him and hide him from the Face of him that sitteth upon the Throne and from the Wrath of the Lamb For the great day of his Wrath is come and who is able to stand Rev. 6.16 17. Now then Deliverance from Death must needs deserve Praise and Thanksgiving Deliverance from the greatest Evil should be received with the greatest Gratitude Deliverance from natural Death causeth Holy persons to bless God but Deliverance from Sin the cause of Death from the Wrath to come eternal Death much more This makes the Deliverance most compleat and the Thankfulness should be most ample To which is to be added 2. That the Deliverance is by God it is He that delivers the Soul from Death Now what comes from God's hand is most acceptable to them that love God A Deliverance from Death by a man doth ingage our Affections to him we think our selves obliged to him while we live who hath preserved our Life especially if he be a person of great Quality To have our Lives saved by the King whom we had provoked to be pardoned our Treason exceedingly heightens our valuation of the Benefit There is much more cause to magnifie the Goodness of God who saves his people from Death by pardoning of their Sins by advancing them to Nearness with himself who so saves from Death temporal as to give Life eternal Behold saith Hezekiah Isa 38.17 for Peace I had great Bitterness but thou hast in love to my Soul delivered it from the Pit for thou hast cast all my Sins behind thy back The Forgiveness of Sins which occasioned Death is a greater Benefit then the prolonging of Life And then it is Happiness accumulated to the height when there is not onely length of days on Earth but eternal Life in Heaven conferred upon the saved Bless the Lord O my Soul saith David Psal 103.1 2 3 4. and all that is within me bless his holy Name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his Benefits Who forgiveth all thy Sins and healeth all thy Diseases Who redeemeth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with Loving-kindness and tender Mercies All which Mercies are the more joyfull to the believing Soul because they are not so much the fruit of our Prayers as of God's free Grace in Christ The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ so loved the World the sinfull World even when they were Enemies to him that he gave his onely-begotten Son to death even the death of the Cross that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting Life This Deliverance from Death proceeding from God's special Love that great Love wherewith he loved us when we were dead in Trespasses and Sins quickening us together with Christ saving us by Grace is that which makes it incomprehensibly welcome and encourageth the Soul to expect farther Preservation as David doth here which brings me to the Second Part of my Text now to be handled viz. II. David's Postulation Wilt thou not deliver my Feet from falling The Expression seems to be expostulatory but is to be conceived to include a Petition He demands of God Wilt thou not c not as one that challenged it as his due desert but as assured of the Continuance of God's Goodness He deprehends in God a Fountain of Love which is still running over flowing down in farther Streams of saving Mercy We have an exact and ample Paraphrase upon the words of my Text in that passage Psal 36. from vers 5. to the end where having set out the Wickedness of men and his own Danger he breaks forth in extolling God's Goodness in an assurance of a constant Current of Mercies and then is instant with God for the Continuance of his Preservation This part of my Text is a most precious passage of great Use for your Meditation in times of Danger by reason of Pestilence or War and it shews this to be the customary practice of Holy persons to gather Arguments of Assurance of future Help from God from their experience of his former gracious Deliverances So did David 1 Sam. 17.37 when he was to fight wïth Goliah he argued thus The Lord that delivered me out of the Paw of the Lion and of the Bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine And after him S. Paul 2 Cor. 1.9 10. We had the sentence of death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God that raiseth the dead Who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver In his former Deliverance he perceived the Power of God that he could deliver from Death he deprehends his watchfulness over him in the Continuance of his Deliverance his Love to him and Care of him which confirms him in the expectation of farther Help for the future As they say all Vertues are concatenate in Prudence so all Mercies are linked together in God's Love and Care of his Servants And indeed so the Apostle inferrs Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things He that preserves our Lives will keep our Feet Thou hast delivered my Soul from Death wilt thou not also deliver my Feet from falling Surely thou wilt But then this Deliverance must be sought for at his hands which is also implied in this Expression When Christ cured the lame Cripple he bade him take up his bed and walk God when he saves our Life from death expects that we should walk before him Our Life is a Pilgrimage we walk from one Stage of it to another as the Sun runs its course so doth Man The Emanations of our Minds the Actions of our Members are our Steps If we walk not uprightly if we heed not what we think what we speak what we act our Feet will quickly fall first into Sin and then into Mischief The Psalmist Psal 73.2 tells us out of his experience of himself that his Feet were almost gone his Steps had well-nigh slipt He had stumbled at the Stumbling-stone to wit the Prosperity of the Wicked This begat Envy in him and that drew him on to a kind of Affection to their ways to a condemning of his own Course and offending against the generation of God's Children And had not God mercifully caught him when he was falling by directing him to the Sanctuary of God where he might see the End of the wicked that however they stood on smooth yet they were but slippery places they walked on Ice which would suddenly break under them and then they would sink for ever he had certainly perished Therefore he recovers himself and applies himself to God vers 23 24. and stays himself on the Manutenentia Divina Thou hast holden me by my right hand Thou wilt guide me with thy Counsel and after receive me to Glory As for me saith he in another Psalm 41.12 thou upholdest
merry heart for God accepteth his works Eccles. 9.7 He rejoyceth in them because he hath them with God's allowance with his favour they are sanctified to him by the word of God and prayer and thereby they are good to him 1 Tim. 4.4 5. otherwise they would be unclean to him Tit. 1.15 All things are good to the Godly with the light of God's Countenance if they can have them with his acceptance and use them for his Glory God is the principal thing in which a renewed Nature delights all other things are pleasant as they come from him and tend to him as they signify to us his good will towards us and as they are occasions of shewing our love to him Trahit sua quemque voluptas As carnall hearts have carnall delights so a spirituall person delights in the things of the Spirit of God Rom. 8.5 A Sow will feed on filth a Sheep on tender sweet grass So profane and ungodly men can be merry in a Tavern in Swearing Cursing Singing obscene Songs and Invectives against Piety praising of God hearing his Word but a Holy heart is weary of such Company it is a Hell to him to associate with such Woe is me saith David Psal 120.5 that I sojourn in Mesech that I dwell in the tents of Kedar but saith he Psal 122.1 2. I was glad when they said unto me Let us goe into the House of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy Gates O Jerusalem for there God is praised there is an Assembly of them that love God and delight in his Worship Truly saith S. John 1 John 1.3 our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ As it is the greatest Grievance for an Epicure a swinish brutish voluptuous luxurious man to be restrained from his Cups wanton and sensuall Company and Delights so it is the greatest Grievance to good men to be withheld from the Communion and Society of Saints from the enjoyment of holy Ordinances and imployment in holy Exercises whereby they may honour and injoy Communion with God because they delight in God and count all other delight as insipid without relish while they want that Intercourse with God which makes all things savoury and pleasant to them 2. The End of a Godly man's life is to honour God and to promote the Service and Kingdome of Jesus Christ None of us saith the Apostle Rom. 14.7 8. liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself For whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lord 's Without God a Godly man's Life is not Vita vitalis a lively Life but rather a Dream then a Life He doth sensim mori he doth but linger and die a lingering death This saith the Apostle Phil. 1.20 21. is my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed but that with all boldness as always so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or death For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain That is the whole gain of his life or death was Christ and therefore so he might glorify him and enjoy him he was indifferent whether he did live or die He was affected so to Christ and his love to him that in his farewell speech to the Ephesian Elders Act. 20.22 23 24. he saith And now behold I goe bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem not knowing the things that shall befall me there Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city saying that bonds and afflictions abide me But none of these things move me neither count I my life dear unto my self so that I might finish my course with joy and the Ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the Gospell of the grace of God It is the property of Love not to seek its own things 1 Cor. 13.5 but the pleasing and serving him whom he loves and accordingly to that he loves he regards nothing so much as the gratifying of his beloved is willing to part with any thing which may be inconsistent therewith imploys his faculties to the utmost acts ad extremum virium to the uttermost on his behalf Love is Affect us Vnionis an Affection of Union the Soul of a Lover is ubi amat non ubi animat not where he breaths but where he loves which makes him long after his beloved as David did Psal 42.1 2. As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God My Soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God And for the same reason he is not content in Exile or Sickness when he cannot have opportunity to glorify God As on the other side it is well with him when he can injoy God and doe his work though it be with shipwreck of all his other Commodities he willingly parts with all and freely relinquisheth them for this end as knowing that of our Saviour to be a necessary Lesson to be learned by him He that loveth Father or Mother more then me is not worthy of me and he that loveth Son or Daughter more then me is not worthy of me Matth. 10.37 and again Luk. 14.26 If any man come unto me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brothers and Sisters yea and his own Life also he cannot be my Disciple Excellent and worthy was the resolution of S. Paul Act. 21.13 When he was besought not to goe up to Jerusalem because of Agabus his Prophecy of his being bound at Jerusalem and delivered into the hands of the Gentiles he thus repells the motion of his most loving Friends What mean ye to weep and break my heart for I am ready not to be bound onely but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus But far more excellent was the Objurgation of Christ to S. Peter to whom when he dissuaded him from going up to Jerusalem to suffer death there with indignation he turns himself with this Thunder-clap Get thee behind me Satan thou art an offence unto me for thou savourest not the things that be of God but those that be of men Matth. 16.23 And indeed though in a far inferiour degree such is the mind of all that truly love God and the Lord Jesus Christ They are magnanimously resolved to encounter with all Difficulties for Their honour as Luther who would goe to Wormes to witness his Doctrine before the Emperour though he should meet with as many Devils there as there were Tiles on the houses of that City and are well contented when they part with the greatest outward Advantages for it As those Martyrs that went to the Stake joyfully and that Marquess that left the Emperour's Court and Preferment there his Wife and Children to injoy the Gospell in a Protestant City And they think their Life not to be
