Ps v. 10. Then said I so this is my infirmity but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High I will remember those days those years when God did by his Mighty Hand save and deliver me This is an encouragement for the future to trust in God he saved me at such a time at such a low condition Oh he was there the right hand of the Lord was stretched out to What God requires when he works such mercies for his people and how the Servants of the Lord should express their thankfulness for such Mercies received deliver and why should we ever distrust the Lord again surely that power of the Lord can never be nonplust that hath wrought such great things for me Thus you see the Grounds Here is no time for Application I shall adde a fourth Particular and that is this which will yet make the Point more useful before I leave it What doth God require of his people when he works such Deliverances for them And how should the Servants of the Lord express their thankfulness for such Mercies when God doth so and so rescue the lives of his people First of all Take heed that we neither forget the Mercy nor the God of the Mercy I say forget not the Mercy nor the God of the Mercy we are very apt to look upon our mercies with a slight eye we remember our wormwood and our gall but we forget our mercies and the goodness of the Lord that did shine in the Mercy Now know that there is a great provocation to the Lord It was the sin of Israel that they forgot so soon what God had done for them we read of this how they provoked the Lord and they turned back saith the Psalmist and you shall see â—ow God did take it as a great provocation and God threatens them for it See how they forgot what God had done for them Psal 106. 13. They soon forgat his works they waited not for his Counsel and verse 21. They forgot God their Saviour which â—ad done great things in Egypt and therefore the Lord was wroth with them Brethren so should we take heed that we do not forget our Mercies and forget the God of the Mercie forget not what God is and forget not what God hath done for us forget not what God requires of us Did God remember us in low conditions and shall we forget him shall we forget him when he hath raised us up will not this be horrible ingratitude does the Lord remember us continually and shall we forget him Oh! we should get a remembrance of God and a sense of God and the goodness of the Lord written in our hearts Where doth God write the name of his people Why he writes their names there where he will not forget them why see what the Lord says in Isa 49. vers 15 16. Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her wombe they may forget yet will I not forget thee Vers 16. Behold I have graven thee upon the Palmes of my hands See what care God takes that he might not forget his people and so he would have us not to forget his Mercies Behold I have engraven thee upon the palmes â—f my hands When a man would not forget his friend he will ingrave his name upon a Ring but you will say he will not forget that doth not only write it upon a Ring but upon his own flesh And thus the Lord deals with you Behold I have engravâ—n you upon the plames of my hands and doth the Lord thus take care to remember us Let not us forget him Secondly we should not look with a slight eye upon great Mercies Oh view the Mercy compass the Mercy go round about it tell the Towers and see the Bulwarks see what Mountains of goodness and mercie shine in them Oh see how the Attributes of God do shine in them God cannot indure that people should despise affliction his Chastisements My son despise not the chastening of the Lord he cannot abide when men are careless when they are sleighty under affliction and surely he will not endure that men should look sleightly upon mercies My son despise not the goodness of the Lord the mercies of the Lord the deliverances of the Lord Let not them be lookt upon with a sleighty eye look into the height of the Mercy and the depth of the Mercy and all the evil that would have befallen us if we had not enjoyed the Mercy And Thirdly Take heed that we give nothing to creatures but all to the free grace of God this God he requires in thankfulness when he gives such Deliverances ascribe nothing to man nothing to our selves nothing to our prayers nothing to our faith No give all to God give all to free grace look upon Ieb take him for an instance in the 9. of Iob v. 16. If I had call'd and the Lord had Answered if he had given me my Petition given me what I desired yet I would not say he hath harkened to my voice I would not say 't is for my prayers or for my faith No I am poor dust and ashes what 's my voice in Heaven No sure I will give all to him I will say surely the Lord hath heard his own voice the voice of his free grace pleading for me he hath heard the voice of his Spirit pleading in me and the voice of his Son making Intercession for me I will not say the Lord hath heard me but that the Lord may teach his people this he gives Mercies before they have thoughts to seek them as in Ps 21. 3. Yea sometime God he hath exceeded the faith of his people to let them see that it was not for the worthiness of their faith though when God would give Mercies Many times he sets his people a praying and beleeving but he doth not give mercies for these And therefore God he doth prevent their faith as you may see in Psal 126. vers 1. When the Lord turned again the Captivity of Sion then were we like to them that dreamed like to them that dream as much as to say When the Lord brought us back we had not faith enough to believe it we could not think that the Mercy was real when as we came out of Babylon we doubted whether we should believe it or no whether it was real or a dream It was real but it was not for their faith and therefore ascribe nothing to faith nothing to means nothing to prayer but all to the free grace of God Again Fourthly we should give back again to God what God lends us That is the Fourth way to express Thankfulness Hath God given us life let us give it back again to him Hath God given us strength we should give it back again to God we should lay out all our strength for
