partake of 3. It is free grace that they come to receive this reward There can be no merit in it and this will appear if we consider 1. It is mercy that gave them power to obey They were as rebellious and impotent by nature as others they had no power of their own Rom. 5. 6. If God had not Created them to good works Eph. 2. 10. They had not been capable of doing one they were dead and he quickened them Eph. 2. 1. They were made new creatures before they could Serve him in newness of life and they no more deserved this than others nor had they a better inclination 2. It is mercy that proposed such a reward to Obedience The Creature ows it self entirely to God 〈◊〉 he owed it nothing but what he pleased freely to oblige himself in unto it the Creature was liable to damnation for disobedience but could not deserve Salvation for Obedience hence the Obedience of Gods Children is not the cause of but only the way to the reward this being that which Christ hath purchased for his people on whose account it is bestowed on them 3. It is mercy that helps them in their Obedience Not only doth it bestow a new principle on them but supplies them with fresh strength for the performance of every new act so as to do it acceptably Joh 15. 5. 2 Cor. 3. 5. So that if at any time he withdraws his influence of assistance from us we are aâ— a stand and cannot go forward he worketh our works in us and for us 4. It is of mercy that they are kept in Obedience Not only is there a corrupt nature remaining in them but it is able when God suffers it to Captivate them Rom. 7. 23. The Grace in them from whence their Obedience flows is maintained by him else it would dy It is indeed called an immortal seed because it shall never dy because he keeps it alive supports defends revives it 1 Pet. 1. 5. The Obliquities which the Children of God sometimes turn aside to say what they would soon be at if God did not preserve them and did he not pity them there is provocation enough in every such fall for him to leave them 5. The best Service they perform needs mercy to accept it The best will not bear a Law trial Psal 130. 3. There is dung in all their Sacrifices 〈◊〉 mixing with their most holy actions which iâ— God did not in pity over look would procurâ— them a rejection their sincerity finds acceptance and that is attended with such short comings thaâ— were there not the Incense of Christ to perfumâ— their duties they would be unsavoury to himâ— the sensible Christian sees enough in it to dislikâ— himself for it What then but mercy can receivâ— it with a Testimony of approbation 6. They owe to God far better Service than thâ— either do or can perform Could they Serve him 〈◊〉 perfectly as man was able to do in his state of integrity it was no more than his due Luk. 17. 10. Surely then the best that imperfect believers perform who have that in them which hinders their doing the good they would must come incomparably short of what is their duty if then for all this it be rewarded by God he therein shews his rich mercy to us 7. There is no proportion between the reward and the Obedience The Service done is so little and the reward given so great that in it self it bespeaks the rich Grace of God 〈◊〉 that he bestows it freely a Crown a Kingdom an Eternal weight of Glory the Apostle speaking of Afflictions in which we Serve God by patience so compares them 2 Cor. 4. 17. A cup of cold water is recompensed with Everlasting Life what a disproportion a few moments serving God crowned with endless joys how superlative surely it is wondrous bounty that confers this USE I. For Caution Let us beware of arguing from hence that there is no need of our Obedience Proud men cast off the Service of God unless they may merit by it It is a great delusion for men to â—hink that if all be of mercy it is all one whether we obey God or neglect to do so We are injuâ—iously charged for discouraging men from good works by asserting that their whole Salvation must be of mercy and that we open a door to â—centiousness but we are assured that Grace saâ—ngly applied teacheth a contrary lesson Tit. 2. 11 12. It is the wickedness of mens hearts that saith let us sin that grace may abound Let us theâ— consider the same mercy that hath provided Salvation for Sinners hath also laid out the way in which we are to come by it so that though 〈◊〉 God prevents the opportunity of our so expressing our love to him in faithfully Serving him as he doth in such as dy in Infancy and cannot prosesâ— their faith his mercy is not hereby impeded yet where he affords the opportunity and men neglect it promising themselves to obtain the rewards of glory though they livâ— their sin they will find themselves to their cost reckoned with the Workers of Iniquity and despisers of mercy Let noâ— Gods mercy nourish in us a neglect of but 〈◊〉 in us a greater zeal in his Service Such are thâ— Redeemed of Christ Tit. 2. 14. USE II. This truth may serve to stigmatize thâ— Doctrine of mans merit Yea let it serve to rooâ— out the very secret opinion of it There is toâ— natural to us a pride on this account though wâ— do not openly profess but reject the Doctrine How impossible is it that a person should receive a reward of mercy and yet for his own merits thâ— is a manifest contradiction We do not here deny Christ's merits for indeed all the benefits we receive from God are bought and paid for by himâ— Salvation is called the purchased possession Eph. 1. 1â— But Christ merited all for us that he might bestoâ— it freely upon us and we must come so for it Iâ— 55. 1. Rev. 22. 17. And how should it be possibâ— that they should merit any thing of God by their Obedience whose very Obedience is a fruit of grace and all the power and help to do it is a gift and the Obedience it self a due debt which God may challenge of us whether he gives us strength or no. Let us then entertain a due abhorrence of that which is so directly repugnant to the design of Salvation that is laid in the New-Covenant USE III. Let it advise us to beware what improvement we make of our Obedience in the exercise of faith in prayer There is a great deal of danger of misapplication here and Gods Children are too often guilty of it for help then observe 1. We may fetch much of our evidence and encouragement from our Obedience if it be right Faith works by love True Obedience is a fruit of saving â—th and will be a witness of it so assure us that we are entituled
to the Covenant the promises of it which must needs fortify our faith when we come to ask mercy of God Besides there are promises made to this uprightness careful Serving of God so that by this we may know that we are in the way of receiving the reward which may encourage us to ask believingly Psal 18. 20. 2. And we may make mention of it to God and plead it when we come to him in prayer and seek any mercy at his hand There is a proud mentioning of it which we are to avoid but there is a humble telling him of it which his Servants have been wont to thus Hezekiah Isa 38. 3. And thus that good man once and again begs of God a remembrance of what he had done for his House Neh. 13. 14 22 31. 3 But we must for all this fly to the mercy of God as the fountain of all the good we hope for and ask of him We must not mention it as that which makes us any whit the more to deserve the good we seek of him we must not carry it to him as the price or purchase of these favours so that though we claim the promise made to it yet we still acknowledge it to be a promise of Grace and the reward none of our earnings so he Neh. 13. 22. 4. Hence we must not think our selves wronged if God withold from us the favours we request If we had no such works we should say if I ask and God grant it is meer kindness and if he deny he cannot wrong me now if any thing that we have done abate from this frame and make us more impeâ—ious in our demands or impatient in his denials or delays it saith that we put too high a value on our Obedience and so dishonour the free mercy of God Let us then beware of this and for that end 1. Remember that you owe God for all the Grace 〈◊〉 Strength by which you were helped to do these duties You did them but not of your selves you could do nothing but sin and dishonour God if he had not put his Spirit in you you had never Served him if he had not come in with his strength you had done nothing of this if then he accepts of this he accepts his own Grace and this should keep you humble One would think it a noble act of Gods people so liberally to contribute to the building of the Temple but see how David animadverts upon it 1 Chron. 29. 13 14. 2. That these very acts of Obedience are maimed â—ame things Look on them again compare them with the Rule and that perfection which is the measure of our conformity prescribed in the word of God and you shall find so much deficiency in them that it will make your plumes fall and in stead of being proud you will be ashamed of your selves confessing all to be Rags and this will make you so far from being discontented that they are not that you will wonder that they should ever be accepted and help you to ascribe all the returns of your prayers not to your Obedience but to his rich Grace USE IV. This may also serve to support the Godly under the sense of the imperfection of their Obedience and their fear lest it should not be accepted Here then 1. Remember it is mercy you have to do with David comforts himself with this Psal 130. 3 4. You are not under the rigour of the Covenant of works where every defect incurs the Curse but the Covenant of Grace in which God is pleased to make known the riches of his Grace and hence his Children are encouraged to hope in it under the deepest sense of their own infirmities 2. Know it that this mercy accepts of sincerity and covers imperfections in the Children of God If there be truth in the inward parts God hath a respect to it Paul comforts himself in this 2 Cor. 1. 12. And yet how doth he else where complain of his deficiency Rom. 7. If your hearts are upright you have the evidence of your being accepted and he who accepts of you will pity your infirmity Matt. 26. 40. 41. 3. It is mercy that helps you to be sincere 1 Cor. 7. 25. Though God hath not bestowed on you a legal perfection because he will have you entirely depend on his free Grace for your whole Salvation yet he hath put a principle of integrity into you you had nothing but falshood and deceit in you by nature and it being his own Grace thus bestowed on you he will look on it with a propitious eye and you owe him all thanks for it and should pray as he Psal 25. 21. Let uprightness and integrity preserve me 4. Hence if you rely on this mercy you need not to be afraid The reason why the Children of God are terrified about this is because they so much rely on the Obedience it self whereas while we alone depend on the rich Grace of God the testimony of our sincerity will be a good support under the most humbling sense of our infirmity because hereby we know that God accepts us and will magnify his mercy towards us by taking occasion from our infirmities to commend his love to us in accepting of us through Jesus Christ Every true believer is compassed with mercy DOCTRINE V. EVery true believer is compassed about with the mercy of God We now come to take notice of the greatness of that mercy which is entailed upon him The Antithesis is observable he had said the Sorrows of the wicked are great and many yet for the present they enjoy much mixture of mercy 〈◊〉 he doth not say great and many are the mercies of the Godly but they compass him about q. d. There is nothing but mercy that he shares in several things may here be enquired into 1. What mercy it is that compasseth them A. It was observed under the former Doctrine that Mercy is of two sorts Common and Special the former are called common because good and bad indifferently share in them Matth. 5. 45. Godly men therefore have their share in these so far as infinite wisdom sees convenient God will not beâ—tch to his friends that which he can afford to 〈◊〉 enemies he will not deny that to a Child if he needs it which he gives to a Stranger they are also called common because they are ordinary inferiour things compared with the other and so Godly men may well cxpect that he will not deny to favour them therewithal as they have occasion for them he who counts it not too much to bestow the greatest cannot withold the least if they want them Rom. 8. 32. He that spared not his Son c. Common also they are called from the principle whence they proceed there is a Common Benevolence which we ascribe to God who in the day of his forbearance allows such things to the vilest of men though still they are the hated of the Lord but
then there is a peculiar love which he bears to his chosen which never had beginning Jer. 31. 3. And shall never cease Joh. 13. 1. And thus no mercy is common to a believer but all that he enjoys proceeds from that fountain of love which hath designed his Salvation and causeth all to work for good to him Rom. 8. 28 Whereas all that wicked men enjoy works to their hurt Psal 92. 6. This then is the mercy that compasseth the true believer viz That love of God whereby pitying them in their miserable state which sin had brought them into he doth freely and for his own name sake bestow grace and glory on them and all that is good Psal 84 11. 103 17. So that all the providences that befall them in their way as well as the glory they are brought to in the end of it belong to this mercy and a Child of God may read love in every passage he meets withal whatsoever the outward face of it may be 2 In what respect it compasseth them A. Mercy is here compared either to a Watch that are continually walking the rounds so taking all care for the security of the place they are charged with or to a Guard allowed unto a Prince who are to stand round him to keep off all that would attempt against him Mercy then compasseth them about in preventing all that would hinder them from and supplying of them with all that is needful to bring them to Glory Mercy lies about the believer he is entrenched in mercy it gives him all security But for a more particular account of this affair let these things be observed 1. That there is an eternal life to which God hath appointed them That God hath Ordained some of miserable men to everlasting glory is of Revelation Now though who these are be a secret till he makes it known yet he always lays a foundation for the discovery of it in those whom he makes believers inasmuch as this faith hath the assured promise of life made to it Joh. 3. 36. All that believe are in a state of Salvation and so far as they know themselves to be such they may conclude this concerning themselves 2. There is a way in which they are to be brought to the Enjoyment of this life This life is considered as an end 1 Pet. 1. 9. There is then a medium by which we are to come to the obtaining of it Though there be a certain connexion between Eâ—ion and Glorification yet there are several links between them by which they are so connected The Word of God is frequent in speaking of the way of life and salvation and we have an account of it Rom. 8. 29 30. This life is first inchoated when we are Regenerated and consummated when Grace is perfected when our race is run and our warfare accomplished We are first entituled to it in Vocation made meet for it in progressive Sanctification and at length possessed of it 3. The bottom design of this mercy is to conduct them to it The special Mercy of God applies it self to the Elect either before faith in making them believers and hither belongs all that is done for them by God till such time as they are Effectually called but I pass this Or after they are united to Christ by faith to which are to be reckoned all those things that are done for the making them ready for and bringing them into the Kingdom of Glory that being the Inheritance of which they are made heirs by Adoption Heb. 2. 