it Again this goodness is called his love Jer 31.3 I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee It is called love to make sure the former that he will do nothing to his people but that which is good for them because his love cannot endure to hurt them Who can expect any thing from love but that which is good And love because he will rest in his love Zeph. 3.17 Love that when any thing would interpose to interrupt it to Israel will not hear tell of it he will rest in his love he hath loved them and will love them still Again because an Israelite hath no price to purchase goodness when he needs it therefore goodness is called grace upon the account of his freedom that all the goodness he communicats to his Israel it shall be without money and without price That if an Israelite has no price and consequently has nothing to give for it he hath to do with one that can take no price but communicats his goodness freely And further if thou be one that art not only worthless and hast no price but thou art such an one as art lying low in misery hast none to have pity on thee or bemoan thee or to turn aside to ask how thou dost His goodness is mercy with a relation to thy misery to consider thy trouble to know thy soul in adversities Psal 31.7 To remember thee in thy low estate Psal 136.23 To sit down beside thee and to stoop to the very dust unto thee that 's his goodness And I shall add further for finding out of this goodness that if thou who art an Israelite be vexed with thy own waywardness untractablness what will then the goodness of God do unto thee in that case The goodness of God to thee in that case is patience long-suffering to wait long upon a peevish Israelite to suffer his manners in the Wilderness not to chide with thee continually nor to retain anger for ever but to see thy ways and heal thee Isai 57.17 in Further if thou be one that is not only wayward but hath provocked him to strike thee with the rod what will goodness do to thee then I shall not resume what I said before that Psal 119.71 It is good for thee that thou art afflicted but in that case the goodness of God shall be clemency and moderation to thee to punish thee less than thy iniquities deserve Ezra 9.13 When thy luxuriant branches of corruption shoot forth to debate with thee in measure to stay his rough wind in the day of his east-wind Isai 27.8 He shall exercise such clemency and moderation towards thee that shall be admired and wondred at by thee when thou gets a right look of it Thus as the common goodness of God to all is one step to lift thee up to the consideration of his appropriat and peculiar goodness to his people so the many notes put upon his peculiar goodness or the many shapes if I may so term it wherein it turns it self unto thee of goodness love grace mercy patience long-suffering clemency and moderation how do these set forth how good God is to Israel and to thee who art one of them There is yet a 3d hint of this goodness which may be taken up more particularly in reference to Israels various cases And there 's a 4th general word to be said of it that it is no complement but a real goodness both which I leave till the Afternoon God bless what ye have heard for Christs sake SERMON XXXVI Psalm 130. Vers 7 8. Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption And c. HOpe in God being of constant use and a duty for which there is a constant ground and warrand it is not ill employed time that is spent in enquiring who they be that go the world as it will hope in God They are indeed the Israel of God to whom the warrand of hope is appropriated and though these may be discerned by all the marks of regeneration yet none do give a more clear encouragement to hope in God than their wrestling with God as a Prince in Prayer and their endeavour to purge their hearts of sinful pollutions that God may have a Throne and Dominion there and to exercise you to study to be Israelites indeed for though ye be of Israel that is Christians by profession yet they are not all Israel who are of Israel I was laying before you some considerations of the goodness of God to Israel ye remember it was told you in general that the goodness of God was such to his people as might rationally perswade folk to seek to share in it with his Israel 2. That this
remember though when thou hast done all thou can thou cannot rid thy self of iniquity and it will be with thee he in whom thou art called and allowed to hope can deliver thee But 5. Iniquity being a burden and bondage and abominable and hateful to the true Israelite and the wrestler to be free of it finding that he cannot get himself rid of it God interposing to redeem from it is a peculiar mercy That 's a proof that with him is plenteous redemption if he redeem him from iniquity This is the main point and a point that I cannot enough batter on you Redemption from iniquity to a right discerner will make up all redemptions Let a man be a servant a slave a bond-man a worm and not a man he is the Lords freeman if he be redeemed from iniquity Isai 33.2 Then the inhabitant shall not say I am sick the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity It 's a noble Physick for sickness to be a pardoned man it 's a noble antidot to all pressures to be redeemed from iniquity it compenses and makes more than up all other pressures to be redeemed from