the Creatures in Heaven and Eearth Oh take not away the lives of my Servants and God hath set Angels over them to keep their lives and dost thou account so meanly of thy life wilt thou put away thy life for a trifle for every cross and discontentment that thou meetest with in this world what dishonour is this to God and what undervaluing of that which God counts so highly of But Secondly Take heed that you act nothing against your lives take heed thou dost not go about to shorten thine own life take heed thou dost not go about to cut off thine own life this is a grievous sin and high provocation there is nothing that the Devil seeks more then this and this many times is a very urging temptation a pressing temptation Oh take away thy life Now I beseech you remember how precious life is what a precious Jewel 't is in the sight of God and will you cast it away for nothing will you cast it away to gratifie the Devil at his request But Oh I live a miâ—erable life say some my life is a burden nothing but crosses nothing but troubles in the world it were a thousand times better for me to dye then to live I say Should'st thou rid thy self of thy affliction or shouldst thou not rather wait till God opon a door unto thee what wilt thou break chains wilt thou break Gods chains wilt thou break prison to be gon before God hath set thee at liberty Oh know God hath worse chains chains of darkness But suppose thou livest in the greatest affliction why wilt thou sin to rid thy self of affliction is not the least sin worse then the greatest evil to sin against God an infinite God and if the least sin be worse then the greatest evil shouldst thou sin to rid thy self of affliction Object Ay but I live to sin against God that makes my life a burden to me Oh I bear about me a body of death and I drag it about with me every day so long as I live it makes me weary of my life and I desire to dye rather then to live Well suppose it Suppose thou livest in sin and suppose by taking away thy life thou dost free thy self from sin yet should'st thou have an eye to the word of God hast thou any such rule that God hath prescribed to free thy self this way Oh why dost thou not look to Christ and fetch it from his righteousness from his blood and from his death should'st thou not go thither to be free from sin is there not pardoning mercy and healing grace and washing for all kind of spots to the utmost thou talkest of freeing thy self from sin and thou sinnest the greatest sin that thou canst sin if thou takest away thy life I tell thee thou had'st better live a thousand years and sin all thy time against God then sin this sin and go about to do any thing agâ—inst thy life why this is the greatest thou canst do to God thou givest God the lye God holds forth grace and mercy in the Gospel and thou givest him the lye he tells thee in his word that he is able to save to the utmost and thou givest him the lye and therefore I beseech you remember your lives are precious Jewels remember what account God hath of them and do not act any thing against them do nothing against your lives Thirdly If you would improve life then gain as much of God as possibly you can in the time of life this is the way to gain by life labour to gain the knowledge of God and of his Son labour to get insight into the Mysteries of the Gospel the great Mysteries of Christ manifested in the flesh Oh there is an Infinite depth 't is worth the seeking after Oh the pâ—ecious Mines of grace in the Gospel truly you cannot improve life better then this way seek the knowledge of God and of his Son seek communion with God and acquaintance with him get more grace from him more strength more spiritual good things this is a rich improvement of a mans life and will you not make the best improvement of such a Jewel as life is you will make the best improvements of your estates put off any commodity for the best advantage and will you not put off your lives for the best advantage I tell you 't is a Stock a precious Stock that God hath given you to use Oh why should you let the Stock lye dead by you and do nothing that may advantage your souls another day Consider again this kind of improvement of life makes a mans life more glorious if a man be not thus exercised and thus lay out life to seek after God and to get more acquaintance with him get more communion with him more fellowship of the Spirit more knowledge of Christ more grace more assurance of his love why it will make him scarce a man without this Oh this makes a mans life a noble life an Evangelical life when as he is exercised in such glorious things as these but when a man doth spend his life and doth nothing this way and does not give more of God and Christ he lives like a beast more then like a man a poor low carnal senceless drossie life though he be never so high and excellent in the world though he be in the greatest outward honour that man lives a low life and he will not continue in his honour but in the conclusion becomes as â—he beasts that perish Fourthly If you would prize your lives labour to act as much as you can for God in the time of life this is a prizing of life an improving of life know that life is given you for action and when a man is dead he doth not act for God Oh therefore remember that there is something that God hath given every one of you to do in this tearm of life thereis some service some work in your generation that God expects at your hand even in this life and I beseech you take the wisemans council that he gives you in the 9. of Ecclâ—s v. 10. Whatsoever tâ—y hand findeth to do do it with all thy mighâ— foâ— there is no working no device nor knowledge nor wisâ—dom in the grave wâ—ither thou art a going Improve your lives saith he and what ever you do do it with all your might consider what is the work you have to do for God in your generation what work you have to do for God and what your hand findeth to do do it with all your might do not neglect but do what your hand finds to do do with all your might life is very short the work is long and life is very short you need work while you have time you need work while the day last the night cometh upon every one of you when there is no time for to work there is no device no knowledge nor wisedom in the grave whither thou art going Oh
labour to be for God every one of you in your places Oh lay out your selves with all your might to do something for God though the service you are to perform in your generation may be tedious may be laborious and toilesome to the flesh yet be willing to lay out your selves for God lay down strength for God and lay down life for God Why consider there is a long rest that is prepared for the people of God this is the day time and here you must work for God there shall come a time of rest yeâ— they shall rest in their grave there is sleeping time enough and they shall rest in Heaven and there they shall rest enough they shall rest for ever and for ever and therefore be content to do for God and lay down all your strength for God Oh there is a resting time a long resting time that is prepared for you I have glorifiâ—d thee on earth saith Christ to his Father and now Oh Father glorifie me in Hâ—aven labour every one of you in your places in your callings to exalt the name of God to glorifie God on earth I would not have you glorifie God that God may glorifie you that is not the end of your work but glorifie God because he will glorifie you because he hath declared that there is rest for you that are his people and there is an eternal rest in which he will glorifie you with himself Oh glorifie him therefore with your lives with your strength with your abilities with your parts with your riches with all you have glorifie God in your lives I shall conclude all with one word of Exhortation doth God rescue the lives of his servants in such a wonderful manner why let his servants for ever trust him as great mercies do call