10. Hence all the effects of Providence are to be judged of by the respect they bear to this and their operation to bring it about 4. There are many things which they meet with in their way which would hinder their obtaining this life against all of which this mercy secures them Believers are to travel to heaven through an evil world where they will encounter much opposition many seek their hurt there is corruption within lusting against the spirit Gal. 5. 17. Satan a buisy Enemy always contriving and attempting their harm 1 Pet. 5. 8. Many snares allurements discouragements afrightments which hazard them Now the mercy of God compasseth them about to defend them from all these and powerfully to preserve them to Salvation and thus it doth 1. By watching over them continually That is the encomium of Israels Keeper that he slumbers not nor sleeps Psal 121. 4. What is the priviledge in this regard of the Church in general belongs to every true member of it Isa 27. 2 3. They have not skill enough to discern all the dangers which they ly open to but the all seeing God both caâ— and doth they can be in no danger but he knows of it and concerns himself with it Psal 142. 〈◊〉 2. By preventing of the mischief designed against them He doth not look on as an idle spectator but therefore observes that he may safeguard them for he is their Keeper and hath undertaken their protection When therefore he seeth any thing plotted against them for their harm he defeats it powerfully he breaks the snares dasheth in pieces all the contrivances that are laid against them hence that challenge Isa 8. 9 10. Associate your selves c. And the people of God have reason to sing as the Church Psal 129. begin Had not the Lord been on our side c. 3. By limiting of them God for holy ends will sometimes suffer his people to be assaulted they shall meet with temptations be vexed by them and their hearts may be cast down and disquieted through unbelief be ready to think that God hath forgotten them but it is a mistake if he had not a praise to gain by them he would not so suffer them and he sets bounds to them that they shall do no more Psal 76. 10. The wrath of man shall praise thee c. And this is true of every other thing that may threaten to hurt them 4. By governing the event of them He ever intends the permission of them for good though the instruments purpose harm by them though he suffers the thing yet he orders the issue of it that instead of harming them it shall do them a kindness The Enemies of Gods people designed nothing less than their ruine but God saith By this shall the Iniquity of Jacob be purged c. Isa 27. 9. That which was intended to overturn shall only try their faith and make it the more illustrious advantageous to them 1 Pet. 1. 6 7. 5. There are many things needful to help them to glory which this mercy takes care to supply them with The believer depends on it in every step and it fails him not for 1. It provides for them all that is needful both for Soul and Body Both are concerned in glorifying God and working out their own salvation and mercy takes care of both the promise grasps in both 1 Tim. 4. 8. Hence that Psal 34 9 10. And
by this our Saviour encourageth us to rely on God Mat. 6. 25. 2. It sanctifieth every thing to them for their saving advantage It gives the operation of all Ordinances and Providences to contribute to their fartherance to eternal life it makes all to turn to their account if they be in prosperity or adversity if they be full or in want if they enjoy the light of Gods countenance or walk in the dark all shall be managed so as to promove their salvation it shall not hinder but help them to their crown Rom. 8. 28. Phil. 1. 19. 6. They stand in need of this defence and succour as long as they live and this mercy never fails them in it There is no time wherein it withdraws its influence Sometimes indeed they are not so apprehensive of it for want of skill in judging things but it is always so The Psalmist settled here after much shaking Psal 73. 24. Thou shalt guide me by Counsel c. and follow every providence to the end and they shall find peace there Psal 37. 37. This mercy guards them through all changes of time and ceaseth not till it hath freed them from all trouble and settled them in Eternal rest 3. What security they have for it A. The Apostle tells us of two immutable things on which this is grounded Heb. 6 17 18. And these are 1. The firm and unchangeable purpose of God He hath from Eternity Ordained them to this mercy and this Counsel of his must stand yea he hath promised it for them before the world was Tit. 1. 2. which was done in the Eternal compact Now in this purpose of his he contrived the way of bringing them to felicity and this was so laid out as might illustrate the Riches of mercy in the subjects of it And this purpose must stand for he is not a God of change But the thoughts of his heart â—fixt and immutable Jam. 1. 17. he had nothing to oblige him to this purpose but his own meer pleasure Nor can the sin of the Creature alter this purpose for he designed to Glorify his Name by the Creatures unworthiness and because God hath appointed them to be the monuments of his mercy in whom it is to shine forth Eternally this mercy of his cannot ly still or cease to be working for them because without it they could never reach the Glory Ordained for them mercy therefore must do all of this and the security of this is sufficient against all Temptations that can offer to discourage the Child of God in his way since the power and policy of Death and Hell cannot force an alteration of this purpose or hinder the execution of it Rom. 8. 38 39. 2. The unrepentable promise that is made to them of it All the Elect are under the safety of a promise made unto Christ but as long as they are in their Natural estate they have none of the Consolation of this since they have no notice of this purpose given to them and may well be afraid of the wrath of God and he useth this fear to drive them to Christ for shelter But when once men are made Believers they are so brought within the Compaâ— of the New Covenant and it is ratified to them this Mercy now appears Tit. 3. 5. This evidenceth that they were comprehended in the purpose oâ— mercy and God hath Sealed them to the day of Redemption his Word is past for it and there is a compleat security in it Joh. 3. 16. He is faithful to his Promises and so the performance is indubitable 1 Thes 5. 23. Mercy hath the management of this so that all the sins and follies of his Children shall not cut off the entail though mercy will humble them c. Psal 89. 30. c. He cannot be provoked to repeal this promise of his This double security must needs be more firm than the foundationâ— of the world Psal 125. 1. 4. What is their happiness by vertue of this priviledge A. This is contained in two things 1. The mercy that thus Composseth them hath all iâ— it that is needful to make them perfectly blessed There is nothing wanting either for the way or for the end What is sufficient to carry them through an evil world to deliver them from all the evil of itâ— supply them with all the good in it which shalâ— serve to their everlasting well-being is enwrapâ— in it and all the glorious entertainment that iâ— prepared for them in another life belongs to itâ— It is an encompassing mercy it answers all cases and concerns they who are under the provision and protection of it are fully laid in there is help in every duty supply in every want succour in the greatest dangers Grace for their whole work comfort in every condition and all this always at hand 2. Hence it follows that by vertue of it they are sure to obtain Eternal Life The security of this mercy is the security of the fruit of it What mercy undertakes to do it will accomplish So that the believer is as certain of coming to Glory as if he were already in the full fruition of it nor is he in more danger of missing it than the Glorified are of losing it they may be sometimes in the dark about it and question either their title or their safety from hazards through darkness and unbelief but the thing it self is certain 2 Tim. 2. 13. For if mercy be able to accomplish it it shall not fail and what was ever too hard for that to do This will give them Victory in their Warfare make them bold in the fight renew their strength when they faint hold them up when ready to fall bring them safe through an evil world and present them before Christ and lodge them in his everlasting arms and what more can be desired to denominate the man blessed than to be under such safe conduct USE I. Let it be to invite Sinners to forsake their wickedness and put their trust in the Lord. And one would think here is enough to rouse up all such here therefore Consider 1. You see the difference between those asserted by the Spirit of God and it is not to be slighted Let your own reason tell you whether is better to be the Subjects of all sorrows and miseries as to be compassed about with all the mercies that are enough to make you happy now and for ever and this is the very case Surely then there is no room for any demur Behold God sets life and death before you and shall it be hard to determine the Choise What should hinder you from avoiding that which will certainly procure your ruine and pursuing that which will assure your happiness 2. Hence it is a woful cheat put upon you when you are perswaded that you shall change for the worse It is hells policy and the cry of corrupt nature to prejudice men against the fair offers of the Gospel They would fain insinuate
in the hearts of the Godly they are emboldned to sin by it Was there not such a spirit in them Jer. 7. 9 10. and them Psal 50. 21. And if we observe the great allowances that many under the Gospel give themselves in their immoralities and the great security and confidence which for all they nourish themselves in we shall discover them to be built on this rotten foundation and if their tongues do not their lives do plainly utter that Rom. 6. 1. Let us continue in sin that grace may abound as if the kindness to man proclaimed in the Gospel were nothing else but an indulgence granted to the Children of men to live in all manner of licenciousness Be we then warned to beware of thus abusing this precious truth in which God expresseth his rich mercy to sinful men And therefore Consider 1. God is holy and just as well as merciful The Divine Perfections as they are in God are not separate one from another though to us they are distincly discovered because we cannot otherwise entertain the notion of them there can therefore be no clashing among them Now there are other Attributes besides Mercy and Grace which God hath declared in his Word and will display in his Works there is his Justice as well as his Mercy and he will have Monuments of them both Rom. 9 22 23. And when he doth display his mercy it shall be agreeable with his Justice Psal 85. 10. And there is Holiness which is celebrated in the display of every other Attribute Psal 99. ult How vain is it then for any to lean the whole weight of their confidence for eternity upon so weak a foundation as this What though God is wonderfully rich in mercy May he not appear so for ever in others though you be never made sharers of it shall he not be admired in them that believe though Unbelievers perish for ever may not you for all this be Vessels of Wrath and so be made foils of his mercy in others Or do you think that God will stain his Holiness that he may magnifie his Grace Be not deceived 2. God will certainly forgâ—ve no Sinners but in his own way Infinite Wisdom hath contrived a way for the exalting free grace in the Salvation of Sinners so as with it to give lustre to his other Perfections and herein he gives us to see his merciful nature in that he hath found out and brought about such a way to do it in and hath not spared for cost in the effecting it but for Sinners to expect it out of this way is a great madness it is enough there is forgiveness with him Psal 130. 4. And if we may in any way obtain it we shall owe him the praise of it for ever but still God threatens such as neglect this way that there shall be no mercy for them Isa 27. 11. 3. Hence there are none more like to be peculiar monuments of his Wrath than such as thus turn his Grace into wantonness Though God hath a mind to shew compassion to Sinners yet he never designed to shew any favour to Sin but in this very way to let it be seen how odious it is to him If he had indulged it in any it had been in his own Son when he took the imputation of it on him being immaculate in himself but he spared not him Rom. 8. 32. And what do you other than go about to make the Holy God a patron of sin as if he had found out a way to Save Sinners in their sins and encourage them to hold on a course of them What can more derogate from his Glory needs then must this expose you to his more exasperated Wrath See then what he hath to say to such as you Psal 50. 22. Oh take heed USE II. This Doctrine may farther be improved to quicken encourage and direct miserable Sinners As we ought not to be presumptuous so God would not have us to despair or be negligent Hope is the incentive of endeavour and the consideration that we have such a God to do with may weâ—â— be improved by us all to these ends And here 1. Let it quicken secure and confident Sinners â—â— seek forgiveness at Gods hand Let this good news rouse you to ask a pardon and not sit still To move you Consider 1. Your Sin hath destroyed you This is true concerning all men in their natural state they are under the Curse and Condemnation and Stand guilty before God all the world are so Rom. 3. 19. Beware of thinking all well and safe while the Law hath declared you men of death and past the Sentence on you Remember what a God youâ— have to do with and how fearful a thing it is to fall into his hands 2. Know that except God pardon you you muâ—â— needs perish There is but this one way to escape miss of that and your case is hopeless to think to make satisfaction to offended Justice by any Righteousness of your own or find a price to buy off the Sentence any where else is vain It must be an act of Grace that only can give you a discharge from the Execution of the doom past upon you without which Justice will make its demands and pursue you till it hath brought you under the whole weight of Gods Wrath which will issue in your perdition 3. There is a pardon to be had with God This is the glad tidings that is published among a company of perishing Sinners and ought be counted â—â—ortby of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1. 15. It is one Letter of his Name a God forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Exod. 34. 7. And why hath he proclaimed this but to perswade such as want it to â—earken and make out after it and who could have told man that it was possible that Justice should consist with forgiveness if God himself had not revealed it 4. There is no obtaining it but in this way of Confession It is Gods will and there is all reason for it that men must part with their sins as they hope to have them forgiven and if ever they part with them they will confess them or how shall we go to God for his forgiveness but by carrying our sins with us to have them forgiven And in what way can we spread them before him but in an hearty confessing of them how shall God be Glorified by us unless we acknowledge our desert to have suffered his wrath â—or our sins and what exception can Sinners make against this if God should require some great thing of you would you think it too much in order to escaping his wrath What pretenâ—lons did they make Mic. 6. 6 7. How much more then when this is all if you confess and forsake you shall find mercy 5. Be assured that he will not always sit in this Office The Throne of Grace which is now Erected will ere long be removed the Golden Scepter that is now Stretched out will