this pressure And as this redemption makes up all other redemptions so other redemptions without this will signifie little to a right discerner this to him is the choice of mercies let God cast him in trouble and bring him out of trouble if he bring him not from the bondage of iniquity it 's no delivery to him if when he is cast into the furnace his skum depart not from him but he brings it out with him he can see a plague in other redemptions when the bondage of sin continues In a word to the right discerner of the bondage of sin God is a matchless God to him on this very account that he pardons iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage a place which with others I had occasion to make use of in speaking on the 4. verse And whoever are complaining of pressures and seeking to be rid of them yet they continue if ye would read the language of that dispensation aright here it is God is making that pressure to ly on till redemption from sin be lookt on as the crownning mercy which if we enjoy we cannot be miserable and if we want it have what we will we cannot be happy Mind this mercy more redemption from iniquity to humble uncircumcised hearts to be groaning under the bondage of sin longing for delivery from that woful Trade of walking contrary to God and provocking him to walk contrary to you and to punish you seven times more and seven times more till ye be humbled and take with the chastisement of your iniquity Remember I have left it with you in the Name of the Lord that there be more conscience making of sin and of being exercised mainly about it and putting God to redeem you from it let this be your great task and exercise whatever be your exercise otherwise Now I have done with that which is supposed in the motives backing the Exhortation to hope in God I come then to that which is proposed to encourage to hope in God And I suppose the rest of the Doctrines in these two Verses may be distinctly enough reduced to these four 1. That relative to Israels misery There is mercy in God or with him 2. That relative to Israels bondage There is plenteous redemption with God 3. That what is with God shall be put forth as the Israel of God needeth it Redemption is with him and he shall redeem c. 4. We shall speak a little to this redemption from iniquity how God works it For the first it may thus be taken up that it is a great encouragement to Israel to hope in God in all cases and exigents that there is mercy with God This mercy of God is in effect the goodness of God that Attribute of God which ye have in your Catechism It 's the goodness of God I say exprest under a notion relative to the misery of man and so ye have it Psal 136.1 O give thanks to the Lord for he is good How is that evidenced for his mercy endureth for ever He who is good in himself and doth good to others as David hath it Psal 119.68 He is good and manifests his goodness by doing good to otheâ—s by his mercy that endures for ever Not to insist on the various notions and expressions of this goodness of God if we look to it in the fountain his goodness as it is communicate to his creatures is called his love and his goodness in the fountain is called his love because it 's an eminent proof of his goodness that he loves with an everlasting love Jer. 31.3 That he hath a love to his people wherein he will rest Zeph. 3.17 That he hath such a love to them as nothing shall separate from and partly because he doth not bestow this his goodness grudgingly or complementingly but in love Love stretcheth out the hand of bounty Jer. 32.41 He rejoyceth over them to do them good with his whole heart and with his whole soul Again is the goodness of God in its root and fountain is called the love of God to his people so in respect of its freedom and their ill-deserving to partake of it It 's called the grace of God a term that we find frequently occurring in Scripture and it 's nothing else but the goodness of God or the effects of his goodness freely communicat freely bestowed without money or price where there is no merit or deserving yea where there is much undeserving or deserving of the contrary Again this goodness of God as it is manifested in opposition to the waywardness and peevishness of his people it is called patience and long-suffering for his patience in waiting on them and his long-suffering in bearing with their manners in the Wilderness what is it but the goodness of God overcoming the waywardness and peevish disposition in his people Again the goodness of God as it is still continued even when Justice and Severity takes place it 's called Clemency and Moderation that in measure when it shutteth forth he debateth with it and stayth his rough wind in the day of his east wind Isai 27.8 And that in wrath he remembers mercy Hab. 3.2 There the goodness of God moderating deserved stroaks droping in proofs of love in the midst of deserved wrath all these are the goodness of God represented to us under various notions and here in the Text the goodness of God in reference to his peoples misery is called mercy And Exod. 34.6 When the Lord proclaims his Name in Moses hearing ye will find there are various notions of the goodness of God that I have been speaking of and in the same method The first Letter of his Name is Merciful to nominat that the first look that God takes of poor man is pity and compassion in