for great thankfulnes so they call for great faith in the Lord expect a great deal of future confidence in him when he hath declared his name to his people when he hath once made his goodness and mercy and power and faithfulness and truth to pass by before them in some special providence he expects then that they should trust him in the lowest condition in the faddest condition that you should take hold of him and live upon him he expects that you should reason upon former experiences and remember the years of the right hand of the most high remember such and such yeers when the right hand of the most High was declared when God wrought such works of deliverance such and such wonderful mercies the Lord expects that such kind of deliverances should be ingagements to trust in him to trust in him at all times Many times we will not beleeve unless we see signes and wonders and the Lord he is pleased to condescend to our weakness and Christ he shews us a Miracle yea he shews many wonderful works mercies and deliverances that he works for his people and now God he may wonder at the weakness of our faith if after all these wonders we shall distrust him See what the Psalmist saith in Psalm 96. 10. Be still and know that I am God why in all your afflictions in all your temptations in all your crosses in all sad conditions God would have you to be still and know that he is God and when ever we have received any special mercy from God we should urge this upon our owâ— souls if at any time we are ready to distrust God and repine at any of the dealings of God Oh my soul be still and know that God is Jehovah remember the years of his right hand remember what he did for such and such of his servants and for thee in such a condition how he made his power and mercy and truth and faithfulness to pass before thee and wilt thou again murmur and repine and distrust him Oh my soul be still and know that he is God know that he is Jehovah and that he gives existence to his promises know that he is as good as his word know that he is better then his word when ever any rebellious lust doth rise up in thy heart after we have received mercies which is a great ingagement yet still beat it back with this know that the Lord is Jehovah the Lord hath a mighty Arm and as he hath done so he will do and he will not leave his people the power and the goodness of the Lord it should sound in our ears when ever we are in any strait this is a glorifying of God for mercies received And Brethren upon all occasions Remember the years of the mercy of the most High See what the Psalmist saith with which I will conclude all Psal 62. 11. God hath spoken once twice have I heard this that power belongeth unto God God hath spoken how hath he spoken in some glorious deliverance he hath spoken in some great mercy for God speaks in his providence as well as in his words and when God speaks in his mercy he expects that we should hear him nay that we should not only hear him but that we should hear him often he expects that we should hear what should we hear we should hear this That power belongeth to God * When ever God worketh any glorious deliverance this should sound in our ears That power belongeth to God and mercy belongeth to God and loving kindness and free grace belong to God and so loving kindness it belongs to God The Attributes of God that do found in evâ—ry mercy in every deliverance and in some special mercies we should not hear it once but twice God spoke once and I heard it twice that is often 't is an allusion to an Eccho a man speaks sometime that it raises an Eccho and the words will be repeated again he shall hear it round about him the words sound again he speaks once and it sounds twice often so there is such a voice in many mercies many deliverances and many special providences they sound lovd as the Eccho of a man doth The Lord speaks once we should hear twice that power belongs to God Well remember that the Lord expects that thou should'st hear it often and when ever thou art brought into a low condition remember this what thou hearest in thy former low condition that power belongs to God and mercy belongs to God And thus should we trust the Lord in straites former mercies are ingagements for the future and this is part of the glory the Lord expects this is part of the In-come that he desires for mercy for deliverance poor creatures that have seen much in it they should never forget the loving kindness of God when they are in straits in great straits still to make use of former experiences and to remember the years of the right hand of the most High Thus you hear what improvement there should be of our afflictions THE Third Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst
faith will make them present as things new to come Fiftly Mercies become helpful for the future When the soul is careful to keep up his Communion with God when a man is careful to walk with God continually to fix his eye upon God and to follow God fully in every thing to follow God wheresoever he leads him so long as God and the mercy is kept together there will be abundance of lustre and beauty in every mercy but when the soul is careless in maintaining his Communion with God it looseth then the sense of all his goodness that formerly he tasted in every mercy and they become useless even grace it self cannot comfort a man if God be not nigh if God by his spirit do not shine upon it and therefore mercies much less though they be never so great and precious mercies that a man hath received yet they can afford no present comfort nor be a support to him nor incouragement to wait upon God for the future but if so be God and the mercy be kept together then mercies become useful and an help to the soul to trust in God for the future Sixtly Mercies are helps for the future when as the soul is inabled by the Spirit of prayer to urge God with former mercies and to lay them before the Lord as ingagements to help for the future there is such an improvement to be made of former mercies When God doth pour a Spirit of prayer upon his people and then and then only do mercies that are past become a help to the soul or the future you shall see so the Saints have urged this with God they have pleaded with God and put him in mind of his former kindness so you may see in the 51. of Isaiah about v. 9. Awake awake put on strength Oh Aâ—m of the Lord awake as in the ancient days c. And so in the 22. Psal The Psalmist there doth use the right Argument witâ— God he turns former mercies into Arguments to iâ—gage God for the future in the 9 10. verses But thou art he that took me out of the womb thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mothers breasts I was cast upon thee from the womb thou art my God from my mothers belly Thou art he that took care of me when I could not take care of my self and when the care of creatures could do me no good without the care of the Lord and seeing thou hast done this for me I am still incouraged to wait upon thee to trust in thee for future mercies Thus you see