the New Covenant and entituled to Salvation These are the first special fruits of Election breaking 〈◊〉 in Effectual Vocation Rom. 8. 29. And hitherto â—ong those great works of Faith and Repentance which are wrought in them by the Spirit of God by which they are made to turn from sin to God â—nd from all other trust to rely upon Christ alone according to the terms of the Gospel and these are accompanied with Justification and Adoption by which they are discharged from Condemnation and entituled to life and made heirs of God and coâ—rs with Christ and so have a right to all the good â—id up in the promise and these are not not common favours 2 Cor. 1. 26. Not many wise c. 2. There are also those benefits which are bestowed on them after they are brought home to Christ and engaged â—he new Covenant which contain all the good that is 〈◊〉 up in the promise made to them that love God and 〈◊〉 in his Son Jesus Christ and those are specially the Sanctification of the Spirit enabling them to serve and glorify God in their generation the preserving them in a state of grace to perseverance the perfecting of all their graces in them and the â—inging them at length into and possessing them for ever of the Kingdom of Glory comprehended summarily in Psal 84. 11. 3. And there are also the saving operations of common providence by which they are made special mercies to them Those things which they have in the ordinary course of providence and are to wicked men but common mercies and do in their operation tend to their hurt are sanctified to the Children of God so as to be servicable to farther their Salvation Those things that are a Snare to ungodly men and abused by them to dishonour God are helps to their Obedience and they glorify God with them 1 Cor 10. 31. They make them to study gratitude Psal 116. 12. Yea and Afflictions too which are to the wicked the beginnings of sorrows are the happy means to do these great good Psal 119. 71. Isa 27. 9. The means of Grace which are to others a Savour of Death are to them a Savour of Life c. 2. As to the mercy that is discovered in these benefits we may observe it in these things 1. The Creature which is the subject of them is in it self miserable for so had the fall of man made the whole race to be in as much as they were involved in Guilt and a Curse which contained all miseries in it Read the description given of a natural man Rom. 3 10 c. and the doom that is fallen upon him Chap. 5 12. And what a forlorn wretched Creature must we conclude him to be and by this he is a subject capable of mercy 2. The miserable Creature receives inexpressible kindness by these benefits His misery is relieved in it yea and remedied and finally removed by it Common favours give a present relief but these make him of miserable to become happy they take of the guilt and so remove the Curse that was lying upon him and confer on him that which fills him with satisfaction and crowns him with endless felicity hence blessedness is pronounced on all believers Psal 2. 12. 3. And all these flow from the fountain of his freâ— benignity There is no merit of the Creature in it the best of men is less than the least of all mercies Ge◠〈◊〉 They deserve the quite contrary Dan. 9. 8 9. They do nothing for them have nothing to proâ—re them withal are no better than those that go without them God bestows them on them for his 〈◊〉 name sake And when these things meet together what is done for them must needs be called mercy 2. Wherein it appears that all the rewards of Obedience are fruits of this mercy A. We may come at it in the following considerations 1. There is a reward promised to the Obedience of 〈◊〉 Children There are not only great and preâ—ous promises made in the Gospel to the people of God but there are the things mentioned to which they are connected and these are proposed 〈◊〉 the Spirit of God for their encouragment in â—ing him God would have them to know that they serve a good Master and would have them to animate themselves by the contemplation and faith thereof Thus did Moses by respecting the recompensa of reward Heb 11. 26. Hence such encouragements Gal. 6. 9. Isa 3 19. Rom. 2. 7. 1 Cor. 15. ult 2 Hence their faithful Obedience is the way to receive â—he reward God hath not only told his people what he will do for them but how they are to expect to come by it for the Gospel promises are Covenant promises nay we shall find the connexion so strong that there are awful threatnings against such as neglect to seek to enjoy these benefits in the way prescribed we read Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after he flesh ye shall dy This is not to be understood as 〈◊〉 the Children of God should be left to fall from the promise but to let them know that God hath appointed the means in order to the end and thereby to nourish in them awful fear and quicken them to duty 3. This notwithstanding the reward is every way of mercy It is a great error from the notion of a reward to infer a merit in the person that receives it There is a reward of Grace as well as of Debt and is dayly exemplified among men A father bestows a favour on his Child in testimony of his accepting his fidelity in chearfully doing that which was his duty now that all the rewards which God bestows on his faithful people are fruits of meer mercy is evident for 1. The subjects of them are such as were miserable in their natural state and so stood in need of mercy to relieve them They were every whit as miserable in themselves as those that goe without them and this God would have his people to bear in mind and often reflect on to put the greater value upon his kindness Paul would have them to reflect hither Eph. 2. 2 3. ver 12. And he puts himself together with others in declaring how it was with them before Tit. 3 3 4. 2. It is by these rewards that they are made actually to partake in freedom from that misery and enjoy true felicity This is the very nature of them for all the good that is laid up in the promises is herein contained and that consists in a freeing them from those evils which the Curse of God laid upon them and an enjoyment of that peace grace and happiness which is purchased by Christ the whole of it is summed up in Salvation in which there is something that we are saved from and something that we are made to possess hence Salvation is so often mentioned in the Gospel as the portion of the faithful is the greatest mercy the undone creatures can
it it cannot answer the Law for yoâ— Come then with your sins and confess your insâ—ficiency address free grace put up that petitioâ— Psal 25. 11. For they name sake Oh Lord pardâ— mine iniquity so shall the Imputation of Sin ceaâ— and you be made blessed A Pardoned Man is one without Guile DOCTRINE VI. THE Pardoned Man is one in whose Spirit there is no Guile It was observed in opening of the Text that these last words of it are put for the evidence of such a person whose happiness is described from his pardoned state or a Characteristical note by which a man may know himself to be such an one Pardon of sin in a Theological sense properly refers to the great benefit of Justification for though among menâ— is one thing to Justifie a person and another thing to pardon him a man is then only Justified at a Civil Bar when he is legally found innocent or not Guilty of the Crime he was Indicted for whereas a pardon supposeth the man to have been found Guilty and a Sentence accordingly to have past upon him to suffer according to the Law and then the supream power doth upon prerogative acquit him from the Sentence and set him at liberty without any satisfaction given for the Crime whereas God in pardoning the Sinner looks upon him in his Surety at whose hands his Justice hath received Satisfaction and accordingly acquits him Judicially as 2 Cor. 5. 21. And so the Justice as well as the Mercy of God doth herein display it self 1 Joh. 1. 9. It is true if we look upon the man in himself and with reference to the Covenant of Works so it is a pardon for the Law hath found him Guilty and condemned him Such is the condition of every one in his natural state and in that regard there is an act of free forgiveness passeth upon him who hath done nothing himself to obtain it and so the wonderful grace of God herein appears But look upon him in Christ as he was indented for in the Covenant of Redemption and is put into him under the Covenant of Grace so the satisfactory Obedience of Christ is reputed as his and on this trial he is sound without iniquity i. e Imputatively and hereupon is acquitted and that is a Justification and belongs to 〈◊〉 as one essential part of it and so is that to be understood Numb 23 21. Now though there be a wonderful change of state that passeth upon the man in Justification for in it he passeth from Condemnation and is adjudged to an Eternal Kingdom yet because it is meerly Relative 〈◊〉 hath not in it self a self-evidence but must be discovered some other way and because it doâ— not pass upon all men since the greater paâ—t oâ— mankind will fall under Condemnation Nor indeed are the Elect Justified as Elected but when the New Covenant is ratified with them nor caâ— they know their Election till they can discenâ— their Justification it therefore concerns ever one to be inquisitive after this and because it is noâ— made known by Immediate Revelation but by coâ— comitant Effects enquiry is to be made after themâ— and therefore we have one of them laid before 〈◊〉 in our Text and Doctrine Here then three things may be enquired into 1. What is to be understood by one in whose Spirit there is no Guile 2. Whether this have any influence into our pardon or Justification 3. What evidence this gives to confirm us in the knowledge and belief of our being pardoned and justified Of these in order 1. What is to be understood by one in whose Spirit there is no Guile A. This manner of expression is used in the Scriptures more than once as a Periphrasis of a Godly man So Joh. 1. 47. Rev. 14. 5. The word Guile signifies Fraud or Deceit but is used equivocally Sometimes in a good sometimes in a bad sense There is an honest Craft 2 Cor. 12. 16. and there is a dishonest one which is pointed at in our Text and there are many things in which this Guile is practised there is Guile in mens words such is Flattery Psal 12. 2 3. and Lying to deceive Mic. 6. 12. And there is Guile in mens carriages when they pretend Friendship and yet lye in wait Psal 55. 21. And there is Guile in a Profession of Religion 2 Tim. 3. 5. But the root of all this lies at the heart the falseness whereof puts men upon these Guileful practises Hence Guile is in the word of God used for Hypocrisy and to be without Guile for Sincerity And when this is referred to the Spirit or Soul it intends that there is an inward principle of it in the man which influenceth into his Life and Conversation and this points us to that Sanctification that is wrought in the man at Conversion But for a more particular opening of this observe these things 1. That in the best of Gods Children here there is a Body of Death remaining We have Paul himself crying out by reason of it Rom. 7. 24. And what else is intended by this but the relicks or remains of the Sinful Corruption which the nature of man is defiled with by the Apostasy It is that Sinfulness in our nature which hath in it a repugnancy to the Law of God and cannot yield subjection to it Rom. 8. 7. And therefore is always Warring against the Law in the Mind Chap. 7. 23. And for any meer man in this Life to exempt himself from it is counted a daring piece of impudence Prov. 20. 9. Hence that Hypothesis 1 Joh. 1. 8. If we say we have no Sin we deceive our selves And that positive Conclusion Eccl. 7. 20. There is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not 2. That in this Body of Death there is a remaining Sinful Guile It is therefore called a Body because there is every branch or member of carnal Concupiscence in it for though the whole of it be mortifyed in Sanctification yet there is no member of it is wholly destroyed but remains though not in its reigning power and there is no lust but a Child of God shall find the stirring of 〈◊〉 in him if he warily observe himself Now this Guile is one of those Lusts or rather a quality of them all and all men bring it with them into the World riveted to their corrupt nature Psal 58. 4. On which account we have that assertion of the Prophet Jer. 17 9. The Heart is deceitful above all things 3. That this Guile doth too often wofully break forth in the Lives of Gods people And this is a sufficient evidence that it is there for if they had none they would never discover any but how often doth it appear to others And though it many times acts closely and indiscernibly to the world yet they themselves might observe it if they would be acquainted at home Do not good men sometimes act deceitfully in their treating with others Did
3. 5. and he makes it his â—usiness to do so he fights against it he brings it to the Cross of Christ to be crucified he prays â—rd against it Psal 119. 29. he hates it v. 128. Such an one in Gods gracious account is one in whose Spirit is no Guile 2. Whether this have any influence into our pardon 〈◊〉 Justification A. There is occasion to make this enquiry here because the disputes about it which began from the first planting of the Churches by the Apostles are not yet at an end nor do Papists only continue to maintain their Doctrine of merit and the confounding of Justification with Sanctification but there are others who call themselves Protestants and are not willing to be counted Arminian neither who go about to depreciate the freâ— Grace of God in pardoning and justifying of us who whiles they ascribe all to Christ as the meritorious cause yet find the matter of our Justification in us which they would have to be oâ—â— Sanctification and New Obedience our faith and Repentance and Holiness and they make theâ— not only necessarily concomitant but an essentâ—â—â— part of our Justification Give me leave then 〈◊〉 clear up this matter and shew the mistake of such an opinion in the following Conclusions 1. That Justification and Sanctification are tâ—â— distinct benefits flowing to us from Christ However vain men have confounded them yet 〈◊〉 Scripture speaks of them as divers priviledges oâ—â— from the other so 1 Cor. 1. 30. Christ indeed 〈◊〉 made both Righteousness and Sanctification to us bâ—â— they are two things and applied to us after 〈◊〉 different manner We are Justified relatively 〈◊〉 are Sanctified really we are Justified by Imputaâ—â—on we are Sanctified by Infusion Justification is 〈◊〉 Garment thrown over us Sanctification is by a new principle put into us Justification is a Change in 〈◊〉 state Sanctification is a Change in our nature 〈◊〉 the one we are made legally innocent in the othâ—â— we are made inherently holy hence the one 〈◊〉 said to be an Act and the other is called a Woâ—â— by our Divines because the one passeth upon us Declaratively whereas the other operates in us Effectually 2. That both of these derive to us from the same fountain of free grace Mans whole Salvation doth so Eph. 2. 8. and both of these do appertain to it that Justification is a fruit of meer Grace we are plainly assured Rom. 3. 24. And hence pardon is to be sought of God or for his own name sake Psal 25. 11. And our Sanctification hath the same original too for it is a product of his meer good pleasure Jam. 1. 18. Grace therefore which is the same thing is given of God Psal 84. 11. God ows neither of them to us we have no way obliged him to bestow them upon us rather than others We have nothing but Sin and Guilt and pollution cleaving to us in our natural state when God comes to pardon and purifie us quickning is bestowed on them that were the Children of wrath Eph. 2. 