and Power of God in his proceedings concerning it S. Paul in this Epistle written to the greatest and most intelligent People of the Gentiles declares both the extreme Corruptions of the whole World and the Wrath of God impendent on them for that reason as also the unparallel'd Longanimity of God in bearing with such a provoking Generation whom Hell had long waited for and especially the incomprehensible Philanthropy or Loving-kindness of God towards men whom though Enemies though weak to resist him he not onely spareth but also reconcileth to himself by the Bloud of his own Son and proclaimeth his free Pardon to all that receive him by his Apostles But lest Mercy abused should inflame the Wrath of God so much the more lest the sweetest Meat undigested through a Surfeit should be putrefied in the Stomach and turn to the most deadly Poison he in this and the following Chapters warns us of the ill Inference which men may make from so great Goodness and he begins at the words now read unto you What shall we say then shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound God forbid In which words are two Questions the former whereof is onely a form of Transition propounding it to the consideration of those to whom he writes that they with him should bethink themselves what Determination to make upon his former Declaration What shall we say then If this be the state of affairs between God and us it concerns us to heed what thereupon we resolve to doe The other Question is more particular Shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound Shall this be the Inference we make from it The Answer is negative Absit God forbid Let no so absurd so unworthy an Abuse of so rich Mercy be yielded to though it be never so plausibly urged by our carnal Reason and our corrupt Affections would incline us to embrace the Motion In this passage of Scripture these following Conclusions are couched 1. That God's dealing with Sinners according to the Gospel of Christ is out of his abundant Grace 2. That the corrupt Heart of man is apt thereupon to harden it self by Continuance in Sin 3. That such a Determination is a most foolish and pernicious Abuse of God's superabundant Grace Of these in their order I. OBSERVATION That God's dealing with Sinners according to the Gospel of Christ is out of his abundant Grace That abundant Grace which is here supposed is the same with that which he speaks of Rom. 5.20 21. Moreover the Law entred that the Offence might abound but where Sin abounded Grace did much more abound That as Sin hath reigned unto Death even so might Grace reign through Righteousness unto eternal Life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Which elsewhere Ephes 1.7 he terms the Riches of his Grace In whom we have Redemption through his bloud the forgiveness of Sins according to the Riches of his Grace And Eph. 2.4 5 7. God who is rich in Mercy for his great Love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in Sins hath quickened us together with Christ That in the Ages to come he might shew the exceeding Riches of his Grace in his Kindness towards us through Christ Jesus And Eph. 3.8 it is termed the unsearchable Riches of Christ All which Expressions are true without an Excess of speech if we consider either the State of mankind antecedent to the exhibition of this Grace or the Effects thereof or the Means of exhibiting it For what more deplorable Condition except that of Devils could the World be in then it was in before the exhibiting of the Divine Evangelical Grace of Christ to the sons of men They had all sinned and came short of the Glory of God they were concluded as Malefactours condemned under Sin under the Curse of the Law dead in Trespasses and Sins they were alienated from the Life that is in God Enemies in their minds by wicked works foolish disobedient serving divers Lusts hatefull and hating one another children of Disobedience of Darkness who walked after the course of the Prince of the power of the Air they were carried away after dumb Idols were Vassals of Satan and children of Wrath by nature And yet even to such did the Loving-kindness of God towards Man appear so as to reconcile the world unto himself not imputing their Trespasses to them He made him to be Sin for us who knew no Sin that we might be made his Righteousness in him and committed the Ministry of Reconciliation to chosen Vessels which might bear his Name to the Gentiles and bring Light and Salvation to such persons It was no small Testimony of his Goodness that even then when they were such when they walked in their own ways he gave them Rain from Heaven and fruitfull seasons filling their hearts with food and gladness that he caused his Sun to shine upon such unjust people as were both Jews and Gentiles The former of which were degenerated from the Integrity of Abraham and though claiming the privilege of his Children yet in reality were of their Father the Devil whose works they did except a few names that waited for the Consolation of Israel the rest of them were a Generation of Vipers full of Hypocrisie and Cruelty Unpeaceable Ambitious seeking the Praise of men not the Honour that cometh of God such as would compass sea and land to make one Proselyte and having wone him to them made him twofold more the child of Hell then themselves The other were filled with all Vnrighteousness Fornication Wickedness Covetousness Maliciousness full of Envy Murther Debate Deceit Malignity Whisperers Backbiters Haters of God despightfull proud Boasters Inventers of evil things disobedient to Parents without Vnderstanding Covenant-breakers without natural Affection implacable unmercifull Rom. 1.29 30 31. Yet even such as these he washed he sanctified he justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by his Spirit It might rather have been expected that he should have repented that he had made them and have executed his Wrath on them as he did on the world of the ungodly in Noah's time by a Deluge of water to wash away from the Earth that Dunghill and filth of evil Imaginations and wicked Works that had polluted the whole Earth or should have rained Fire and brimstone from Heaven to burn up and so to take away those unclean Sodomites those brutish Dogs and Swine which filled the World He might justly have caused the Earth to open its mouth and swallow up the Inhabitants of the world so as that they should go down quick into Hell as it did the Families of Korah Dathan and Abiram He might have sworn in his Wrath as he did concerning the Rebellious Israelites that they should never enter into his Rest They and we in all Generations succeeding might have expected to suffer the Vengeance of eternal fire But O Altitudo O the depth of the riches both of the Wisedom and Knowledge and Love of God! how
themselves sutable to his Dignity so as not to disgrace him by their slovenly Habits And thus the Apostle requires that we should walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 13.13 that is in good fashion decently or honestly as we would say and our Translation reads it after the Court-fashion of Heaven We should walk before God in white like the heavenly Courtiers cloathed with white Linen fine and clean which is the Righteousness of Saints Rev. 19.8 that is with holy Habits and Dispositions of mind They that walk before God must have clean Hands and a pure Heart He that hath not lift up his Soul to Vanity nor sworn deceitfully Psal 24.4 enters into God's holy Hill As Kings love Purity of heart and grace in the lips Prov. 22.11 so doth God much more He is of purer Eyes then to behold Evil he cannot look on Iniquity with any good liking Such as be foolish shall not stand in his sight he hateth all workers of Iniquity he will destroy them that speak leasing c. Psal 5.5 6. No impure-spirited man that hath vain Imaginations of God that fears him not neither is God in all his Thoughts can stand before him If Solomon would not permit any such about him neither surely will God Rectitude of Heart is the chief Requisite when we appear before him Blessed are the pure in Heart saith our Saviour Matth. 5.8 for they shall see God As long as a man retains erroneous Opinions in the things of God as long as vain Thoughts fraudulent Designs unrighteous Projects evil Counsels lodge in his Heart and bear sway in his Actions he cannot walk acceptably with God As to Walking well bodily the chief thing is the Locomotive faculty so in Spiritual Walking before God the main thing is to be moved by a right Principle a due Apprehension of God as he is Most high 2. God must be set before us not onely as Maximus but also as Optimus not onely as the Greatest but also as the Best not onely as one that can punish us but also as one that can and will reward us as Best in himself and good to all that seek him He that shall apprehend it in vain to serve God and that there is no profit in walking mournfully before the Lord of hoasts that there is no profit in keeping his Ordinances as those mentioned Mal. 3.14 will never walk pleasantly before God Such a Servant as looks upon God as a hard Master that reaps where he doth not sow and gathers where he did not strew will shun God and his Service as much as may be hide his Talent in a Napkin rather then imploy it to improvement for his Master He that walks before God must walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exactly as the Apostle speaks Ephes 5.15 circumspectly and diligently As Courtiers that expect Benefits from their Prince will be carefull to accommodate themselves to his Humour diligent to prosecute his Business to the utmost of their skill and power so is it with those that walk before God they expect Preferment from him and therefore are studious to answer his Expectation And when they find God's Favour towards them they prize it as their Life Psal 30.5 yea better then Life it self As the Prince's Favour refresheth a Servant that attends on him is as the Dew upon the tender Herbs which makes them spring up fresh and give a sweet Savour so the Favour of God makes his Servants walk diligently before him with all readiness and alacrity doing his Will So saith David Psalm 26.3 Thy Loving-kindness is before mine eyes and I have walked in thy Truth And indeed this is the chief Encouragement to a man that walks before God that he does all for a Prince that is not onely Deliciae generis humani the Love and Delight of mankind as Titus Vespasian the Roman Emperour was styled but that he serves a God who is Love it self Joh. 4.16 in whom there is not onely a River but an Ocean of Love not a Pond but a Fountain of Love All his ways are Love to his Holy ones He loved them with an everlasting Love and with Loving-kindness hath drawn them to him This was it that made David to aim at walking before God because he had found God's Love to him in delivering his Soul from Death and his Feet from falling Thus God encouraged Abraham to walk before him because he had assured him that he was his Shield and exceeding great Reward Gen. 15.1 It is good for me to draw nigh unto God saith the Psalmist Psal 73.28 But above all the Manifestations of God's Love that which is the grand Motive to encourage our walking before God is that there is now a new and living Way whereby we may draw nigh to God even through the Veil of his Son's Flesh That now the Enmity betwixt us and God caused by Adam's Sin and Satan's project to alienate Men from God is taken away That now there is on Earth Peace and Good will towards men That now the Son of God is made the Way the Truth and the Life whereby we may come to the Father That now we are assured that however it be that we travel through a Wilderness through a dry and barren Land where we meet with fiery Serpents and many Wants yet we have Manna from Heaven to feed on and we drink of the Rock which Rock is Christ Spiritual Meat and Spiritual Drink That as the Serpent was lifted up upon the Pole so the Son of man was lifted up that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life That now we have the Cloud by day to shade and guide us and the Pillar of fire by night to direct us we have not the Shadows of the Law but the clear Light of the Gospel to inlighten us with the Light of Heaven That we have the Spirit from on high given us to be a Spirit of Inlightning a Spirit of Regeneration to beget us again a Spirit of Life to quicken us and make us new Creatures in Christ a Spirit to comfort and refresh us a Spirit to intercede for us And that which is the upshot of all there is a Rest which remains for the people of God not in an earthly Canaan but in the Heavenly Jerusalem where we shall rest in Abraham's Bosom in the presence of the Holy Angels and glorified Saints in the Arms of our Husband who hath espoused us to himself by the greatest demonstration of Love having purified us to himself by his Bloud and joyned us to himself by his own Spirit That we shall behold the Face of our Father which is in Heaven in whom is all Beauty all Worth and all Love everlasting Joy shall be upon our heads and Sorrow and Misery shall fly away we shall be Kings and Priests unto God our Father and that for ever So that it will be abundant Recompence to us that we have walked before God in the light of the living