when mercies and deliverances may be incouragements for the future and how the soul may make experiences of them Quest But you will say further how should we look upon our mercies so as to make the best improvement of them to strengthen our faith in the Lord for the future I Answer briefly First Look upon them all as the first fruits which God hath promised to you this will mightily help to strengthen the faith of the soul for the How to make the best improvement of mercies to strengthen our faith in the Lord for the future future look upon all as beginnings of that which God doth intend to do for his people as a spark of that flame of love that is in the bosome of God towards his people as drops of the Ocean of love drops of those Rivers that run at Gods right Hand which he hath reserved for his people I say look upon all mercies that you have received as fruits of that which God hath reserved in glory for his people and this will mightily help to strengthen faith for the future Secondly Look upon them all as staies that God hath given staffs to hold in your hands for the present all mercies all deliverances all sights of â—od all manifestations of his love all experiences of his goodness I say look upon them as staies and crutches that God hath given into your hand for the present to lean upon while you are in this your Pilgrimage do not build upon them you cannot build upon the best of your experiences do not lay them as the foundation but only look upon them as helps in your way and so use them as helps for the present that God gives you that you may Two things premised and a Caution how to rest upon former experiences more cheerfully go on to his self and to his son to the rest in him where there is everlasting peace And therefore here will I premise two things and give you a Caution how to rest upon former experiences and so I shall end the Point 1. Know this that it is possible that the soul may loose the sight of all his experiences they may be all out of sight 't is possible that a man may call them all in question the soul may be brought into such a sad condition into such a dark condition that it may call in question all that ever it hath seen of God and those very things that he did take as some special Tokens of love all manifestations given forth of himself all communications of his presence of his grace I say all these they may be darkened out of sight Or Secondly Though they may be in sight yet God doth many times bring his people into such conditions as their former experiences cannot reach them God may come still with further and further tryals and such tryals I say that all a mans former experiences cannot reach them his tryal and temptations may be above them all And therefore here take these two Cautions when as you are thus to follow experiences and to make use of experiences First of all Take heed that you do not make your own experience the first ground of your trust Make not I say any experience that you have had the first ground of your trust or confidence I said before experiences are good helps good Crutches but they will make no foundation for the soul to build upon They are not the first foundation that is to be laid No you must learn to trust God when you see him not you must trust God before your tryals for that is the most blessed thing See what our Saviour Christ says concerning Thomas in that 20. of Joh. 29. Jesus said to him Thomas because thou hast seen thou hast believed but blessed are they that have not seen and yet have beleeved The heart is so backward to faith that it is well if it be by any means at last brought off to beleeve and therefore the Lord hath condescended to reveal himself to his people by experiences but yet our Saviour he saith it is more blessed to beleeve and not to see Blessed are they that belâ—eve and have not seen This kind of faith is that which brings most glory to God to beleeve a man before he try him 't is a great trusting of him and so 't is an honour put upon him now to beleeve in
should not be only Musquet proof but Cannon proof stand out not only agaiâ—st afflictions lesser judgments but stands out against great judgments many times against miraculous judgments why here is a strange stoutness and hardness in every mans heart Oh what a dead sleep is every man by nature cast into you will say that man is in a dead sleep that though he be shot at it cannot wake him that he should sleep secure when the house is on fire about his ears truly this is the condition of every man by nature though God do lay Cannon shot against him and though God set on fire the world about his ears yet still he sleeps what a strange condition is the state of nature Let us all take notice of it and set us all bewail it in the presence of God seeing how woful it is and what we are like Secondly If Miracles cannot convert a soul Vse 2 then what a Miracle is it that any soul is converted truly we may stand and wonder that any soul should be brought home to God how many Mâ—racles is in this work of conveâ—sion to convert a soul to God 't is a greater Miracle then to open the eyes of the blind to give strength to lame to give life to the dead a greater Miracle then to turn darkness into light a greater Miracle then to beat down strong Cities with seven Râ—ms horns 't is a greater Miracle then to make the world he spake and it was done it was made he spake his word and the world was created but God speaks again and again once and twice and often before the new creature is formed before Many Miracles in the conversion of a soul to God faith is created in the heart of man and truly Brethren you need not wonder that so few are brought home to God that 's not the Miracle but stand and wonder that any should be brought home to God there are many Miracles in the conversion of the soul to God I beseech you take notice of them there is a Miracle of First Miraclâ— of wisâ—dâ—m of wisdome there is a Miracle of wisdom I say in the conversion of a soul that God should find out a way to reconcile himself to a sinner and then reâ—oncile the sinner to himself here is infinite wisdom to finde out a way to reconcile himself to the sinner to find out a way to satisfie both justice and mercy that they should meet each other and kiss each other and both be satisfied that justice should say I have enough and Mercy should say I am well pleased and both be glorified in Christ Brethren here is a way that men and Angels could never have found out here is a Miracle of wisdome to reconcile the sinner to God also here is abundance of the wisdom of God that God should finde out a way to make a rebellious sinner come in and submit when he had stood out long and stood many batteries that God had layd against him that the Lord should bring him in by a word of his grace that God should come and catch a poor soul and take him before the soul be aware here is abundance of holy wisdom truly none could do this but only God And as there is a Miracle of wisdom so there Secondly Therâ— is a Mirâ—â—le of Power is a Miracle of