which God himself used in his most blessed Declaration of himself when he proclaimed of himself Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious long-suffering and abundant in Goodness and Truth keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin To which it is very likely he had an eye and that he made that Proclamation the rise of his Hope That though his Sins were great yet they were not any other then God had proclaimed of old he did forgive and after in his New Covenant he more fully assured the Condonation of them Jer. 31.34 Heb. 8.12 2. The thing David requesteth of God and that is full Remission expressed in three terms 1. Of Blotting out his Transgressions a phrase used by the Prophet Isa 43.25 and 44.22 And it intimates that his Sins were written by God in his Remembrance as in a Book of Records in the sense that Job said 13.26 and 14.17 God did write bitter things against him and sealed up his Iniquity And the blotting it out is the putting it out of his Remembrance so as not to charge it upon him nor condemn him for it as it is explained Isa 43.25 2. Of Washing him throughly from his Iniquity a term noting frequent or abundant washing that is Absolution meant by Ablution 1 Cor. 6.11 where it comprehends Justification as well as Sanctification And so it is said Revel 1.5 Christ hath washed us from our Sins in his own bloud alluding 't is likely to the cleansing of men from their Leprosy and other Legall Pollutions in the Mosaicall Law 3. The third term is Cleanse me from my Sin by Emundation meaning Emendation purifying his Heart from the love of his Sin and his Life from the practice of it any more as it is expressed Isa 1.16 17. Wash ye make you clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to doe evil learn to doe well 3. The Third thing considerable in David's Petition which is indeed the Hindge on which all turns is the Loving-kindness or Benignity of God the Multitude of his tender Mercies such as are in the Womb or Bowells of a tender Mother towards her Child And this Loving-kindness and Multitude of tender Mercies is urged by David as the Motive the impulsive Cause or sole Reason of granting his Request of blotting out his Transgressions washing him throughly from his Iniquity and cleansing him from his Sin In the same manner as Moses pleaded with God for Israel Num. 14.17 18 19. after whose Copy this Petition seems to be framed and is an exact Pattern according to which a Penitent Supplicant is to address himself to God for Ease from under the pressure of his Sins teaching us these Points 1. That the Remembrance of his Sin is the greatest Grievance to a Penitent Sinner David complains not of other Evils incident to him and his but his own Sin 2. That a Penitent Sinner doth not mince or lessen his Sin but setteth it out or confesseth it to God in its greatest Aggravations in variety of odious Appellations when he betakes himself to God for Redress 3. That the Blotting out of our Transgressions the Washing throughly from our Iniquity the cleansing from our Sin is to be sought from God 4. That we are to beg earnestly not onely for Blotting out our Transgressions but also for through Washing and Cleansing from Iniquity and Sin not onely by Condonation of them but also by Emendation and Amendment of life 5. That it is Loving-kindness and multitude of tender Mercies which is the Motive whereupon God blotteth out Transgressions washeth throughly the guilty Sinner from Iniquity and cleanseth him from his Sin 6. That the onely way to obtain these things is to beg them of God upon this consideration and no other You see a large field and copious matter is before us in which I might exspatiate far and prosecute a long time but I will endeavour to abbreviate and end with the time I. OBSERVATION That the Remembrance of his Sin is the greatest Grievance to a Penitent Sinner This is evident from their penitential Complaints In the many mournfull Elegies of David the great Pressure of his spirit lay in the Remembrance of his Sin Psal 38.3 4 5. There is no rest in my bones because of my Sin For mine Iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burthen they are too heavy for me My Wounds stink and are corrupt because of my Foolishness And again Psal 40.12 Innumerable Evils have compassed me about mine Iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up they are more then the hairs of my head therefore my heart faileth me It is true Afflictions are hard to be born Poverty and Disgrace and Imprisonment and Pains of body are very heavy upon many persons Discontents and Fears of trouble Griefs and Sorrows for loss of Friends Wife Children do often quench mens spirits and sink them into the Grave Nor is it to be denied but that many times they cause men to prefer death before life and to chuse strangling before breathing Job 7.15 But upon the sense of Sin when the Conscience feels the weight of it when God shoots his Arrows into a man and haeret lateri lethalis Arundo the deadly Arrow sticks in his side then the Venome thereof drinks up his spirit is as the stinging of a Scorpion or fiery flying Serpent it tortures like Hell and is more bitter and terrible then Death it self The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity saith Solomon Prov. 18.14 but a wounded spirit who can bear In other Afflictions there is some Remedy from Reason or Faith if not to comfort yet to quiet the Soul but in the sense of Sin committed till Pardon thereof be apprehended no Argument can be fastned but will be rejected Men in these Wounds of Conscience doe like persons in extreme Anguish who tear off their Plaisters that should ease or cure them so do wounded Consciences reject all Allegations of Scripture brought to allay their Anguish as if they belong'd not to them as Spira and others have done And that which is the Sting of Sin that most of all makes it deadly poisonous is the apprehension of God as angry as an Enemy unappeasable till it be acknowledged to be what it is an evil and bitter thing that we have sinned against the Lord and that his fear is not in us as the Prophet speaks Jer. 2.19 Which leads me to the II. OBSERVATION That a Penitent Sinner doth not mince or lessen his Sin but sets it out or confesseth it to God in its greatest Aggravations in variety of odious Appellations when he betakes himself to God for Redress So David besides the variety of terms he here paints out the Deformity of his Sins by adds also vers 3 4. I acknowledge my Transgressions and my Sin is ever before me Against thee thee onely have I sinned and done this Evil in thy sight
Sins have withholden good things from you Jer. 5.25 We may then thank our selves for all the Evils that come upon us we must not cast them upon Destiny Stars or any other Cause and leave out the principal Cause which is the plague of our own hearts God is neither the Authour of Sin nor the Punisher of Sin without cause It is the Devil's property to rejoyce in Evil and therefore as he tempts to Sin so he delights to torment It is otherwise with God Afflictions are Opus alienum his strange work He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth Lament 3.33 34. Is God unrighteous who taketh Vengeance I speak as a man God forbid for then how shall God judge the world saith the Apostle Rom. 3.5 6. We deny not that God might impose Sufferings on him that had no Sin of himself He made his Son to be Sin for us who knew no Sin 2 Cor. 5.21 Job's Calamities came on him by God's Permission though he were an upright man one that feared God and eschewed Evil Job 1.8 that he might prove his Integrity by his great Patience Of the Son who was born blind Christ saith Joh. 9.3 Neither hath this man sinned nor his Parents that is there was no special Sin committed by either of them as his Disciples deemed which was the immediate cause of his Blindness but it came to pass that the works of God should be made manifest in him The Holy Martyrs suffered for Righteousness sake and were therefore to count it all Joy when they fell into manifold Temptations But in such Evils as their Circumstances demonstrate to be from a more then common Hand of God specially when they are publick and universal as we are to acknowledge the Finger of God in them so we are to discern them to be the fruit of our doings and the work of our hands The Scripture styles them God's Judgments and we are sure saith the Apostle Rom. 2.2 that the Judgment of God is according to truth against them that commit such things And therefore though we are not allowed to judge of the afflicted as greater Sinners then others and point out them as the Causes of common Calamities yet we are to judge our selves and impute the Evil what-ever it be to our own Sins Moses the man of God in the 109. Psalm which was made in a time of great Mortality such as is now with us having said to God vers 7. We are consumed by thine Anger and by thy Wrath we are troubled addes vers 8. Thou hast set our Iniquities before thee and our secret Sins in the light of thy countenance It is true that all outward things happen alike to all there is in publick Calamities especially one event to the Righteous and to the Wicked No man knoweth love or hatred by all that is before him Eccles. 9.1 2. Yet even in these and all other that of the Prophet Lament 3.39 40. is necessary for every person to mind Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his Sins Let us search and try our ways and turn again unto the Lord. Though in this day of God's Visitation we may discern many common and open Sins the increase of which may be judged the Cause wherefore God brings this sore Scourge of the Pestilence in such a manner at such a time in those places on which it lights considering that God shoots not at Rovers but at a certain Mark and so the consideration of the Practices of the Persons and Places may justly lead us to determine that such Sins as have been by them and there committed are the Sins God punisheth for instance the Uncleanness Riot Profaneness and other Sins committed among us have brought down this Vengeance on our great City yet since there are particular Sins also with us and there is never a one of us but hath his secret Sins perhaps our Security putting far from us the Evil day living in Ease and Pleasure Unmercifulness and Insensibleness of the Afflictions of others secret Atheism Lukewarmness in Religion leaving our first Love Backsliding from our Profession secret Hypocrisie Formality without the Power of Godliness which may cause Christ to spue us out of his mouth it is necessary that the best of us make a strict Enquiry into our own Bosome-sins and resolve that God by this his Judgment on others calls our Sins to Remembrance and presseth us to justifie him and to betake our selves to his Mercy as the Psalmist here Let thy Mercy speedily prevent us Which leads me to the II. OBSERVATION That the Removing of the Calamities which are inflicted by God when he remembers mens Sins is the effect of God's tender Mercies So it is expresly said Lament 3.22 23. It is of the Lord's Mercies that we are not consumed because his Compassions fail not They are new every morning great is thy Faithfulness Vers 32. Though he cause Grief yet will he have Compassion according to the multitude of his Mercies And hereto accord very many speeches of God concerning himself That he is the Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious long-suffering and abundant in Goodness and Truth keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin as he says in his solemn Proclamation to Moses Exod. 34.6 7. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity and passeth by the Transgression of the Remnant of his Heritage He retaineth not his Anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Mic. 7.18 Hence it is that the Holy Writers and all the Saints do still celebrate his Mercies as being tender abundant free rejoycing against Judgment and to instance in no other there is a whole Psalm 136. in which the close of every verse is this For his Mercy endureth for ever And this Mercy of his is the Reason of all those works of Goodness he doeth as to the World in general in causing his Sun to rise on the Just and Vnjust and being kind to the Vnthankfull and to the Evil Luk. 6.35 so as that his tender Mercies are over all his works Psal 145.9 so chiefly to his own people all whose Deliverances and Benefits are made the fruits of his Mercy Above all the great Redemption in Christ of which the Apostle thus speaks Eph. 2.4 5. God who is rich in Mercy out of the great Love wherewith he hath loved us even when we were dead in Sins hath quickned us together with Christ is the effect of the highest most transcendent and everlasting Mercy Hence in all their Praises the Godly remember his Mercies as the Prophet Isa 63.7 I will mention the Loving-kindness of the Lord and the Praises of the Lord according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us and the great Goodness towards the house of Israel which he hath bestowed on them according to his Mercies and according to the multitude of his Loving-kindnesses
the Mercifulness of God in that he maketh his Sun to rise on the Evil and the Good and sendeth Rain on the Just and Vnjust Matth. 5.45 But his Mercies are most abundant to his own People chiefly to his Elect who are therefore termed Vessells of Mercy Rom. 9.23 on whom he bestows Mercies most freely He saith to Moses I will have Mercy on whom I will have Mercy and I will have Compassion on whom I will have Compassion vers 15. On them he bestows the sure Mercies of David Isa 55.3 Not by works of Righteousness which they have done but according to his Mercy he saves them by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 He keeps Mercy for thousands of them that love him and keep his Commandments Exod. 20.6 Yea for their sakes he doth often shew Mercy to and spare those that are disobedient in respect of outward Judgments Thus Moses stood in the Gap and turned away his Wrath from the Children of Israel Phineas stood up and executed Judgment or prayed and the Plague was stayed David supplicated for Jerusalem and the Angel of the Lord put up his Sword and the Pestilence was stayed Daniel prayed and obtained the Return of the Jews from Captivity And thus still God does to his People in the midst of Judgment he remembers Mercy He doth not always chide nor keep his Anger for ever Psal 103.9 He retaineth not his Anger for ever because he delighteth in Mercy Mic. 7.18 And this brings us to the IV. OBSERVATION That God's Mercies and Compassions fail not To this purpose is that the Lord saith Isa 54.7 8. For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great Mercies will I gather thee In a little Wrath I hid my Face from thee for a moment but with everlasting Kindness will I have Mercy on thee saith the Lord. And indeed the Mercies of God to his Elect are as himself is eternall As they arise from himself so are they of interminable duration as himself is His Electing Mercy was before the World was his Redeeming Mercy before we were his Calling and quickening Mercy when we were dead in Sins and Trespasses his Pardoning Mercy when we have gone astray his Confirming Mercy when we are ready to slip his Comforting Mercy when we are ready to despair his Raising Mercy when we shall be returned to the Earth his Saving and advancing Mercy when we shall stand in Judgment and have no other Plea for our selves but his free Mercy when Time shall be no more His Mercy therefore is indeficient because it helps us when we are in the lowest Condition We count him a sure Friend who fails us not when we are at the lowest ebbe in the greatest Streights in the extremest Necessity And thus doth God who remembred us in our low estate for his Mercy endureth for ever Psalm 136.23 When our Pressure is great so as that the Enemy hath inclosed us and we know not which way to escape as Pharaoh did the Israelites at the Red sea even then he redeemeth us from our Enemies for his Mercy endureth for ever vers 24. Even then when we have none to help he helps us When he seeth his People's power gone when there is none shut up or left Deut. 32.36 when the Enemy is most insolent the Danger greatest our Hearts fail us we despond and despair when we say Our way is hid from the Lord and our Judgment passed over from our God when we conclude that we are cast out of the sight of his eyes and say with our Saviour My God my God why hast thou forsaken me when in our own account we are free among the dead like the slain that lie in the Grave whom we think he remembers no more but they are cut off from his hand yet even then his Compassions fail not They neither fail in their Duration nor in their Constancy nor in their Efficacy nor in their Seasonableness but when there is a Necessity when it is for his People's greatest Advantage they then appear effectually Yea sometimes when we are insensible of our Danger when we are disappointed of those Supports we relied on when we are out of Hope when perhaps we are secure and know not how near our Affliction is when the Judgment comes in a way that is not perceivable as when the Arrow of God flieth by day and the Pestilence walketh in darkness and the Destruction wasteth at noon-day In these and all other cases wherein there is no Help nor Deliverance but in and from God yea when there is no reason to expect any no not from God himself yet even then his Compassions fail not he comes in opportunely and shews Mercy efficaciously And therefore justly in the next place V. OBSERVATION The Non-consumption of God's People their Salvation is ascribed by them to his indeficient Mercy onely to his Compassions that fail not David thus begins one of his Psalms 89.1 2. I will sing of the Mercies of the Lord for ever with my mouth will I make known thy Faithfulness to all generations For I have said Mercy shall be built up for ever thy Faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very Heavens And Psal 117. he saith O praise the Lord all ye Nations praise him all ye People for his mercifull Kindness is great towards us and the Truth of the Lord endureth for ever Praise ye the Lord. And the 136. Psal throughout is one continued Invitation to give Thanks to God for his Mercy endureth for ever 26 times repeated Consonant whereto is that of the Prophet Isa 63.7 I will mention the Loving-kindnesses of the Lord and the Praises of the Lord according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us and the great Goodness towards the house of Israel which he hath bestowed on them according to his Mercies and according to the multitude of his Loving-kindnesses In the New Testament the Blessed Virgin Mary in her Magnificat sings thus My Soul doth magnify the Lord for that his Mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation He hath holpen his servant Israel in remembrance of his Mercy Luk. 1.46 50 54. Zacharias in his Benedictus Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people to perform the Mercy promised to our Fathers vers 68 72. John Baptist was to give knowledge of Salvation unto his People by the Remission of their Sins through the tender Mercy of our God vers 77 78. In a word this was the main in the holy Songs of the Ministers of the Temple to give thanks to the Lord because his Mercy endureth for ever 1 Chron. 16.41 And in like manner Jehosaphat when he had consulted with the people appointed Singers unto the Lord and that should praise the Beauty of Holiness as they went out before the Army and to say Praise the Lord for his mercy endureth for ever 2 Chron. 20.21 And the same Commemoration of