1 3. How then should our Sanctification or being without Guile possibly contribute any thing to our Justification or Pardon 3. That they are both of them applied together in or upon our Effectual Vocation They are contemporaries for though Divines do allow them an order in the handling of them and an order of nature and accordingly give the priority to Justification yet there is no distance of time between the one and the other by their acknowledgment and they are reckoned as benefits joyntly flowing from our Effectual Calling and indeed it is in Regeneration that we paâ— from death to life there it is that we are quicknedâ— and there is a double life that we pass to according to the double death that past upon us we were dead in the Law by the Condemnation denounced on us but now we are made to live by a pardon in which we are Justified and we weâ— dead in trespasses and sins spiritually and now wâ— are made to live to Holiness by a new inspiration 〈◊〉 and if we are no sooner Sanctified than Justified how can our Sanctification afford any matter for our Justification 4. That because pardon belongs to Justificationâ— hence it must needs have a respect to a Righteousness from whence it proceeds We have already taken notice of the difference between mens pardoning a Criminal and Gods forgiving a Sinner their pardon is not a Justification 〈◊〉 his is theirs proceeds from meer mercy his from mercy tempered with Justice theirs is entirely prerogative but his hath a respect to a Law 〈◊〉 which he must be just in it Rom. 3. 26. and thâ— refers not to his Soveraign Justice barely which 〈◊〉 nothing else but his Supremacy but his Relative Justice as he is Law giver and hath constituteâ— a way of procedure with his Creature In thâ— therefore there must be a Righteousness regardâ— by him to which he hath an eye in the very pardoning of the Sinner and that Righteousness must be such as will answer it so that mercy and truth may meet together c. Psal 85. 10. 5. That this Righteousness can be no other bâ— that perfect Righteousness which was required in the Covenant of Works God did in the First Covenant that was made with man in our first Parents constitute the Rule of Righteousness between him and man and to that Rule it was that the promises and threatnings were annexed and hence the procedure of Gods Relative Justice with man must be according to the tenour of that when therefore God comes to pardon and justifie a Sinner that is the Righteousness he proceeds upon the question is may this be done and the honour of the Law be salved and the resolution of it is that if there be a Righteousness to be presented for the person that will fully answer the demand of the Law and may be accepted as his there will be no injury done to the Law but if not it will suffer by it If it bate but a jot or tittle it is so far a loser and for that reason our Saviour assures us that it shall not Mat. 5. 18. 6. That the most eminent sincerity of the Children of God doth not amount to such a Righteousness And if this be so here is reason enough to deny it to be the meritorious or material cause of pardon and Justification for if it were perfect it could not merit for us a pardon because we owe it but if it be imperfect it cannot be reputed a Righteousness at all with respect to the Law-Covenant It is certain that the Righteousness which that required was such as is without the least flaw or defect and we see how straitly man was obliged if he hoped to Escape the Curse of it Gal. 3. 10. One failure spoils it and makes it become Unrighteousness Now all our Sanctification at present is imperfect and hath mixtures of Sinful defilement adhering to it It is a Ragged
any thing by not confessing to God is a great folly He doth not need our confession to give him any information he knows them and can set them in order before us when he pleaseth if then he looketh for our acknowledgment and we do not make it this will turn to our damage there is a threatning in that Prov. 28. 13. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper 2. All Sin is against God Men may be injured by it but whether they be or no Gods honour is stricken at by every Sin it is a transgression of his Law 1 Joh. 3. 4. It is a coming â—ort of his glory Rom. 3. 23. And that is an afâ—â—ont offered to him and indeed considered as â—in it is only against him Psal 51. 4. And whom should we make our Confession to but him whom we have provoked by it he is the party firstly concerned and must not be neglected 3. He only can forgive us our sins Our great encouragement to confess is our hope to obtain mercy and pardon and therefore the Gospel which made discovery of forgiveness through Christ is the great motive to poor Sinners to fall down before God and acknowledge their Sins to him Well this is his Prerogative and he will not give it another Dan. 9. 9. To the Lord belong mercies and forgivenesses Men indeed may remit to us the injury done to them so far as they are concerned and too often that is all that we trouble our selves about but the Sin may yet â—y upon us they may do their work but they cannot do Gods work and if he be not atoned that Sin will undo us but if he forgive us all is well and we are happy 4. If we hope to obtain forgiveness of him we must seek it in his way As there is forgiveness with him Psal 130. 4. So there is a course to be taken by such as would obtain it of him and among other things which he requireth this is â—ne viz. that we confess it to him humbly heartily fully hence the promise is connected with 〈◊〉 Prov. 28. 13. Lev. 26. 40. 1 Joh. 1. 9. God will not baulk this and for us to neglect it is tâ— out our selves off from the Gospel hope Noâ— this Confessing to God intends not only a coâ—ming before him in Prayer and laying open thâ— case but a particular reflection and animadversioâ— on the sin under this consideration that it is againâ—â— him to see and bewail before him the wronâ— we have done to his name the dishonour wâ— have brought to his declarative glory the reâ—proach to his Gospel and the profession wâ— have made of it these are the aggravations wâ— are to put to it and by them to lay the greaâ—est weight upon it this was doubtless Davidâ— aim Psal 51. 4. Against thee thee only c. Nâ— that he had forgat the wrong he had done to oâ—thers but the concern of Gods Glory went nearest to him and swallowed up the rest so saithâ— the poor Prodigal Luk. 15. 18. I have sinned againsâ— heaven and before thee 2. It follows to shew how necessary and proâ—per such a Confession is for the relief of a dâ—stressed Conscience Which will be evidenced bâ— the following Conclusions 1. That the great burden lying on the Conscience thâ— distresseth it for Sin is the Guilt A gracious Soâ— indeed is humbled and put into mourning by reâ—son of the pollution that cleaveth to his Sin aâ—â— it is the principal ingredient of a kindly godâ— Sorrow for sin but though that abaseth thâ— man and makes him vile in his own sight yet doth not fill him with those perplexities we aâ— now considering of The terrors of Conscienâ— arise from the apprehension of Gods Wrath and the impression which the Curses of the Law make on the Soul he seeth God coming against him as an enemy armed with revenge and is in fearful expectation of falling into his hand it is this anger that overwhelmeth him Psal 38. 2. 88. 7. And it is the apprehension of Guilt that produceth it God appears to him terrible in his Holiness and Justice and he doth not apprehend the comfort of a Sealed Pardon hence arise all his Soul agonies 2. That hence as long as this Guilt lieth upon the Conscience the distress must abide A man indeed may be under Guilt and yet have much seeming quiet and how many have a stupendous load of Guilt lying on them and do not groan under it because they feel it not because Conscience is asleep and senseless and many get ease again though their Guilt abideth because they have baffled their Consciences and charmed them into a false perswasion but this is certain while the Conscience hath the remorce of the Guilt upon it and apprehends it the man can have no rest all the diversions he can turn to all the carnal delights he seeks to content himself withal give him no relief the Arrow of Gods wrath abides on his Conscience and festers there his pain is not in the least abated and how is it possible that whiles a man is dogged up and down with an accusing condemning Conscience charging on him the Guilt of Death and threatning him with Eternal Damnation he should have any rest he cannot think it a light matteâ— to Dwell with Everlasting Burnings when they arâ— realized to him though he scoffed at them wheâ— he believed them not 3. This Guilt is not removed from the Consciencâ— but by forgiveness Nothing but a pardon can takâ— it away I know Sinners have other courses tâ— benumme their hearts and stupify the sense oâ— their pain and sometimes by Gods awful Judâ—ment they obtain to bring themselves into dedâ—lency it may be carnal confidence and vain prâ—sumption some mens Consciences are stupifieâ— others secure under a refuge of lies but this is â— false peace the wound is but skinned over anâ— the core will fester within and break out agaiâ—â— more fearfully That man who seeks to quiet hâ—â— mind from the trouble which Sin hath broughâ— him into any other way but by seeking forgiveâ—ness doth but cheat his own Soul and lay a founâ—dation for his greater sorrow Isa 50. 11. Till foâ—giveness cometh the Wrath of God abideth hiâ— Justice stands engaged to pursue him to death anâ— the irresistible hand of Omnipotency is ready tâ— do the Execution nor can any thing remedy thâ— but a free pardon the man cannot expiate it aâ— his repentances and reformations will not satisfâ—â— for it till the Blood of Christ be applied to it will certainly remain 4. That this must be witnessed in the Conscience tâ— give it ease There is peace with God upon the apâ—plying of a pardon Rom. 5. 1. The very act oâ— forgiveness past in the Court of Heaven is a fruâ—â— of Gods being reconciled and rendereth the mans late peaceable but this peace doth not influence â—he Conscience to make peace there till it be acâ—uainted with and ascertained of this forgiveness â—he still his Guilt
for his â—â—ndness and if we give him not the praise of it 〈◊〉 do nothing at all all the acclamations in the 〈◊〉 Temple are to be Grace Grace Heavens Halâ—â—â—jah's are to be celebrated with the acknowledgments of this free Grace and how much have pardoned men counted themselves obliged to give him the glory of it here Psal 10. begin Isa 12. 1. 4. To the due acknowledgment of this grace it is requisite 1. That we be sensible how vile we have made our selves by Sin Sin is by Gods holy and wise Oâ—dination become the foil of Grace It did not come into the world but by Divine permission and had not God had some wise and holy end in it he had not permitted it now this end iâ— regard of his Chosen was to take occasion by iâ— to exalt his Grace in their Salvation hence the viler they have made themselves by sin the mâ—â— exalted is this Grace in their Salvation Rom. 5. 20. According to the resentments that men have of sâ—â— such will be the esteem they put upon the Grace by which it is forgiven Luk. 7. 47. God wâ—â— therefore make men to know that their Sin haâ— been great and horrible that it hath run them iâ— arrears Ten thousand Talents to Justice made them men of Death and bound them over to everlasting misery that so they may know what kindness is shewn them in bestowing a pardon on them 2. That we address God humbly for forgiveness He indeed giveth it freely yet he will have the Sinner humbly petition him for it Ezek. 36. 3â— I will be sought to by the house of Israel to do this foâ— them God must give us the Grace rightly to let him his preventing mercy is first in this work but yet he cometh in this way He first makeâ— the Sinner sensible of his misery and with it revealeth the remedy and stirreth him up to petition his favour and in this way he applyeth the pardon to him and how else should he be acknowledged the forgiver of it 3. That hence we Celebrate his Justice in Condemning us The way for us to obtain Gods pardon is not only to come to him for it but to come with ropes on our heads making it to appear that we not only know our selves under a Sentence of Death but that he would be righteous if he should execute it upon us Dan. 9. 8. Psal 51. 4. Nor can there be a right apprehension of Gods Grace till first there be a confession of our merit till we believe it was right for us to dy we cannot think it a meer favour for us to live 4. That we seek this pardon in Christ's name acknowledging our unworthiness of it It is through Christ that we obtain forgiveness and therefore it is to be sought in him or for his sake for it is through his Mediation that all this grace cometh to be communicated to us and we shall never go on his account till we find that we have no other account to go upon as long as we have a righteousness or worthiness of our own Christ is disregarded Rom. 10. 2 3. That therefore must be rejected that this may be sought after Phil. 3. 9. Now all this involveth in it such a confession as we have been considering of cannot be without it II. This therefore is one great end of Gods bringing us into distress Terrours of Conscience and trouble of mind are part of the Curse fallen upon man for sin and in the ungodly are often but the beginning of sorrows but in Gods Elect whether in order to Conversion or after they were Converted they are on a gracious design and what is that but to make way for bringing them to a more settled and stable peace we are very hard to be brought to confess so give Glory to God he is therefore put upon it to bring us into trouble to terrify our Consciences to make our Sins extreamly bitter to us that we may be excited to seek our peace of him and now he bringeth us upon our knees makes us to open our hearts and mouths in the deepest resentments and most self abasing acknowledgments of out vileness by reason of sin Hos 5. 15. Now God will attain his own design in and by it 〈◊〉 then he bringeth us into trouble that we may be made to take the shame to our selves and confess unto him the next and proper way to get out of the trouble again is by a ready and free Confession of the sin which hath procured this sore distress for us USE I. We may hence learn one principal reason why many ly so long under the burden of a distressed Conscience It is a thing observable that there are many who though they have made a good profession are much exercised in their minds and greatly perplexed in spirit by reason of their sins and find no relief against it they can get no satisfactory evidence that they are forgiven but are apt to think that all their sins ly out against them to their Condemnation and there must be some reason why it is so with them which it concerns them carefully to enquire after Here observe 1. That God may have forgiven their sin and not â—r the present witness it in their Consciences As a â—an may be in a pardoned state and yet question whether he be so or no by reason of darkness in his mind and the Spirits witholding his testimony so it may be in respect of the actual forgiveness of this or that sin that he hath fallen into â—e may have repented confessed sought forgiveness and God hath pardoned him and yet doth not instantly proclaim it in his Conscience and â—e acteth much of his Holy Soveraignty herein â—or reasons known to himself so that we have a â—reat deal of reason charitably to think this of â—ome that are under the hurries of such perplexiâ—es And let not such be overborn with the misâ—ivings of their hearts but say to themselves as he Psal 43. 5. Why art thou cast down c. God will have his time to let them know it though now they are in the dark about it 2. But usually the reason of the distress lyeth in the â—ant of a right confession It is good therefore in such 〈◊〉 searching time to enquire whether we have not â—alled on this account and this may be discovered in several respects for either 1. Instead of confessing our Sins we have sought to â—bide them And this is a fault that not only Unâ—generate men are guilty of but the Godly too often are overtaken withal Either we seek to hide it from God by a vain presumption that he will not â—ake notice of it if not directly yet indirectly and by consequence as the Psalmist Context vâ— Or we seek to hide it from our own Consciences by flattering our selves into a fond perswasion that we have done nothing amiss seeking 〈◊〉 justice our selves and nourishing an opinion thâ—â— we are