power in every souls conversion Oh wonderful power hath God put forth to overâ—ome the creature and to overcome himselâ— To overcome the creature to make a stubborn stout hearted sinner relent to shake the Oaks of Bashan and make the Cedars of Lebanon to stoop Yet truly this is the work of God he put abundance of power into a word of his and when an obstinate sinner hath stood out boâ—h the allurements of Mercy and hath out stood all the batteries of Judgment that God hath laid against him God hath sent out many Armies of judgments to bring him in and they have returned back again and have not done their work and that yet the Lord at last should be pleased to arme a word of his a poor naked word of his with so much power â—o give such authority and to give such commission as to go and bring in the stout hearted sinner and make him fall down at the footstole of Jesus Christ here is a Miracle of power and then that God should overcome all his wrath and all his fury and indignation and say it is not in me I give thee leave to draw nigh to me in my Son fury is not in me that God should overcome himself to stoop to the creature that the Majesty of Heaven should first stoop to the creature that the Prince should come and beseech the Rebel to accept of mercy offer the first tearms of peace and not looking to the infinite distance that is between him and the creature but lay that aside and beseech a poor creature to accept of mercy here is a Miracle of power And then there is a Miracle of goodness a Miracle of mercy in every souls conversion a Miracle of mercy that God should pardon the sin of his people from Eternity Oh the Miracles of mercy writes the pardon gives the pardon into the Sons hand that he should work it over by Covenant and make all sure for his people in Christ even from Eternity even to give Christ a pardon for his peoples sins many thousand years before the sins are committed I do not say the pardon is given out to them before they are brought in to submit to Christ but it is given out into the hand of Christ that if they come and submit to Christ 't is in his hand to give it out 't is already written and Sealed here is a Miracle of Mercy Again that the Lord should so freely and so fully bâ—ot out transgressions that he should make the sins committed to be as if they had not been committed there shall no more remain of them as if they had never been acted to bury them to cast them behind his behind his back to throw them into the depth of the Sea to carry them into the wilderness into a land of forgetfulness that when they are sought for they shaâ—l not be found they shall be as if they had never been what a Miracle of mercy is this that God should bear no old grudge to a poor sinner a Rebel one that have stood out against him and yet that God should retain no grudge in his heart but receive a poor soul into his Bosom as if he had never been defiled to receive him into his own boâ—els into intimate communion and acquaintance with himself in love as if he had never bin a Râ—bel to bear no old grudg here 's wonderful rich mercy Again for God to account the soul righteous to look upon him as righteous when he is unrighteous to look upon him as righteous in Christ when he is full of spots and polutions and deâ—ormity
of the righteous in the Psalm 126. v. 2. you may see there God he made the very Heathen to confess that God was with his people and that he had done great things for them Then said they among the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for them The Lord hath done great things for them Thirdly God brings glory to his Name by such kinde of Deliverances for he makes it appear that he hath the sole prerogative over the times of men and over the lives of men he will make it appear that the times of his creatures are in his hand and not in their own hand and not in the hand of enemies Above all things in the world God is said to keep this in his hand the times of men and the lives of men See what Daniâ—l says to Nebuchadnezzar in Dan. 5. 23. And the God in whose hand thy breath is and whose are all thy ways hast thou not glorified See here the breath that is in mans Nostrils it is in Gods hand and he can withdraw it when he please thy breath 't is in his hand and he will dispose of it he keeps it in his hand and he will not give it out of his hand and therefore when any life is communicated to any creature 't is given him of God Iob he will acknowledg this that his life was given out by way of favour and free grace Iob 10. 12. Thou hast granted me life and favour See here he doth acknowledge it that the giving out of his life 't is Gods prerogative 'T is granted of God Princes they grant such and such a favour so life and favour is granted of God He will keep it in his own hand He will not make any Lease and Tearm to any man living they shall have it from Moment to Moment the creatures shall have their lives from Moment to Moment but for any tearm God will not that shall be at his own disposiâ—g and therefore the Lord hath exercised wrath and anger when the creature hath gone about to make this their prerogative to promise life to themselves and grant life to themselves You know what is said of the fool in the Gospel when he had been very prodigal he would make many promises to himself Soul saith he thou hast goods laid up for many years why how doth God take this why he is called fool for his labour he reckons without the Landford and therefore God he comes and turns him out of his Farm Thou fool saith God thâ—â— night shall thy soul be taken from thee 't is Gods only prerogative he makes it appear so the giving out of life is in his hand and therefore it is said in the Scripture that the Issues from death belong to God See that place in the 68. Psal v. 20. T is our God that is the God of salvation and unto the Lord belongeth Issues from death Issue that is the way that God leads to death and from death The Door the Gates of death both to and fro they belong to God to the Son of God he keepeth the door Behold saith he I have the keys of Hell and death so that the Issues to death belong to him He shuts the door when he pleaseth and the Issues of death belong to him he opens the door when he pleaseth Sometime a man hath this conceit of himself well I am brought lower and weaker wasted and decayed in my strength and in my body but there is such a means as will surely help me such a Friend such a Physician they will certainly help me if it were not for them I should despair there is my hope why you are deceived saith God I will have you know that I keep thee door of life and the Issues of life belong to me if God shut the door of life man cannot get back again notwithstanding all his friends Again sometime a man is brought low that friends give him over and then we say he is gone all means are used and none effectual and we say surely there is no hope for him to come back again You are mistaken saith God I will have you to know that the Issues of life come from me and I will open a door for life and say life come back again and thus God makes it appear that the Issues of life belong to him and that is for his glory That is the first ground of the Point Secondly God doth work such Deliverance Second Ground of the Point for his Servants that so he may afford great matter of rejoicing both to themselves and to others I say that he may afford great matters of rejoycing great Mercies and great Deliverances they commonly bring along with them great joy 't is not only a Mercy but a Duty great Mercies call for great joy See it was their duty in Psal 126. 