thee Make the best thou canst of thine own Righteousness thou shalt find the way to Salvation by thine own Works a way unknown to the holy Saints untroden by them none there ever got thither that way That is not Scala Caeli the Ladder of Heaven by which the Saints climbed thither but Scala Gehennae the Precipice by which proud Pharisees superstitious Monks and Friers ignorant Quakers and formal Protestants that trust to their own Devotions and Good deeds tumble down to Hell I beseech you then as you love the Salvation of your Souls seriously examine your selves whether you that have sinned with David do repent with David Complain of your Sins be sensible of them as your most heavy Burthen confess them to God with detestation be instant for Cleansing from Sin through the multitude of God's Mercies hope for Pardon and Righteousness onely through Christ's Atonement by the Sacrifice of himself and his Intercession in Heaven have a settled purpose of Amendment of life be impatiently importunate with God for a new Heart and a new Spirit and expect these things and whatever Good your Souls want onely through the Loving-kindness and free Grace of God in Christ If it be so with you I may assure you of Blessedness and tell you from the Spirit of God that Blessed is he whose Transgression is forgiven and whose Sin is covered Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile Psal 32.1 2. cited by S. Paul Rom. 4.7 8. to prove the Blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness without Works I may tell you from him Rom. 8.1 There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit But if you be insensible of Sins unhumbled for them neither confess them freely nor bewail them mournfully fly not to the multitude of God's Mercies for Pardon trust to other things for Salvation then Christ's Merits find no change of your Hearts nor alteration of your Lives nor work of renewing Grace in your minds nor beg it of God as a thing most necessary for you I may truly say you stumble at the Stumbling-stone and that you will unless God awaken you and change your minds die in your Sins and perish for ever Be perswaded then to follow the Example of David S. Paul and other holy Saints find out by God's Law your Sins confess them to God bemoan them with hatred beg for Mercy in the Forgiveness of them trust to the Obedience of Christ in his dying for you his appearing with his Bloud before God magnify God's Grace and Christ's Love pray for a new Heart and study to live a holy Life and thou shalt be blessed Amen LAVS DEO THE TRUE PENITENT The Fifth SERMON PSALM li. 3. For I acknowledge my Transgression and my Sin is ever before me THIS Psalm is one of the Penitentials occasioned by the greatest Sins which David committed the greatest Rebuke which ever he underwent and therefore penned with the greatest Compunction of spirit and most vehement Deprecation of his Guilt and Punishment of any which he composed After the Inscription of the Psalm which shews that it was framed after his Conviction by Nathan the Prophet and the Denunciation of Divine Vengeance for his Adultery and Murther he instantly craves Pardon with variety of Expressions and most prevalent Motives doubling and redoubling his Petitions and adding this forcible Reason which the words of my Text yield For I acknowledge my Transgression c. Wherein 1. He professeth ingenuously his Agnition of his Transgressions as most hainous of deep dye Crimson Scarlet Sins Red Sins Bloud-guiltiness and damnable Uncleanness 2. That he did not slightly take notice thereof but that as his Sin stared in his face to his great Horrour so he set it before him for his deep Humiliation and that not onely for a fit while the Prophet's Conviction was fresh in his memory but for a continuance it was ever before him he mourned and intended to mourn for it all or most of his days to repent and abhor himself in dust and ashes God had set it before his face by his Prophet and he did set it continually before his face as an humble Penitent And therefore he importunes God with strong hope for mercifull Forgiveness In the Text we have many considerable things to be observed concerning the estate of an holy and humble Penitent As 1. He owns his Transgressions and his Sins as by and from himself My Transgression and My Sin 2. He doth not extenuate but aggravate them by various terms denoting their Criminousness Transgressions and Sin 3. He doth freely acknowledge and confess them to God and Men. 4. He makes not this a short transient Action but his Sin is ever before him He continues this Humiliation as just and equall by reason of the greatness of his Iniquity 5. He pleads this as a Reason to induce God to a compassionate relenting towards him and a gracious Condonation Of these briefly in their Order I. OBSERVATION A Penitent Sinner owns his Sin as from himself He doth not as Eve did father it on the Serpent or as Adam on Eve but imputes the acting of it to his own innate Pravity as the fountain and spring out of which it did issue And that is indeed a right derivation of it Every man saith S. James 1.14 15. is tempted when he is drawn away by his own Lusts and enticed Then when Lust hath conceived it bringeth forth Sin and Sin when it is finished bringeth forth Death Perditio tua ex te O Israel said God to Israel Thy destruction is of thy self And the same may be said of all Sinners The Providence of God orders the Occasions of Sin but it is Man 's own Free will that chuseth to sin upon these Occasions God ordered Bathsheba's washing her self and David's walking on the roof of the house but he put not Lust into David's heart or the wicked contrivance of her Defilement Vriah's assaulting Rabbah and the Souldiers falling upon Vriah were by Divine Providence but the Plot of David and execution of it by Joab were of humane Maliciousness Impenitent Sinners charge their Wickedness on their ill Fortune unhappy Destiny unlucky Planet which is done with the like reason as if the Knife were to be blamed for a man's Self-murther or the Bread he eats as the cause that he is choaked or the Girdle he wears that he was strangled by it Planets and other natural Agents though they have Influence on the Body which may provoke to Evil yet they cannot necessitate the Mind to assent to it or to act accordingly Casual Concurrence of things may prompt but not compell to Sin Evil Company bad Counsel cruel Tyrants may have power on the Members not the Will It is true the Devil is the Father of Lies He that committeth Sin is of the Devil but were it not that
forgiven So indeed it falls out sometimes that mens Transgressions when they have sinned presumptuously against Conviction of Conscience within and Warnings without do so stare in their faces that they affright them with terrour and astonishment their Spirits are wounded they apprehend the Devil haling them to the infernall Prison expect nothing but Hell and Damnation cry out of God as Cruel of themselves as Damned wretches Such a View of Sin as thus tends to Despair that eyes onely God's Justice and their own Desert that begets Hatred of God as a Tyrant no Address to him as a Gracious Prince is indeed very dangerous Humble Penitents do not so set their Iniquities before them This is the manner onely of despairing Saul's revolting Spira's such as have sinned wilfully with an high hand and continue in their Apostasie from the Truth that say There is no hope we have loved strangers and after them will we go Jer. 2.25 But returning Sinners remember their Sins and they are ever before them in another manner and to another purpose They present their Sins to themselves that they may shame themselves and give Glory to God in acknowledging his Righteousness without deniall of his Grace They look not onely on the foulness of their Trespasses and the greatness of their Debts but also on the riches of God's Grace the fulness of Christ's Obedience the inexhaustible fountain of Christ's Bloud the infallible Assurance of the New Covenant the ample Promises of the Gospel and accordingly with Confession of Sin they adjoyn Prayer for Pardon Faith in Christ's Bloud and plead God's declaration of his own Properties his former dealing with great Transgressours and in the same manner as David did here V. OBSERVATION The true Penitent tells God of setting his Iniquities before him to induce God to relenting Compassion towards him and gracious Condonation of him In the Penitentiall Psalm De profundis 130.2 3 4. the Penitent Sinner thus bespeaks God Let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my Supplication If thou Lord shouldst mark Iniquities O Lord who shall stand But there is Forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared Even the wicked Ninevites had so much apprehension of the possibility of God's mercifull Clemency that after Jonas's Proclamation of their approaching Ruine they resolved to cry mightily to God upon this apprehension Who can tell if God will turn and repent and turn away from his fierce Anger that we perish not Jon. 3.9 'T is true they that worship the Devil and pray to him doe all out of Fear as looking for nothing but Cruelty from unclean Spirits But Jonas in his froward fit Chap. 4.2 acknowledgeth that the Lord is a gracious God and mercifull slow to Anger and of great Kindness and repenteth him of the Evil. Even by the experience of them that know not God this is found true which made even Infidels cry unto the Lord in their Distresses and confess their Sins in hope of Help The believing Penitent knows both by experience and from the Nature Works and Word of God that when he sets his Sins before him God casts them behind his back that God looks upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not He will deliver his Soul from the Pit and his Life shall see the Light Job 33.27 28. They have learned that he that hideth his Sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall have Mercy Prov. 28.13 That if we confess our Sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our Sins and the Bloud of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin 1 Joh. 1.7 9. They judge that what David found they shall find I said I will confess my Transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my Sin And therefore For this shall every one that is Godly pray unto thee in a time that thou maist be found Psal 32.5 6. And consequently it is their course as being best for them to set their Sins before them so as to humble them and to set them before God that