out It is Goodness and not Greatness we are desirous to see and do freely remember and pleasingly celebrate We sometimes are willing to hear of the Exaltation of another and are ready to magnify it but not without Regret of mind unless there be a Complication of Goodness with Greatness The Magnificence of a great Prince is a pleasing Object to us when we know him to be gracious kind mercifull and bountifull otherwise what-ever we doe with our Eyes and Knees and Tongues yet our Hearts are averse from him But when these concurre when Power is tempered with Love and that Love is a cordiall Benevolence as it is in my Text then it deserves a Videte as here Behold what manner of love c. Which leads me to the next thing II. The Authour it is the Love of the Father The Love of a Friend is highly valued by us How doth David celebrate the Love of Jonathan to himself My Brother Jonathan very pleasant hast thou been unto me thy Love to me was wonderfull 2 Sam. 1.26 And indeed his Love was admirable who preferred a Friend before a Father who endeavoured to preserve him whom his Father sought to destroy yea then stuck fast to him when he might and perhaps did understand that David's Advancement to the Throne of Israel would be his and his Posteritie's Ruine Yet this Love is not comparable to the Love of a Father A Father loves his Child though his Child loves not him A Father loves his Child and will doe him good before himself will like Zalencus pluck out his Eye to preserve his Child's venture and cast away his Life to save his Child's Fathers care little what they eat wear undergoe how they labour so as their Children be well and well provided for And such is the Love that S. John calls to us to behold Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed on us God is the Father by way of excellency the Father of Fathers the Universall Father who hath formed all things the Father of all Men for we are all his Off-spring Act. 17.28 But in a peculiar manner he is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of his Love Col. 1.3 He proclaimed from Heaven Matth. 3.17 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased His orient brightest Love shines most directly in its Zenith on Christ he is under the Line but it shines also on us from him He hath made us accepted or Favourites in the beloved Eph. 1.6 And so he is become the Father of all the Saints adopted in Christ Jesus and made the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus Gal. 3.26 'T is this Father's Love that is here presented to be seen His who is styled the Father of Mercies the God of all Consolation 2 Cor. 1.3 the Father of Lights from whom every good and every perfect Gift cometh with whom is no Variableness or shadow of turning Jam. 1.17 the Father who is Love it self in the abstract 1 Joh. 4.16 God is love It is not an Accident in him but his very Essence so that if he cease to love he ceaseth to be Dulce nomen Patris The Name of a Father is a sweet Name especially of such a Father I will goe to my Father said the Prodigall Son when he knew not what to doe being brought into great Extremities Though he had wasted his Estate by playing the Unthrift yet he saith I will arise and goe to my Father and say unto him I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy Son and his Father meets him hath Compassion on him runs to him falls on his Neck and kisses him puts on him the best Robe a Ring on his hand Shoes on his feet kills the fatted Calf eats and drinks and is merry with him after all his Miscarriages Luk. 15. So forcible so free so indulgent so active so constant and so unalterable is the Love of a Father If there be so much Water in a River there is more in the Ocean if so much Love in an Earthly Father there is infinitely more in the Heavenly Father Be you perfect saith our Lord Matth. 5.48 as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect As he is perfect in all his Attributes his Wisedome Power Truth Justice so also in his Love Whence it is that his Love is an everlasting Love I have loved thee with an everlasting Love therefore with Loving-kindness have I drawn thee saith God in the Prophet Jerem. 31.3 His Love is an unchangeable Love his Gifts and Calling are without Repentance Rom. 11.29 His Love is a preventing Love bears date afore ours 1 Joh. 4.19 We love him because he first loved us His Love is a most pure Love it hath no sordid End no mercenary Motive I doe not this saith God for your sakes O House of Israel but for my Holy Name 's sake Ezek. 36.22 It is pure Goodness meer Love that sets God on work to doe good to us it is the Love of a Father which hath no reason from without him but from his own nature it is a most active Love not in shew onely but in deed and in truth it is an immense Love that hath a Height and a Depth a Length and a Breadth without bounds a rich Love God who is rich in Mercies for his great Love wherewith he hath loved us even when we were dead in Sins hath quickned us together with Christ Eph. 2.4 5. a Love so ample and full that he gave his own Son for us and with him hath freely given us all things Rom. 8.32 And all is done gratis without Fee or Compensation which is next to be observed III. The Freeness of it it is given or bestowed Donatur say the Civill Lawyers quod nullo Jure cogente conceditur That is said to be given which cannot by any Law be enforced Sure that Love which the Father vouchsafes to us is such as there was no Reason to demand it no Title whereupon to claim it It was Love to us before we thought of it I was found saith God Rom. 10.20 of them that sought me not I was made manifest to them that asked not after me Yea God commendeth his Love towards us in that while we were yet Sinners Christ died for us When we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son Rom. 5.8 10. There was nothing in us but Hatred of God when he loved us and we were so far from any Merit de Condigno of Condignity or de Congruo of Congruity that indeed there was the greatest Demerit in us So far were we from deserving God's Love that we rather merited to be rejected by him by reason of our many Provocations of him to Anger as the proper Fruit of our Demeanour The Wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is eternall Life through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6.23 Nor could
your unmercifull and unrighteous dealings in your Closets regarding Pass-times more then holy Sermons reading in your Chambers rather wanton Comedies or light Poems then the Bible and Holy Writings Yea let me ask the devoutest of you whether at any time you do weep for your Sins of daily incursion Are you sensible of your too much Formality too little Fervency in your Prayers Do you weep for your vain Thoughts proud Imaginations inordinate Desires your Ignorance Forgetfulness of many Duties Slothfulness Passionateness Omissions of many Duties you should doe Uncharitableness Unthankfulness and many other Sins of Errour and secret Sins which God knows though men do not Sure a sincere Christian is a weeping Christian if God keep him from greater Enormities yet he will find cause enough to mourn for his daily Aberrations if he do as a true Penitent doth take notice of the Naughtiness of his own deceitfull Heart If you say daily the Lord's Prayer and be not sensible of your daily Sins do you not mock God when you say Forgive us our Sins Sure Christ when he directed the use of that Prayer appointed you to be examining and judging your selves every day to confess your Sins to bemoan them to ask Pardon for them to resolve and vow against them every day And Oh that God would give you a Heart of Flesh in stead of a Heart of Stone you that are guilty of more hainous Crimes such as I have named or any other your own Consciences can inform you of to imitate S. Peter to goe out immediately after this Sermon is ended and weep bitterly to break off your Sins by Righteousness as Daniel advised Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4.27 And you that though unblamable towards Men yet are conscious of offending God by any privy Transgressions yea all of you who have any remainders of sinfull Corruption in you Oh that you would not defer but this day yea every day imitate holy David in his holy vocall penitential Weeping which hath been this day described to you And let every Affliction you feel or fear specially the thought of your Death bring you to a daily practice of Repentance and Supplication unto God that your Iniquities may not be your Ruine but that your Tranquillity may be lengthned here and you may be blessed for ever in the world to come Amen LAVS DEO THE PENITENT's PRAYER The Fourth SERMON PSALM li. 1 2. Have mercy upon me O God according to thy Loving-kindness according to the multitude of thy tender Mercies blot out my Transgressions Wash me throughly from mine Iniquity and cleanse me from my Sin WE find in this Text a Sinner struck with the sense of his Sins and pleading at the Mercy-seat of God for the Remission and Forgiveness of them If the Greatness of his Person or the Sacredness of his Function had been Antidote enough against Temptation Armour of proof against the fiery darts of Satan we had not this day heard of David a Sinner for he was a King and he was a Prophet and a man after God's own heart But since neither his Profession nor his Royalty could protect him from being a Sinner and that in so foul and crimson Crimes as Adultery and Murther which occasioned the penning of this Psalm 't is happy that we yet find him here a Penitent and a complaining one for we have him here a Supplicant at his Prayers on his knees with a Miserere mei Deus Have mercy on me O God c. What S. Paul said of himself that his Fall and Recovery was a Pattern to all that should believe in Christ may be as rightly said of David The Lord permitted him to sin that no man might presume but the strongest Saint might take heed lest he fall that none might be high-minded but fear and the Lord also recovered him by Repentance and hath left his Confession and Absolution upon record that none might despair but that his Example might direct them to return to God after their Wandrings and erect and keep up their spirits from sinking by the assurance of his Mercy so remarkably vouchsafed to so great a Transgressour And therefore if there be any Soul that hears me this day struck with a deep sense and horrour of his Sins lying groaning and trembling under the heavy pressure and burthen of them let him not despair of Pardon either by reason of the Quality or Quantity of them for here are Loving-kindnesses or kind Mercies a Multitude of tender Mercies well expressed by Zachary Luk. 1.78 the Bowells of Compassion of our God such as are in a Woman or rather exceeding the Compassion of a Woman on the Son of her womb Isa 49.15 Loving-kindness of God against Unkindness of Man Bowells of Mercy towards him who had no Compassion on himself mercifull Remembrance of him who forgat his God and himself awakening and saving him who in his insensible Lethargy of Impenitence would have destroyed himself Whoever thou art know that the Holy Ghost hath recorded this Story for thy Consolation not onely set David's Fall before thee but likewise the means of his Recovery the many and tender Mercies of his God As the Prophet Nathan was sent to David so David himself is sent to thee He extends and reaches out to thee the same Physick that he took himself And therefore distrust not thy Cure but come and hear David bitterly bewailing his Condition and with him bewail sadly thine own See him weeping and weep thou as fast Hear his Voice and Cry piercing the Clouds and be not thou dumb but as loud as he till thou hast awakened the Compassion of thy God Observe all this and say with him Have mercy upon me O God c. Which words are the main Petition of this Holy Supplicant in behalf of himself for pardoning Grace out of the deep sense of his great Sins and apprehension of God's great Mercies And they exhibit to us 1. David's Malady the Disease which pained him to the heart which made him groan cry out and be instant with the great Physician of Souls for Cure which is expressed with Aggravation in three words 1. Transgression a word that notes sometimes Rebellion or Revolt from God 2. Iniquity or Perverseness importing his Unrighteousness to Vriah his Wife Himself his Child by her his whole House and People who all tasted of the bitterness of his eating that forbidden fruit 3. Sin or Errour intimating the great Folly which he now deprehended in yielding so to his Lust as to erre from God's Command and for a little Pleasure to draw on himself the Wrath of God and the Horrour of Conscience now upon him He useth not mincing or diminutive terms as those that love their Sins as fond Parents do their Children and call their Monstrosities small Blemishes but paints out his Sins in their most ugly Deformity to shew his Hatred of them to the utmost and to justifie God fully Yea he useth those very terms to express his Sins by
thou recover me and make me to live Behold for Peace I had great Bitterness but thou hast in love to my Soul delivered it from the Pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my Sins behind thy back Thus he creates the fruit of the lips Peace Peace to him that is afar off and to him that is near and heals them Isa 57.19 Men sin and then God scourgeth they cry and God sends his Messenger to teach them they are humbled for Sin and fly to the Bloud of Christ for Peace Believing in him they obtain Reconciliation being reconciled the Spirit of Christ as the Comforter is given them to make known the things that are freely given by God hence comes Joy in believing and Hope of the Inheritance of life by which they are supported which I was to demonstrate APPLICATION And now this belongs to you that so many of you as have by proof found the truth of this may be thankfull so many as do or shall need these directions may wisely make use of them You are all of you yet in the Body and this Body you bear about you is a Body of Sin and Death and perhaps you have been affected as S. Paul was when he cried out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver men from the Body of this death Rom. 7.24 If you have not found it already you may expect such a sense of your Infirmities as may perhaps make you tremble and quake bemoan God's Absence from you and from the words of your Roaring you may find Wounds in your Spirit and Breach in your Bones Conscience of Sin sense of God's Rod on your backs may make you cry out in the bitterness of your Soul for Ease and Help If any of you have already found your selves in this Case you are able to tell how weak your Spirit hath been either to avoid or bear the Blows of God's Hand Onely they are happy in such a case who can truly say I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Sure all others are Physicians of no value It is in vain to imagine any solid Comfort to your Spirit by a Pope's Pardon or a Priest's Absolution or any other Remedy which either your own Mind or others Wit can minister to you for your Ease or Recovery It is onely the Balm of the Gospell the Physician of Heaven that can make a perfect Cure Without these some Mountebanks may make a palliated Cure but the Sore will break out again Oh then be sure to take home with you this Receipt write upon it Probatum est No Medicine like God's Favour obtained by sound Humiliation true Repentance unfeigned Faith in the Bloud of Christ to heal your Plagues whether from God's Judgments or your own Fears Keep this as the onely Plague-water make use of it toties quoties as oft as you find need in life and death And when you have found Refreshing in your Spirits by it forget not to lift up your eyes to the Father of Spirits both by acknowledgment of what Support you have had and by seeking such farther Comfort from him as you may need I shall dismiss you with S. Paul's prayer 2 Thes 2.16 17. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting Consolation and good Hope through Grace comfort your hearts and stablish you in every good word and work To whom with the Blessed Spirit be ascribed c. Amen LAVS DEO PIETY THE DESIGN of PARDON The Tenth SERMON PSALM cxxx 4. But there is Mercy or Forgiveness with thee that thou maist be feared THIS Psalm is one of the Fifteen which are intituled Songs of Degrees For what reason they are so called is variously conjectured but not certainly determined It is also one of the Seven termed Penitentiall Psalms The matter of it is Supplication with a declaration of the Psalmist's Resolution or Practice v. 5 6. and an Exhortation to wait and hope in God as he did with assurance of God's Graciousness and Mercifull intention to Israel vers 7 8. The Supplication expresseth the state he was in De profundis Out of the Depths that is deep Mire or Waters by which are signified great Calamities Psal 69.2 14 15. such as those are in that are put into a Dungeon as Jeremiah was Jer. 38.6 or that are cast into a deep River Sea or Lake in which they are like to be overwhelmed It notes some great Affliction whether inward or outward private or publick is not certain though the words in vers 3 4. seem to intimate it to have been inward out of the sense of Sin and terrour of Soul by reason of it In this condition he saith he called or cried to God and his Cry was 1. In generall for Audience Lord hear my voice let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my Supplications vers 2. 2. With Confession of his Guiltiness vers 3. If thou Lord shouldst mark Iniquities 3. With imploring and confident application of Forgiveness in my Text But there is Mercy or Forgiveness with thee that thou maist be feared Whether the word be read Mercy or Forgiveness it is not much material saving that this latter is more agreeable to the words and to the Coherence with vers 3. and better expresseth the particular Mercy meant here The Greek hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with thee is Propitiation or Appeasing which is either the same with Forgiveness or connexed with it Nor is it of any moment whether we reade For or But save that this latter is more apposite to the matter And it is all to one purpose whether we reade with thee or from thee the Hebrew particle signifying both save that this latter is more expressive of the sense And the meaning is the same with that in Daniel 9.9 To the Lord our God belong Mercies and Forgiveness though we have rebelled against him The latter part of the verse is otherwise read by the Greek and Vulgar Latin upon mistakes which Learned men in their Annotations take notice of Doctour Hammond on this place But the reading according to the Originall is for thy fear which is all one with our Translation that thou maist be feared that is reverenced worshipped and obeyed which are usually comprehended under the Fear of God The Truths included in this passage are 1. That there is Forgiveness with or from God 2. That this Forgiveness engageth or encourageth men to fear him Of these in their order I. OBSERVATION That there is Forgiveness with or from God That God is a pardoning God is the Assertion of God himself in that Proclamation in which he told Moses he would make all his Goodness to pass before him which was thus delivered Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious long-suffering and abundant in Goodness and Truth keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin Conformable whereunto in that Prayer of Nehemiah 9.17
and Power of God in his proceedings concerning it S. Paul in this Epistle written to the greatest and most intelligent People of the Gentiles declares both the extreme Corruptions of the whole World and the Wrath of God impendent on them for that reason as also the unparallel'd Longanimity of God in bearing with such a provoking Generation whom Hell had long waited for and especially the incomprehensible Philanthropy or Loving-kindness of God towards men whom though Enemies though weak to resist him he not onely spareth but also reconcileth to himself by the Bloud of his own Son and proclaimeth his free Pardon to all that receive him by his Apostles But lest Mercy abused should inflame the Wrath of God so much the more lest the sweetest Meat undigested through a Surfeit should be putrefied in the Stomach and turn to the most deadly Poison he in this and the following Chapters warns us of the ill Inference which men may make from so great Goodness and he begins at the words now read unto you What shall we say then shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound God forbid In which words are two Questions the former whereof is onely a form of Transition propounding it to the consideration of those to whom he writes that they with him should bethink themselves what Determination to make upon his former Declaration What shall we say then If this be the state of affairs between God and us it concerns us to heed what thereupon we resolve to doe The other Question is more particular Shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound Shall this be the Inference we make from it The Answer is negative Absit God forbid Let no so absurd so unworthy an Abuse of so rich Mercy be yielded to though it be never so plausibly urged by our carnal Reason and our corrupt Affections would incline us to embrace the Motion In this passage of Scripture these following Conclusions are couched 1. That God's dealing with Sinners according to the Gospel of Christ is out of his abundant Grace 2. That the corrupt Heart of man is apt thereupon to harden it self by Continuance in Sin 3. That such a Determination is a most foolish and pernicious Abuse of God's superabundant Grace Of these in their order I. OBSERVATION That God's dealing with Sinners according to the Gospel of Christ is out of his abundant Grace That abundant Grace which is here supposed is the same with that which he speaks of Rom. 5.20 21. Moreover the Law entred that the Offence might abound but where Sin abounded Grace did much more abound That as Sin hath reigned unto Death even so might Grace reign through Righteousness unto eternal Life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Which elsewhere Ephes 1.7 he terms the Riches of his Grace In whom we have Redemption through his bloud the forgiveness of Sins according to the Riches of his Grace And Eph. 2.4 5 7. God who is rich in Mercy for his great Love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in Sins hath quickened us together with Christ That in the Ages to come he might shew the exceeding Riches of his Grace in his Kindness towards us through Christ Jesus And Eph. 3.8 it is termed the unsearchable Riches of Christ All which Expressions are true without an Excess of speech if we consider either the State of mankind antecedent to the exhibition of this Grace or the Effects thereof or the Means of exhibiting it For what more deplorable Condition except that of Devils could the World be in then it was in before the exhibiting of the Divine Evangelical Grace of Christ to the sons of men They had all sinned and came short of the Glory of God they were concluded as Malefactours condemned under Sin under the Curse of the Law dead in Trespasses and Sins they were alienated from the Life that is in God Enemies in their minds by wicked works foolish disobedient serving divers Lusts hatefull and hating one another children of Disobedience of Darkness who walked after the course of the Prince of the power of the Air they were carried away after dumb Idols were Vassals of Satan and children of Wrath by nature And yet even to such did the Loving-kindness of God towards Man appear so as to reconcile the world unto himself not imputing their Trespasses to them He made him to be Sin for us who knew no Sin that we might be made his Righteousness in him and committed the Ministry of Reconciliation to chosen Vessels which might bear his Name to the Gentiles and bring Light and Salvation to such persons It was no small Testimony of his Goodness that even then when they were such when they walked in their own ways he gave them Rain from Heaven and fruitfull seasons filling their hearts with food and gladness that he caused his Sun to shine upon such unjust people as were both Jews and Gentiles The former of which were degenerated from the Integrity of Abraham and though claiming the privilege of his Children yet in reality were of their Father the Devil whose works they did except a few names that waited for the Consolation of Israel the rest of them were a Generation of Vipers full of Hypocrisie and Cruelty Unpeaceable Ambitious seeking the Praise of men not the Honour that cometh of God such as would compass sea and land to make one Proselyte and having wone him to them made him twofold more the child of Hell then themselves The other were filled with all Vnrighteousness Fornication Wickedness Covetousness Maliciousness full of Envy Murther Debate Deceit Malignity Whisperers Backbiters Haters of God despightfull proud Boasters Inventers of evil things disobedient to Parents without Vnderstanding Covenant-breakers without natural Affection implacable unmercifull Rom. 1.29 30 31. Yet even such as these he washed he sanctified he justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by his Spirit It might rather have been expected that he should have repented that he had made them and have executed his Wrath on them as he did on the world of the ungodly in Noah's time by a Deluge of water to wash away from the Earth that Dunghill and filth of evil Imaginations and wicked Works that had polluted the whole Earth or should have rained Fire and brimstone from Heaven to burn up and so to take away those unclean Sodomites those brutish Dogs and Swine which filled the World He might justly have caused the Earth to open its mouth and swallow up the Inhabitants of the world so as that they should go down quick into Hell as it did the Families of Korah Dathan and Abiram He might have sworn in his Wrath as he did concerning the Rebellious Israelites that they should never enter into his Rest They and we in all Generations succeeding might have expected to suffer the Vengeance of eternal fire But O Altitudo O the depth of the riches both of the Wisedom and Knowledge and Love of God! how