1 2 3. When the Lord turned again the Captivity of Sion we were like them that dreamed them was our mouth filled with laughter and our Tongue with singing Then said they among the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for them the Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad or rejoyce The Spirit of joy 't is the life of Heaven 't is the inheritance that the Saints shall have there Wâ—ll done good and faithful servant enter into thy Mâ—sters joy Now God whilest they are upon earth he will cause part of that joy to enter into them that they shall have some of that joy now have a little taste of the joy of Heaven whilest they are here upon earth therefore God he will will work such deliverance for his people that they may see much of the glory of God in the Mercy much of the glory of God in the Deliverance that so they may have their hearts lift up to rejoyce in God Yea Again God will have others to rejoice with them and therefore some Mercies are spreading Mercies such a Mercy as God gave to Saraâ— See Gen 21. 6. And Sarah said God hath made me to laugh so that all that hear will laugh with me her own â—ffection was too narrow to rejoyce in the goodness of God and therefore I saâ— God many times he gives out such Mercies such Deliveranceâ— that they shall be spreading Mercies the joy and the sweetness of them shall spread abroad and his people shall say we rejoyce in the goodness of tâ—e Lord and all the people that fear his Name shall rejoyce with us That 's the second Ground Thirdly God he works â—uch Deliverances for his people that so he might strengthen their confidence Thirâ— Ground of the Point for the future that he might encourage their hearts and the hearts of many that trust in the Lord that whensoever they are brought down into low conditions they might look back and see what God did sometime for them See what the Psalmist saith in Psalm 77. see what a help this was when he was in a low condition the 77.
God Improve it for God and be willing to suffer for God Again Fiftly in the fift place We should be willing to lay down our lives when God calls for them again Thus should we express our thankfulness for life given us I say be willing to lay down life freely and voluntarily the next time when God calls When God hath rescued any of our lives from the grave why all those days that are added are freely given and 't is an addition of free grace more then we thought of more then was expected And therefore we should freely be willing to lay it down when God calls for it we should be willing to lay down our own lives and let them depart and so friends should be freely willing to let that life go that was so freely redeemed Thus we should be Volunteers to death we should freely and willingly submit to God as well as dye in obedience as in faith and let it be our wisdom often to look to what Christ hath done for his people in matter of death and the grave and set faith on work every day to see how the sting is taken out by Christ and the grave is made a sweet resting place 't is sanctified 't is perfumed 't is sanctified that it may be a sweet resting place to the Saints Again in the Sixt place When God hath wonderfully saved our lives we should seek to do something extraordinary for God we should not content our selves with ordinary service saith Christ What do you more then others in the 5. of Mat. and the latter end if you onely love those that love you what do you more then others or what singular thing do you he would have his people do some singular thing for him and especially when God hath done some singular thing for them and what says Hezekiah when God had restored his life from the grave in Isa 31. v. 19. The living the living he shall praise thee as I do this day The living the living he shall praise thee he that hath life once given and he that hath life restored to him again he that hath life given from the grave The living the living he shall praise thee he shall speak of thy glory and testifie oâ— thy wonders something more then ordinary is implyed there That the living he should live to God Seventhly In the last place to conclude Look upon all outward Mercies in reference to some spiritual Mercy and never take up in the outward Mercy but let it lead you to the spiritual mercy Alas what is life if it be not in reference to spiritual Mercies if it be not in reference to get more of God to get more glory to God Life what is it a poor empty thing 't is true life it self is a mercy a great Mercy but yet though life be a blessing a man may dye betimes and be blessed Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord And on the contrary though life be a blessing a man may live long and be a cursed creature â—or all this See what is said in the Prophesie of Isaiah the 65 ch 20. v. 't is spoken of the days of the Gospel There shall be no more thence an Infant of days nor an old man that hath not filled his days For the child shall dye a hundred years old but the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed T is a prophecy of Gospel blessings shewing how it should be in the latter days a child dye a hundred years old That is the young men shall have abundance of the glory of God those that are children in years shall be old in grace they shall have as much grace as those that were a hundred years old and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed a curse though he live a hundred years See then life is not desireable but in reference to spiritual Mercies Oh then rest not in outward Mercies if God at any time hath give any of your lives for a prey resâ— not in outwâ—rd Mercies but labour to see further Mercie in it that mercy is given in reference to further Mercy and waite for the Communication of it It was well when Heâ—ekiah could say that God had done it in love to hiâ— soul in Isa 38. 17. Thâ—u hast in love to my soul delivered it from the Pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy bâ—ck He looked more to the spiritual Mercy then to the outward Mercy Alas it had been a poor small thing for life to be given and my sins not pardoned if God had given me life and not given it out of love Oh it had been a curse to my soul and tâ—is doth David blesse the Lord for in Psal 23. 