And there never was an instance of so much as one that was defeated the greatest Prodigal such as he Luke 15. If he hath come to himself gone back to his Father confessed his sins and deservings and cast himself upon his Soveraign Grace hath found him so ready that he hath met him a great way off taken him into his arms and given him all the Testimonies of his pardon 3. What influence this confession hath into that forgiveness for the obtaining of it A. 1. Negatively it is neither the meritorious nor the moving cause of Gods forgiving us 1. It is not the meritorious cause of it We have already observed that it is a free favour It is indeed first merited for us before we can partake in it for it belongs to Justification we are first ransomed and then pardoned but our confession hath no hand in this It is through Christ's Blood that we obtain remission by his stripes we are healed Isa 53. 5. Confession carrieth no satisfaction in it but is a legal and full proof of our Guilt in it we condemn our selves it saith as Dan. 9 8. To us belongs Confusion the Law left no room for a pardon upon acknowledgment this is purely Evangelical 2. Nor is it the moving cause of it Among men indeed a tender heart is moved by an ingenious confession and humble subâ—ission and it makes us to relent and shew compassion to a delinquent but though such affections are ascribed to God yet it is after the manner of men and warily to be understood Affections are attributed to him in regard of the Effects which flow from his fixed and unalterable will Confession is an adjunct of true Repentance and God is the Author of that as well as of the pardon Acts 5. 31. To be able truly to confess Sin is his gift 2. Positively this Confession belongs to the way in which God is wont to apply forgiveness to Sinners God designed from Eternity to forgive them but he hath laid out this Medium through which he will bring them to it How God treats with Infants is beyond our decision but in regard of such as are of years of understanding and under the Gospel there are two things observable 1. That God requires this Confession of these that hope to obtain forgiveness of him The influence therefore of one upon the other is only as it is the way of Divine Appointment to obtain it the promise so runs Prov. 28. 13. And that clause is inserted Jer. 3. 13. Only acknowledge c. God will be sought to for pardon and there can be no asking forgiveness without acknowledging Guilt Hence though this be Gods gift as well as the other yet it is whiles the Guilty Sinner is prostrating himself at the foot stool of Mercy taking shame to himself that God comes and passeth the act of pardon upon him Luk. 15. 17. In summe where God giveth a Pardon he gives Repentance and where true Repentance is there will be confession So we may safely conclude that he who is not brought truly to confess hath not truly repented of his sins and if he be still an impenitent he is certainly an unpardoned man 2. That this Confession is the way to obtain the evidence or witness of our pardon God is sometimes said to forgive when he witnesseth in us to his pardoning mercy and the reason is because the man was before in his own apprehension unpardoned though his state were good Now as it is usual for God to come in and refresh the heart with telling it its Sin is forgiven whiles the bleeding Soul is bemoaning it self with most humble confessions to him so there is matter of evidence in the confession it self and when we can truly say we have so confessed as before we have the characteâ— of one that hath received this grace of God and so is in a state of forgiveness whereas the want of this is just reason to make us call it in question at least to think that sin is not forgiven which is not thus confessed USE I. For Caution Take heed of abusing this truth unto presumption It is a great policy of Satan to hold men as long as he can in carnal security unto which their own natural inclination leads them and among other devices he hath to insinuate into them by this is one main engine that he useth with those that live under the Gospel and enjoy the priviledges of it to blow them up with false surmizes about God and thence to draw ungrounded conclusions about their good estate and arrogate to themselves the things that belong not to them let us then be warned to take heed to our selves and there are many that need this warning lest they rue it for ever viz. 1. All such as resolve their whole hope into the merciful nature of God not seeking his favour in his own way That God is merciful and gracious is a great truth and wo to us all if it were not so had he not written his Name in such Letters we had all been without hope But this precious truth may be abused and it is so by all those that have no other plea for Salvation but because God is merciful his natural goodness and his common love to his Creature is the only foundation on which they build thence arguing that they cannot perish and hence enquire no farther but rest here never asking how this mercy may be obtained so as to obtain a deliverance from the Curse fallen on them or what are the terms of the New Covenant on which God offers himself to be propitious to Sinners and so never study a compliance with them but count it enough that he is such a God this is derided in that Sarcasm Isa 27. 4. And this Spirit was in them Joh. 8. 32. And if we may judge of mens hearts by their practices this is the guise of all the loose Professors that live carelesly and yet confidently 2. They that instead of confessing do cover their sins and yet hope to do well enough And how many are there of these Such as seek to hide their Sins under excuses or to justifie themselves by pleas and defences or that little regard to practice Repentance upon their falling into sin but think it sufficient either to plead their infirmity or slight it over with saying we are all Sinners and none without their faults or a pretence that they allow it not in themselves though the flesh be too hard for them and hope that God will not charge it thus they prevent their deep sorrow and taking to themselves the due shame for their sins and think they are as good Christians as any and God will accept them as well as the best surely this speaks them presumptuous 3. They that encourage themselves to sin boldly on account of Gods mercy Instead of being melted into Godly Sorrow on consideration that God is so good and gracious which is the kindly effect of it
their Hopes but it ariseth from a groâ—â— mistake there is an aggravation which Satan suggests which will do it to think that we have Sinned beyond the vertue of the atonement buâ— know it there is vertue enough in Christ's Blood 1 Joh. 1. 7. And the greater you apprehend your sins to be the more will you be helped to admire the mercy that brings and applies a pardon to them the more vile you make your selves the more will Christ be exalted by you when you come to taste of his rich forgiveness VERSE VI. 6. For this shall every one that is Godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayst be found Surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him WE now proceed to the third part of the Psalm in which David directs us how to improve the faith of the Doctrine of this Blessedness arising from a state of pardon â—â—emplified in himself He directeth himself to God in the words but the Doctrine in them is accommodated for the encouragement of all that fear God And here he tell us 1. What is the duty of the People of God on his account For this c. 2. What is the priviledge of such surely c. 3. Professeth his faith in God on this account for encouragement Verse 7. We may take these things up in their order 1. He declares what is the duty of the People of God on this account for this shall c. In the words observe 1. The Subject of this Duty the Godly the â—ord signifieth one that is Benevolent Beneficent Pious or Good A Godly man is called by this â—ord either to signifie that he is merciful and beneficent or that he hath obtained mercy and goodness from God We are here to understand 〈◊〉 for one that hath the saving Grace of God put into him for till this no man can truly seek God 2. The extent of the Subject every one that is Godly It is a disposition that God puts into all that are truly Converted and they shall exert it on the occasions of it 3. The duty it self he shall pray this word when applied to praying implies the bringing our cause to God laying it before him and leaving it with him all of which is proper to a petitionary prayer 4. The Object of this prayer God he shall pray unto thee to pray to any other is Idolatry and to ask help of that which cannot succour us 5. The thing it self prayed for for this i. e. for this forgiveness When they find themselves oppressed with the Guilt of sin or it may point us to the encouragement of so praying for this may be read upon this i. e. upon the reading and being acquainted with my experience and good success in so coming to God 6. The season of this prayer in a time when thou mayst be found Heb in a time of finding Some interpret it of a time of affliction when their sin have found them out but others and so on Translation understand it of an opportune time wherein God is ready to be found of such as indeed seek him Three Doctrines may here be observed Examples of Pardoned Sinners our Encouragement DOCTRINE I. THE instances of Gods forgiving any upon their hearty confessing their sins to him should encourage others to hope for and seek it of him in the same way The very subjoyning of this to what went before intimates this truth if we consider David as turning his speech to God he doth as it were say this is the honour thou shalt get by doing thus graciously by me thou shalt have more Customers others when they hear of it will be animated to seek to thee for mercy The great incentive to this is from the gracious discoveries that God hath made of himself in his Word those alluring promises with which he animates desponding Sinners to seek him but yet his works also have a voice in them and confirm his Word by giving an example in which his Word is verified Here take these conclusions 1. That there are many eminent instances of Gods pardoning mercy on Scripture record He hath set up the monuments of it there who though they had been great Sinners and many ways provoked his just displeasure yet obtained mercy of him or their humble submission and hearty bemoaning themselves before him and though there be no Saint recorded in the Book of God who was not an example of this but for which they had never been saved yet there are some who have a peculiar remark for this What a great Sinner was Manasseh how wofully did David defile himself What a Chief Sinner had Paul been What a prodigious fall was that of Peter and yet we have the register of their obtaining forgiveness with many more 2. That the Word of God gives us a distinct account of divers of these It not only mentions them to be such but mentions the Dispensation towards them in the circumstances for 1. It tells us how they had Sinned Not that God delights to be raking in the kennel of his Childrens follies when he hath cast their iniquities into the depth of the sea but to set the examples of his Grace before others for mans sin is the foil of Gods Grace and the more black that hath been the more orient do the colours of this appear to be their sin therefore is declared in its aggravations so Davids 2 Sam. 11. 12. 2. It acquaints us with what distress they were in after they had so Sinned What Convictions what compunctions they felt in them what pain they were in by reason of their wounds and broken bones what terrible agonies they suffered on the account see Context verse 3 4. and Mat. 26. ult and else where 3. It shews us what course they took to get their Sin pardoned In what way they gat relief and found mercy at Gods hand What confession they made to God how they bemoaned themselves bitterly how earnestly they besought God for mercy with what deep Humiliation and self loathing they prostrated themselves at the footstool of the Throne of Grace to this serve all Davids penitential Psalms and we have such an account of Ephraim Jer. 31. 18 19 4. It particularly notes what success they found in this way How they sped with God in thus doing how they sought a pardon and obtained it so Context verse 5. God did not spurn them out of his presence but when he saw these Prodigals humbling themselves and resolving to return he met and embraced them Luk. 15. 20. So Paul 1 Tim. 1. 13 14. Manasseh 2 Chron. 33. 12 13. And what tenderness God exprest to Ephraim bemoaning himself Jer. 31. 20. 3. That this manner of Dispensation continueth to be exemplified in Gods Providence We have not the same ground of assurance now concerning others in that we have only their own Testimony as we have for those recorded in the Book of God however there is a charitable credit
admiration that the Great God should deal so by a vile man is an astonishing thing Paul thought it so 1 Tim. 1. 16. 3. It is fit that God should make them smart for their folly Though his Grace be free it is not fiâ— that it should be contemptible it is suitable that Sinners should know that he resents their unworthy carriage and that they have a deep sense of the contempt they have cast upon him and his Salvation God will have his people find the bitterness of their rebellion Jer. 2. 19. And hence as they have made him to wait long on them so that they wait some season upon him for his evidencing of his love to them 4. They have been greatly hardned by these carriâ—ges Every resistance made to the Spirit of God hardens men more there is a contracted hardness which corroborates that which is natural Hence they need more terrifying breaking and humbling dispensations to bring them down to the foot of God and make them apprehensive of their evil ways and doings if the Prophet betrâ—â—â— an old barlot he will make her tarry for him 〈◊〉 days Hos 3. 3. Let not such then murmur at Gods so dealing with them but remember their â—â—riage to him and justify him in this and say wâ— deserve not only this delay but utter rejectionâ— nor yet be discouraged but acknowledge Gods wisdom in it and wait with humble submission hoping in his Grace and resolving if ever he come it will be admirable favour USE III. For awakening to all to improve tâ—â— season of Grace Are there such special seasons â—â— Grace Let the consideration thereof call eveâ— one to make the use of them and use utmost dâ— ligence not to slip such an opportunity and we have heretofore been negligent let us be more careful of that which is in our hands acknowledging Gods wondrous benignity in renewing them to us after so many provocations given him to depart And let me apply this in the former respects mentioned in the explication 1. Let it call them that are young now to seek God Oh that Children would be perswaded to Remember their Creator in the dayes of their youth You think there is no such hast it looks like a work too rigid and severe for you to mind you are loth to forgo your vain company and mad mirth but do not rashly reject the motion that iâ— now made to you What a comfortable thing would it be to see young solks in good earnest â—â—ting themselves to seek and to serve God What â—â—oken would it be that God hath mercy in reâ—â—ve for a sinful Land Children you are our 〈◊〉 and you are our fear how chearfully should we leave the world could we but see you in â—ood earnest enquiring after the Lord and devoting your selves to him How would it remove those sad reflections that are sometimes ready to â—ink us How glad should we be to see good â—opes that when we are gone you will stand up for Christ and his ways and that we shall â—eet you in the Great Day at his Right hand â—et me address you in his words 1 Chron. 28. 