Mercies 2. By the Indesiciency of them Though men fail in their Duty though they fail in their Obedience though they be wanting in Returning to God though their Prayers be consumed yet his Compassions are not consumed and therefore they are not consumed And this is here alleged as a Door of Hope to the prophet that God would restore that People for to that end are these words brought in this place as that which follows in four Verses of this Chapter plainly shews From hence then this Explication of the words being premised these Observations do arise 1. That the Lord in Punishing of his People doth not consume them 2. That Holy persons ascribe not the Mitigation of God's extreme Severity in his Punishments to any promeriting Cause in themselves but confess their own Sins deserve utter Consumption 3. That there are Mercies and Compassions in God towards his People 4. That these Mercies fail not 5. That the Non-consumption of God's People is to be ascribed to this 6. That the apprehension of this encourageth them to hope and wait on God for a Consummation of their Health and Peace Of these I shall speak in the order propounded and then apply them to the present state of things and so conclude I. OBSERVATION That the Lord doth not in Punishing of his People consume them This is equivalent to what God speaks in the Prophet Isaiah 57.16 I will not contend for ever neither will I be always wroth And he gives this Reason For the Spirit should fail before me and the Soul which I have made It is true the Devil is a roaring Lion that goes about seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5.8 He is the Apollyon the Abaddon the Thief that comes not to save but to steal and to kill and to destroy Joh. 10.10 because the Sheep are not his own He made nothing nor hath any Love to any thing and therefore seeks not to help any but to marre and doe mischief to all that God hath made But the People of God are the work of his hands and the Sheep of his Pasture Psal 100.3 and therefore he will have a desire to the work of his hands Job 14.15 What is our work we are loth to pull down So God doubtless doth not delight as Children to make a house of Sticks and then kick it down again As he made Man after his own Image so he is not easily induced to break him He that accounts it an hainous Injury to himself to curse Man with the Tongue who is made after his Image Jam. 3.9 and is so severe against what-ever shall destroy him that it is his strict Determination for Preservation of Mankind after the Floud that he will not let the killing of Man go unrevenged but enacteth this Law among his Precepts to Noah Gen. 9.5 6. And surely your bloud of your Lives will I require at the hand of every Beast will I require it and at the hand of Man at the hands of every man's Brother will I require the Life of man Whoso sheddeth man's bloud by man shall his bloud be shed for in the Image of God made he man He doubtless is so chary of Men as not to consume them himself utterly till Iniquity is grown so daring as that there is no Remedy His own People it is true do sin and provoke God and he often brings them low yet he doth not make an utter end of them because they are not onely his Creatures as others but also his Redeemed and Chosen people Thus the Prophet Samuel told the Israelites 1 Sam. 12.20 22. Fear not ye have done all this Wickedness yet turn not aside from following the Lord but serve the Lord with all your heart For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great Name 's sake because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his People That which a man hath purchased for himself he will hardly let it be taken from him with much more reluctancy will he cast it away Though Michal had been given to another and was defiled yet David would have her again 2 Sam. 3.13 because he had espoused her to him for an hundred Foreskins of the Philistines How much less will God let go those whom he hath purchased by his Son's Bloud He will not have him destroyed by our Meat for whom Christ died Rom. 14.15 If any through the Watchman's failing to warn them perish their bloud will he require at the Watchman's hands Ezek. 3.18 Which shews that he hath a Fatherly Care of his own People that they be not consumed And though they provoke him so as to cause his Anger to wax hot against them yet in the midst of Judgment he remembers Mercy He chastiseth as a Father doth not exterminate or extirpate as an Enemy If they break his Statutes and keep not his Commandments Then he will visit their Transgression with a Rod and their Iniquity with Stripes Nevertheless his Loving-kindness he will not utterly take from them nor suffer his Faithfulness to fail Psal 89.31 32 33. Though he make a full end of all the Nations yet he will not make a full end of them but correct them in measure yet will he not leave them wholly unpunished Jer. 46.28 Wherein he manifests a mixture of Mercy and Justice And therefore in the next place II. OBSERVATION Holy persons ascribe not the Mitigation of God's extreme Severity in his Punishments to any promeriting Cause in themselves but confess their own Sins deserve utter Consumption This was the acknowledgment of Ezra Thou our God hast punished us less then our Iniquities deserve Ezra 9.13 Though the Punishment of the Jews were exceeding great insomuch that our Prophet Lament 4.6 compares it to the Punishment of the Sin of Sodom and aggravates it as secundùm quid in some respect greater then it yet to speak simply and absolutely there was an ingredient of Mercy that did allay it and therefore they acknowledge their Sins to have deserved greater Evils then they felt Whence in all their Addresses to God they ascribe Righteousness to their Maker and take all the Blame of their Sufferings on themselves In the same Chapter vers 15. O Lord God of Israel saith Ezra thou art Righteous for we remain yet escaped as at this day But most fully the Prophet Daniel Chapter 9.11 12 13 14. We have sinned against the Lord our God And he hath confirmed the words which he spake against us by bringing upon us a great Evil for under the whole Heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem Yet made we not our Prayer before the Lord our God that we might turn from our Iniquities and understand thy Truth Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the Evil and brought it upon us for the Lord our God is Righteous in all his works which he doeth for we obeyed not his voice See also vers 5 6 c. of the same Chapter And indeed such Acknowledgments are
XXXI SERMONS Preached to the PARISHIONERS of Stanford-Rivers in Essex Upon several Subjects and Occasions BY CHARLES GIBBES D. D. Rectour of that Church and Prebendary of Saint Peter's at Westminster Never before made publick QVI SEQVITUR ME NON AMBULAT IN TENEBRIS LOâ—â—â—â— Printed by E. Flesher 〈…〉 most Sacred MAJESâ—◠〈…〉 To the well-beloved the PARISHIONERS Of Stanford-Rivers in the County of Essex Grace and Peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ be multiplied IN this Age and Nation abounding with Learned Men and Books of all sorts especially in Points of Sacred Theology I should not have thought any thing of Mine worth the Press being conscious to my self of mine own Unfitness for that Employment by reason of Age and other Imperfections had not your Importunity extorted these Papers from me which I now exhibit to you But that I might not be wanting in what I am able for your Edification in the Doctrine of Christ I have yielded to adventure an Impression of them whereunto I have been induced by a like Consideration with that of Saint Peter 2 Epist ch 1. vers 12 13 14. where his writing is declared to be out of an apprehension of his approaching Dissolution that after his Decease there might be that extant which might keep in their Remembrance that which he had taught them and wherein they were established It is part of my Rejoycing that I have had so much Ability as to hold forth the Word of God to you in any measure and that it hath found so ready Reception with you It is that which I pray for and earnestly exhort you to that you will never forget the Saving Truths you have been taught though I be buried in oblivion nor backslide to Errour or Profaneness But that you be still constant in the true Faith of Christ and the right Worship of God in publick and in your private Families seeking the Divine Benediction on your selves and Families and living in mutual Love and Helpfulness towards all as knowing that the saving Grace of God hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying Vngodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of Good works Whereunto if this Writing or any Labour of mine may conduce I have my Desire who recommending both you and this Work to the Almighty's Blessing do yet remain Your truly loving and faithfull Servant in Christ CHARLES GIBBES A TABLE of the several TEXTS discoursed upon PSAL. VI. 6. I Am weary of my Groaning every night wash I my Bed and water my Couch with my Tears Three Sermons pag. 1 19 37. PSAL. LI. 1 2. Have mercy upon me O God according to thy Loving-kindness according to the multitude of thy tender Mercies blot out my Transgressions Wash me throughly from mine Iniquity and cleanse me from my Sin 57. PSAL. LI. 3. I acknowledge my Transgression and my Sin is ever before me 75. PSAL. LI. 11. Cast me not away from thy Presence and take not thy Holy Spirit from me Two Sermons 87 99. PROV XVIII 14. The Spirit of a man will sustain his Infirmity but a wounded Spirit who can bear Two Sermons 111 121. PSAL. CXXX 4. But there is Mercy or Forgiveness with thee that thou maist be feared 131. PSAL. LXXIX 8. O remember not against us former Iniquities let thy tender Mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low 153. HEBR. IV. 7. To Day if you will hear his Voice harden not your Hearts 173. ROM VI. 1. and part of 2. What shall we say then shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound God forbid 185. LAMENT III. 22. It is of the Lord's Mercies that we are not consumed because his Compassions fail not 197. PSAL. LVI 13. For thou hast delivered my Soul from Death wilt thou not deliver my Feet from Falling that I may walk before God in the Light of the living Two Sermons 217 235. PSAL. CXIX 15. I will meditate in thy Precepts and have respect unto thy Ways 251. PSAL. CXXII 1. I was glad when they said unto me Let us goe into the House of the Lord. 263. PSAL. XXXVII 4. Delight thy self in the Lord and he shall give thee thy Heart's desire 275. 1 PET. III. 13. And who is he that will harm you if ye be Followers of that which is Good 287. PSAL. XVI 11. Thou wilt shew me the Path of life In thy Presence is fulness of Joy at thy right hand there are Pleasures for evermore Two Sermons 305 325. PSAL. LXXIII 24. Thou shalt guide me with thy Counsel and afterwards receive me to Glory 345. PSAL. XL. 8. I will both lay me down in peace and sleep for thou Lord onely makest me dwell in Safety 357. 1 JOHN III. 1. Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God 371. PSAL. CXIX 34. Give me Vnderstanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole Heart 383. PROV XIV 2. He that walketh in his Vprightness feareth the Lord but he that is perverse in his Ways despiseth him Two Sermons 399 411. REVEL VII 15. Therefore are they before the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them 421. JOHN VIII 56. Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my Day and he saw it and was glad 435. GEN. XII 1. Now the Lord had said unto Abraham Get thee out of thy Country and from thy Kindred and from thy Father's House unto a Land that I shall shew thee 449. Imprimatur Febr. 27. 1676 7. Guil. Sill R. P. D. Henr. Episc Lond. à Sacris Domesticis DAVID's GROANS Part I. The First SERMON PSALM vi 6. I am weary of my Groaning every night wash I my Bed and water my Couch with my Tears THIS Psalm is intituled to David and is styled by many One or the First of his Penitentiall Psalms And it is true it expresseth his Agony and dolour of mind for his Sickness undoubtedly for his Sins as the Cause of it in likelihood and so for both as in a Psalm parallel to this he complains Psal 38.4 which two make a heavy Burthen too heavy for any man to bear The Burthen of one onely to wit of Sin though not his own made the Mighty One the Mighty God to stoop under it when he bare the Sins of Men in his own body on the Tree insomuch that as in the Garden he told his Disciples Matth. 26.38 My Soul is exceeding sorrowfull unto death so on the Cross he cried out in the Anguish of his spirit Matth. 27.46 O God my God why hast thou forsaken me No marvel then that
surely overtake him without Repentance yea and if he do repent will in some measure bring Anguish and Pain to him And as the Apostle saith to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 10.22 Do we provoke the Lord to Jealousie are we stronger then he If we be sin and spare not if not consider the evil that will follow all ye that forget God lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you Psal 50.22 2. If you have sinned think not to wear out by time the impression Sin makes on thy Conscience nor to extinguish the sense of Sin by Drinking merry Company carnal Pleasure vain Mirth Musick or to lay it asleep by Formality in Religion Popes Pardons Priests Absolutions without true Repentance and Faith in Christ All these are Physicians of no value Forgers of Lies as Job speaks 13.4 Doe rather as Job did 42.5 6. say to God I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear now mine eye seeth thee Wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Humble thy self under his hand pray to him not to rebuke thee in Anger nor chasten thee in his hot Displeasure but to have mercy on thee and heal thy Soul that hath sinned against him Bring with thee penitential Groans and medicinal Tears of that Sorrow which is according to God working Repentance to Salvation not to be repented of and with it Faith in the bloud of Christ which cleanseth from all Sin And if thou come to God in this manner doubt not but God will perform to thee what he saith Isa 57.18 I have seen his ways and will heal him I will lead him also and restore Comfort unto him and to his mourners Amen LAVS DEO DAVID's GROANS Part II. The Second SERMON PSALM vi 6. I am weary of my Groaning every night wash I my Bed and water my Couch with my Tears THIS Psalm or Poem de Tristibus is intituled to David and contains an holy Elegy or mournfull Complaint to God concerning his present Affliction whether Sickness or Exile or whatever other Grievance he was under the effect whereof was 1. Groans and those usque ad lassitudinem deep continued Groans which shewed much Anguish of spirit he was under I am weary with my Groaning 2. Tears a sign of Grief and those not a few not like a small Mist or Dew that a little moistens but as a great showr of Rain that makes a Floud so as to make his Bed to swim and to water his Couch And these too continued night and day yea all the night or every night and every day it 's likely for the time and that so as to disappoint him of the benefit of his Bed for Rest in the night and of his Couch for Ease in the day The Causes of which sad estate are intimated vers 5. his fear of being deprived of the opportunity of remembring God and giving him thanks among the living the insulting of his Enemies vers 7 10. and especially their Reproaching his Affiance in his God and by collation with the like Complaints in other Psalms the Remembrance of his own Sins which made as his present Affliction very heavy so his Groans and Tears vocal that is supplicatory vers 8. Whence these six Conclusions or Propositions have been deduced and the two first already handled 1. That when God's hand is on any for Sin it is heavy and intolerable 2. Beds and Couches give not Ease when God brings Sin to remembrance Of these I shall say no more 3. The want of opportunity of glorifying God is very grievous to a person that is Godly when he is under Affliction 4. That it aggravates his Affliction when by reason of his Suffering Reproach is likely to be cast on God 5. The Groans Tears and Disquietness of an Holy person under his Affliction are as well or more for his Sins then his Sufferings 6. In such sense of Misery or Sin the pious Penitent bemoans himself to God confesseth bewaileth his Sin humbleth himself before him deprecateth his Wrath and earnestly seeketh by Prayer and Supplication for Forgiveness of Sin Healing and Peace from God III. PROPOSITION That the want of opportunity of glorifying God by praising of him by commemorating his Goodness exciting of and joyning with others in the celebrating his Praise is very grievous to a person that is Godly and addes to his Affliction by Sickness or Exile or other Restraint which he is under This was one Reason of David's Tears and Groans here And to like purpose he argues with God Psal 30.9 when He hid his face and himself was troubled What profit is there in my bloud when I go down to the Pit shall the Dust praise thee shall it declare thy Truth And Hezekiah in his Sickness bemoans his Condition thus Isa 38.10 11. I am deprived of the residue of my years I shall not see the Lord even the Lord in the land of the living Vers 18. he gives the Reason why he had great bitterness for peace For the Grave cannot praise thee Death cannot celebrate thee they that go down into the Pit cannot hope for thy Truth vers 19. The Living the Living he shall praise thee In his plea before Saul David makes this his greatest Grievance by reason of Saul's Persecution that he was driven from abiding in the Inheritance of the Lord 1 Sam. 26.19 Psal 84.1 2. he expresseth his Affection thus How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of hoasts My Soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my Heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God And as preferring the condition of the Birds before his present condition in his Exile he thus bespeaks God vers 3. Yea the Sparrow hath found a house and the Swallow a nest for her self where she may lay her young even thine Altars O Lord of hoasts my King and my God and then adds vers 4. Blessed are they that dwell in thy House they will still be praising thee and vers 10. For a day in thy Courts is better then a thousand I had rather be a Door-keeper in the House of my God then to dwell in the Tents of wickedness No Society no Habitation no Fare no Pleasure could content David while he was deprived of the Society of them that praised God was kept from the Worship of God at his Tabernacle debarr'd from access to God to enquire of him what he was to doe and to address his Supplications to God in his House of Prayer And the Reasons hereof are 1. From the Property of an Holy person which is to delight in Communion with God so as to make God his Joy chiefly yea in some sort solely that is though he can rejoyce in Wife Children Food and other Blessings he hath yet he cannot he dares not terminate his Joys in them but he rejoyceth in them as the gift of God Eccles. 5.18 19. He eats his bread with joy and drinks his wine with a