3. He restoreth my soul he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name sake It was after God delivered him from sickness he blesse God he restored my soul and my life he doth not take up there but he leads me in the patheâ— of righteousnes for his name sake I have further mercy my life is given for further Mercy God he will not restore that mercy of life only but he will convey me to further Mercy seeing he hath given me life he will lead me in the paths of righteousness that I may life to the praise of his name And this should all our desires be when God doth such great things for us THE Second Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God I Made entrance into the words the last Lords day There is witness and testimony given of a glorious Miracle and Wonderful Deliverance that was wrought for three servants of God God had brought them forth to exercise their faith And to suffer To suffer the wrath of the King but yet the Lord delivered them he delivered them from the wrath of the King he wa a violent King from the flames of the Furnace and the Furnace was heated seven times hotter then ordinary they were bound hand and foot and cast into the midst of the fire and yet they became Conquerors The very enemies do witness as much The King Answered and said lo I see fouâ— men loose walking in the midst of the fire Here are many Miracles in one here is heat and light separated one from the other sight remains and yet the heat is taken away and it burned not here is the wonder of mercy it shall be a miracle of judgment in Hell there is fire that hath heat but no light the hotter the flames are it shall be the darker it shall be dark that day but here when God will shew a Miracle of mercy he takes away the heat and the light remains Lo says the King I sâ—e four men c. Imagine their number is increased as another Miracle Whereas they thought that
so much of God as should draw forth your hearts for ever in all conditions to put your trust in God Now know that the outward mercies were given for this end It is one end I say wherefore God gives mercie that so he might ingage his people for the future to trust in him it would be a great discredit to God if his people after all experiences he hath given them shall not trust in him for the future and there is nothing that doth provoke God more then this If Israel after all the experiences that God hath given them after all the wonders they had seen in the Land of Aegypt and in the red Sea and after all this shall distrust God through unbelief God does look upon it as a great provocation See what God says in Ps 78. about the 19 20 verses 't is said in v. 18 That they tempted God yea they spake against God in the 19. vers They said can God furnish a Table in the wilderness behold he smote the Rock and the water gushed out and the streams overflowed can he give bread also can he provide flesh for his people Now 't is said in the next verse therefore was the anger of the Lord kindled against them therefore was the anger of the Lord kindled because they had seen his wonders at the red Sea and his wonders at the Rock yet they distrusted him can God prepare a Table in the wilderness this was a limiting of God and this their unbelief it cost them dear Therefore the Lord sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest Object But you will say Whether can any mercies or deâ—iverances that a man hath received be any help unto him for the future Answ I answer they may and I will shew you when When mercies received or deliverances How mercies may be helps to the soul for the future are helps unto the soul concerning his confidence and trusting in the Lord for the future First of all when the soul is careful to lay up the experiences of mercy when a man is careful to remember the goodness of God a man may receive a thousand mercies a thousand deliverances such as he might make experience of for his own benefit and for the help of others and yet be never the beter I say if they be not carefully laid up if they be not carefully treasured up a man looseth all the sweetness of them for there are two things that God doth intend in every mercy First of all There is present comfort and refreshment that he presently gives out and then there is something in the mercy to be laid up for the future there is something in every mercy that God would have his people lay up something that will stand them in stead another day now when a man does not remember the mercy that the Lord dispenceth to him though he may take some comfort in them yet he looseth the greater comfort of them that which he should lay hold on is the fruit of experience or else all the mercy is lost Secondly Mercies become helpful when as the soul can see the love of God in the present â—â—rcy when the soul sees the love of God in every present mercy this puts life into the mercy when the soul receives mercy and doth not eye love in it that mercy it proves a dead mercy or if there be any sence it will not last long because there was not special love seen in it Now when the soul can eye the love of God in the mercy then is the heart affected with the mercy and then is the sence of the mercy most like to be continued When a man can look at every mercy as the off spring of love he will be careful to nourish the sence the remembrance of that mercy one mercy that the soul can see love in is more dear more precious then many mercies See it in Hezekiah he saw special love of God to him in that mercy Is 38. part v. 17. But thou hast in love to my soul delivâ—red it from the pit of corrupâ—ion for thou hast cast all my siâ—s behind thy back Hezekiah was taken with the mercy why because he saw the love of God in the mercy Thou in love to my soul hast doâ— it and therefore he set a high price upon the mercy Those fifteen yeers that God added to his life was more then all his life before because he saw a special hand of God here and he saw the love of God here and therefore this was a long-lived mercy it was remembred it continued it remained in Hezekiahs heart so long as Hâ—zekâ—ah lived Thirdly Again Thirdly present mercies bâ—come helpful to the soul for the future when as the heart is fully convinced of the unchangeableness of the love of God to his people When he is fully perswaded of this truth That where God loves he loves to the end and where he begins in a way of mercy he goes on in a way of mercy he goes all aâ—â—ng in free grace saith the Psalmist All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth unto his people When a soul is once convinced this will help much to turn mercies into experiences and therefore that Doctrine which doth teach falling away from grace that a man may be beloved to day and cast off to morrow 'T is a most uncomfortable Doctrine and 't is impossible then that a man should make any experience at all of the mercies that he hath received If God be changable in his love if he cast off his people that he hath received in his free grace why then though a man hath never so much of God to day and know never so much and have never so much of the presence of God in the mercy he can have no experience and therefore that which concerns the soul it is to be grounded in the unchangeableness of Gods love to his people Fourthly Again Fourthly A man may make use of present mercies to be helpful for the future if he be careful to keep faith in action if he be careful to keep faith upon the wings To act faith in every condition upon the free grace of God and the mighty Righteousness of Jesus Christ it is faith that puts a lustre upon all mercies and if faith be down a man cannot see the goodness of God in any mercy that he hath received if saith be dead then the sense of the mercy is lost precious mercies they become useless they are as a treasure locked up that a man cannot come by to make use of a treasure buried in the earth that will do a man little good and therefore it concerns the people of God to keep faith upon the wings act faith and keep that fresh and lively and then all mercies and all deliverances that you have received they will be fresh in your eye for faith puts a varnish upon the mercy and though they be old yet