9. My Son know thou the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect heart and willing mind if thou seek him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him be will cast thee off for ever To move you Consider 1. You owe your Childhood and Youth to God He deserves of you that you seek him now Sin and Satan can lay no just claim to this age of yours but God can and doth He requires your youth to be devoted to him the God that made you challengeth it and can you deny him Shall the Devil and your lusts have your prime and strength and only the decays of your lives left for God to be put off withal He hath laid you under innumerable obligations to consecrate your young time to him He kept you in your Mothers belly and made the knees to prevent you He hath preserved your lives and provided for you ever since And may not heaven be astonished to hear him complain I have nourished and brought up Children and they have rebelled against me Isa 1. 2 3. He hath ordered you to be born where his Gospel is dispensed in which he pleads with you to take him to be your God now and will you deny him Yea your Baptism declares you to be devoted to him it saith that you were dedlcated to him from your Infancy and every day wherein you neglect to inquire after him you do violence to that Covenant whereof this is a Seal 2. This is your proper season to seek to God in and whether you shall ever have another you know not Yoâ— have all advantages now but how long you shalâ— have them God only can tell You are now alive but you know not how soon you shall go to the Grave Do you not see that young ones dy aâ— well as the old Go to the Sepulchers measure thâ— monuments ask who lies here and you shall finâ— multitude who lived not to so many years as you â—ave and now reflect and ask Have I found God â—â— my peace made If I should now dy have I made sure â—â— a Jesus to receive my Soul Now Gods word is â—reached to you now Godly Parents and Friends â—all upon and counsel you God knows how long â—t will be so You are not now encumbred with â—he troublesome cares of this world you are now â—n your strength and do not know what the Evil days mean of which you must say you have no pleaâ—ure in them Oh! that you knew your time if you let it slip you will not find it again 3. You are born strangers to God and if you so dy â—â— are undone for ever You derive from the cursed â—tock of fallen Adam of whom it is said 1 Cor. 15. 22. â—n Adam all dy you are Children of wrath by nature Eph. 2. 3. The Guilt of the great Transgression lyeth on you for which you are condemned to everâ—asting destruction You are enemies you are afar off from God and if you do not get out of this condiâ—ion and get into Christ before you are taken away God will destroy you for ever Psal 73 27. You must be New born if ever you inherit the Kingdom Joh. 3. 3. Your Covenant interest your Baptism â—our Parents piety all your Gospel priviledges will â—lot save you it will not avail that God is your faâ—hers God if he be not your God too 4. Think how welcome Christ will make you if now â—ou seek to him in good earnest As his Spirit is grievâ—ed every time you deny him so he will be exceedâ—ngly pleased if you now open to him He is deâ—ighted to see young ones set themselves to read his Word to wait upon his Ordinances to pray to him and obey their Parents in the Lord. He hath said Prov. 8. 17. They that seek me early shall find me Nay in all
if you will not hearken to the Word and Rod God will have a Sword to cut you off God is in earnest when he takes this course and he will be glorified by it in the issue it is his mercy that when angry he maketh oventures of peace and happy they that comply with him but if Sinners are so foolish and obstinate as not to give him glory at such a time he will strain for it and certainly recover it if you will not be reformed by the Rod he hath a Sword to cut you off and what else should he do with such Hence that warning Jer. 4. 4. And that threatning Isa 27. 11. 4. Gods Judgments added to his warnings are wont to be his last essayes with men to reclaim them Hence when these have been tried and repeated and due patience used and no good comes of them God speaking after the manner of men now seems to be at a loss Hos 6. 4. What shall I do unto thee c. Isa 1. 5. Why should ye be smitten any more c. Hence he either cutteth such off in his anger or else abandoneth them to their own â—arts lusts till they are ripe for the more astonishing ruine True there is a prerogative mercy that God reserves when all means fail to shew his Soveraign Grace Isa 57. 17 18. But let not bold Sinners presume on this lest they rue it But if any are awakened by these Judgments and tremble at the fearful prognosticks of them let it be an argument of encouragement to them there is hope in Israel and this is a good Omen that God will yet return and have mercy on them and that they shall both seek and find him USE IV. This truth affords a loud cry to old Sinners to make haste Such as have hitherto lived under Gospel means strangers to God at a distance from him have had many invitations and withstood them God came in their youth and bespake them but they regarded him not and since he hath addressed them many a time but nothing hath moved them as they grew in years they grew more vile yoked themselves with vain companions neglected reading the Word and praying to God addicted themselves to drinking and gaming and other lewd courses they have been often told of it have seen their associates hurried out of the world by their intemperance and God hath visited them also with afflictions but they still go on and now the blossoms of the grave are on their heads Let me beseech such to beware that they despise not this advice To quicken you Consider 1. You have had a long day of Grace and must answer for it all Though you have forgotten God hath not Your sins are written with a pen of iron the point of a diamond All the endeavours that have been used with you are upon record God hath them in his book there is a day of reckoning when he will set them in order before you and how terrible must it be when you shall be called to a very uncomfortable repetition and told of every Sabbath you profâ—ned every Sermon you regarded not every check of conscience you stifled every mock you made at the solemn warnings given you every neglected purpose forgotten or violated promise every vain meeting with your accomplices in sin every cursed drinking bout you had where you scoffed at Godliness and hardened one another in sin the time when the place where and every other circumstance your memories refreshed and conscience made to do its office Would you prevent this fearful reckoning Now seek God 2. Your season is certainly almost over It may be so with the youngest Sinner but it is undoubtedly so with you Young ones may feed themselves up with fond hopes by reason of youth health and vigour but you have every thing putting you in mind that the Graves are ready for you where there will be no working Not only is your best season gone but your whole season is on the turning point you are just leaping into eternity you are ready to shake hands with time and to have done with it for ever 3. You are not yet out of hope You have yet one offer of a treaty left you before you go to the Dead and though you have grievously provoked God to forsake you he is yet gracious and merciful Christ's Blood hath vertue enough in it to expiate the guilt of all your sins his spirit wants not for power to break your hard hearts and give you repentance and after so many thousand denials he again accosts you and know it that if after this call you perish it will be a witness against you and aggravate your Guilt in the Great Day 4. You have a great work to do and but little time to do it in If ever you hope to find God propitious you must break off your sins by Repentance forsake your evil ways relinquish your cursed companions turn to God believe in Jesus Christ mortify your lusts and endeavour the perfecting of holiness You must give glory to God before your feet stumble on the dark mountains and how short a time have you for this yet despair not it may be done by Gods hâ—lp only it concerns you to make hast for 5. A little more delay will be your utter undoing It is not for you to say go away and come to morrow a few moments more and your case will be determined unrepealably You will never have an offer of Grace more when gone to the Grave and you are upon the brink of it the treaty will be over the day of Grace finished God forever departed your Souls laid up in the Prison from whence there is no delivery and then you will mourn bitterly and say Oh! that I had hearkned to Counsel and received Instruction Come then just now forsake your lies and betake your selves to him this moment if so all shall be well if you will not God knows whether ever you shall have such another invitation made to you before you drop into everlasting burnings Prop. 2. I should now have proceeded to the Second Proposition in the Doctrine viz That if we would speed in our Prayers to God for forgiveness we must take this time to seek it in But this hath superseded in the Discourse on the former That we all stand in need of dayly forgiveness hath been before evidenced and that if we hope to obtain it we must seek it of God in the way of Prayer It is not then a matter of indifferency when we so address him but we must take the finding time to do it in There are three Conclusions which result from the premises which give us the confirmation of this Proposition viz. 1. That it is vain for any to pray for forgiveness after this life who did not seek and obtain it in this life If this be the only finding time needs must it be so it is now that God and we are in the way which
accordingly apprehended your own strengthlesness and felt the efficacy of his grace in causing you to believe if he had not drawn you you had not run after him 4. You have taken Christ for your all If you have made him your hiding place you have also received him for your Lord and King they that have truly trusted in him to be saved by him have cordially submitted to his Government they that have not made him their all have not made him any thing to them USE III. For Exhortation to the people of God Have you made Christ your hiding place Believe theâ— in him for preservation from trouble Consider 1. This is included in the very title it self Thiâ— is the very nature of an hiding place if then you do not expect this benefit from him you have but complemented him and not in truth entertained him as such 2. He expects this of you He counts himself despised and trifled with if you call him by such a name and do not make use of it according to the import of it Even a bramble if chosen King expects to be trusted in Judg 9. 15. 3. It is by faith that you are to fetch this benefit from him Though there be all this in God yet there is a way in which it is communicated to us and that is by faith on our part hence the more full and stedfast we are in the exercise of it the more are we like to experience this benefit for help 1. Be often renewing your Assurance especially when trouble appears Now revive your evidences read them over and see to the strength of them for according to this so will you be settled in your reliance on him 2. Resolve against all discouragements that he both can and will do that for you which shall fully answer this relation Have an eye therefore on those other Attributes of his that are to confirm you in the sufficiency and security in this He is the great and mighty God who keeps Covenant c. 3. Now chearfully commit the disposing of all to him in the way of Obedience Leave all with him put it out of your own hands and resolve that he shall have the free ordering of it and that you would not call either his wisdom or faithfulness into question 4. Now wait patiently on him for a good issue Let faith and hope quiet you whatsoever comes and bid a challenge to all that would undermine you Resolve it is in a good hand and though things are dark yet they are sure and he is faithful that hath promised who will also perform 3. He expresseth what he designed in his petition and what improvement he would make of the mercy when obtained Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance By songs of deliverance he intends those Songs that were composed and sung to the praise of God by his people upon any eâ—minent deliverance afforded them Many of which songs the Word of God furnisheth us withal The word deliverance signifies to escape or go forth Now these Songs were dedicated as the testimony of a thankful heart to be a memorial of such mercies when he saith God shall compass him with those he intends that he will bestow many such deliverances upon him and that he shall have many occasions to make such songs Hence Faith engageth the heart in making returns to God for Deliverance DOCTRINE TRue Faith not only depends on God for compleat deliverance but also engageth the heart to resoâ—ve to signalize the same when enjoyed with suitable returns of praise Here are two Propositions Prop. 1. That true faith depends on God for compleat deliverance The language of the Text is thou shalt do that for me which shall lay such an obligation on me Here observe 1. That all trouble is afflictive to us and we cannot but desire deliverance from it No affliction is joyous Heb. 12. 11. Therefore called things hard to bear Psal 60. 3. So that they put in o fear and stir us up to endeavour the avoidence or escaping of them 2. The Rule of faith tells us there is no deliverance to be expected elsewhere Not only our spiritual but our temporal troubles too are beyond the power of any to relieve us against if God do not afford us succour David gives this reason why he will trust in God alone Psal 62. 6. He only is my rook and salvation 3. Hence it directs us to go to God in prayer for â—his deliverance If we would have it not only must we go no where else but we must repair to him he hath appointed prayer to be a medium of obtaining Ezel 37. 37. Hence that Jam. 5. 13. Is any afflicted let him pray Thus are we to acknowledge our dependence on him 4. There must be faith exercised in every prayer in every petition that we offer to him Without it there is no pleasing God Heb. 11. 6. If we would ask and receive we must ask in faith Jam. 1. 5 6. Without this ingredient God reckons us but to howl and there are three things in which faith is to exert it self 1. We must believe that if ever we be delivered it must be by God Faith must keep us close to this object and we must dwell on this conclusion else we shall be read to run elsewhere We must resolve that if we look elsewhere we for sake the fountain for a broken Cistern and shall be disappointed 2. We must believe that he can and if it be bâ—â—t for us will give us temporary deliverance We must not limit his wisdom nor soveraignty but acknowledging his power we are to wait on him as one that is able and not only so but because he hath promised he therefore will perform what is best for us Conclude that this salvation also belongs to him and if it be according to his will it shall be brought about for us so did he 1 Sam 15. 25 26. 3. We must also believe that he will give us perfect deliverance at last whether he will do it in this life we may not determine it may be most convenient for us that it should be otherwise but this a Child of God ought to build upon that he shall be brought out of all trouble in the winding up and his present troubles shall contribute to the preparing of him for it so the Psalmist resolveth Psal 73. 24. Prop. 2. That true faith carrieth out the heart to resolve to signalize these deliverances when received with suitable returns of praise Faith influenceth him with this purpose in the very praying for them Here take these conclusions 1. That which puts a man upon seeking deliverance is a desire to obtain it The end of Desire in man is to instigate him to the pursuit of his Object and it gives rise to all his rational actions Now desire is raised by the consideration of the goodness of the Object and his want of it and this is the spring of all his