to our selves 3. In time of God's exercising his punitive Justice we should Confess our Sins to God and complain of our selves to him He that hideth his Sins shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy saith Solomon Prov. 28.13 Auricular Confession to a Priest as the Papists teach it is but an Invention of men for their advantage but Confession to God is a Duty necessary for our Salvation wherein especially the Sin which God seems to point out by his Judgment is most freely to be acknowledged As Joshua said to Achan Josh 7.19 My son give I pray thee Glory to the Lord God of Israel and make Confession unto him and tell what thou hast done Thus doe all truly Penitent persons in their Afflictions and this is the way to recover out of their Affliction if they deal plainly with God and Men. 4. To which fourthly it is necessary should be added Sorrow of heart a contrite broken and rended heart Compunction of spirit Remorse of Conscience for what we have done and in some speciall cases when the hand of God is sore upon us and our Sin hath been eminently great there must be Fasting Weeping and Mourning for our Sins yea the abundance and continuance of his Tears David saith hyperbolically watered his Couch made his Bed to swim every or all the Night with Groans unutterable even unto weariness As Manasseh sinned greatly so he humbled himself greatly Great Sins require great Flouds of Tears to wash them away I know forced Tears out of the fear of Hell can but little avail with God they may consist with love of Sin There may be counterfeit Tears which may be so far from pacifying God that they will incense him the more as knowing himself mocked by them There may be so deep a sense of Sin as to stupefy but where there is a kindly melting of the Heart for Sin Tears will likely follow and if they be in secret they are likely sincere And if we weep bitterly for Sin with S. Peter we may expect a gracious Forgiveness as S. Peter had but if we grieve not for our Sins we may expect God will make our Sins grievous against our will 5. Tears and Sorrow for Sin must be as David's weeping here Vocal with humble Supplication and earnest Prayer for Pardon When there is a spirit of Grace and Supplication joyned with Mourning then is God sought aright and found by the Repenting person Confession and Sorrow for Sin is but to make way for Prayer which is the chief thing whereby God is glorified and the Sinner benefited For then it is that his Heart turns to God when it acknowledgeth its own Demerit and God's Justice and then God's Heart is turned to him as it was to Rehoboam when he and his people humbled themselves and said The Lord is Righteous 2 Chron. 12.6 Which Prescriptions are effectuall if 6. There be a Forsaking of Sin and Obedience to God as saith the Prophet Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Which David here observes and therefore adds vers 8. Depart from me all ye workers of Iniquity for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping and Psal 119.115 Depart from me ye Evil-doers for I will keep the Commandments of my God Surely saith Elihu excellently Job 34.31 32. it is meet to be said unto God I have born Chastisement I will not offend any more That which I see not teach thou me if I have done Iniquity I will doe no more Relapses into Sin make mens cases the worse so as that their latter end is worse then their beginning 2 Pet. 2.20 The Devil enters into such with more force hardens his Heart the more who hath seemed to repent but betakes himself again like the Dog to his vomit or the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire procures more Vengeance from God who walks contrary to them that walk contrary to him and when men are not reformed by Afflictions punisheth them seven times more for their Sins Levit. 26.23 24. And therefore Christ's Warning to the cured person is necessary for all that are holpen in their Affliction Sin no more lest a worse thing happen to thee and John Baptist's Advice is to be followed by all Penitents Matth. 3.8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for Repentance APPLICATION Give me leave now to speak to you that have heard me this day as the Prophet Haggai did to Judah Chap. 1.5 7. Consider your ways how is it with you He is a rare bird that is without Sickness or Sorrows Every day saith our Saviour hath enough of Evil Matth. 6.34 And methinks none of you should be so foolish as to say with Babylon Revel 18.7 I sit as a Queen and shall see no Sorrow If any be so secure as to be insensible of other Afflictions yet there should not be such a Stupidity in them as to be mindless of Death and Judgment I presume none of you are so miss-led by any spirit of Errour that you conceive your selves perfect and without Sin I fear too many of you are guilty of great Transgressions I wish you were none of you such as sin presumptuously against the Light of your Consciences oppose the Truth oppress the Poor delight your Bodies misspend your Time misimploy your Estates and Abilities and perhaps glory in your Profaneness Swearing Drinking Cheating Lying Backsliding False accusing raising Jars and Contentions If any of you be guilty of any of these Sins or have had experience of God's Hand in his Afflicting of him or is sensible of his Mortality let him bethink himself how his Afflictions work on him whether they bring his Sin to Remembrance whether the Remembrance of his Sin be more grievous then his Sufferings whether he complain of it rather then his Affliction let him search his waies confess his Sins at least to God weep and groan as David with real Sorrow according to God which may cause Repentance not to be repented of seek the Face of God with Supplication and amend his waies Hath not God rather cause to say of you as he did of the Jews Jer. 8.6 7. I hearkened and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him of his Wickedness saying What have I done every one turned to his course as the horse rusheth into the battel Yea the Stork in the heaven knoweth his appointed time and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the time of their coming but my people know not the Judgment of their God Will he not when he observes your doings find you rather Ranting in a Tavern then Praying in the Church rather Sporting in your Beds then Watering them with Tears Cheating one another in Gaming rather then Relieving the Poor Devising rather Mischief on your Beds then Weeping for
And to set out his Sin as the more venomous he derives it from his originall innate Pravity Behold I was shapen in Iniquity and in Sin did my mother conceive me vers 5. And S. Paul acknowledged himself the chiefest of Sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 The Reasons hereof are 1. Because otherwise the Heart loves and favours the Sin and the Repentance and Humiliation will appear to be but feigned True Hatred of Sin will cause us to confess and abandon it with all our might Odium est Appetitus amovendi it will stir up a desire to remove it it will cause Detestation Clearing Revenge Indignation Zeal Fear as it is said of the Corinthians 2 Cor. 7.11 The poor Publican durst not lift up his eyes to heaven but smote on his breast saying God be mercifull to me a Sinner Luk. 18.13 2. By this means he justifies God in his Sentence against his Sin in his Punishment acknowledgeth his own Desert which is the Reason here That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest vers 4. The more we aggravate our Sins the more we magnify the Justice of God's Law and his dealing with us 3. It also tends to the magnifying of God's Grace in Pardoning that where Sin abounds there Grace over-abounds Rom. 5.20 It is rich Grace that forgives great and many Sins They that make their Sins venial and speak of them as small matters do shew they take themselves little beholden to God to pardon them and that they owe little thanks for it To whom much is forgiven he loveth much to whom little is forgiven the same loveth little Luk. 7.47 4. This is the way to obtain Pardon He that hideth his Sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy Prov. 28.13 Stultorum incurata Pudor malus Vlcera celat They are foolish persons that when they are to make use of a Physician conceal their Disease and tell not the worst of it for thereby they disable the Physicran from Curing them and are Authours of their own death But a wise Patient will relate all the Symptoms of his Disease and declare the worst of it that so there may be a through and not a palliated Cure So it is with a true Penitent he declares his Sin to God with the greatest Shame to himself in all its evil Circumstances that he may dispose God to forgive him it being God's way to justify them that condemn themselves as the poor Publican that with a dejected heart and look craved mercy to him a Sinner Which brings us to the III. OBSERVATION That the Blotting out of our Transgressions the Washing throughly from our Iniquity the Cleansing from our Sin is to be sought from God This was the course which David took and Manasseh 2 Chron. 33.12 13. When he was in Affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers and prayed unto him and he was intreated of him and heard his Supplication No such Prayer to be found in Scripture as is in the Office of the Romanists Mary Mother of Grace Mother of Mercy defend us from the Enemy grant Pardon to the guilty Christ directs us to say Our Father which art in Heaven forgive us our Trespasses And good Reason for 1. Our Sins are against him and therefore are to be pardoned by him Against thee have I sinned saith David therefore do thou blot out my Transgressions He must cancel the Bond who is the Creditor I will say to my Father saith the Prodigall son Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son 2. It is he onely that hath power to forgive Sins Who can forgive Sins but God onely Mark 2.7 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one Job 14.4 It is God's Prerogative which he challengeth Isa 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy Sins It is true the Son of man had power on earth to forgive Sins but he was also the Son of God It is true the Apostles had power to remit Sins by a peculiar delegation from Christ or as the Apostle S. Paul speaks in the person of Christ 2 Cor. 2.10 Nor is it to be denied that Ministers of the Gospel ministerially by preaching the Gospell may be said to forgive Sins declaratively and instrumentally by bringing men to Repentance and Faith on which Forgiveness and Cleansing from Sin follow but not as the Pope pretends to forgive Sins by his Indulgences authoritatively or as the Popish Priests by their Absolution certainly and immediately Men may forgive Sins by the assuring of Pardon to the truly Penitent and Believing And the Absolution of the Minister is of great moment to quiet the guilty Conscience if he doe it Clave non errante when he is skilfull in Binding and losing and the Penitent freely confesseth and sincerely believeth in Christ and unfeignedly purposeth to amend without which the Absolution is invalid And therefore which was the IV. OBSERVATION The Penitent Sinner is to beg earnestly not onely for Blotting out his Transgressions but also for through Washing and Cleansing from Iniquity and Sin not onely by Condonation of them but also by Emendation or Amendment of life So David Psal 51.9 10. Hide thy face from my Sins and blot out all mïne Iniquities Create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me These are to be conjoyned As the Guilt of Sin is to be pardoned and the Stain of Sin to be washed away so is the Conscience to be purged from dead works that we may serve the living God the Heart is to be sprinkled from an evil Conscience and the Body to be washed with pure water as the expressions are Heb. 9.14 and 10.22 allusively to the Legall Purifying with bloud and water to which answers the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 which is thus expressed by S. Paul Rom. 6.4 Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life And this is a principal part of true Repentance to have a renewed Heart and to lead a new Life And therefore S. John Baptist when the multitude came to him to be baptized of him for the Remission of Sins chargeth them to bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance Luk. 3.7 8. letting them to understand that every Tree which bringeth not forth good Fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire And our Saviour when he found the impotent man who was healed by him at the Pool of Bethesda told him Joh. 5.14 Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee For as Christ saith if after the unclean Spirit is gone out of a man he
return again and findeth the house empty swept and garnished that is after the Sinner in some sort hath repented and his Conscience hath been quieted and his former Courses relinquished for a time he grow secure and loose in his Conversation the unclean Spirit taketh with him seven other Spirits more wicked then himself and they enter in and dwell there and the last state of that man is worse then the first Matth. 12.43 44 45. Satan doth make such a person more sinfull then before and his Condition is worse then it was before his seeming Repentance Most truly doth S. Peter tell us 2 Pet. 2.20 21 22. If after persons have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again intangled therein and overcome the latter end is worse then the beginning For it had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteousness then after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto them But it happens to them according to the true Proverb The Dog is returned to his own vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire As it is with men who relapse into a Fever which was for a time abated their Disease grows worse and mortal so is it with them that after some imperfect Change and Peace acquired do fall back into the same or other Sins become secure and heedless of Temptations they commonly become more notorious Sinners and more hardned therein to their perdition None likely make a mock of Sin and sport themselves in Evil more then they who once seemed to be humbled penitent and reformed And therefore there is as great a necessity of begging for effectuall Renovation as Condonation from God Sanctification throughout in Body Soul and Spirit as well as Justification from all our Transgressions To which the onely Motive is God's Loving-kindness and the multitude of his tender Mercies according to the next Observation V. OBSERVATION That it is Loving-kindness and multitude of tender Mercies which is the Motive whereupon God blots out Transgressions washeth throughly the guilty Sinner from his Iniquity and cleanseth him from his Sin As God said of the people of Israel that it was not for their Excellency Multitude Righteousness or Vprightness of heart that he took them to be his People Deut. 7.7 and 9.5 but out of his own Compassion Ezek. 16.5 8 9. speaks of them under the Similitude of an unpitied outcast infant till he pitied loved washed and cloathed them so it is true concerning every person that is saved that is justified and sanctified that he is before unclean till the Loving-kindness of God towards him appears Not by Works of Righteousness which he hath done but according to his Mercy God our Saviour saves him by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost That being justified by his Grace he may be made Heir according to the hope of eternall life Tit. 3.4 5 7. And indeed all that is done by us before God pardons and cleanseth us from Sin provokes God against us nor is there so much as a thought in us of returning to God after our departure from his waies nor any help in our selves to deliver our own Souls till he pities us and saves us O Israel saith God Hosea 13.9 thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thine help He blotteth out our Transgressions for his own Name 's sake and out of his abundant Mercy through Christ It is through the Bloud of Christ as a Price of answerable value that he redeems us and yet it is mere Mercy that procures this for the payment of our Debt So that full Satisfaction to his Justice and free Remission do well consist together notwithstanding the exceptions of Socinians And we must still acknowledge that it is not for our sakes but for his holy Name 's sake that he cleanseth us from our Iniquities and upon this consideration he will be inquired of by repenting Sinners to doe it for them as it is said Ezek. 36.22 33 37. Which brings us to the last or VI. OBSERVATION That the onely way to obtain Deletion of Transgressions and Cleansing from Sin is to beg them of God upon consideration of the multitude of his Mercies and his Love in and through Christ So did the poor Publican obtain Justification by his crying Peccavi and supplicating thus God be mercifull to me a Sinner whom Christ propounds as an Example of a prospering Penitent excluding the self-justifying Pharisee from attaining Righteousness This is the Gospell-way to address our selves to the Throne of Grace to confess our Sins to trust onely to the bloud of Christ for cleansing us from all Sin to make use of him as our Advocate with the Father and the Propitiation for our Sins In him we have Redemption through his bloud the Forgiveness of Sins according to the riches of his Grace Eph. 1.7 This is the way whereby God will be glorified and we shall be saved And therefore still our Litany must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord have mercy on us or with David Lord be mercifull unto me heal my Soul for I have sinned against thee APPLICATION And now it behoves you that have heard David's Petition opened unto you to apply his Case to your own Souls You have sinned as David did if not in the same kind yet in Sins enough to sink you into the Lake that burns with fire and brimstone Can any of you say My Heart is clean I am pure from my Sin Can any of you deny that you were shapen in Iniquity and that in Sin your Mother conceived you Will not your own Conscience if you heed it inform you of many unholy and unrighteous Thoughts Words and Deeds If there should be any self-boasting Pharisee any ignorant Papist that imagines he can keep the Law of God and merit Heaven by his Works any deluded Quaker or other Fanatick that conceives himself perfect without Sin If there should be any Protestant Justitiary that conceives so well of his Innocence that he thinks God should wrong him if he should damn him so well of his Good deeds Prayers Alms Religious performances at Church or in private as to expect Heaven as wages due to them in exact Justice let him consider that he prefers himself before holy David S. Paul and such other holy Saints as have gone before us to Heaven Christ hath told us he is the Way the Truth and the Life and that no man cometh to the Father but by him Joh. 14.6 And S. Peter tells us Act. 4.12 Neither is there Salvation in any other but Christ for there is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved And therefore as it was said once to a Novatian by the Emperour Thou that thinkest thy self perfect set up thy Ladder and climb up to Heaven by thy self if thou canst so may I say to
forgiven So indeed it falls out sometimes that mens Transgressions when they have sinned presumptuously against Conviction of Conscience within and Warnings without do so stare in their faces that they affright them with terrour and astonishment their Spirits are wounded they apprehend the Devil haling them to the infernall Prison expect nothing but Hell and Damnation cry out of God as Cruel of themselves as Damned wretches Such a View of Sin as thus tends to Despair that eyes onely God's Justice and their own Desert that begets Hatred of God as a Tyrant no Address to him as a Gracious Prince is indeed very dangerous Humble Penitents do not so set their Iniquities before them This is the manner onely of despairing Saul's revolting Spira's such as have sinned wilfully with an high hand and continue in their Apostasie from the Truth that say There is no hope we have loved strangers and after them will we go Jer. 2.25 But returning Sinners remember their Sins and they are ever before them in another manner and to another purpose They present their Sins to themselves that they may shame themselves and give Glory to God in acknowledging his Righteousness without deniall of his Grace They look not onely on the foulness of their Trespasses and the greatness of their Debts but also on the riches of God's Grace the fulness of Christ's Obedience the inexhaustible fountain of Christ's Bloud the infallible Assurance of the New Covenant the ample Promises of the Gospel and accordingly with Confession of Sin they adjoyn Prayer for Pardon Faith in Christ's Bloud and plead God's declaration of his own Properties his former dealing with great Transgressours and in the same manner as David did here V. OBSERVATION The true Penitent tells God of setting his Iniquities before him to induce God to relenting Compassion towards him and gracious Condonation of him In the Penitentiall Psalm De profundis 130.2 3 4. the Penitent Sinner thus bespeaks God Let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my Supplication If thou Lord shouldst mark Iniquities O Lord who shall stand But there is Forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared Even the wicked Ninevites had so much apprehension of the possibility of God's mercifull Clemency that after Jonas's Proclamation of their approaching Ruine they resolved to cry mightily to God upon this apprehension Who can tell if God will turn and repent and turn away from his fierce Anger that we perish not Jon. 3.9 'T is true they that worship the Devil and pray to him doe all out of Fear as looking for nothing but Cruelty from unclean Spirits But Jonas in his froward fit Chap. 4.2 acknowledgeth that the Lord is a gracious God and mercifull slow to Anger and of great Kindness and repenteth him of the Evil. Even by the experience of them that know not God this is found true which made even Infidels cry unto the Lord in their Distresses and confess their Sins in hope of Help The believing Penitent knows both by experience and from the Nature Works and Word of God that when he sets his Sins before him God casts them behind his back that God looks upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not He will deliver his Soul from the Pit and his Life shall see the Light Job 33.27 28. They have learned that he that hideth his Sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall have Mercy Prov. 28.13 That if we confess our Sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our Sins and the Bloud of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin 1 Joh. 1.7 9. They judge that what David found they shall find I said I will confess my Transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my Sin And therefore For this shall every one that is Godly pray unto thee in a time that thou maist be found Psal 32.5 6. And consequently it is their course as being best for them to set their Sins before them so as to humble them and to set them before God that he may pardon them APPLICATION And now I beseech you lay all that I have said to heart as of greatest concernment to each of you What David did what all the Saints have done in all Ages you should doe in this their Practice should be your Pattern It is necessary to be done though it be much against the spirits of men Most men are quick-sighted in viewing the Faults of others but blear-eyed when they are to look upon their own Crimes Censuring and Judging others is very frequent Self-judging is very rare They that would take a Mote out of their Brother's eye will not take notice of the Beam in their own Few are willing to have their Sins set before them by others and themselves are far from setting them before them of their own accord A free Reprover is accounted intolerable Men hate them that rebuke them Yea a Minister who by Office is bound to doe it though he doe it to save their and his own Soul yet he is not endured for it but declined and persecuted They that cannot deny their Sins yet put off the Faultiness of them to some other Cause They that acknowledge their Sins to have been from themselves yet excuse and extenuate them Scarce a man confesseth his Sins that are hidden from men if he do confess them to God it is but slightly What a Beast was I saith the Drunkard God forgive me saith the Swearer though the one wallows in his Intemperance day after day and the other profanes the Name of God every hour Thus Sin is slightly acknowledged by the Sinner without any sense of the Iniquity of his Nature or the Love he hath to his Sin which are the Causes of it without any Compunction of heart without Remorse of Soul without Bemoaning it to God in Supplications bewailing his Folly his Naughtiness and earnestly humbly begging Pardon Yea when God sets mens Sins by his Judgments on them in order before them they will not set them before themselves to give him the Glory of his Justice when his Hand is lifted up they will not see when he makes their Hearts ake their Eyes weep by his Strokes for their Sins they fret with Anger but weep not out of Sorrow for Sin No marvel that men find not the Comfort of God's pardoning Grace when they slubber over this great Business which the Godly have always found to be the right and onely way to Mercy in so dull and negligent a manner as if they could deal with God as with an Idol that hath neither eyes to see their Impenitency nor hands to punish their Sins and so carry themselves as if they could mock God with a few words of course without any serious or hearty Sorrow for their Disobedience to God's Law and Provocation of his terrible Majesty Oh that you would in time repent throughly of