he may pardon them APPLICATION And now I beseech you lay all that I have said to heart as of greatest concernment to each of you What David did what all the Saints have done in all Ages you should doe in this their Practice should be your Pattern It is necessary to be done though it be much against the spirits of men Most men are quick-sighted in viewing the Faults of others but blear-eyed when they are to look upon their own Crimes Censuring and Judging others is very frequent Self-judging is very rare They that would take a Mote out of their Brother's eye will not take notice of the Beam in their own Few are willing to have their Sins set before them by others and themselves are far from setting them before them of their own accord A free Reprover is accounted intolerable Men hate them that rebuke them Yea a Minister who by Office is bound to doe it though he doe it to save their and his own Soul yet he is not endured for it but declined and persecuted They that cannot deny their Sins yet put off the Faultiness of them to some other Cause They that acknowledge their Sins to have been from themselves yet excuse and extenuate them Scarce a man confesseth his Sins that are hidden from men if he do confess them to God it is but slightly What a Beast was I saith the Drunkard God forgive me saith the Swearer though the one wallows in his Intemperance day after day and the other profanes the Name of God every hour Thus Sin is slightly acknowledged by the Sinner without any sense of the Iniquity of his Nature or the Love he hath to his Sin which are the Causes of it without any Compunction of heart without Remorse of Soul without Bemoaning it to God in Supplications bewailing his Folly his Naughtiness and earnestly humbly begging Pardon Yea when God sets mens Sins by his Judgments on them in order before them they will not set them before themselves to give him the Glory of his Justice when his Hand is lifted up they will not see when he makes their Hearts ake their Eyes weep by his Strokes for their Sins they fret with Anger but weep not out of Sorrow for Sin No marvel that men find not the Comfort of God's pardoning Grace when they slubber over this great Business which the Godly have always found to be the right and onely way to Mercy in so dull and negligent a manner as if they could deal with God as with an Idol that hath neither eyes to see their Impenitency nor hands to punish their Sins and so carry themselves as if they could mock God with a few words of course without any serious or hearty Sorrow for their Disobedience to God's Law and Provocation of his terrible Majesty Oh that you would in time repent throughly of
of his Holiness in my Text. Now he is so termed in opposition to the unclean Spirit Matth. 12.43 or evil Spirit and Spirit of Devils which are in some men as the Holy Spirit is in others For as the Heathens imagined that every man had his good Genius or his bad his good or bad Angel so the Holy Scripture expresseth the Motions of men to be from the Spirit of God's Holiness in them who are sanctified and from Satan in them who are unholy as in Cain and Judas Now the Spirit of God is sometimes spoke of as God's Instrument by which he works in the works of Creation Psal 104.30 Thou sendest forth thy Spirit they are created and thou renewest the face of the Earth Job 33.4 The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life When God bringeth any great thing to pass he doth it by his Spirit Zech. 4.6 Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit That which is in Matth. 12.28 If I cast out Devils by the Spirit of God is in Luk. 11.20 If I with the finger of God cast out Devils whence it appears that the Spirit of God is Digitus Dei God's Hand or Finger whereby he works But especially the works God doeth in and for the Saints are ascribed to the Spirit of God All these things worketh that one and the self-same Spirit dividing to every man severally even as he will 1 Cor. 12.11 All those precious Qualities and Operations whereby we please God are termed Fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 23. 2. This helps us to understand how the Holy Spirit may be taken from a person to wit by withdrawing from him those Operations of the Holy Spirit which are amiable to God or comfortable to us Now in this Petition it is to be considered that notwithstanding David's Sins he was not utterly bereft of God's Spirit for in this Psalm his humble Confession his ardent Supplication shew that there was some fire of God's Spirit remaining in him all the sparks were not gone out Yet he felt so little of the Vigour and Consolation of the Spirit that he feared its utter Extinction And because this would leave him in utter Darkness therefore he is importunate with God that he would not take his Holy Spirit from him but as it is in the next verse restore unto him the joy of his Salvation and uphold him with his free Spirit The Petition thus opened yields us these Observations 1. That the having of God's Spirit in us and with us is the most beneficial Gift which God gives to a Repenting Sinner 2. That great Transgressions endanger the Loss of God's Spirit 3. That a Repenting Sinner is an earnest Suitour to God for the Continuance of it to him Of these in their order I. OBSERVATION That God's Spirit is the most beneficial Gift that God bestows on a Repenting Sinner This is manifest from the words of Christ Luk. 11.13 If ye then being evil know how to give good Gifts to your Children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him Which shews that the Gift of the Holy Spirit is a greater Gift and far better then that which earthly Parents give to their Children as bodily Food and the like and that God in giving his Holy Spirit to those that ask him shews an Affection far exceeding that which Parents have for their Children when they supply them with Corporall sustenance Adde hereunto that the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.14 in his Benediction of the Corinthians prays thus for them The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the Communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all Amen Whereby it is manifest that the Communion of the Holy Spirit is ranked among the best things he could beg for that people to wit the Grace of Christ and the Love of God Nor is this without reason for the Spirit of God removes all that Evil which is odious to God and noisome to our selves it washes away that Filthiness of flesh and spirit which is loathsome to God it cures that Blindness of Mind that Hardness of Heart that Perverseness of Soul that Impotency of Faculties which make us unable to doe any thing that may please God or rectify our own Actions It is this clean Water which being sprinkled on us by God makes us clean in his eyes so as to cleanse us from all our Filthiness and all our Evils It is that by giving of which we have a new heart and a new spirit is put within us God takes away the stony heart out of our flesh and gives us an heart of flesh which causeth us to walk in God's Statutes and to keep his Judgments and doe them Ezek. 11.19 20. In whom the Spirit of God dwells not there is a Spirit of Slumber Eyes that they should not see and Ears that they do not hear even the Gospel is hid to them the God of this world blinds their minds lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image God should shine unto them they are held in the Snare of the Devil and are taken captive by him at his will An evil Spirit possesseth them so that they want the Consolations of God the Peace which passeth understanding which guards the minds of them that believe through Christ Jesus they are filled with Horrour of Conscience are under the spirit of Bondage they sow to the Flesh and of the Flesh reap Corruption On the other side where the Spirit of God inhabits it renews a man in the spirit of his mind so that he knows the things that are freely given him of God spiritually discerns the hidden wisedom of God in a mystery which God hath ordained before the world to our glory even those things which eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Even to Babes are these things revealed by God's Spirit which the Princes of the world knew not but they were hid from the wise and prudent Matth. 11.25 Whence it is that they are made the Epistle of Christ written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in Tables of Stone but in fleshly Tables of the Heart with open face beholding as in a glass the Glory of the Lord they are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.3 18. By which means they are made the Temple of God in that the Spirit of God dwelleth in them vers 16. and holy unto God an habitation of God through the Spirit they are joyned to the Lord one Spirit with him new Creatures in Christ and conformed to him Whence it is that Sin bath not dominion over them nor the Wicked one toucheth them They are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein they were held
thou recover me and make me to live Behold for Peace I had great Bitterness but thou hast in love to my Soul delivered it from the Pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my Sins behind thy back Thus he creates the fruit of the lips Peace Peace to him that is afar off and to him that is near and heals them Isa 57.19 Men sin and then God scourgeth they cry and God sends his Messenger to teach them they are humbled for Sin and fly to the Bloud of Christ for Peace Believing in him they obtain Reconciliation being reconciled the Spirit of Christ as the Comforter is given them to make known the things that are freely given by God hence comes Joy in believing and Hope of the Inheritance of life by which they are supported which I was to demonstrate APPLICATION And now this belongs to you that so many of you as have by proof found the truth of this may be thankfull so many as do or shall need these directions may wisely make use of them You are all of you yet in the Body and this Body you bear about you is a Body of Sin and Death and perhaps you have been affected as S. Paul was when he cried out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver men from the Body of this death Rom. 7.24 If you have not found it already you may expect such a sense of your Infirmities as may perhaps make you tremble and quake bemoan God's Absence from you and from the words of your Roaring you may find Wounds in your Spirit and Breach in your Bones Conscience of Sin sense of God's Rod on your backs may make you cry out in the bitterness of your Soul for Ease and Help If any of you have already found your selves in this Case you are able to tell how weak your Spirit hath been either to avoid or bear the Blows of God's Hand Onely they are happy in such a case who can truly say I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Sure all others are Physicians of no value It is in vain to imagine any solid Comfort to your Spirit by a Pope's Pardon or a Priest's Absolution or any other Remedy which either your own Mind or others Wit can minister to you for your Ease or Recovery It is onely the Balm of the Gospell the Physician of Heaven that can make a perfect Cure Without these some Mountebanks may make a palliated Cure but the Sore will break out again Oh then be sure to take home with you this Receipt write upon it Probatum est No Medicine like God's Favour obtained by sound Humiliation true Repentance unfeigned Faith in the Bloud of Christ to heal your Plagues whether from God's Judgments or your own Fears Keep this as the onely Plague-water make use of it toties quoties as oft as you find need in life and death And when you have found Refreshing in your Spirits by it forget not to lift up your eyes to the Father of Spirits both by acknowledgment of what Support you have had and by seeking such farther Comfort from him as you may need I shall dismiss you with S. Paul's prayer 2 Thes 2.16 17. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting Consolation and good Hope through Grace comfort your hearts and stablish you in every good word and work To whom with the Blessed Spirit be ascribed c. Amen LAVS DEO PIETY THE DESIGN of PARDON The Tenth SERMON PSALM cxxx 4. But there is Mercy or Forgiveness with thee that thou maist be feared THIS Psalm is one of the Fifteen which are intituled Songs of Degrees For what reason they are so called is variously conjectured but not certainly determined It is also one of the Seven termed Penitentiall Psalms The matter of it is Supplication with a declaration of the Psalmist's Resolution or Practice v. 5 6. and an Exhortation to wait and hope in God as he did with assurance of God's Graciousness and Mercifull intention to Israel vers 7 8. The Supplication expresseth the state he was in De profundis Out of the Depths that is deep Mire or Waters by which are signified great Calamities Psal 69.2 14 15. such as those are in that are put into a Dungeon as Jeremiah was Jer. 38.6 or that are cast into a deep River Sea or Lake in which they are like to be overwhelmed It notes some great Affliction whether inward or outward private or publick is not certain though the words in vers 3 4. seem to intimate it to have been inward out of the sense of Sin and terrour of Soul by reason of it In this condition he saith he called or cried to God and his Cry was 1. In generall for Audience Lord hear my voice let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my Supplications vers 2. 2. With Confession of his Guiltiness vers 3. If thou Lord shouldst mark Iniquities 3. With imploring and confident application of Forgiveness in my Text But there is Mercy or Forgiveness with thee that thou maist be feared Whether the word be read Mercy or Forgiveness it is not much material saving that this latter is more agreeable to the words and to the Coherence with vers 3. and better expresseth the particular Mercy meant here The Greek hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with thee is Propitiation or Appeasing which is either the same with Forgiveness or connexed with it Nor is it of any moment whether we reade For or But save that this latter is more apposite to the matter And it is all to one purpose whether we reade with thee or from thee the Hebrew particle signifying both save that this latter is more expressive of the sense And the meaning is the same with that in Daniel 9.9 To the Lord our God belong Mercies and Forgiveness though we have rebelled against him The latter part of the verse is otherwise read by the Greek and Vulgar Latin upon mistakes which Learned men in their Annotations take notice of Doctour Hammond on this place But the reading according to the Originall is for thy fear which is all one with our Translation that thou maist be feared that is reverenced worshipped and obeyed which are usually comprehended under the Fear of God The Truths included in this passage are 1. That there is Forgiveness with or from God 2. That this Forgiveness engageth or encourageth men to fear him Of these in their order I. OBSERVATION That there is Forgiveness with or from God That God is a pardoning God is the Assertion of God himself in that Proclamation in which he told Moses he would make all his Goodness to pass before him which was thus delivered Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious long-suffering and abundant in Goodness and Truth keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin Conformable whereunto in that Prayer of Nehemiah 9.17
unsearchable are his Judgments and his ways past finding out Even in this desperate State when Iniquity was at the height when the Sins of men were ripe the Harvest come to its full growth when they lay weltring in their own bloud he said unto such out-cast helpless sons of Adam Live he hath swaddled washed nourished decked married to his Son such forlorn Creatures done the greatest Good to the worst of men he so loved the World that he gave his onely-begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have Life eternal Jesus Christ came into the world to save Sinners even the chiefest though it was foreseen which is next to be considered II. OBSERVATION That corrupt Hearts will be apt upon this gracious dealing of God to harden themselves by continuance in Sin The Apostle Jude in his Epistle vers 4. tells us of some ungodly men in his time who turned the Grace of God into Lasciviousness But it is an Abuse not peculiar to those onely it is a Disease which is hereditary How many are there who presume on God's Mercy though they persist in their Impenitency Is it not a frequent thing with many that profane the Name of God by an hourly Abuse of it in vain Swearing that spend a great part of their lives in Debauchery so as to become more like Beasts then Men to live more Pecudum or more Ferarum as Sensualists rather then Religious persons as Devils rather then Saints yet to feed themselves with imaginations of God's Grace as if God would be mercifull to such Christ died for All God would damn None to bolster up themselves in Sin deluding themselves with Conceits of Pardon if at last Gasp they can but cry Peccavi when they love their Sin as much as they did and grieve onely that they cannot still commit it or that God awards Hell to the Actours of it and cry God mercy in a faint Miserere mei God be mercifull to me when they have neither acquaintance with his Promise nor any lively sense of his Love in Christ How great a part of the sons of men expose themselves to Temptations and give way to sinfull Compliance in Errour or unrighteous Practices out of a fond hope of future Repentance and easie Pardon Not onely notorious ungodly persons who walk in the Stubbornness of their heart adding drunkenness to thirst say in their heart they shall have Peace when God saith he will not spare them Deut. 29.19 bless themselves when God curseth them but also others who have a Form of Godliness without the Power shelter themselves from Wrath upon a mistake of God's abundant Grace Yea somewhat of this Leaven is hidden even in Good mens Hearts which is apt to sour their Spirits to puff them up with high conceits of their Happiness and Interest in God so as to make them secure in some goings astray Which is a foolish and pernicious Abuse of God's superabundant Grace to be next considered III. OBSERVATION That it is a foolish Conceit that we may securely continue in Sin and expect Favour from God because of his superabundant Grace in Christ This is manifest because it is a groundless and vain Presumption there being no Promise or other Declaration of God which assures his Grace to such persons Promise of Pardon of Sin is made onely to the Penitent Mercy to him that confesseth and forsaketh his Sin Onely a working Faith that is in Christ operative by Love avails with God to the Justification of a Sinner New Obedience is requisite to the Continuance of our Peace with God a holy Life to eternal Life We reade of David's Forgiveness and we reade also of David's Confession he acknowledgeth his Sin before Nathan tells him The Lord hath put away thy Sin We reade of God's Mercy to Manasseh but the same Story tells us of his humbling himself first Saint Paul was saved though the chief of Sinners but not till he was converted and thereby made a real Saint Were it so that Grace were bestowed on hardned Sinners it would be in effect a cherishing of Rebellion When a Prince pardons a Traitour he will first have him an humble Supplicant lay down his Weapons and fall prostrate at his feet Else he should maintain Enemies not secure his Dominion he should in the event destroy himself by saving his Foe such Pity to them would prove Cruelty to himself It is so in God's Royall Government Should he shew himself facil and forward in bestowing his most beneficial Grace on open Sinners that persist in their Provocations or on secret Hypocrites that are false-hearted he should in stead of upholding his Kingdom ruine it in stead of gaining good Subjects nourish Vipers in his bosome It is a Maxim with him in his Holy Polity That when the Righteous turneth away from his Righteousness and committeth Iniquity his Righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his Trespass that he hath trespassed and in his Sin that he hath sinned in them shall he die Ezek. 18.24 This is the way of God which he counts as it is indeed most equall it being altogether incongruous to God's Holiness to abett Evil. For that would foster such Conceits in men as those were in him of whom God saith Psal 50.21 These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thy self Then which there is nothing more opposite to his pure Nature nothing being more repugnant to him then Sin Such Imputations therefore are the greatest Disparagements of God the foulest Reproaches the most hainous Injuries the most monstrous Indignities that can be cast on the Divine Majesty it being all one as to metamorphose him into a Devil All Sin is from the Devil and therefore for God to bestow his Grace on him that continues in Sin were to countenance the Devil's Actings to breed up his Brats in stead of destroying the works of the Devil such Indulgence would promote them God should be an egregious Dissembler he should in word forbid Sin in deed command it he should take to himself the name of a Righteous God and act as the Authour of Sin he should threaten Sinners as if he were in jest not in earnest give liberty and allowance to a dissembling Hypocrite to mock him to his face while he makes a shew of honouring God when he sues for his Grace and yet in Heart derides the Word of the living God The Intention of God in exhibiting his surpassing Grace is to draw the Hearts of men by the Chords of love to him the more abundantly that as it is said of that woman Luk. 7.47 that her Sins which were many were forgiven for she loved much much Love might be the fruit of much Grace Whereas the Continuance in Sin out of the fancy of superabundant Grace is indeed to abuse the Love of God to the increase of Hatred against him Spider-like to suck Poison out of that Flower
which a Bee would convert to the sweetest Hony In the end this course is most pernicious to him that follows it there being nothing that more alienates Affection from a person then his abuse of Kindness God's Love abused turns to Rage and none have God more incensed against them then those that having tasted of the good Gift of God fall away into sinfull Courses that are so unthankfull for so great a Favour as the offer of Reconciliation the Sacrifice of Christ the Invitation to his Supper to the Marriage of the Son of God as that they chuse rather to be at home with their Oxen and Wives and Farms or to come without a Wedding-garment then to accept of his Motion and accommodate themselves to his Kindness that having had ten thousand Talents forgiven them take their Brother by the throat for an hundred pence When men despise the Riches of God's Goodness and Forbearance and Long-suffering not knowing that the Goodness of God leadeth them to Repentance after their hardness and impenitent Hearts they treasure up to themselves Wrath against the day of Wrath and revelation of the righteous Judgment of God Rom. 2.4 5. APPLICATION Oh then let me in the most tender Bowells of Compassion my Heart can be touched with with the most serious Importunity that my words can express with the deepest Adjuration by the most affecting things that I can mind you of instantly press you to take heed of this most vile ugly dishonest irrational and damnable Abuse of the Divine Grace so as to continue in Sin that Grace may abound It is most meet yea natural that Love should beget Love Grace should beget Observance Is not he a most egregious Villain that hates his own Father that begat him that kills him that gave him Life Is not the Lord the Rock who begat thee the God that formed thee And wilt thou then be so unnatural as to hate God as thou dost if this be thy Requital for his Grace to persevere in Wickedness He tells thee that he is hated when thou lovest any thing more then him givest his Glory to another makest thy Belly thy God gloriest in thy Shame mindest earthly things And wilt thou thus recompense so great Goodness with such extreme Badness He saith he will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain And wilt thou pollute the Holy Name of thy Holy Father