bear wait and use endeavours and not be weary 2 Tim. 2. 10. USE I. For INFORMATION in two particulars 1. Learn hence a reason why God usually exerciseth such as he will use for the good of others with many temptations When God hath designed to make men eminently serviceable he hath trained them up to it by more than ordinary trials thus it was with Moses Joseph David yea Christ himself It is not because he hath less respect for them than others but to prepare them for the better discharging such services When therefore you see any of Gods Servants thus dealt withal let it not prejudice you at them nor say surely they have given God some special provocation but think God is trying them as gold and expect something observable to be produced by it Jobs friends were thus mistaken in him nor let any of Gods Children be overwhelmed when they find sore temptations upon them say not that God regards you not but wait in hope it may be he hath some special service for you to do for the good of others that by your experience they may be profited 2. This tells us that it is a great mercy to have dequaintance with experienced Christians As God hath made man a sociable creature and we cannot live like men without communion one with another so of all men these are the most desirable and profitable for communion who are the most acquainted with the various dealings of the Spirit of God with them from vain men we can expect nothing by their fellowship but to learn of their ways which will harm us but from good men we may expect to be helped in the ways of God and none more fit to help and advise us than they who have much acquaintance with God and known his methods and dealings with his Children by such acquaintance we may if it be not our own fault get abundance of good and have cause to bless God for them for ever USE II. For EXHORTATION and that in three respects 1. Let Experienced Christians be communicative of their experiences Hath God given you to know much of his dealing with you in the great affairs of his Kingdom be willing to impart these things to others as there is occasion God hath not done this for you only for your selves but for others too Paul thought so 1 Tim. 1. 16. God hath herein given you a Talent which you ought not to hide in a Napkin what said Christ to him Mark 5. 19. We should indeed have a care that we do not shew our pride on this account by needlesly boasting of these things much less to think we may now usurp an Office of publick teaching but on the other hand we should be ready to afford all the help we can to others in our place let us visit those that are tempted as we have been tell them how it was with us and how we found God coming in to us and when they call for our help readily lend it remembring that when we use our experience for Gods glory and our neighbours profit we shall therein have much peace and comfort and others will have the occasion to bless God for us 2. Let tempted Christians be directed to make use of such in their distress It is too frequent for them that are hurried by Temptations to keep silence to go solitarily and shut up their grief in their own bosomes wherein they gratifie Satan and nourish their distemper God hath made man for mutual help we are not only to carry such cases to God but to take the advice and prayers of his people too and we are too apt if we do reveal our griefs to do it to such as are least fit to counsel us here we see who are fittest and let our prudence direct us to such if we have a bodily evil we go to such as are reputed Skilful let us do so on a spiritual account too None but God can deliver us but he hath made it our duty to use the means and the most likely are eligible here you are like to have your case best laid open and prescribed to here you are like to find the greatest pitty tenderness and faithfulness 3. Labour we all to get and maintain a due value for experimental preaching We are to covet the best gifts and seek skilful Teachers that can divide the Word aright and give every one their portion but there is a vast difference between two of these equally thus gifted one of them doth it by common art and skill and the other can set the seal of his experience to it that which comes from the heart is most likely to reach the heart God must make it do so or else an Isaiah may labour in vain however there is a blessing of God upon such persons and a greater likelihood of his blessing on their endeavours and an ear that is not itching but sanctified will find much difference between this man and the other such are most probable to search us to the quick will be most concerned for us most diligent with us and we shall have abundant reason to say that God is with them Let us pâ—ay for such Teachers and if we live under the Ministry of such let us prize them for their work sake and as we have in them a great advantage for our souls so if we despise and neglect to improve them aright our account another day will be the more terrible Particular Application the best way of teaching DOCTRINE II. THE best teaching is when particular application is made of the truths that are taught The Psalmist is not content to lay down the general Doctrine of Blessedness and confirm it with his own experience but proceeds to instruct men how they may come by it and offer them help to direct them and that particularly and personally Here are two Propositions Prop. 1. That for the profitable teaching of Gospel truths there must be application made of them And here we may consider the nature and the necessity of this application 1. Touching the nature of it it is properly a making use of these truths for helping a Christians practice But more particularly there are two general parts of teaching viz Doctrinal and Applicatory which are not to be confounded but put into due subordination The first is Doctrinal consisting in laying open the Truth so as the understanding may apprehend it and be made to give its assent to it we must have a conception and a conviction of it and this must go before application being to prepare for it and therefore to fall to application before the truth be explained and proved is to make confusion The second is Applicatory which takes the Truth so laid open and improves it for our benefit in the Service of God and this hath to do 1. With the practical understanding For besides that the understanding is to be used for discerning the Truth commended to us it is also to be improved
put us upon trying â—â— selves God hath been visiting this people witâ— repeated Judgments and many in particular havâ— been afflicted again and again Let us then exaâ—mine our selves by the truth in hand and herâ— observe 1. The best of Gods Children may be under affliction when they walk most in their integrity What an account doth that Holy man Heman give of himself Psal 88. It is not a certain argument of a mans being apostatized meerly because he is â—â—cted God 〈◊〉 Soveraign and they must consels him to be so Joh 42. 2. He hath many ways wherein he will be glorified in his people in the â—â—yal of their graces and if when they walk in their integrity they are brought into many sorrows â—or the exercise of their faith patience c. and he affords them his Spirit to help them in it he thereby honours them and they have cause to reâ—â—â— in tribulation 2. But such times do call Gods people to search and â—ry themselves We should acquaint our selves with the reason why God afflicts us how else â—â—all we obtain the end and benefit of it Now usually this is the occasion viz. We grow remiss and wanton and negligent of our selves and God in displeasure brings us into trouble and it â— he this it calls us to Repentance and if we would be able rightly to judge of this we must observe our frame and carriage and that 1. Under the afflictions that we suffer It may be God afflicts us and we are proud and disconâ—ent fret and pine and do not so much as make search for the provocations given him and yet â—e in pitty gives us some respite but then he soon brings another cloud over us here is enough to tell us how it is Our folly remains our dross abides and calls for another furnace 2. After the affliction or under deliverances It may be we confessed our sins promised amendmentâ— and began to attempt it prayed for pity and God hath tried us but now another troublâ— is on us Well did we not do as Pharaoh when â—â— saw there was respite Exod. 8. 15. Let this then instruct us and humble us and make us to Justifie God USE III. Let it be to exhort us that we do noâ—â— put God upon this course Force him not to proceed against us in severity Consider 1. There is a way which is more suited to maâ— I mean which mans frame points him to Maâ— is made a reasonable Creature and ought to hearken to reason why should he forsake that anâ— carry himself like an Horse God pleads Isa â—â— 8. And God shews us the way in his Word anâ— Ordinances 2. This is the way to escape rods God calls thâ— severe course his strange work Isa 28. 21. Nâ—â— meâ—rly because he is a God of mercy and deâ—lighteth not to grieve us but because it is â—â— strange thing that we should put him upon it so that if we would comply with his counsels we might prevent blows 3. It is the way also to be more clear in the knowledge of our good estate The free Obedience oâ— Gods people saith that they are his indeed Psal 110. 3. Whereas our being obedient no longeâ— than we are driven to it must needs give us awâ—ful grounds to call our selves in question Anâ— for help 1. Labour to get the love of God established in our â—â—arts The Apostle could say The love of Christ â—instrains us 2 Cor. 5. 14. And were this active â— it would do more on us than all the beatings that we feel this would make us never well but when we are engaging in his work 2. Study the amiableness of his Service It is always some prejudice entertained at the wayes of God that makes us inconstant in our Obedience and this is the suggestion of the flesh would we be able experimentally to say with him Psal 19. 7 8 9 10. It would knit our hearts to it Did we believe that Wisdoms ways are ways of pleasancy and all her paths peace Prov. 3. 16. It would hind us to them of choice and we should never be well but when exercised in them 3. Labour to taste the sweetness of Obedience and the peace there is in it Psal 119. 165. Every sin leaves a sting behind it on the Conscience but the fear of God gives inward peace and a Child of God is never so comfortable of it as when his heart bears witness to his integrity 2 Cor. 1. 12. Get a freedom in our hearts to this forced Service is always ungrateful but that which is on free choice must needs be delectable VERSE 10. Many Sorrows shall be to the Wicked but he that â—rusteth in the Lord mercy shall compass him about 〈◊〉 The Words Opened IN these words the Psalmist backs his caution or direction with motives and that is fetcht from a double Topick viz. The infelicity which waits on the disobedient and the great felicity which waits on those that hearken to God Where observe 1. The Character he gives to each of them the former he brands with the title of Wicked The words signifies one that is unquiet in himself and always disturbing of others and is used for one that is under the Guilt and Dominion of Sin the latter he calls those that trust in the Lord therein pointing us to the root of Obedience the word implies such a confidence as makes one hold and to pursue ones work with greatest resolution 2. The different state or condition of these answerable to their Character viz. 1. The misery that waits on Wicked men Many Sorrows Sorrows the word is applied to griefs both of body and mind and signifies the intenseness of them many the word is applied both to quantity and quality and signifies both magnitude and multitude and may be read many and great 2. The felicity of the Believer mercy shall compass him about Here observe 1. What it is that makes him happy Mercy it is here put Metonimically for the fruits or effects of mercy The word signifieth a sacred affection â—â—â—uty pity benignity or good will without any â—â—â— spect to merit 2. The large extent of this mercy it shall composs him round sometimes it signifieth a successive compassing a thing and so the mercy of God is always walking the rounds about a believer to see â—â—at he wants confer it upon him sometimes the compassing a thing at once and then it saith that mercy is a guard to the believer and he goâ—â— through the world in the midst of it Hence 〈◊〉 Untractableness under means a character of a wicked man DOCTRINE I. UNtractableness under the means belongs to the Character of wicked men Those whom before he compared to the horse and mule here he calls the wicked This Doctrine is not so to be understood as if every act of contumacy did declare a man to be really wicked i. e. Unregenerate There have been such unhappy instances in the particular carriage of those that have the
strangers and enemies We have them ever and anon complaining of it Job David the Church in the Lamentations God brings sore outward troubles and spiritual Desertions upon them when they seek him they cannot find him they call upon him but he gives them no answers but seems as if he had lest forsaken them God may doâ— this sometimes to try their faith and love but most commonly it is to chastize their folly This â—hen may be one reason why all things fall out aâ—â—ke to good and bad because the good too often â—et among the bad I do not mean in Civil Commerce but in Conversation It is a fearful threatâ—ing Ezek. 21. 3. I will out off the righteous and the â—â—ncked and sure the reason was because though they were good men yet they too awfully complied with the sins of the times did as others did not endeavouring to keep their garments unspotted and it is Gods rich mercy that he only puts them together in this life â— We have a Rule here by which we may make a shewd judgment of men We ought indeed to beware of being too rash in it especially when it comes to judging of their state since such as are in a state of Grace may when left by God do aâ—â— like the deeds of the wicked though of the actions themselves we may more safely judge unless they be such about which the liberty of Christians is concerned However if we see it to be constant course of men to drive a trade of any sin that hath the spot of unrighteousness on it and to live in it obstinately notwithstanding publick reproofs and private endeavours it is no breach of Charity to say these are yet in their natural state and it would be a wrong to the Souls of others as well as theirs and an encouragement of Sin to pass a more charitable verdict USE II. Let us try our state by this Rule It is doubtless a matter of infinite concernment for eveâ—â— one to know what state he is in and the Rule before us will give us light observe then 1. A Godly man may be too often drawn aside tâ— that which is evil As long as there is flesh in us and a subtile and potent adversary without us anâ— so many snares in the world to allure us we arâ— not out of this danger we should not therefore too rashly judge of our selves though this should humble us and put us upon self examination 2. And we may be won suddenly to shew our prevailing corruption in slighting of counsels and reproofs So long as we are under the captivity of the law in 〈◊〉 members it will draw out our lusts to act themselves sometimes in stupidity as it was with 〈◊〉 sometimes by breaking forth into unruly passions at them that rebuke us as it was with Asa which is a sad sign of an ill frame that we are in which may well stumble us and if we now question ouâ— sincerity it is no wonder yet we may not hencâ— positively conclude 3. But if this be our constant guize it speaks sadly against us This is a bad symptom that we are â—â— down in the seat of the scornful it looks like a 〈◊〉 that is not of Gods Children Where there is Grace there will be a warfare maintained between thaâ— and corruption in us and though corruption would of it self be alwayes too strong for us yet God wilâ— not desert his own work in his Children so as to suffer it always to be worsted but for the most part to resist and conquer for he hath planted his Grace in us for this end 4 And if we are left in this frame without Repenâ—ance it is yet more signal for as God deserts â—â— people to try them and to let them know them selves so he fails not to give them Repentance in the time he will bring them back again and recover them to their Duty so he did by David and Peter and though the Repentance of some â—ood men be not recorded in the Scriptures whose â—alls are there mentioned yet doubtless God gave it them because it belongs to his Covenant USE III. Let it Exhort us as we would approve our selves not to be wicked to have a care how we carry our selves in this respect for this end consider 1. You will else darken your evidence and this will â—â—ery uncomfortable All our consolation ariseth 〈◊〉 our apprehension of Gods love and of our 〈◊〉 Godly there is then nothing more necessary â—â— them that would live a comfortable life than â—â— take heed of doing any thing that may obscure 〈◊〉 which such a neglect of our selves will certainâ—â— both because it will grieve the Spirit and â—â—â—oke him to withdraw and will put a black 〈◊〉 upon us 2. You are taken out of the world and therefore 〈◊〉 be as unlike them as may be Rom. 12. 