our Spirituall Voiage towards Heaven and our Christian Warfare The Presence of God is All in all without God's Presence we can doe nothing though we should have all the furniture of wit strength wealth and the assistence of men yet should we not be able to goe one step forward in the way to Happiness we of our selves should not be sufficient to think any thing as of our selves for all our Sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3.5 Yea our Adversary the Devil would easily devour us if the Lord should depart from us On the other side If God be for us who can be against us Neither life nor death nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall prevail against us The auxiliary force of God's Presence makes a Believer in Tribulation distress persecution famine nakedness peril sword to be more then a Conquerour even to triumph and to glory in the Lord as knowing that his Riches exceed Croesus his wealth his Glory Solomon's glory and that he may truly say without Thrasonicall vaunting Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come All are mine I being Christ's and Christ God's 1 Cor. 3.22 23. Thus did the Psalmist express his apprehensions of the benefit of God's Presence in relation to his Safety Comfort and Happiness That he restored his Soul and led him in the paths of Righteousness for his Name 's sake Yea though he did walk through the valley of the shadow of death he would fear no evil for God was with him his Rod and his Staff did comfort him Psal 23.3 4. That his Goodness and Mercy should follow him all the days of his life vers 6. That he would shew him the path of Life in his Presence was fulness of Joy at his right hand Pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 As to be near such a King as Solomon was counted so great a Happiness that the blessedness of Solomon's Courtiers was magnified with admiration by the Queen of Sheba so much more blessed are they that are acquainted with God and are near to him In his Favour is their life Psal 30.5 The light of his Countenance is better then life it self Man being Animal sociabile a sociable Living creature needs Society it is most joyous for him to be with them whom he loves and who love him and can help him But such is none now in comparison of God and therefore no Company to a Holy heart like to God's David's Soul thirsted for God panted after him to come and appear before him But his Tears were his meat day and night in his absence from God and it was as a Sword in his bones to be reproached with this demand Where is thy God When God hid his face he was troubled Which comes to pass by our departing from God and that brings me to the II. OBSERVATION That the committing of great and enormous Sins endangers the Privation of God's Presence It is true that God sometimes to try his most upright Servants doth withdraw from them the light of his Countenance not out of Indignation against them for any great Transgression committed by them Thus he dealt with Job when he exercised his Patience which made him expostulate the matter with God Job 13.24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine Enemy vers 26. For thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the Iniquities of my youth And Heman the Ezrahite Psal 88.14 Lord why castest thou off my Soul why hidest thou thy Face from me But this casting off and hiding God's Face is but for a time and not in wrath but like a Father's dealing with his Child when he for a little while sequesters himself to make experiment of his Child's Affection and to excite him thereby to seek him the more earnestly Nevertheless even this also tends to bring them to the acknowledgment of their Sins therefore the Prophet Hosea 5.15 brings in God thus saying I will goe away and return to my place till they acknowledge their Offence and seek my Face in their Affliction they will seek me early Even Job wanted God's Presence till he confessed himself vile and repented abhorring himself in dust and ashes Job 42.6 But there is a more direfull Casting out of God's Presence with utter Forsaking so as to cast a people or person out of his sight for ever by leaving them to be a Prey to those who waste and oppress them as when he threatned Jerem. 7.15 to cast the Jews out of his sight as he had cast out all their brethren the whole seed of Ephraim which he accomplished in the Babylonish Captivity as it is Jerem. 52.3 Through the Anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah that God cast them out of his Presence especially because of all the Provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withall 2 King 23.26 And indeed though Manasseh repenting was not utterly and for ever cast out of God's Presence yet by reason of the hainousness of his Sins the Lord brought upon him and his people the Captains of the hoast of the King of Assyria which took him among the thorns and bound him with fetters and carried him to Babylon 2 Chron. 33.11 And David himself when he had by his great Transgressions provoked the Lord to Anger in the matter of Vriah the Hittite found God's favourable Presence so removed from him that in his House he suffered by his Children great Calamities which were inflicted by God to shew his Indignation so that though he were not Filius Irae a Child of Wrath cast away with utter Dereliction as a Reprobate yet he was Filius sub Ira a Child under Wrath for that present which made him dread his Danger and to be thus importunate with God not to cast him out of his Presence And indeed in case of great Sins committed presumptuously against Warning or Conscience enlightned and continued in with Impenitency it is inconsistent with God's Holiness and Honour to afford his Presence it being contrary to his Nature and Glory to countenance Evil who is not a God that hath pleasure in Wickedness neither shall Evil dwell with him The foolish shall not stand in his sight he hateth all workers of Iniquity Psal 5.4 5. He is of purer eyes then to behold Evil and cannot look on Iniquity Hab. 1.13 As it is with a gallant Prince who cannot brook a base Coward or a neat and cleanly Nobleman who cannot endure in his company a sordid and nasty Sloven but will thrust or keep such out of his presence so it is with God When a Man or Nation have defiled themselves with such odious Iniquities as God abhors till they be washed with true Repentance and new cloathed by putting on the Lord Jesus there is no hope of finding God ready to admit them near to him Wherefore
in his Bloud to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of Sins that are past through the forbearance of God Rom. 3.25 that God doth forgive any Sins of any persons Eph. 4.32 Not for any Saint's or Martyr's Intercession or any Surplusage of Merits in the Treasury of the Church distributed by the Pope's Indulgence or for the bare Work done of saying Mass singing Dirges or other Offices for a person deceased or merely for the Priest's Absolution upon Auricular Confession in the Sacrament of Penance or for any humane Satisfaction whatsoever but by the Expiation of Christ's Bloud and his Intercession for them to whom Sins are forgiven though not without their due Qualifications which are next to be considered III. The Persons to whom God forgives Sins are not all whatsoever There are that after their hardness and impenitent Heart treasure up unto themselves Wrath against the day of Wrath and revelation of the righteous Judgment of God Rom. 2.5 Nor all that are in the visible Church that have been baptized into the Name of Christ Notwithstanding Simon Magus believed was baptized continued with Philip and wondered beholding the Miracles and Signs which were done yet when by his offer of Money for the power of bestowing the Holy Ghost his Heart appeared not right in the sight of God S. Peter admonisheth him to repent of that his Wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thoughts of his Heart might be forgiven him Act. 8.13 21 22. But 1. They to whom God forgives Sins must be real and unfeigned Penitents such as are sensible of their Sins and the Desert of them such as are humbled in their own eyes yea so as to loath themselves for their Iniquities such as have that Sorrow which is after God that worketh Repentance not to be repented of Such a Repentance as is not for some Sins onely but for all not onely for Sins open and notorious but also for Sins secret and known to themselves and God alone not onely for Sins of outward Action or Words but also for Sins of Thought of evil Concupiscence not onely for Sins of Commission but also for Sins of Omission and according to the degrees of them with a proportionable degree of Sorrow so as to mourn much where the Sin hath been very hainous as David's was And that not onely by reason of the Affliction consequent Danger of Hell or Infamy but also for the Dishonouring of God and the Offending of him not onely as a severe Judge but also an indulgent Father Against thee thee onely have I sinned and done this Evil in thy sight saith David Psalm 51.4 And Father saith the prodigal Son Luk. 15.21 I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy Son Thus S. John Baptist preached the Baptism of Repentance for the Remission of Sins Mark 1.4 S. Peter Act. 2.38 Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the Remission of Sins And Repent and be converted that your Sins may be blotted out Act. 3.19 To them that thus Repent there is Forgiveness of Sins not to the Impenitent and unrelenting 2. To Repentance must be joyned Confession of Sin If we say that we have no Sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us If we confess our Sins God is faithfull and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Vnrighteousness If we say that we have not sinned we make him a Liar and his word is not in us 1 Joh. 1.8 9 10. How full is the Scripture against all Self-justitiaries Pharisees Philosophers Votaries Pelagians Quakers and other Perfectionists that boast of their own Good works and their being free from Sin No marvel that they that think they have no need of Pardon should find none God filleth the Hungry with good things the Rich he sendeth empty away The proud Pharisee that talked of his own Well-doings the boasting Papist that is confident of his own good Merits from God are not capable of Justification It is the poor Publican that is sensible of his Sin that stands afar off that will not lift up so much as his eyes to Heaven as being dejected by the sense of his Sins but smites on his breast saying God be mercifull to me a Sinner that goes home justified rather then the other as Christ himself hath determined Luk. 18.13 14. When I kept silence day and night saith David to God Psal 32.3 4 5. thy Hand was heavy upon me I acknowledged my Sin unto thee and mine Iniquity have I not hid I said I will confess my Transgression unto the Lord and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my Sin There was no necessity of Auricular Popish Confession to a Priest his purpose of doing it to God seriously and with true Compunction and Contrition of Soul was sufficient for his Pardon David said unto Nathan I have sinned against the Lord and Nathan without injoyning him Penance for Satisfaction tells him immediately The Lord also hath put away thy Sin A free and unfeigned Confession of Sins to God never goes without Pardon if it be with real Sorrow and giving to God the Glory of his Justice if other Qualifications be withall added which are also to be considered whereof the next and third is That there be a Forsaking of the Sin in Heart and in Act. 3. That Sin that shall be pardoned must be hated must be left He that covereth his Sins shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have Mercy Prov. 28.13 While we love and cherish Sin we bid defiance to God and shew our selves Enemies to him and therefore can expect no Favour from him for he is not a God that hath pleasure in Wickedness neither shall Evil dwell with him saith the Psalmist Psal 5.4 For a man to say he is sorry for his Sin as often men do and yet to commit it customarily again is indeed to belie himself True Sorrow would make men fearfull and wary how they fall into that for which they say they are sorry Piscator ictus sapit If they were sensible of the Evil of Sin they would dread a Relapse into it And besides it is no better then a mocking of God to confess Sin and pray him to forgive it and yet to continue in the practice of it It is all one as if thou shouldst beg of God to give thee a Licence or Dispensation to sin as if thou shouldst tell him thou hast sinned indeed but thou hopest he will not be angry though thou doe so again as if thou shouldst ask of God that he would make void his Law for thy sake let thee live as if thou owedst no Subjection to him It is to declare thy self a professed Rebell against him to tell him that he shall not rule over thee and in effect to say Depart from me for I desire not the knowledge of thy ways Much more evil is it when men
harden themselves against Reproof hate him that deals plainly with them because he shews them the Sin which they will not leave are Enemies to him that tells them the Truth hate him that rebuketh in the Gate and abhorre him that speaks uprightly Amos 5.10 Such men are so far from obtaining Pardon that they fall into Judas his Curse of adding Iniquity to Iniquity and never come into God's Righteousness Psal 69.27 4. That Sin may be forgiven the chiefest Qualification of all must not be omitted Faith in the Lord Jesus who though he knew no Sin yet was made Sin for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 This is the tenour of the Gospel as Christ himself instructed his Apostles that Repentance and Remission of Sins should be preached in his Name among all Nations Luk. 24.47 And accordingly S. Peter saith to Cornelius Act. 10.43 To Christ give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive Remission of Sins And S. Paul Act. 13.38 39. Be it known unto you therefore men and brethren that through this Man is preached unto you the Forgiveness of Sin And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses He was delivered for our Offences and raised for our Justification Rom. 4.25 Christ died for our Sins according to the Scriptures 1 Cor. 15.3 He was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruised for our Iniquities the Chastisement of our Peace was upon him and with his Stripes we are healed All we like Sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the Iniquity of us all Isa 53.5 6. His own self bare our Sins in his own body on the Tree 1 Pet. 2.24 These and many more places in Holy Scripture do evince that it is by the Death of Christ that our Sins are remitted And the Apostle Heb. 10.12 tells us that after he had offered one Sacrifice for Sins he sate down for ever at the right hand of God and Heb. 9.24 that he is entred into heaven with his bloud to appear for us in the presence of God and Heb. 10.14 that by one Offering he hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified And therefore they that reject that Sacrifice and stick to the Law and its Priesthood miss of Forgiveness of Sins It is impossible now without Faith in Christ his Death Resurrection and Intercession at God's right Hand to be free from Condemnation and to obtain Forgiveness But Faith is sufficient without the Figment of the unbloudy Propitiatory Sacrifice offered by a Priest in the Mass to expiate Sin and to obtain Remission Whosoever therefore believes not that Christ is he that was to come that doth not believe and trust to his Bloud and Intercession for Forgiveness with God that trusts in the Sacrifice of the Mass the Milk of the Virgin Mary the Mediation of Saints or any other thing besides Christ's Death and Intercession that man forfeits his interest in God's Pardoning Grace 5. That Sin may be forgiven there must be a Turning to the Lord. Let the wicked forsake his ways and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon saith the Prophet Isa 55.7 Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his Sins saith Jeremy Lament 3.39 and directs him the best course Let us search and try our ways and turn again to the Lord vers 40. And that is to be done 1. By humble Supplication Ibid. v. 41. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the Heavens by Praying for it Matth. 6.12 by justifying God condemning our selves taking Shame to our selves and acquitting God from all blame deprecating his Severity imploring his Mercy for his Son's sake whom God sending in the likeness of sinfull flesh hath condemned Sin in the flesh and therefore there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 3. 2. But then must be added the second thing wherein we turn to God to wit Newness of life There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Wash ye make ye clean put away the Evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to doe evil learn to doe well seek Judgment relieve the oppressed judge the fatherless plead for the widows and then saith God Come now and let us reason together Though your Sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow though they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wooll Isa 1.16 17 18. It is not the plea of Innocency that prevails with God but the earnest Supplication for Mercy not the Tale of a vain-glorious Pharisee but the feeling Prayer of a broken-hearted Publican that obtains Forgiveness Nor will he that hath escaped the Pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Christ be safe if with the Dog he return to his vomit and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire He that sins again sins more dangerously as he that falls into a Relapse is more desperately sick New Obedience is necessary to assure the Forgiveness of old Sins 6. There is yet another Qualification necessary to the Forgiveness of our own Sins that we forgive other mens Sins against our selves Our Saviour puts it into the Lord's Prayer that we should profess to God our Forgiveness of them that are indebted to us as a Reason why we expect Forgiveness of him when we pray him to forgive us Yea he allows us not to ask Forgiveness of God but according as we forgive others If you forgive men their Trespasses your Heavenly Father will also forgive you But if ye forgive not men their Trespasses neither will your Father forgive your Trespasses Matth. 6.14 15. Yea in the close of that Parable Matth. 18.35 he tells us that our heavenly Father will exact our Debts cast us into Prison deliver us to the Tormentours if we from our hearts forgive not every one his Brother their Trespasses He that bears a Grudge that reserves a purpose of Revenge in his breast that saies he will forgive but not forget that passeth not an Act of Indemnity and Oblivion of his Brother's Injuries doth but delude God play the Hypocrite with him when he prays the Lord's Prayer shews himself to be unlike to God of a venomous Toad-like Viper-like nature malicious like Satan and so doth the more provoke and enrage God against him as being an unthankfull virulent Devillish Wretch that deals so unworthily with him and abuseth him to his face And this ushers in the last thing I am to consider to wit IV. Why there is Forgiveness with God Of many Reasons I shall name one or two besides that in my Text. 1. From