Lord hath put it into your hand and therefore now seek after an interest in Christ with all your might To you that have an interest in Christ I shall say no more but what I said before I laid you your work before you get more acquaintance with God get your hearts established upon the truth of the promises that you may not be left at uncertainties and lift up God in your generations and get your hearts made sensible of your frailty to dye daily to wait upon God with all your might in Ordinances to get your hearts subdued and your corruptions mortified This is your work and Oh that the Lord would help you to do it with all your might To you that are the Fathers of the City I have one word to you from the Father of Heaven Oh that the Lord would make you willing to receive it and to do it with all your might There is something that is your work that the Lord requires you should do with all your might I shall but briefly give you a few hints and shal leave it to the blessing of the Lord. First of all There is a work of Judgment and Justice that the Lord hath put into your hands I say the first work that God hath put into your hands it is a work of Justice to punish sin to punish sin is the work that is in your hand to do to puâ—ish the breaches of the moral Law and the contempts thereof that Law of nature which is written in the heart of all men the Lord hath put it into your hand to punish the breach of this Law What ever your hand finds to do in this case I beseech you do it faithfully do it with your might God requires it of you that you should do it with your might yea let your hand find out sinners let your hand do this work of the Lord to punish the drunkards and the swearers and the prophane persons the deceiver the lyar and the stealer and all other workers of iniquity here is no fear of smiting Christ smite here and spare not where there is no danger of smiting Christ smite on and spare not do it with all your might the Lord lays it before you as your duty Secondly There is a work of Righteousness and Equity that the Lord puts into your hands to do and Oh that you would do this also with all your might to judge betwixt man and man do it faithfully to accept no mans person to know no friend in the matter of Justice but to decide every mans cause with wisedom and with faithfulnesse and with sincerity not to know Father nor Brother nor Son nor Daughter as Levi did not in the cause of God That so Justice and Righteousness may run down as a mighty stream That there may be no oppression that there may be no complaining in our streets This is the second work that the Lord puts into your hand And Oh that you would do it with your might The third work is a work of Mercy There is a work of mercy the Lord puts into your hands to relieve the poor and the needy and the fatherless to take care that the poor be provided for that they may have work that they may have employment and that they may have maintenance this is a work of mercy that the Lord puts into your hands to do Oh it is one of the crying sins of England it is the sin of the whole Land and Oh that it were not the sin of this City that the poor are not yet imployed and provided for that God would put it into your hearts to do it Oh that some blessed hand might find out this way to employ the poor this would be an acceptable work of mercy Know that the Lord hath given you something for the poor though I think every man hath a propriety in his estate yet I also think that God hath given every man something for the poor and truly before God the poor hath a right in it though not to take yet it is your duty to give and to provide for them And I fear if this work do not go through the whole land that there be not some provision made for the work of the poor and for the relief of the poor That God will level this Land and that God will bring down all the pomp and pride and stain the glory of all flesh in it this is a work of mercy There is a fourth work and that is a work of Piety that God puts into your hand to seek the good of poor souls to provide that all that are under your power in this City may be instructed in the knowledg of the Lord Jesus to send into the dark corners the Suburbs of this City and not only to confine men to the heart of the City but send to them that will not come out for it The Lord Jesus came to seek as well as to save and therefore send forth to seek them they know not what they do in rejecting the means of life But Oh send to seek them and instruct them in the knowledge of the Lord that they may not perish for want of provision And what though my Fathers and Brethren every man cannot see his way clear to take a Pastoral charge of such a people where he knows there is but little of Christ yet if he do the work what though he do it not under that notion If he preach Christ to them if he bleed for them If his desires be to instruct them and be willing to instruct them in publique and private and to pray for them that the Lord would give them repentance and bring them into the number of Christs Sheep-fold I say if this work be done what though it be not done under that notion why should the work of the Gospel be hindred If in all other things men be conscientious and able and fit to teach and instruct the people in the knowledg of Jesus Christ this will be a work of Piety to send into the dark corners of the City that there may be no place in which the word of the Lord shall not be heard There is a work of Love to Christ and of wisedome to your selves and I will name no more I commend this to you as the last And Oh that your hand would finde to do it a work of love to Christ and of wisedom to your selves And that is to protect the Saints and those that have an interest in Christ and desire to walk unblamably before you if they be such as walk according to the Law of God and not disobey the Law of Magistracy it is the work of the Magistrates to protect them The Magistrate is set up to be a praise to them that do well What though they may differ from you in particular opinions I am pâ—rswaded it will not excuse before Christ not to have protected them If you be convinced that they are