2. It 〈◊〉 ill becomes you to have the guize of the â—â—icked upon you as you always have when you â—â—ow your selves to sin as they do and justify your â—elves in it as they do 3. If you thus allow your selves you must not think it â—â—h if here you suffer with the wicked If when â—â—d brings his Judgments on the land and there â—â— any signal monuments of his displeasure you be hung up in chains with the worst of men Remember Moses and Aaron dyed in the wilderness becausâ— they dishonoured God at Merihah For help 1. Be sure to maintain a spiritual Watch. Looâ— carefully to your selves you have the same lusts iâ— you that wicked men have and if not watched against they will be too hard for you and draw you into presumptuous sins David was aware of this when he said I will look to my ways that I sin not with my tongue Psal 39. 1. And if he had done so alwayes it had been better for him 2. Maintain a tender heart Have a care oâ— growing secure and senceless such an heart was in Josiah which was affected with but reading of the law this will readily receive impressions and afford you great safety 3. Be always strengthening your love of Holinesâ— and hatred of Sin These are the spring of obedâ—ence in us and the more active they are the lesâ— danger we shall be in This guarded Joseph wheâ— tempted and it will guard us and if we improve the means to this end it will both prevent our falling into sin and our being senceless of it when overtaken with it Wicked mens Sorrows great and innumerable DOCTRINE II. GReat and innumerable Sorrows are the portion oâ— wicked men With this argument the Psalmiâ—â— â—â—tions all men against refusing Divine Teachings and hardning their hearts against the counsels of â—od by shewing the miserable condition of the unâ—odly The word Sorrows is here used Metonymiâ—â—lly for the occasion of Sorrow Now Sorrow is a â—erivative Affection flowing from Hatred and is nothing else but the manner of its expâ—essing it self under the pressure of any evil
37 38 When therefore God invites men to come he backs it with a promise Isa 55. 3. Hearken and your Souls-shall live 5. The hold which faith takes on God is by the promise The Gospel is filled with great and precious promises amde to all that believe in Christ they bespangle it as so many orient diamonds and these are exhibited with the invitation Mat. 11. 28. Now these are handles which we are to fasten our faith upon and all these are in Christ 2 Cor. 1. 20. And they are sure and unfailing When we thus entertain the promise we receive him with it he comes by it into the Soul and were it not for this there would be no fastning upon him it would be an over daring for a Sinner to trust in him 6. That which mainly distinguisheth faith from presumption in this matter is that it receives the promisâ— according to the tenour of the New Covenant There are many that pretend to believe who indeed but presume and the reason is because they hear of gracious promises and run away and say they believe them whereas all the Gospel promiseâ— are Covenant promises and so there is a Covenant to be considered to which they belong and according to which they are made over to be a portion to the true believer there is then something that must accompany that faith which embraceth the promise and if we cannot shew that we cannoâ— prove the legitimacy of our faith We must for sake sin self world renounce all take Christ in alâ— his Offices c. Separate these from our trust and it will deceive us but such a trust as this will be our safety 2. What is the influence this faith hath into the Obedience to produce it A. We may take an account of it in the following particulars 1. Faith it self is one piece of Gospel Obedience It is indeed the great Gospel duty The habit is wrought in us without our co-operation we are meerly passive in it but the acts of it are exerted by us though not without Divine Co operation and they are required of us in the Gospel there is a Command for it 1 Joh. 3. 23. 2. This faith also prompts us to our Obedience it is a Grace that stirs us up to the faithful Service of God and that it doth 1. By shewing us that it is the only way to obtain the promise Faith enâ—ertains the promise as laid down in the New Covenant and so it tells us that if we hope to inherit the promises we must comply with the terms of the Covenant and it dares no otherwise to secure them to us 1 King 2. begin 1 Chron. 28. 9. Faith improves the promises not to nourish negligence but to animate our diligence 2 Cor. 7. 1. 2. By displaying to us the obligations that are laid on 〈◊〉 to Obedience It is by faith that we discover the infinite love of God to us in chusing us from Eternity to be partakers in his mercy and thereby putâ—ing a vast difference between us and others the wonderful love of Christ in engaging in and going through the work of Redemption so satisfying the Justice of God for us purchasing us out of the hands of the Law and ransoming us from destruction and â—aying in for us a glorious inheritance and all that â—e might have a seed to serve him hence that 1 Cor. â—6 20. Ye are bought with a price therefore glorify God c. And the great kindness of the Holy Spirit in planting the Grace of God in us so restoring us to a new principle of Spiritual life which faith makes us to say what shall I render c Psal 116. 12. 3. By assuring us of the great advantage there is in our Obedience Faith by entertaining the promises and setling us upon them infers what a glorious recompense there is in Obedience Psal 19. 11. It reads over the Inventory of blessings that are laid up in them and saith I shall be no loser but a great gainer which puts life into us and makes us very willing and chearful in our work Gal. 6. 8. We conclude that our labour will not be lost but superabundantly recompensed which oyls ouâ— wheels and helps us to run 4. By setting before us the danger of disobedience Faith hath an eye also on the threatnings why else doth God lay them before his people but to enliven his fear in them Rom. 8. 13. Heb. 12. 14. This as wakens us to our work and makes us to rouse up when we grow dull 2 Cor. 5. 11. He believes that God would accomplish his word of threatning as well as his promise he looks upon him as a jealous God counts it a fearful thing to fall into his hands Heb. 10. 31. Jobs fear excited him Chap. 31. 23. And faith animated that fear 3. This faith also strengthens us to and in our Obedience The Spirit by assisting our Faith helps us in our whole Service of God and this 1. By overcoming the Temptations that would hinder us in it The people of God meet with a great deal from the world and from Satan that offers to stop them in or divert them from their work and when faith is down and out of exercise it is too hard for them but when the Spirit of God stirs that up it bears all down before it The world is â—nquished 1 Joh 5 4 And Satan is withstood 1 Pet. 5. 9. What great temptations did those worthies recorded Heb. 11. encounter but by faith they vanquished them all 2. By fetching in of strength from Christ to obey Gods Children are sensible of their own infirmity and insufficiency so much as for a thought which would discourage them but that by faith they go to Christ and acting faith on the promise depend on him for succour and this carries them through hardest duties Phil. 4. 13. And as Christ hath bidden us to look to him for help and said that he will not fail nor for sake us so faith entertains his word and will not suffer us to set about any thing in our own but in his strength and so we are helped 3. By witnessing to our sincerity It is Gods pleasure that our Obedience shall not be perfect in this life a Paul cannot do good as he would Rom. 7. And this many times disheartens us and we think we had better do nothing than so spoil all but faith puts new vigour into us and makes us chearful in our work by evidencing to us that we are upright cordial true to God in what we do thus we have Paul expressing of himself 2 Cor. 1. 12. And makes him say as David Psal 130. 3 4. 4. By enabling us to resolve our hope for acceptance into Christ. A Child of God upon reflexion on his duties and finding of so many short comings in them is ready to say surely an holy God cannoâ— take delight in such services as these whereas faith now revives his hope by looking on
as that is And for help here 1. Is your Obedience weak Let it put you upon endeavour to strengthen your faith If you find duty hard at any time you shall find upon due enquiry that it is occasioned by the languishing of your faith What made the Israelites that they would not hear Moses Exod. 6. 9. but this What made Abraham so readily to go about offering of his Son Heb. 11. 17. but his faith the impossibility of duty which we at any time conceive is because faith hath not its full activity for faith rightly exercised will do wonders this was the reason why the Disciples could not cast out that Devil Mark 9. 23. If when we look on our own impotency we think it vain to attempt we look off to the Grace of Christ and the firmness of the promise engaged for our aid this would make it easy we should engage chearfully 2. Are you discouraged in your way by Temptations 〈◊〉 ply faith You would do duty but you find Satan resisting you you find a body of death withstanding there are allurements and frights set before you and you are ready to be mastered by them now set faith on work by that discover that there are more for you than against you if the troubles of the way begin to sink you look on to the recompence of reward and believe it to be and to be as glorious as the Word of God hath represented it this helped Moses Heb. 11. 26 27. This kept Paul from fainting 2 Cor. 4. 16 17. 3. Would you do any thing well be sure to fetch in faith for your assistance Trust not to your own grace rely not on your own present dispositions think not to go through in your own strength when you find your selves never so much raised in your thoughts but remember you must be helped from on high reject then all reliance upon any but Christ and accordingly let faith stir up prayer in you and drive you with importunity to the Throne of Grace to fetch assistance from him he hath told you Joh. 15. 5. Without me ye can do nothing Keep your eye then upon him in every step you take and take it not off for one moment so shall you be assisted without fail 4. Would you hold on to the end in your Obedience Keep an eye of faith fixt upon the promise and on God through Christ whose the promises are Heb. 12. 2. You are like to be encountred with many trials in this life and whiles you are sincerely serving of God the face of Providence may have such an aspect on it as looks as if it were rather putting a bar in to prevent the fulfilment of the promises and mean while the difficulties in the way will appear hard to bear and now nothing can support you in your resolution and perseverance but the expectation of the accomplishment of the good engaged and the sufficiency in it to compensate all When God had promised Canaan to Abraham he advised him Gen. 13. 17. Arise walk through the Land in the length breadth of it so do you and then remember that Christ is the Surety for the accomplishment and that God himself who hath made the promises cannot fail of his good word nor can his wisdom or power be defeated and whiles your faith holds here what is there that should shake your Obedience The Rewards of Obedience fruits of meer mercy DOCTRINE IV. ALl the rewards of Obedience that are bestowed on believers are the fruits of meer mercy Let a man believe never so strongly and exercise this faith in the Service of God never so fervently yet if God accept and reward him it must be acknowledged to no other fountain but his mercy Here then we may enquire 1. What is the mercy of God here intended A. There are two words most frequently used In the Scriptures to set out the kindness of God which he expresseth to sinful man viz. his Mercy and his Grace Now the conceptions which we entertain of these two Attributes are divers Mercy is conceived to be an inclination to afford succour to those that are miserable and hence it hath a respect to the misery of the Subject Grace is a disposition to bestow a favour freely whether the Subject on whom it is bestowed be miserable or no. So that man in his state of integrity was capable of partaking in Grace from God doubtless there was Grace in the First Covenant wherein God transacted with man Whereas man was not a subject for the application of merey strictly taken till by his fall he had made himself miserable and so an object needing pity and compassion to be shewn him But the Spirit of God useth these two words often promiscuously one for the other or each comprehending both under it and the reason is because fallen man being become miserable there must be mercy mixing in all the Grace that is extended to him which reacheth to all the benefits he partaketh in for being a relief to him in his misery they are mercy and being without his deserving who hath by sin forfeited all they must needs therefore be of Grace and in this large comprehensive sense we are to understand Mercy in our Text. We observed that the word signifieth a sacred affection of piety pity without any regard to the merit of the Subject that partakes in it Now there is a twofold mercy that is ascribed to God in his Word a Common Mercy which he extends to good and bad expresse◠in all the favours which mankind in general are made to share in whom sin had made miserable by exposing them to all the Curses written who had forfeited their lives and all the supports of them and hitherto belongs all that goodness which men partake in in their preservation and the provision made for them and the delight they find in these things all which are fruits of Gods meer benignity and compassion and of this wicked men and his greatest enemies have as large 〈◊〉 share as any and there is a special mercy of God which he extends only to his Elect whom he hath chosen in Christ unto Salvation and accordingly bestows on them such benefits as he vouchsaves to no other in the world but them and we therefore call them special both because they are restrained to these Subjects and also because they are the fruits of his everlasting love which he bare to them before the world was and the displays of it to them in the Works of Efficiency and this is the mercy we have under our present consideration concerning which mercy we may observe both the benefits that belong to it and the mercy discovered in them 1. Touching the benefits that belong to it they are all those things which are by the Spirit of God made servicable to the bringing them to and possessing them of eternal Salvation And here let us observe 1. There are those benefits whereby they are brought into