his Property of Mercifulness He is very pitifull and of tender Mercy Jam. 5.11 He is not like a cruel Tyrant that delights to destroy but like a gracious King that is glad to save Est piger ad poenam Princeps ad praemia velox Quique dolet quoties cogitur esse ferox It is for a Sicilian Tyrant to invent Torments or rather for a Fiend of Hell to rejoyce in doing hurt I am the Lord which exercise Loving-kindness Judgment and Righteousness in the Earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord Jer. 9.24 Who is a God like unto thee saith the Prophet Micah 7.18 19. that pardoneth Iniquity and passeth by the Transgression of the remnant of his Heritage he retaineth not his Anger for ever because he delighteth in Mercy He will turn again he will have Compassion on us he will subdue our Iniquities and thou wilt cast all their Sins into the depth of the Sea And then the Prophet adds vers 20. that which is my Second Reason why God forgives 2. Thou wilt perform the Truth to Jacob and the Mercy to Abraham which thou hast sworn unto our Fathers from the days of old This is the Reason why he hath raised up a Horn of Salvation and gives the knowledge of Salvation for or by the Remission of Sins to perform the Mercy promised to our Fathers and to remember his holy Covenant the Oath which he sware to our Father Abraham Luk. 1.69 72 73 77. And for this Reason the Bloud of Christ is termed by himself the bloud of the New Testament which is shed for many for the Remission of Sins Matth. 26.28 And the Covenant of God is alleged as witnessing the effect of Christ's Sacrifice wherein God said Their Sins and Iniquities will I remember no more Heb. 10.16 17. For which reason S. John saith that God is faithfull and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Vnrighteousness 1 Joh. 1.9 His Mercifull nature prompts him to forgive Sins his Wisedom hath directed him to doe it by the Bloud of Christ his Truth to keep his Covenant and the End is that he may be feared Which brings me to the Second Point in my Text. II. OBSERVATION That God's Forgiveness engageth and encourageth men to fear him It is objected against the Jews Jer. 5.23 24. that they had a revolting and a rebellious Heart because they said not in their hearts Let us now fear the Lord our God that giveth Rain both the former and the latter in his season he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the Harvest Which evinceth this to be an Evil That men fear not God notwithstanding his Providences to them for good and therefore God's Care of us should engage us to fear him And it is prophesied that the Children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their King and shall fear the Lord and his Goodness in the latter days Hos 3.5 Which intimates that God's Goodness is to be feared and that it is both an engagement and encouragement to fear him that he is good O fear the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him Psal 34.9 Now of all parts of his Goodness this is the chief his Forgiving Sins It is that which shews the greatest Kindness and Condescension in God Therefore when David blesseth God he puts this in the first place Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his Benefits Who forgiveth all thine Iniquities Psal 103.2 3. And it is the greatest Blessing to us Blessed is he whose Transgression is forgiven and whose Sin is covered Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity Psal 32.1 2. This Favour then requires Fear in the greatest degree Not a tormenting Fear which consisteth not with Love and which is expelled by Love 1 Joh. 4.18 such as is in Devils that fear and tremble Jam. 2.19 but a dutifull Fear which makes us wary how we offend God and studious how to please him makes us fear him not as an Enemy or Tyrant from whom we expect nothing but hard Usage and sore Tasks but as a good Master or a loving Father whom we fear as our Superiour that may punish us yet love for his Goodness Bounty and Indulgence to us This Fear is usually termed a filial or reverentiall Fear which is manifested 1. in our Worship of him with reverence and godly fear Heb. 12.28 where the Fear of God is put for his Worship as Isa 29.13 2. in our Obedience to him both active in doing his Will and passive in submitting to his Correction Now to this Fear God's Forgiveness engageth us 1. Because such Forgiveness should and doth beget Love To whom many Sins were forgiven she loved much saith Christ Luk. 7.47 What Rebel is so hard-hearted as not to love his Prince that hath forgiven his manifold Treasons We have been more treacherous to God and yet he forgives us and shall we not then love him and fear to offend him 2. There is no greater Security can be given to draw our Hearts to God then the Forgiveness of Sins This is that Loving-kindness that draws us to God Jer. 31.3 the Chords of a man the Bands of Love that tie us fast to God Hos 11.4 And therefore there is no more expedite more rationall more sure way to maintain perpetuall Amity between us and God to devote us to his Service to bring us into Communion with him then the Preaching and Believing the rich Grace of the Gospel in the Remission of Sins by Jesus Christ according to the New Covenant in his Bloud But I see the time will not permit me to enlarge on this precious Subject I shall now apply that which hath been said in some necessary Uses and so end APPLICATION 1. First then If there be Forgiveness with God and that of the greatest Sins let no drooping Soul sink under the sense of his Sins though they have been Scarlet or Crimson Sins yet there is Pardon to be had It is true as now-a-days things go the greatest Sinners are most hardened in Security there is an Atheistical Spirit that makes men bold in Sinning Whether it be from the subtle Insinuations of some Seducers who like Balaam of old instill into mens minds those Principles which make them as audacious as Zimri and Cozbi of old were so that they declare their Sins as Sodom and hide them not ungodly men crept in among us turning the Grace of God into wantonness or from their doting so much on Nature as they call it that they forget the God of Nature so magnifying Naturam naturatam that they heed not Naturam naturantem as they barbarously speak in the Schools or that the Miscarriages of hypocriticall Professours of Religion induce them to think all Zeal in Religion is but from Fancy not God's Spirit and that all zealous persons are Fanaticks or men not in their right wits not soberly wise
So it is that the greatest part either openly commit the most horrid Sins monstrously Swearing as if they would dare God to his face Scoffing at the practice of Piety making no scruple of Deceiving spending their time in Drinking prodigally wasting their Estates by Luxury and the like which should be imployed to good Uses for the Relief of others and the publick benefit or they secretly practise some or all these Sins or worse if it may be under Disguises of Religion and other Vizors without Fear They that complain most of Sin are usually they that are most fearfull of Sin Yet to both it is needfull this Doctrine be taught of God's Forgiveness The most hardened Manasseh may be taken in the Thorns and humbled the most audacious Sinner among you may be awakened and his Eyes opened to see how evil and bitter a thing it is that he hath sinned against the Lord and his Fear hath not been in him Poverty Imprisonment Sickness or Death approaching may open his Ears to Discipline and make him remember God If these things happen let him remember though but then that there is Forgiveness with God And for any other perplexed person let him never forget to have this Cordial in the Closet of his Heart which may revive him in his Agonies and Faintings of spirit That there is Forgiveness with the Lord. But then 2. Let them not forget how and by what means it is obtained to wit by Repentance Confession Forsaking of Sin Faith in Christ's bloud humble Supplication to God new Obedience to him and Forgiveness of our Brother There must be another Heart a heart of Flesh not a heart of Stone in him that shall obtain Forgiveness He shall have Judgment without Mercy that shews no Mercy You must take heed of seeking Forgiveness by Popes or Priests supposed power to forgive Sins by their Authority by others officiating for you or by your own Satisfactions Works of Penance Fasting Alms or other laborious Works imposed or undertaken by your selves as meriting or procuring your Absolution But you must wholly rely on the Death and Intercession of Christ in Heaven and the Covenant in his Bloud Though in the mean time you are not to omit other Duties which I have shewed to be required of God in their place 3. Be sure not to forget to magnifie the Grace of God with whom is Forgiveness Stand and admire that infinite Goodness that after all the Sins of thy Progenitours Adam's Sin in Revolting from God his Maker and Benefactour the Sins of thy Pagan Ancestours in their horrid Idolatries and other Provocations the Sins of thy Popish Ancestours in their perverting the Gospell of Christ imitating the Vices and Superstitions of Pagans corrupting Christianity and destroying Myriads of holy Souls who in their Generations opposed their Abominations and contended for the Truth of Christ besides thy own Sins of Idleness Pride Wantonness Envy Covetousness Ungodliness Profaning holy things living without God in the world he should yet have Mercy on thee pardon thy Sins and save thy Soul Oh say with David Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name Psal 103.1 4. Forget not to fear him for the time to come It is the End of his Forgiving that thou shouldst fear him If God miss his End thou wilt lose thy hopes of Forgiveness Mark what our Saviour saith Joh. 5.14 Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing happen unto thee Surely saith Elihu Job 34.31 32. it is meet to be said unto God I will not offend any more That which I see not teach thou me if I have done Iniquity I will doe no more If pardoning Grace do not better thee it will leave thee more inexcusable and thy Damnation more certain and just If thou become not obsequious to God and mercifull to others thy Pardon will be null'd Oh do not forfeit thy Pardon by After-disobedience but as thou hast God to remember thee in Mercy be sure to remember him by Dutifulness to him all thy days That when thou shalt meet with thy Father in Heaven thou maist be ravish'd with his Grace and he may welcome thee as his obedient Son into his everlasting Joy Amen LAVS DEO THE EFFECTUAL REMEDY The Eleventh SERMON PSAL. lxxix 8. O remember not against us former Iniquities let thy tender Mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low THE Message which was sent from Hezekiah that good King of Judah to the Prophet Isaiah This Day is a Day of Trouble and Rebuke Wherefore lift up thy Prayer for the Remnant that is left Isa 37.3 4. is by His MAJESTIE's Proclamation sent to us We are minded by our Gracious King That this Day is a Day of Trouble such as that we may call it Magor-Missabib Terrour round about us a Day of Rebuke wherein the great Correctour of the World rebukes us in his Anger and chastens us in his hot Displeasure Haeret lateri lethalis Arundo The Arrow of the Almighty flies by day and night among us sticks fast in us and drinks up our Spirit so as that we are consumed by his Anger and by his Wrath we are troubled And therefore it is now a Time for us to lift up our Prayer for the Remnant that is left and to betake our selves to our Litany in good earnest From Plague and Pestilence good Lord deliver us Hitherto are we led by this Precedent which I have read to you O remember not against us c. The Argument of the Psalm sufficiently intimates the Time and the Occasion of penning it The first Verse being a Complaint to God that the Heathen were come into God's Inheritance that is the Land of Judaea had defiled or profaned his holy Temple by casting it to the ground and had laid Jerusalem on heaps Which was done by none but Chaldaeans when this Psalm was composed and therefore it was composed after and upon occasion of the Demolition and Conflagration of Jerusalem and Solomon's Temple by Nebuchadnezzar's appointment of which we reade Jer. 52. which moved either Ezra or Daniel or some other Holy person of that Time to address himself to God with Complaint Expostulation and Petition in the words of my Text O remember not against us c. Wherein are 1. A Deprecation O remember not c. By former Iniquities some understand their Idolatry in making the Golden Calf in the Wilderness concerning which the Jews have a Tradition That in all the Miseries which came upon that People there was some Remembrance of that Sin according to that which is said in Exod. 32.34 Nevertheless in the Day when I shall visit I will visit their Sin upon them But more probably are meant the Sins of Manasseh and other Kings whereby they polluted the Temple with Heathenish Abominations filled Jerusalem with bloud brake their Oath to Nebuchadnezzar were obstinate against all the Warnings of the Prophets whom they mocked despising
their words and misusing their persons which stirred up the Wrath of God against his people so as there was no Remedy 2 Chron. 36.16 These were the Sins that Daniel meant in his Supplication which either symbolized or was contemporary with this Dan. 9.5 6. Now God is said to remember Sins when he doth actually punish persons for them and this is deprecated here simple Forgetfulness being a thing impossible to befall God who is uncapable of any defect but hath all things past present and to come in his view throughout all Eternity 2. Here is a Petition for Help Let thy tender Mercies speedily prevent us Wherein the thing desired is the coming of Aid for their Deliverance from their Captivity and the restoring of their City and Temple and that to be hastened the time seeming long to them in which they were oppressed by the Babylonian Kings and kept from the Land of their desires And this is begged as a product of God's tender Mercies or Bowels of Mercies by which Expression such Mercy as is wont to be in Mothers towards the Children of their womb whose Bowells earn towards them is attributed to God Though to speak exactly as the Schoolmen say Mercy is not in God secundùm Affectum he hath not any formal Dolour or Sympathy so as to be grieved with our Evills as we are when we pity others but secundùm Effectum in respect of the Effect because God in our Misery doth as we doe when we have Compassion on others afford Succour and Relief to those whom he is said to be mercifull to 3. The Petition is enforced with the mention of their low Condition For we are brought very low impoverished or made thin that is we are poor in Purse thin of People much diminished every way spoiled debarred of our Liberty of our Religion of our Peace burthened with imperious Commands heavy Yokes of the Lordly Tyrants of Babylon persecuted with a fiery Furnace for not adoring their Idol in danger of casting into a Den of Lions for calling upon the Name of our God destined to a Panolethry or a total Slaughter by wicked Courtiers proud Haman and his Complices and have none to help us but our God and therefore we pray Let thy tender Mercies speedily prevent us or as in the Verse next my Text Help us O God of our Salvation for the Glory of thy Name and deliver us and purge away our Sins for thy Name 's sake From whence though the occasion of the present business be somewhat different we may deduce these Observations usefull for this Day 's work 1. That it is God's Remembring of Sins which is the reason of the Calamities that befall a people 2. That the Removing of them is an effect of his tender Mercies 3. That God's Time of Help is the low Condition of Supplicants 4. That Bewailing of Sins and humble Supplication for Mercy are the proper and effectual Remedies against the Calamities which are incumbent on God's people Of these in their order I. OBSERVATION That it is God's Remembrance of Sins which is the reason of the Calamities that befall a people It is the Maxim of the Apostle Rom. 6.23 That the Wages or Stipend of Sin is Death Death and all the Evils tending to it were at first the adjudged Pay for Sin against God and Sin is still the Egge out of which all the venomous brood of Mischiefs incident to mankind are hatched By one man Sin entred into the world and Death by Sin and so Death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Rom. 5.12 Adam opened the Floud-gate whereby a Deluge of all sorts of Miseries hath drowned the world But though his Sin were the Fountain of all Calamities yet as Rivers swell by much Rain and overflowing cause particular Inundations of some places so it is with Man by reason of Sin besides the First man's Transgression there is such an increase of Sin in his Posterity that it provokes God sometimes to inflict such remarkable Plagues and Vengeance as are different from the common Death of all men The Uncleanness and Cruelty of the Old world in Noah's days brought the universal Floud on the world of the Vngodly The excessive Pride Filthiness Riot Bestiality of the Sodomites brought down on them from Heaven Fire and Brimstone to consume them The Oppressing of Israel with the Hardness of Pharaoh's Heart caused the drowning of him and his Army in the Red sea Yea the remarkable Sins of those who have been owned as God's own People have caused particular Judgments Achan's Sin made Israel fly before the Canaanites Saul's Sin caused three years Famine Hophni and Phineas by their profaning the Offering of the Lord brought on Eli's House the Loss of his Sons the Loss of the Ark and the Deprivation of his Posterity from the Priesthood Yea David's Sin in numbring of the people moved God to send a Plague on Israel which swept away seventy thousand men But when Manasseh had filled Jerusalem with Witchcraft Idolatry Cruelty and added an obdurate Heart against God's Messengers the Desolation by Nebuchadnezzar seized on them in a far greater measure But worst of all when the Jews killed the Lord Jesus and their own Prophets and persecuted the Apostles of Christ not pleasing God and being contrary to all men forbidding the Apostles to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved to fill up their Sins always then Wrath came upon them to the uttermost as S. Paul speaks 1 Thess 2.15 16. Yea were there no words of Holy Scripture to inform us whence wasting Wars Inundations of water great Famines consuming Pestilence and other effects of Divine Vengeance come on a Nation yet the Histories of such people as knew not God the Observations of considerate men the extorted or free Confession of notorious Sinners in all Ages were abundant evidence to inferrre that it is God's Remembrance of Sin that is the Source of Calamities it being usual for all sorts of Sinners to accuse themselves their own Consciences bearing witness against them when Evils are upon them Adonibezek could remember his Cruelty when the Lex talionis took hold on him Judg. 1.7 And Joseph's Brethren could then acknowledge that God had found out their Iniquity when they were in Distress themselves Gen. 42.21 and 44.16 Any remarkable Affliction that is not ordinary and common wrings out from guilty Consciences such expressions as that of the Widow of Sarepta 1 King 17.18 O thou man of God art thou come to call my Sin to Remembrance and to slay my Son Consonant hereto are God's Declarations of himself Isa 59.1 2. Behold the Lord's Hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither is his Ear heavy that it cannot hear But your Iniquities have separated between you and your God and your Sins have hid his Face from you Perditio tua ex te Israel O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self Hos 13.9 Your Iniquities have turned away these things and your