with thy impure Swearing The earnal mind is Enmity against God as being not subject to his Law but inconsistent with it And wilt thou suffer vain Thoughts to lodge in thee fleshly Reason to sway with thee carnal Lusts to rule over thee All Benefits received engage to answerable Duty What art thou then but a very Miscreant that having so much taste how gracious God is how amply he hath vouchsafed to be bountifull to thee in giving Christ for thee how profusely he hath bestowed on thee the Riches of Heaven in the largess of Spiritual Blessings in heavenly things in Christ dost yet side with Sin and Satan his profest irreconcilable Enemies that canst harbour that Enemy which thy Allegeance to God binds thee to pursue zealously unto death Oh that rather the Sense of God's Goodness might make us good the Taste of his Grace might make us gracious Surely none are worse Enemies to God then such as have been acquainted with the excess of God's Grace in Christ yet exceed in their obstinate perseverance in Evil such as when God's Grace should draw Tears from their Eyes Sighs from their Breasts cause Dejectedness in their Spirits by reason of their Sinning against so incomprehensible a Love as that which he vouchsafes to the Sons of Adam in Christ have yet a Forehead of brass that cannot blush glory in their Wickedness boast of their Lewdness and are secure in their Impenitency Greater Woe was to Chorazin and Bethsaida then to Tyre and Sidon because they repented not upon such Proofs of Christ's Excellency as would have wrought on the other As they had been lifted up to Heaven so Christ foretells their casting down to Hell No people in the world are likely to have a greater degree of Torment in Hell then profane and unrighteous men among us who have the greatest Proof of God's Grace of any people on the Earth As then you either stand in fear of so great Damnation or are desirous of that abundant Grace which the Gospel of Christ exhibits abhorr the thought of Continuing in Sin that Grace may abound Let the Mercies of God lead you to present your Bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable Service for that will procure his Favour here and your Blessedness hereafter Which he grant c. Amen LAVS DEO THE DIVINE COMPASSIONS The Fourteenth SERMON LAMENT iij. 22. It is of the Lord's Mercies that we are not consumed because his Compassions fail not I Have read to you a passage out of a most dolefull Poem composed by that Holy Prophet Jeremiah with much Art in the four first Chapters the order of the Hebrew Alphabet being observed in the initiall Letters of the Verses yet with a very deep sense of God's Judgments on Judah and Jernsalem and a tender Sympathy with them in their Affliction He had long and often foretold those Evils would befall them which he now saw come upon them quorum pars magna fuit and in which he had a great Share and he might well say Quis talia fando temperet à lacrymis Who could think or speak of such things with dry Eyes or an insensible Spirit This set may I say his Muse I should say rather his Prophetick spirit on work to endite and leave to the Church this Poem In which with much Compassion towards his Country he bewails their Desolation yet with much Piety towards God justifies him as punishing them according to the Demerit of their Sins and magnifies his Goodness as punishing them less then they deserved Both which are expressed in the words of my Text It is of the Lord's Mercies that we are not consumed because his Compassions fail not And sure we may say the like It is of the Lord's Mercies that London and all England are not consumed by the Pestilence because his Compassions fail not And therefore the handling of this Passage will be apposite to the present Face of things with us and the Occasion of this Day In it 1. The Prophet takes notice of the Mitigation of God's Wrath in that they were not consumed 2. He assigns the genuine Cause of it the Lord's Mercies or Benignities great Mercies which is exclusive of any other procuring Cause that might deserve it and intimates that there was sufficient reason did not his Mercies interpose why he should have consumed them 3. These Mercies are described 1. By the kind of them they were Compassions in the Original Bowel-mercies such as a tender Mother hath to the Child of her womb in God Pardoning Mercies Relieving
necessary and are always made by those who are wise-hearted in all Generations for the very best of Men or People can never acquit themselves from being guilty of such Iniquities as might justly expose them to greater Wrath then they feel There is not a Just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not saith Solomon Eccles. 7.20 Who can say I have made my Heart clean I am pure from my Sin Prov. 20.9 Holy Job of whom God testifieth that he was his Servant none like him in the Earth a perfect and an upright man one that feared God and eschewed Evil Job 1.8 though he still avouched his Integrity yet when he is to speak of his Afflictions as they come from God he is crest-fallen le ts down his Plumes speaks in such forms as these How should a man be just with God If he will contend with him he cannot answer him one of a thousand If I justisie my self mine own mouth shall condemn me if I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse If I wash my self with Snow-water and make my hands never so clean Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch and mine own cloaths shall abhor me Job 9.2 3 20 30 31. He makes no such plea for himself as the proud Pharisee that trusted in himself that he was Righteous and despised others nor doth he out of meer Modesty speak thus of himself but out of the sense of the verity thereof he confesseth concerning all the Sons of Adam Job 14.4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one The Septuagint reads vers 5. No though his life be but one day upon earth and after them the Ancients Though he be but Infans unius diei an Infant of one day We reade of Hezekiah Isa 38.3 that he deprecated the Sentence of his Death in these words Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect Heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Yet when the Sentence was reversed he doth not ascribe it to his own desert but vers 17. he thus speaks to God Thou hast in love to my Soul delivered it from the Pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my Sins behind thy back He doth not like a proud Pharisee impute his Recovery to his own Righteousness nor like some boasting Frier brag of his own Merits or Works of Supererogation Such language of Self-justitiaries such Conceits of men puffed up with arrogant Self-esteem were far from him He speaks like an humble Penitent not like a vain Glorioso He assigns as the cause of his Recovery not his own Merit but God's pardoning Mercy Nor can any People justly reckon their own Innocency as the cause of God's sparing them but must if they will speak truth acknowledge they have deserved to be consumed Though David when the Pestilence was upon Israel said Lo I have sinned and I have done wickedly but these Sheep what have they done 2 Sam. 24.17 yet that there were Iniquities in the People which occasioned David's Sin is plain from vers 1. where it is said that the Anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel The Churches of Christ in the Primitive times were the purest yet S. Paul 2 Cor. 12.20 21. saith he feared lest when he came to Corinth he should not find them such as he would and that he should be found unto them such as they would not lest there be Debates Envyings Wraths Strifes Backbitings Whisperings Swellings Tumults lest when he came again his God would humble him among them and that he should bewail many which had sinned already and had not repented of the Vncleanness which they had committed In Christ's Survey of the Seven Golden Candlesticks the Seven Churches of Asia though golden or pure by his Acceptance yet he finds much drossy stuff their Light but dim and almost wasted and ready to go out such Imperfections such Errours such Decays such Practices of evil savour as were enough to move him to extinguish their Light quite and to remove the Candlesticks except they repented It is by reason of man's deceitfull Heart that God finds even in the best Men and Churches sufficient matter against them to consume them which yet he permits by his own just Decree and wise Counsel that he may hide Pride from man and none might glory in himself but that his Mercies might the better be discerned Which leads us to the III. OBSERVATION That there are Mercies and Compassions in God towards his People It is true Mercy and Compassion as they are in Man are Perturbations which do disquiet them Compassion in them is a dolorous Passion arising from some appearing Evil that is destructive or otherwise grievous which happens to a man undeservedly And it is occasioned by a sense of the common Condition of men and a possibility of the like Accident befalling themselves as Aristotle describes it in the Second Book of his Rhetorick But in God who is without Body Parts or Passions as the First Article of the Church of England speaks there is no such Perturbation no afflicting Affection But Compassion in him is a sweet calm and gracious Inclination of his Will whereby he hath regard to the Defects and Miseries of his Creature This Attribute is asserted by himself in that most majestick Proclamation of his when he shewed his Glory and made all his Goodness to pass before Moses Exod. 33.18 19. descended in a Cloud passed by him and proclaimed the Name of the Lord The Lord the Lord God Mereifull and Gracious Long-suffering and abundant in Goodness and Truth Exod. 34.5 6. The same hath been by many of the Holy Writers attested it being the great engaging Property of God whereby all his Creatures chiefly his Elect are eternally obliged to be his Thus he is styled by the Psalmist Psal 116.5 Gracious is the Lord and Righteous yea our God is Mercifull by S. James 5.11 a God very pitifull and of tender Mercies or of much Bowels of Compassion by S. Paul the Father of mercies and the God of all Consolation 2 Cor. 1.3 rich in Mercy Eph. 2.4 And therefore Mercy is most truly ascribed to him so that as Christ said There is none Good but one that is God Mark 10.18 so we may say There is none Mercifull or compassionate but one that is God understanding it of the most intensive Degree quoad Affectum in respect of the disposition of his Will to help and of the most extensive Latitude quoad Effectum in respect of the Effect and working of it for so it is universall Psal 145.9 The Lord is good to All and his tender Mercies in some kind are over all his works Thy Mercy O Lord is in the Heavens and thy Faithfulness reacheth to the Clouds Thy Righteousness is like the great Mountains thy Judgments are a great Deep O Lord thou preservest Man and Beast Psal 36.5 6. And Christ sets out