In like manner their Obsecrations are by the Mercies of God Rom. 12.1 as of all things most dear to them and their Prayers are still enforced by minding God of his Mercies So in the Penitentiall Psalms Psal 6.2 Have Mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak vers 4. Return O Lord deliver my Soul O save me for thy Mercy 's sake Psal 51.1 Have Mercy upon me O God according to thy Loving-kindness according to the multitude of thy tender Mercies blot out my Transgressions and so in the rest There is scarce a Psalm of Petition or Thanksgiving or Narration of God's Acts but there is some if not frequent mention of God's Mercy and tender Compassion as the Source of all the Help his people have and the Ground of their Hope for what they want And the Reasons hereof are 1. Because without God's Mercy there would be no Forgiveness of Sin and without Forgiveness of Sin there would be no Deliverance from Evil. Where the Holy Scripture mentions Redemption from Evil it ascribes it to the Forgiveness of Sin The Redemption in Christ is in the Forgiveness of Sins Eph. 1.7 Forgiving of Sins and Healing Diseases are conjoyned Psal 103.3 And Forgiving of Sins is derived from Mercy He pardoneth Iniquity because he delighteth in Mercy Mich. 7.18 Of his own Mercy he saved us Tit. 3.5 Therefore à primo ad ultimum those follow one another Redemption from Evil follows Forgiveness of Sins and Forgiveness of Sins God's tender Mercies And therefore it is God's tender Mercy that Evils are removed as taking away the Cause whereupon the Effect ceaseth 2. But farther All Influx of Good is from God's tender Mercy There is nothing that doth or can make God a Debtor to any but his tender Mercy Man is a poor helpless thing of himself the best of men in their estate antecedent to God's Help are more destitute of power to help themselves then the very Brutes whether in respect of Naturals or Spiritualls As we are born into the world we are as God said of the Israelites Ezek. 16.6 as a young Child exposed polluted in our own bloud without the Mercy of God teaching strengthening and providing for us certain to perish There is none eye that pities us to doe us any good without God It is his Mercy that the Sun shineth on us that the Air refresheth us our Food nourisheth us our Cloaths warm us that we have Strength to act Wisedom to direct us It is his Mercy that our Parents take care of us that our Friends comfort us our Enemies pity us Devils are curbed from hurting us Ministers preach to us the way of Life the Holy Angels assist us the Spirit of God guides us and which is the Mercy of Mercies that the Son of God is given for us and to us and with him all things and so he crowns us with Loving-kindness and tender Mercies In a word all the Safety and Benefits we enjoy which are innumerable are Fruits springing from the tender Mercies of God as the Root Mercy is the Principle which sets God on work to doe all the good he doeth This is evidenced from the III. OBSERVATION He makes the low Condition of Supplicants his Season of ministring Help This is acknowledged Psal 136.23 Who remembred us in our low estate for his Mercy endureth for ever In another Psalm 107. throughout this way of God's Providence is exemplified in his dealing with Pilgrims Prisoners Captives Diseased persons Mariners oppressed Subjects to all which and all other sorts of dejected and disconsolate persons when their Case is deplorable when they are destitute of all other Remedies when all things are dark and cloudy about them when they are reduced to extremities and are at their wits end God steps in and by some way unthought of unexpected ministers seasonable supply timely Succour and Relief The Scripture is full of Instances in the case of Jacob David Jonah Paul and many others Besides the famous Instances of old of Rain sent to Antoninus his Army upon the Prayers of the Christians of Help to Constantine against Maxentius to Theodosius against Eugenius and of late our own great Deliverances from the Spanish Invasion in Eighty eight of the King and Parliament from the Gunpowder-Treason and which is most apposite to the present state of things the Deliverance of our Metropolis from the sweeping Pestilence in the memory of many of us These and innumerable more Experiences of which no considerate Christian that hath been at Death's door or under Agony of Spirit or in any other low Estate wants Instances do abundantly prove this Truth That Man's Extremity is God's Opportunity And the Reason is Because then Mercy appears to be Mercy God is then manifested to be what he is styled to be the Father of Mercies and the God of all Consolation 2 Cor. 1.3 As the Devil then appears to be a Devil when he takes advantage of our Weakness to hurt us so God appears to be God by making our Infirmity the Reason of his Help Thereby he encourageth us to trust in him engageth us to Thankfulness and to Obedience That is the Harvest-time when God reaps most Glory and we carry home with Joy after our Mourning our Sheaves of Assurance of his Salvation S. Paul therefore tells us that in his Trouble in Asia he was pressed out of measure above strength insomuch that he despaired even of life had the sentence of death in himself to this end that he should not trust in himself but in God which raiseth the dead and then God delivered him from so great a death and did still deliver him and therefore he trusted that he would yet deliver him 2 Cor. 1.8 9 10. Such seasonable Help in Extremities God would therefore have observed and kept upon Record and always acknowledged The Israelites were commanded to present their basket of First-fruits and to make this Confession solemnly Deut. 26.5 c. A Syrian ready to perish was my Father and he went down into Egypt and sojourned there with a few and became there a Nation great mighty and populous And the Egyptians evil intreated us and afflicted us and laid upon us hard Burthens And when we cried unto the Lord God of our Fathers the Lord heard our voice and looked on our Affliction and our Labour and our Oppression and brought us thence into this place Such Providences of God he requires us to observe that we may understand his Loving-kindness Psal 107.43 that we may be excited to cry unto the Lord in our Trouble who delivereth us out of our Distress Which brings us to the IV. OBSERVATION That Bewailing of Sins and humble and instant Supplication are the proper and effectuall Remedies against the Calamities incumbent on God's people Hereunto we are directed Lament 3.40 41 42. Let us search and try our ways and turn again unto the Lord. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the Heavens We have transgressed
Plagues require great Mercies and importunate Suing Now must the Bridegroom goe forth of his chamber and the Bride out of her closet The Ministers of the Lord all sorts of persons old and young must cry with Tears and Supplications Spare us O Lord and give not thy Heritage to reproach We must lift up our hands with our hearts to God in the Heavens as sensible that nothing but his Mercy can save us that he is ready to hear and help when we hope in his Mercy that we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins We must mind God of his former Mercies trust on him as one that hath promised to deliver us when we call on him in the day of Trouble look unto him with Patience as being assured that they that wait for him shall not be ashamed 3. We must adde an unmovable Resolution to amend our waies to sin no more as we have done to abhor Evil and cleave to that which is good in Duties of Religion Prayer Hearing God's Word Praising of God Thanksgiving to be more frequent and serious to cleanse our hands and to purify our hearts from double-mindedness to be upright in what we doe walking humbly with our God and seeking his Glory all our daies And in two things especially we are to deal rightly with God 1. In doing Justice to others if we be publick persons by punishing Sin and giving just Sentence for all that are wronged if private by restoring that which is not our own and righting those we have injured Remember that God abhors ex Rapina Holocaustum Robbery for Burnt-offerings and that the Prayers of the unjust are an Abomination to the Lord. 2. In shewing Mercy to others We are to be mercifull as our heavenly Father is mercifull chiefly when we beg Mercy at his hands This is a necessary Duty for a Fasting-day Isa 58.6 7. Is not this the Fast c Now especially is a time for this Duty in which there is so much Want by reason of the great Poverty that is come upon Families shut up now that Trading is decayed and Provision so dear and difficult to be got As you cry to God for Help so do others Necessities cry to you for Relief Have you then Bowels of Mercy for them as you would have Bowels of Mercy in God towards you Let your hand be open to them as you would have God's hand ready for you So may you expect Preservation in this time of Danger at least you may be assured however you speed now of Life eternall hereafter Which God grant c. Amen LAVS DEO THE HEAVENLY CALL The Twelfth SERMON HEBREWS iv 7. To Day if you will hear his Voice harden not your Hearts THIS Passage is a Quotation with an Application of it beyond what at first the words seemed to import They were spoken by David but intended as a Monition to hear the Gospell They are a Summons or Writ of Appearance served upon Jews and Gentiles limiting them to a certain Day of accepting the offer of the Gospell without delay upon pretence of Business Profit or Pleasure by themselves without Attorney or Proxy The thing to be done is hearing his Voice the means thereunto is Removere prohibens to remove that which might hinder the Hardness of the Heart This being applied to the Gospell of Christ intimates 1. That the Preaching of the Gospel is the Voice of God 2. That it is to be heard 3. That it is to be heard to day 4. That to the end it may be heard to day the Heart must not be hardned I. OBSERVATION That the Gospel of Christ is the Voice of God It is the express Assertion of S. Peter 1. Epist 1.25 alluding to Isa 40.8 But the Word of the Lord endureth for ever and this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto you Which is demonstratively confirmed 1. By its own Evidence in respect of which it is termed the Light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ who is the Image of God 2 Cor. 4.4 It is not denied that it is the hidden Wisedom of God in a mystery which none of the Princes of the world knew yea it is such as eye hath not seen ear hath not heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man without Revelation from him it being not an humane Invention but a Divine Contrivance yet shining forth in the Preaching of it by Christ and his Ministers it exhibits such a Light as can come from none but God It is not like any Talmudicall Fable or Popish Legend or Poeticall Fiction or witty Romance the Brats of mens Fancy or subtile Composure But it is for the matter of it sutable to God's Wisedom Goodness and Holiness agreeable to the undoubted Oracles of God committed to the Jews foretold and prefigured by the Prophecies of the Old Testament and Shadows of the Law Whence S. Peter tells us 2 Pet. 1.16 We have not followed cunningly-devised Fables when we made known unto you the Power and Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and vers 19. that Christians had a more sure word of Prophecy to which they were to take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a dark place adding that the Evidence of the Gospell is as the Dawning of the Day and the Arising of the Day-star in the Christians hearts 2. And in truth the Gospel appears to be such by its Effects It doeth to the Heart what the Stars and the Sun do to the Eyes it enlightens it enlivens it warms it spirits the Heart It doeth that which Natural Reason could not doe Philosophy could not attain to the Law could not accomplish It discovers our selves to our selves the Being Properties Counsels of God to us It turns the Heart from Sin begets Men to God fills the Soul with heavenly Comforts strengthens and quickens the Spirit to doe the Will of God and to suffer for his Name It makes men to be of composed Spirits and celestiall Conversation beyond what either Stoicall Philosophy or Rabbinicall Dictates could raise men unto to be more noble and heroical then those renowned Worthies or Patriots which either Greeks or Romans have admired and magnified 3. And which puts it out of all doubt to be Divine it hath such Attestations as could be given by none but God For besides what John the Baptist saw and heard at Christ's Baptism besides what S. Peter and his Collegues testified who were Eye-witnesses of his Majesty when he received from God the Father Honour and Glory when there came such a Voice to him from the excellent Glory This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased 2 Pet. 1.17 besides all this the Miracles which Christ and his Apostles did so convinced Nicodemus that he confessed We know that thou art a Teacher come from God for no man can doe these Miracles which thou doest except God be with him Joh. 3.2 And that
unsearchable are his Judgments and his ways past finding out Even in this desperate State when Iniquity was at the height when the Sins of men were ripe the Harvest come to its full growth when they lay weltring in their own bloud he said unto such out-cast helpless sons of Adam Live he hath swaddled washed nourished decked married to his Son such forlorn Creatures done the greatest Good to the worst of men he so loved the World that he gave his onely-begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have Life eternal Jesus Christ came into the world to save Sinners even the chiefest though it was foreseen which is next to be considered II. OBSERVATION That corrupt Hearts will be apt upon this gracious dealing of God to harden themselves by continuance in Sin The Apostle Jude in his Epistle vers 4. tells us of some ungodly men in his time who turned the Grace of God into Lasciviousness But it is an Abuse not peculiar to those onely it is a Disease which is hereditary How many are there who presume on God's Mercy though they persist in their Impenitency Is it not a frequent thing with many that profane the Name of God by an hourly Abuse of it in vain Swearing that spend a great part of their lives in Debauchery so as to become more like Beasts then Men to live more Pecudum or more Ferarum as Sensualists rather then Religious persons as Devils rather then Saints yet to feed themselves with imaginations of God's Grace as if God would be mercifull to such Christ died for All God would damn None to bolster up themselves in Sin deluding themselves with Conceits of Pardon if at last Gasp they can but cry Peccavi when they love their Sin as much as they did and grieve onely that they cannot still commit it or that God awards Hell to the Actours of it and cry God mercy in a faint Miserere mei God be mercifull to me when they have neither acquaintance with his Promise nor any lively sense of his Love in Christ How great a part of the sons of men expose themselves to Temptations and give way to sinfull Compliance in Errour or unrighteous Practices out of a fond hope of future Repentance and easie Pardon Not onely notorious ungodly persons who walk in the Stubbornness of their heart adding drunkenness to thirst say in their heart they shall have Peace when God saith he will not spare them Deut. 29.19 bless themselves when God curseth them but also others who have a Form of Godliness without the Power shelter themselves from Wrath upon a mistake of God's abundant Grace Yea somewhat of this Leaven is hidden even in Good mens Hearts which is apt to sour their Spirits to puff them up with high conceits of their Happiness and Interest in God so as to make them secure in some goings astray Which is a foolish and pernicious Abuse of God's superabundant Grace to be next considered III. OBSERVATION That it is a foolish Conceit that we may securely continue in Sin and expect Favour from God because of his superabundant Grace in Christ This is manifest because it is a groundless and vain Presumption there being no Promise or other Declaration of God which assures his Grace to such persons Promise of Pardon of Sin is made onely to the Penitent Mercy to him that confesseth and forsaketh his Sin Onely a working Faith that is in Christ operative by Love avails with God to the Justification of a Sinner New Obedience is requisite to the Continuance of our Peace with God a holy Life to eternal Life We reade of David's Forgiveness and we reade also of David's Confession he acknowledgeth his Sin before Nathan tells him The Lord hath put away thy Sin We reade of God's Mercy to Manasseh but the same Story tells us of his humbling himself first Saint Paul was saved though the chief of Sinners but not till he was converted and thereby made a real Saint Were it so that Grace were bestowed on hardned Sinners it would be in effect a cherishing of Rebellion When a Prince pardons a Traitour he will first have him an humble Supplicant lay down his Weapons and fall prostrate at his feet Else he should maintain Enemies not secure his Dominion he should in the event destroy himself by saving his Foe such Pity to them would prove Cruelty to himself It is so in God's Royall Government Should he shew himself facil and forward in bestowing his most beneficial Grace on open Sinners that persist in their Provocations or on secret Hypocrites that are false-hearted he should in stead of upholding his Kingdom ruine it in stead of gaining good Subjects nourish Vipers in his bosome It is a Maxim with him in his Holy Polity That when the Righteous turneth away from his Righteousness and committeth Iniquity his Righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his Trespass that he hath trespassed and in his Sin that he hath sinned in them shall he die Ezek. 18.24 This is the way of God which he counts as it is indeed most equall it being altogether incongruous to God's Holiness to abett Evil. For that would foster such Conceits in men as those were in him of whom God saith Psal 50.21 These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thy self Then which there is nothing more opposite to his pure Nature nothing being more repugnant to him then Sin Such Imputations therefore are the greatest Disparagements of God the foulest Reproaches the most hainous Injuries the most monstrous Indignities that can be cast on the Divine Majesty it being all one as to metamorphose him into a Devil All Sin is from the Devil and therefore for God to bestow his Grace on him that continues in Sin were to countenance the Devil's Actings to breed up his Brats in stead of destroying the works of the Devil such Indulgence would promote them God should be an egregious Dissembler he should in word forbid Sin in deed command it he should take to himself the name of a Righteous God and act as the Authour of Sin he should threaten Sinners as if he were in jest not in earnest give liberty and allowance to a dissembling Hypocrite to mock him to his face while he makes a shew of honouring God when he sues for his Grace and yet in Heart derides the Word of the living God The Intention of God in exhibiting his surpassing Grace is to draw the Hearts of men by the Chords of love to him the more abundantly that as it is said of that woman Luk. 7.47 that her Sins which were many were forgiven for she loved much much Love might be the fruit of much Grace Whereas the Continuance in Sin out of the fancy of superabundant Grace is indeed to abuse the Love of God to the increase of Hatred against him Spider-like to suck Poison out of that Flower
which a Bee would convert to the sweetest Hony In the end this course is most pernicious to him that follows it there being nothing that more alienates Affection from a person then his abuse of Kindness God's Love abused turns to Rage and none have God more incensed against them then those that having tasted of the good Gift of God fall away into sinfull Courses that are so unthankfull for so great a Favour as the offer of Reconciliation the Sacrifice of Christ the Invitation to his Supper to the Marriage of the Son of God as that they chuse rather to be at home with their Oxen and Wives and Farms or to come without a Wedding-garment then to accept of his Motion and accommodate themselves to his Kindness that having had ten thousand Talents forgiven them take their Brother by the throat for an hundred pence When men despise the Riches of God's Goodness and Forbearance and Long-suffering not knowing that the Goodness of God leadeth them to Repentance after their hardness and impenitent Hearts they treasure up to themselves Wrath against the day of Wrath and revelation of the righteous Judgment of God Rom. 2.4 5. APPLICATION Oh then let me in the most tender Bowells of Compassion my Heart can be touched with with the most serious Importunity that my words can express with the deepest Adjuration by the most affecting things that I can mind you of instantly press you to take heed of this most vile ugly dishonest irrational and damnable Abuse of the Divine Grace so as to continue in Sin that Grace may abound It is most meet yea natural that Love should beget Love Grace should beget Observance Is not he a most egregious Villain that hates his own Father that begat him that kills him that gave him Life Is not the Lord the Rock who begat thee the God that formed thee And wilt thou then be so unnatural as to hate God as thou dost if this be thy Requital for his Grace to persevere in Wickedness He tells thee that he is hated when thou lovest any thing more then him givest his Glory to another makest thy Belly thy God gloriest in thy Shame mindest earthly things And wilt thou thus recompense so great Goodness with such extreme Badness He saith he will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain And wilt thou pollute the Holy Name of thy Holy Father with thy impure Swearing The earnal mind is Enmity against God as being not subject to his Law but inconsistent with it And wilt thou suffer vain Thoughts to lodge in thee fleshly Reason to sway with thee carnal Lusts to rule over thee All Benefits received engage to answerable Duty What art thou then but a very Miscreant that having so much taste how gracious God is how amply he hath vouchsafed to be bountifull to thee in giving Christ for thee how profusely he hath bestowed on thee the Riches of Heaven in the largess of Spiritual Blessings in heavenly things in Christ dost yet side with Sin and Satan his profest irreconcilable Enemies that canst harbour that Enemy which thy Allegeance to God binds thee to pursue zealously unto death Oh that rather the Sense of God's Goodness might make us good the Taste of his Grace might make us gracious Surely none are worse Enemies to God then such as have been acquainted with the excess of God's Grace in Christ yet exceed in their obstinate perseverance in Evil such as when God's Grace should draw Tears from their Eyes Sighs from their Breasts cause Dejectedness in their Spirits by reason of their Sinning against so incomprehensible a Love as that which he vouchsafes to the Sons of Adam in Christ have yet a Forehead of brass that cannot blush glory in their Wickedness boast of their Lewdness and are secure in their Impenitency Greater Woe was to Chorazin and Bethsaida then to Tyre and Sidon because they repented not upon such Proofs of Christ's Excellency as would have wrought on the other As they had been lifted up to Heaven so Christ foretells their casting down to Hell No people in the world are likely to have a greater degree of Torment in Hell then profane and unrighteous men among us who have the greatest Proof of God's Grace of any people on the Earth As then you either stand in fear of so great Damnation or are desirous of that abundant Grace which the Gospel of Christ exhibits abhorr the thought of Continuing in Sin that Grace may abound Let the Mercies of God lead you to present your Bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable Service for that will procure his Favour here and your Blessedness hereafter Which he grant c. Amen LAVS DEO THE DIVINE COMPASSIONS The Fourteenth SERMON LAMENT iij. 22. It is of the Lord's Mercies that we are not consumed because his Compassions fail not I Have read to you a passage out of a most dolefull Poem composed by that Holy Prophet Jeremiah with much Art in the four first Chapters the order of the Hebrew Alphabet being observed in the initiall Letters of the Verses yet with a very deep sense of God's Judgments on Judah and Jernsalem and a tender Sympathy with them in their Affliction He had long and often foretold those Evils would befall them which he now saw come upon them quorum pars magna fuit and in which he had a great Share and he might well say Quis talia fando temperet à lacrymis Who could think or speak of such things with dry Eyes or an insensible Spirit This set may I say his Muse I should say rather his Prophetick spirit on work to endite and leave to the Church this Poem In which with much Compassion towards his Country he bewails their Desolation yet with much Piety towards God justifies him as punishing them according to the Demerit of their Sins and magnifies his Goodness as punishing them less then they deserved Both which are expressed in the words of my Text It is of the Lord's Mercies that we are not consumed because his Compassions fail not And sure we may say the like It is of the Lord's Mercies that London and all England are not consumed by the Pestilence because his Compassions fail not And therefore the handling of this Passage will be apposite to the present Face of things with us and the Occasion of this Day In it 1. The Prophet takes notice of the Mitigation of God's Wrath in that they were not consumed 2. He assigns the genuine Cause of it the Lord's Mercies or Benignities great Mercies which is exclusive of any other procuring Cause that might deserve it and intimates that there was sufficient reason did not his Mercies interpose why he should have consumed them 3. These Mercies are described 1. By the kind of them they were Compassions in the Original Bowel-mercies such as a tender Mother hath to the Child of her womb in God Pardoning Mercies Relieving