so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death That which is said by David but most truly verified of our Lord Christ is true of all that delight in the Lord Psal 40.8 I delight to doe thy Will O my God yea thy Law is within my Heart And this their Desire God always grants so that however he that delights in the Lord be assaulted with Temptations be benighted in his Apprehensions of God's Favour though Heaviness may endure for a night Joy shall come in the morning though he miss of his Way yet he shall find his Errour and return into it again The Steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand Psal 37.23 34. Next unto these ultimate and supreme Ends the Desire of his Soul who delights in the Lord is to see God How earnestly did Moses beg the sight of God's Face How often doth David bemoan his Absence from God's Worship at his Temple As the Hart saith he panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God My Soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God Psal 42.1 2. And in the next Psalm vers 3. O send out thy Light and thy Truth let them lead me let them bring me unto thy holy Hill and to thy Tabernacles So Saint Paul Phil. 1.23 I desire to depart and to be with Christ which is best of all And this Desire God will give them at last who delight in him Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Matth. 5.8 Now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 Joh. 3.2 Manutenentia Divina God's supporting Grace here and Visio beatifica the Fruition of God hereafter are two grand Desires of Souls that delight in God these they petition for and he will grant them both There are other Desires which they have as the Prosperity of God's Church the Downfall of their Enemies which the Lord will also at last accomplish though not without much Contention and long Waiting They shall overcome the Powers of darkness and the World they shall see the people of God above their Enemies by the bloud of the Lamb and by the word of their Testimony though they lay down their Lives for it Other Desires of outward Blessings God grants not always in the kind but often in some Equivalent He repairs that which they lose for Christ and his Gospell by inward Comfort and Spirituall Strength Though they be in Want or under Persecution yet they know how to abound in that they have learned in whatsoever estate therewith to be content They can doe all things through Christ that strengtheneth them If they have a Thorn in the Flesh a Messenger of Satan to buffet them and it still molest them yet the Grace of God is not denied them and it is sufficient for them his Strength is perfected in their Weakness Many Desires of particular Blessings are granted them and this one comprehensive Privilege belongs to them that all things work together for good to them who love God Rom. 8.28 APPLICATION It remains then that we learn this way of Thriving by delighting our selves in the Lord. Self-love is naturall every man desires his own Good but all take not the right way to attain it God made Man upright or simple but he hath sought out many Inventions Many ways are devised by men for the attaining their Ends and many Ends propounded by them The Desires of men are almost as various as their Faces and their Designs and Courses are almost as manifold as their Heads So many Men so many Minds Among you who are my present Auditours though you meet here about the same Business the Serving of God yet how few in truth do desire to know him aright or to serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind Even in this very Action how few mind God's Glory How many observe onely the Custom in coming to Church or perhaps some worser Motives bring them hither and sinfull Thoughts possess them here And no marvell then if they grow not in Knowledge and holy Obedience are ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth yea grow worse and worse because they delight not themselves in the Lord but aim onely at the feeding their Eyes or the tickling their Ears or some other sinister Ends of their own As these mens Hearts are not towards God so neither is God's towards them they have no Pleasure in God nor God in them How many of you are there of whom those things are verified which we reade Isa 58.2 They seek me daily and delight to know my ways as a Nation that did Righteousness and forsook not the Ordinance of their God they ask for the Ordinances of Justice they take Delight in approaching to God and yet for want of reall Delighting in God it may be your lot at last to hear Christ say to you I know you not depart from me you workers of Iniquity Is it not true of you which the Prophet said of his Hearers that they came and sate before the Prophet as God s People and they heard his words but they would not doe them for with their Mouth they shewed much Love but their Hearts went after their Covetousness The Prophet was unto them as a very lovely Song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an Instrument for they heard his words but did them not Ezek. 33.31 32. A Sermon is to most but as an Oration in Schools the Delivery the Composure is observed and perhaps censured but the Matter is not learned their Hearts not bettered their Ways not amended God not glorified After Dismission yet neither the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ nor the Love of God nor the Communion of the Holy Spirit remains in them but worldly Projects earthly Designs carnall Practices are still prosecuted Yea their Hearts are more hardened more estranged from God and the Life that is in him and their Wisedom remains earthly sensuall and devillish No marvell if such find no Incomes of Grace no Consolation in Christ no spirituall growth in Godliness Oh that you would ask your selves whether this Guilt lie not on you and that you would now at last apply your selves throughly to delight your selves in God especially in these great Duties of Prayer and Hearing his Word lest when you would have your great Desire of seeing God's Face in the great Day of Christ's appearing ye be shut out of his Presence and be cast into outer Darkness where is nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Delight in the Lord now that he
quieting of his Spirit by remembrance of God's Covenant of Grace in Christ the Love of Christ in giving himself for him in the assurance of his Perseverance to the end and the knowledge of his Integrity Yea Holy persons do often go mourning all their days charging themselves with Hypocrisie with Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost with Apostasie condemning themselves as Reprobates uncapable of Pardon destitute of all Grace and so no better then Fire-brands of Hell and this even while they pray for Pardon repent of Sin are of so tender Consciences that they fear to sin against God and would rather die a thousand Deaths then once speak the least evil of Christ or God If none of these Clouds do darken the Joys of Holy men here yet there are other things which do and will certainly while they are on Earth much diminish them The Sins which they see committed by others are no small Vexation to Holy men Just Lot was vexed with the filthy Conversation of the Wicked for dwelling among the Sodomites in hearing and seeing he tormented his righteous Soul from day to day with their unlawfull deeds 2 Pet. 2.7 8. The Sufferings of the Saints are no small Affliction to their Fellow-members If one Member suffer all the Members suffer with it as if one Member be honoured all the Members rejoyce with it 1 Cor. 12.26 Much more are their Sins The incestuous Corinthian's sinfull taking his Father's Wife was matter of Mourning to the whole Church So the Schisms in that Church the Disorders in their Assemblies their Yielding to communicate with Idolaters in their Idolatries their going to Law one with another before Infidels and not composing their Differences between themselves were matter of Affliction to S. Paul I fear saith he 2 Cor. 12.20 21. lest when I come I shall not find you such as I would lest my God will humble me among you and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already and have not repented of the Vncleanness and Fornication and Lasciviousness which they have committed The Ignorance Unteachableness Unfruitfulness of his Hearers much more their falling away into Errours and scandalous Practices is no small Grief to a Godly Pastour which makes him walk heavily and complain to God serving him with many Tears and Temptations Yea the deferring of a Christian's Hope makes his Heart sick he is weary with waiting so that he cries Come Lord Jesus come quickly Our selves which have the First-fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our bodies Rom. 8.23 In this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from Heaven For we that are in this Tabernacle do groan being burthened not for that we would be uncloathed but cloathed upon that Mortality might be swallowed up of Life Being confident and willing rather to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.2 4 8. But they that are in the Presence of God have all Good They have the most high Descent as being born of God the most perfect Beauty in Soul having the Image of God perfectly restored and at the Resurrection their Bodies fashioned like unto the glorious Body of Christ They become fully Rich being made Heirs of God Joynt-heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 When they have overcome they shall inherit all things God will be their God and they shall be his Sons Rev. 21.7 They have advancement to Honour and Greatness To him that overcometh saith our Saviour Rev. 3.21 will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne I will not say that the Blessed Saints and Angels that stand in God's Presence are omniscient They know not the Secrets of Mens hearts much less the secret Counsels of God whose Ways are unsearchable and whose Paths past finding out That Conceit of some of the Papists about the Speculum Trinitatis the Glass of the Trinity as if by seeing God they could see all things in him according to that saying of Gregory Videt omnia qui videt Videntem omnia is most false though some of them make use of it to excuse their abominable Invocation of Saints deceased whom they absurdly and foolishly pray to for all sorts of Good things though they know neither them nor their Necessities much less their Hearts But I may safely say with the Apostle 1 Cor. 13.9 10 12. Now we know in part and we prophesie in part But when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away Now we see through a Glass darkly or in a Riddle but then face to face now I know in part then shall I know even as also I am known The Beatifical Vision of God will perfect our Holiness and Wisedom so far as to free us from all Errour and Folly which now do miserably mislead us from all Ignorance which now doth sadly perplex us it will enlighten us with that Knowledge which will be sufficient to glorifie our God and satisfie our selves As the Light of Heaven exceeds the Light of the Sun so the Light of the Soul in those that are with God exceeds all the Light that was in Adam by Creation in Moses S. John S. Paul or any other of the most inlightned Saints on Earth by Revelation In a word there is no kind of Good which is meet for a created Being and an adopted Child of God to have but it is conferred on those Holy persons that are in the Presence of God which makes their Joys unspeakable and full of Glory But they are still more sweetned from the consideration of the Fountain whence they flow which is next to be considered III. What is the Cause and Motive from whence these Good things these Joys do proceed And that is the Love and Purpose of God which is immutable Ointment and Perfumes rejoyce the Heart so doth the sweetness of a man's Friend by hearty Counsell saith Solomon Prov. 27.9 The Love and hearty Welcome that a man meets with makes the Feast the more pleasant Eat not thou the Bread of him that hath an evil Eye neither desire thou his dainty Meats For as he thinketh in his heart so is he Eat and drink saith he to thee but his heart is not with thee The Morsell which thou hast eaten thou shalt vomit up and lose thy sweet words Prov. 23.6 7 8. Oftentimes men are invited to a great Feast but it is not out of Love but for some sordid Ends to engage them in something which they will find cause after to repent of it is not with True-heartedness which makes many sad at Feasts as fearing an After-reckoning Joseph's Brethren when they sate at meat with him marvelled one at another Gen. 43.33 not well knowing whereto that Invitation tended When men believe they are welcome indeed and that they are feasted in
mind God in his Prayer Isa 38.3 Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect Heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Which acquaints us with the next Condition of this Walking 2. It must be a Walking in God's Ways It is not enough for him that walks in his Uprightness that his Intentions be good but he must also chuse the Paths of Uprightness he must doe what God requires to be done and to be done by him He that ran well but extra Viam out of the Way appointed him beyond his Line had not the Crown assigned him by the Judges in the Greek Games Neither hath he the Approbation or Reward of upright Walking who walks by another Rule then God commands They that chuse either their own Conceits or the Tradition of the Elders or any other humane Authority for the Square of their Actions are judged to worship God in vain to draw near him with their Mouth and to honour him with their Lips but to remove their Heart far from him whose Fear towards him is taught by the Precepts of men Isa 29.13 They are such as eye the Dictates of Rabbins the Decrees of Popes the Canons of Councils above or equally with the Precepts of Christ they make Conscience of the Vow of Corban not of honouring Father and Mother they will by no means break the Rules of the Founder of their Order but scruple not the violating of Christ's Commands Neither can those be said to walk in their Uprightness that make Conscience of keeping one Command but not of another that will not swear yet will lie that will pray to God and yet defraud men that will give Alms yet adore a Crucifix that will pay Tith of Mint Anise and Cumin and leave the weightier matters of the Law Righteousness Judgment Faith and the Love of God that abhor Idols yet commit Sacrilege All upright Walking is copulative takes in its Walk all God's Commands it excludes none but observes all in their due order and place Then shall I not be ashamed saith David Psal 119.6 when I have respect to all thy Commands Yet herein there must be heed taken that we regard each in its proper time To keep the Sabbath by Rest to attend the Sacrifice was a Duty but not when Mercy was to be shewed Vice is to be reproved but in fit season Sin is to be punished but by him that is thereto authourized Sacrifice is to be offered but by the Priest He that walks in his Uprightness must not onely look that the thing he does be commanded but that it be commanded to him Each must walk in his own Path in his own Rank if he will walk in his Uprightness 3. He that walks in his Uprightness must walk warily steadily evenly constantly according to that of Solomon Prov. 4.25 26 27. Let thine eyes look right on and let thine ey-lids look straight before thee Ponder the Path of thy feet and let all thy ways be established Turn not to the right hand nor to the left remove thy foot from Evil. So saith the Apostle Eph. 5.15 16. See that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time He that walks in his Uprightness hath his Eyes in his head to keep his Way gazeth not about to satisfie his Curiosity but minds his Journey the Way he is to walk in the Work he is to doe listens not to seducing Company that seeks to divert him out of his Path takes heed of such Offers such Temptations as may be Stumbling-blocks to him to cause him to fall sets his Foot his Purposes firmly that he may not slip looks not back like Lot's Wife to Sodom to his former Pleasures He goes not on weeping like Phalti when he restored Michal to David but like David with enlarged heart he lifts up his feet to run the way of God's Commands He is not slothfull but a diligent follower of them that through Faith and Patience have inherited the Promises He looks to the Cloud of Witnesses that have gone before him and keeps company with them who confess themselves Pilgrims and Strangers on Earth and thereby declare plainly that they seek another City to wit an heavenly He casts away every weight and the Sin that doth so easily beset him that he may with patience run the Race that is set before him Such do arm themselves against Encounters of Spiritual Wickednesse that may rob or spoil them of their Provision for their Journey They goe on as David said of himself Psal 71.16 in the strength of the Lord God Their Strength is in him in whose Heart are the ways of them they goe from Strength to Strength Psal 84.5 7. The Joy of the Lord is their Strength his Love heartens them the Hope of Glory keeps them from fainting it is as an Anchor of the Soul firm and stable and which entreth into that within the Veil They look unto Jesus the Authour and finisher of their Faith who for the Joy that was set before him endured the Cross and despised the Shame and is set down at the right hand of God They endure Contradiction of Sinners and resist unto bloud striving against Sin In a word Faith in God through Jesus Christ Joy in the Holy Ghost Love to Christ Hope of the Inheritance above animate them to holy Resolutions of Obedience to God confirm them against Difficulties keep them from fainting under any Pressures till they get to the end of their Journey and that Rest which is prepared for them that walk uprightly II. How this Walking of a man in his Vprightness doth demonstrate the Fear of the Lord. Such Walking doth evidently demonstrate the Fear of the Lord that is that reverential Regard of God as their Lord and Master the Supreme Law-giver and Judge to whom they are subject to be the Principle that acts them and carries them on with vigour to walk in their Uprightness For 1. In that they set their faces towards God they shew that their Walking tends to please God to gain his Approbation which is the greatest sign of Fear in a Servant to his Master a Child to his Father a Subject to his Prince for in all these Relations it is the Reverence of Superiours which moves the Inferiour to put forth his ability for the Superiour So it is the Fear of God that moves the upright Walker to glorifie God in his Body and Spirit which are God's to present his Body to him as a living Sacrifice in his reasonable Service to devote himself to God and to gratifie him with what Offering he hath with what Performance he is able to doe 2. A man's Choice of God's Commands as his Path shews his Subjection to him and that is the greatest proof of an holy Fear of the Divine Majesty He is a man after God's own heart who will doe all his Will as it is said of David Act.
they can say with that Martyr He is come He is come Glover in Queen Mary's days burnt at Coventry when they can discern the Light of God's Countenance shining upon them can see him reconciled in Christ can hear the voice of Christ speaking to them Son be of good chear thy Sins are forgiven thee when they find the Spirit enabling them to pour out their Souls before the Lord when their Souls can send this Challenge to the Gates of Hell Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect it is God that justifieth Who shall condemn it is Christ that died or rather is risen again who also sitteth at the right hand of God making Intercession for us Who shall separate us from the Love of God Then there is rejoycing indeed then they rejoyce with Joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 Though they be in much Affliction they can sing in the Fire and clap their hands at the Stake in a poor Cottage in a Prison they can be as merry as if they were in a stately Palace for then they are delivered from their greatest Enemies and their greatest Fears Now the Joys that are in the Presence of God are for Deliverance from these Evils from all of them bodily and spiritual from unrighteous Sentences of men violent Captivity forcible restraint of Liberty Sickness Losses Sorrows Death and which is more from all Corruptions within Temptations to Sin from without from the Malice of men the Power of Satan the Hiding of God's Countenance the Absence of his Spirit the Fear of Hell They that are with God in his Presence doe as the Children of Israel did when they saw the Egyptians dead on the Sea-shore they triumphantly glory in their Deliverance they sing as it were a new Song before the Throne they sing the Song of Moses and of the Lamb with the Harps of God saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy Ways thou King of Saints Rev. 15. v. 3. There they with the greatest glorying and magnanimity of Spirit take up the speech of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory The Sting of Death is Sin and the Strength of Sin is the Law But thanks be to God that giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 2. The Joys that Believers have in God's Presence are not onely because of Freedom from all the Evils which in their life-time did annoy them but also by reason of the entire injoyment of all Good in its Purity and Resplendency Many things there are which men rejoyce in on Earth and if but in one single Excellency they find themselves goe beyond others how do they glory in it as if others were not to be named the same day with them Some rejoyce in their Descent and Parentage as Pharaoh I am the son of the wise the son of ancient Kings Isa 19.11 Some in their Beauty as Absalom that gloried in his unblemished Body and goodly Head of hair Some in their Wisedom and Skill their Riches and Prosperity as the King of Tyrus that had his Heart lifted up and said I am a God I sit in the Seat of God in the midst of the Seas Behold thou art wiser then Daniel there is no Secret that they can hide from thee With thy Wisedom and with thy Vnderstanding thou hast gotten thee Riches and hast gotten Gold and Silver into thy Treasures and thine Heart is lifted up because of thy Riches Ezek. 28.2 3 4 5. Some in their Honours as Haman did in King Ahasuerus his promoting him Esther 5.11 Some in their Righteousness as the Pharisee that boasted he was not as other men are nor as the Publican Luk. 18.11 Yea some can rejoyce in their unsociable Cynical sowr austere Deportment though it be but a Delusion if they conceive Holiness in it as Monks Anchorets Quakers and such like have done and doe at this day All these and many more things the Hearts of men can rejoyce in though they be some of them but vain things some but petty good things yea if they were enjoyed in their Confluence as Solomon enjoyed them who had Wealth and Wisedom and Beauty and Dominion and what-ever the carnal Heart of man affects and yet after his ample experience of the Sweetness of them gives this account of them Eccles. 1.2 Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity yea Vexation of Spirit they produce but a forced Mirth Sardonium Risum notwithstanding which in the midst of Laughter the Heart is sorrowfull and the end of their Mirth is Heaviness As it was with Belshazzar Dan. 5.6 He was in his Royall Palace at Babylon carousing in gold and silver with his Wives and Concubines praising his Gods when on a sudden upon a Hand 's writing on the Wall the King's Countenance was changed and his Thoughts troubled him so that the Joynts of his Loins were loosed and his Knees smote one against another That which is worth rejoycing at indeed as begetting a permanent and genuine Joy sutable to the Spirit of a man is his Acquaintance with God his Knowledge of him God's Adopting him to an Inheritance with him his Relation to the Son of God the Habitation of his Blessed Spirit in him the Holiness of his Heart the Beauty that is in the hidden man of the Heart which is in the sight of God of great Price the hearing of his Prayers the accepting of his Works the glorifying of his God the Love of his Saviour In these things are the Joys of the Saints So saith S. Paul We are they that rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh Phil. 3.3 God forbid that I should rejoyce in any thing save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ whereby the World is crucified unto me and I unto the World saith the same S. Paul Gal. 6.14 Many there be that say Who will shew us any Good Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon us Thou hast put Gladness in my heart more then in the time that their Corn and their Wine increased saith David Psal 4.6 7. And again I have rejoyced in the way of thy Testimonies as much as in all Riches Psal 119.14 These things do indeed beget the most solid Joys which enlighten the Eyes and chear the Heart under many Wants many Dangers many Persecutions many Expectations of future Evils And yet these Joys are eclipsed to the most Holy man Sometimes by his own Sins and the Withdrawing of God's Spirit from him as the case was with David Sometimes by reason of Calamities and the sinfull Practices of his Children as it was also with him Sometimes from his Doubting of his own spiritual Estate from the want of such Feeling as once he had of the Efficacy of God's Grace in his Heart by the Motions of it to holy Exercises to Prayer Praising God and heavenly Meditations in the