and Mercy of a most Gracious Prince All these and what-ever Sins we have committed let us for time to come fear to commit again either the same or the like Sins Let us dread God's Indignation which we have found so intolerable let us hope in his Mercy which we have found so helpfull Let us love God who hath done us good so freely let us be studious to please him who hath remembred us in our low estate And as we have our Lives as it were restored so let us dedicate our Lives to him consecrate our Souls to him present our Bodies a living Sacrifice to him in our reasonable Service and devote our selves wholly to serve him without fear in Holiness and Righteousness before him all the daies of our life Considering seriously that though we have now escaped this Judgment yet without sound Repentance and thorough Amendment of life though we have avoided this first Death hitherto yet shall we not escape the second though with the Sodomites we be delivered from the Sword yet Fire from Heaven will consume us we are reserved to the Vengeance of eternall Fire But if the Mercy of God lead us to Repentance make us more obedient more cleaving to God in Dependence on him this Deliverance will be a Mercy indeed a Pledge of more Mercies yea an eternall Mercy So that we shall have cause to joyn with all the Holy Saints in that Temple-Song O give thanks unto the God of Heaven for his Mercy endureth for ever Amen LAVS DEO DAVID's Thankfull Commemoration Part I. The Fifteenth SERMON PSAL. lvi 13. For thou hast delivered my Soul from Death wilt thou not deliver my Feet from Falling that I may walk before God in the Light of the living THE Title of this Psalm tells us the Occasion to wit David's Apprehension by the Philistines in Gath And that points us to one of the two Times in which he was fain to make his Escape out of the Land of Israel to the King of Gath's Court to avoid Saul's Persecution Most likely it was the former of the two when he was alone for the second time he was accompanied with 600 men 1 Sam. 27.2 and not so liable to be taken as now And therefore it is more likely it was upon his Danger 1 Sam. 21. when being warned by Jonathan of his Father's evil Intendments towards him he got Provision from Ahimelech and Goliah's Sword and fled to Achish King of Gath where hearing what the King's Servants said of him he was afraid and changed his behaviour and now like a frantick person in shew but an inspired person in truth he indites this Psalm expressing therein his Supplication for Deliverance his Confidence in God his Enemies Practices his assurance of their Disappointment his Vows to God his acknowledgment of God's Preservation with his future Hopes and the End of all in the words read to you For thou hast delivered my Soul from death wilt thou not deliver c In which words we have 1. A Commemoration of what God had done for him Thou hast delivered my Soul from death 2. A Postulation expressing his Hope of what God would yet doe farther for him Wilt thou not deliver my Feet from falling 3. The End designed in both That I may walk before God in the light of the living Of these in their order and I. His Commemoration which is of a Deliverance and that from Death and that of Himself and that by God All Deliverances are memorable things As the Evil escaped is grievous so the Evasion is joyous Whence it is that men love to tell of their Preservations from Dangers and to keep Memorials of them and express their Gratitude towards the Means whereby they avoid them Navita securus narrare pericula gaudet The Mariner preserved from Shipwreck loves to tell of his Dangers the Souldier that is safe after Fight to talk of his Encounters And the greater the Danger hath been the more freely do they discourse of it especially if the Deliverance be compleat For then there are likely Festivities to make others partakers of their Joy Monuments or Records to prevent Oblivion and if they have any sense of God's Hand any smack of Religion Vows and Offerings are made and performed to God Thus did the affrighted Mariners when upon Jonah's being thrown over-board the Seaceased from her raging they feared the Lord exceedingly and offered a Sacrifice unto the Lord and made Vows Jonah 1.15 16. And this was David's practice here and elsewhere He had fled from one Enemy but was fallen into the hands of more He was as if a man did fly from a Lion and a Bear met him or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall and a Serpent bit him Saul hated him out of fear lest he should supplant him the Philistines who had found him a terrible Enemy could not but hate him because he had been the instrument of destroying them In this great Streight his onely Refuge is in his God In God have I put my trust saith he vers 11. I will not be afraid what Man can doe unto me And being assured of his Preservation he adds Thy Vows are upon me O God I will render Praises unto thee vers 12. The reason of which is in my Text For thou hast delivered my Soul from death Whence you may perceive this Conclusion to flow naturally OBSERVATION That God's Deliverance of our Souls or Lives from death should engage us to perform our Vows made to God in our Danger and to render Praises to him for our Deliverance This was David's practice in all his Dangers to make Supplication to God in the time of his Distress to make Vows to God for the enforcing of his Prayers and then to perform his Vows and praise his Deliverer when he was escaped The 116. Psalm is very full to this purpose There he tells us of his Danger vers 3. The Sorrows of Death compassed me and the Pains of Hell gat hold upon me In this Extremity he applies himself to his sacred Anchour Then called I upon the Name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my Soul vers 4. The Event is he was brought low and God helped him vers 6. he called upon the Lord and he heard him Therefore he bespeaks his Soul Return unto thy Rest O my Soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee vers 7. Therefore he loves the Lord consults what he may render to the Lord for all his Benefits towards him chiefly for delivering his Soul from death and he resolves to take the Cup of Salvation and to call upon the Name of the Lord to pay his Vows in the presence of all his people vers 13 14. to offer the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving vers 17. to tell of all God's works with gladness and to make others to be partakers of his Joy He invites the Godly to hear the Narrative of God's Mercies towards him Psal 66.16 Come and hear
him and hide him from the Face of him that sitteth upon the Throne and from the Wrath of the Lamb For the great day of his Wrath is come and who is able to stand Rev. 6.16 17. Now then Deliverance from Death must needs deserve Praise and Thanksgiving Deliverance from the greatest Evil should be received with the greatest Gratitude Deliverance from natural Death causeth Holy persons to bless God but Deliverance from Sin the cause of Death from the Wrath to come eternal Death much more This makes the Deliverance most compleat and the Thankfulness should be most ample To which is to be added 2. That the Deliverance is by God it is He that delivers the Soul from Death Now what comes from God's hand is most acceptable to them that love God A Deliverance from Death by a man doth ingage our Affections to him we think our selves obliged to him while we live who hath preserved our Life especially if he be a person of great Quality To have our Lives saved by the King whom we had provoked to be pardoned our Treason exceedingly heightens our valuation of the Benefit There is much more cause to magnifie the Goodness of God who saves his people from Death by pardoning of their Sins by advancing them to Nearness with himself who so saves from Death temporal as to give Life eternal Behold saith Hezekiah Isa 38.17 for Peace I had great Bitterness but thou hast in love to my Soul delivered it from the Pit for thou hast cast all my Sins behind thy back The Forgiveness of Sins which occasioned Death is a greater Benefit then the prolonging of Life And then it is Happiness accumulated to the height when there is not onely length of days on Earth but eternal Life in Heaven conferred upon the saved Bless the Lord O my Soul saith David Psal 103.1 2 3 4. and all that is within me bless his holy Name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his Benefits Who forgiveth all thy Sins and healeth all thy Diseases Who redeemeth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with Loving-kindness and tender Mercies All which Mercies are the more joyfull to the believing Soul because they are not so much the fruit of our Prayers as of God's free Grace in Christ The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ so loved the World the sinfull World even when they were Enemies to him that he gave his onely-begotten Son to death even the death of the Cross that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting Life This Deliverance from Death proceeding from God's special Love that great Love wherewith he loved us when we were dead in Trespasses and Sins quickening us together with Christ saving us by Grace is that which makes it incomprehensibly welcome and encourageth the Soul to expect farther Preservation as David doth here which brings me to the Second Part of my Text now to be handled viz. II. David's Postulation Wilt thou not deliver my Feet from falling The Expression seems to be expostulatory but is to be conceived to include a Petition He demands of God Wilt thou not c not as one that challenged it as his due desert but as assured of the Continuance of God's Goodness He deprehends in God a Fountain of Love which is still running over flowing down in farther Streams of saving Mercy We have an exact and ample Paraphrase upon the words of my Text in that passage Psal 36. from vers 5. to the end where having set out the Wickedness of men and his own Danger he breaks forth in extolling God's Goodness in an assurance of a constant Current of Mercies and then is instant with God for the Continuance of his Preservation This part of my Text is a most precious passage of great Use for your Meditation in times of Danger by reason of Pestilence or War and it shews this to be the customary practice of Holy persons to gather Arguments of Assurance of future Help from God from their experience of his former gracious Deliverances So did David 1 Sam. 17.37 when he was to fight wïth Goliah he argued thus The Lord that delivered me out of the Paw of the Lion and of the Bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine And after him S. Paul 2 Cor. 1.9 10. We had the sentence of death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God that raiseth the dead Who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver In his former Deliverance he perceived the Power of God that he could deliver from Death he deprehends his watchfulness over him in the Continuance of his Deliverance his Love to him and Care of him which confirms him in the expectation of farther Help for the future As they say all Vertues are concatenate in Prudence so all Mercies are linked together in God's Love and Care of his Servants And indeed so the Apostle inferrs Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things He that preserves our Lives will keep our Feet Thou hast delivered my Soul from Death wilt thou not also deliver my Feet from falling Surely thou wilt But then this Deliverance must be sought for at his hands which is also implied in this Expression When Christ cured the lame Cripple he bade him take up his bed and walk God when he saves our Life from death expects that we should walk before him Our Life is a Pilgrimage we walk from one Stage of it to another as the Sun runs its course so doth Man The Emanations of our Minds the Actions of our Members are our Steps If we walk not uprightly if we heed not what we think what we speak what we act our Feet will quickly fall first into Sin and then into Mischief The Psalmist Psal 73.2 tells us out of his experience of himself that his Feet were almost gone his Steps had well-nigh slipt He had stumbled at the Stumbling-stone to wit the Prosperity of the Wicked This begat Envy in him and that drew him on to a kind of Affection to their ways to a condemning of his own Course and offending against the generation of God's Children And had not God mercifully caught him when he was falling by directing him to the Sanctuary of God where he might see the End of the wicked that however they stood on smooth yet they were but slippery places they walked on Ice which would suddenly break under them and then they would sink for ever he had certainly perished Therefore he recovers himself and applies himself to God vers 23 24. and stays himself on the Manutenentia Divina Thou hast holden me by my right hand Thou wilt guide me with thy Counsel and after receive me to Glory As for me saith he in another Psalm 41.12 thou upholdest
mind God in his Prayer Isa 38.3 Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect Heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Which acquaints us with the next Condition of this Walking 2. It must be a Walking in God's Ways It is not enough for him that walks in his Uprightness that his Intentions be good but he must also chuse the Paths of Uprightness he must doe what God requires to be done and to be done by him He that ran well but extra Viam out of the Way appointed him beyond his Line had not the Crown assigned him by the Judges in the Greek Games Neither hath he the Approbation or Reward of upright Walking who walks by another Rule then God commands They that chuse either their own Conceits or the Tradition of the Elders or any other humane Authority for the Square of their Actions are judged to worship God in vain to draw near him with their Mouth and to honour him with their Lips but to remove their Heart far from him whose Fear towards him is taught by the Precepts of men Isa 29.13 They are such as eye the Dictates of Rabbins the Decrees of Popes the Canons of Councils above or equally with the Precepts of Christ they make Conscience of the Vow of Corban not of honouring Father and Mother they will by no means break the Rules of the Founder of their Order but scruple not the violating of Christ's Commands Neither can those be said to walk in their Uprightness that make Conscience of keeping one Command but not of another that will not swear yet will lie that will pray to God and yet defraud men that will give Alms yet adore a Crucifix that will pay Tith of Mint Anise and Cumin and leave the weightier matters of the Law Righteousness Judgment Faith and the Love of God that abhor Idols yet commit Sacrilege All upright Walking is copulative takes in its Walk all God's Commands it excludes none but observes all in their due order and place Then shall I not be ashamed saith David Psal 119.6 when I have respect to all thy Commands Yet herein there must be heed taken that we regard each in its proper time To keep the Sabbath by Rest to attend the Sacrifice was a Duty but not when Mercy was to be shewed Vice is to be reproved but in fit season Sin is to be punished but by him that is thereto authourized Sacrifice is to be offered but by the Priest He that walks in his Uprightness must not onely look that the thing he does be commanded but that it be commanded to him Each must walk in his own Path in his own Rank if he will walk in his Uprightness 3. He that walks in his Uprightness must walk warily steadily evenly constantly according to that of Solomon Prov. 4.25 26 27. Let thine eyes look right on and let thine ey-lids look straight before thee Ponder the Path of thy feet and let all thy ways be established Turn not to the right hand nor to the left remove thy foot from Evil. So saith the Apostle Eph. 5.15 16. See that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time He that walks in his Uprightness hath his Eyes in his head to keep his Way gazeth not about to satisfie his Curiosity but minds his Journey the Way he is to walk in the Work he is to doe listens not to seducing Company that seeks to divert him out of his Path takes heed of such Offers such Temptations as may be Stumbling-blocks to him to cause him to fall sets his Foot his Purposes firmly that he may not slip looks not back like Lot's Wife to Sodom to his former Pleasures He goes not on weeping like Phalti when he restored Michal to David but like David with enlarged heart he lifts up his feet to run the way of God's Commands He is not slothfull but a diligent follower of them that through Faith and Patience have inherited the Promises He looks to the Cloud of Witnesses that have gone before him and keeps company with them who confess themselves Pilgrims and Strangers on Earth and thereby declare plainly that they seek another City to wit an heavenly He casts away every weight and the Sin that doth so easily beset him that he may with patience run the Race that is set before him Such do arm themselves against Encounters of Spiritual Wickednesse that may rob or spoil them of their Provision for their Journey They goe on as David said of himself Psal 71.16 in the strength of the Lord God Their Strength is in him in whose Heart are the ways of them they goe from Strength to Strength Psal 84.5 7. The Joy of the Lord is their Strength his Love heartens them the Hope of Glory keeps them from fainting it is as an Anchor of the Soul firm and stable and which entreth into that within the Veil They look unto Jesus the Authour and finisher of their Faith who for the Joy that was set before him endured the Cross and despised the Shame and is set down at the right hand of God They endure Contradiction of Sinners and resist unto bloud striving against Sin In a word Faith in God through Jesus Christ Joy in the Holy Ghost Love to Christ Hope of the Inheritance above animate them to holy Resolutions of Obedience to God confirm them against Difficulties keep them from fainting under any Pressures till they get to the end of their Journey and that Rest which is prepared for them that walk uprightly II. How this Walking of a man in his Vprightness doth demonstrate the Fear of the Lord. Such Walking doth evidently demonstrate the Fear of the Lord that is that reverential Regard of God as their Lord and Master the Supreme Law-giver and Judge to whom they are subject to be the Principle that acts them and carries them on with vigour to walk in their Uprightness For 1. In that they set their faces towards God they shew that their Walking tends to please God to gain his Approbation which is the greatest sign of Fear in a Servant to his Master a Child to his Father a Subject to his Prince for in all these Relations it is the Reverence of Superiours which moves the Inferiour to put forth his ability for the Superiour So it is the Fear of God that moves the upright Walker to glorifie God in his Body and Spirit which are God's to present his Body to him as a living Sacrifice in his reasonable Service to devote himself to God and to gratifie him with what Offering he hath with what Performance he is able to doe 2. A man's Choice of God's Commands as his Path shews his Subjection to him and that is the greatest proof of an holy Fear of the Divine Majesty He is a man after God's own heart who will doe all his Will as it is said of David Act.
Course of his Actions by and chiefly when he opposeth God's Will his Truth his Precepts then is he perverse in his Ways Now this may happen two ways either out of Ignorance or wittingly and this either willingly or unwillingly with a pure or a mixt Will out of Infirmity through Fear Forgetfulness Heedlesness or such like Cause as abates much of the Voluntariness of the Action or obstinately resolutely presumptuously after Conviction Warning Reproof Correction not onely actually but also habitually and incorrigibly with a high hand and contumacious mind He that fears the Lord and walks in his Vprightness may sometimes actually be perverse in his Ways out of Ignorance Infirmity through prevalency of Temptation and yet not be accounted so perverse in his Ways as to be said to despise the Lord so as Solomon here means S. Paul at Antioch chargeth S. Peter and S. Barnabas that they did not walk uprightly according to the Truth of the Gospel Gal. 2.14 because that S. Peter before certain came from James did eat with the Gentiles but when they were come he withdrew and separated himself fearing them of the Circumcision And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation Herein was a kind of Perverseness out of some Timorousness incident to a holy Saint and a Pillar among the Apostles and that in a Point which so much concerned the Truth of the Gospel and yet there was no such despising of the Lord as Solomon doth here stigmatize Nor dare I say but that David did that which was not right in the eyes of the Lord in the matter of Vriah the Hittite in the business of Ziba and of Numbring the people but that he despised the Commandment of the Lord to doe evil in his sight yet was he not so perverse in his Ways as to despise the Lord so as here is meant because it was not done obstinately impenitently habitually But Eli's Sons Hophni and Phinehas who caused men to abhor the Offerings of the Lord and persisted in their Sin after their Father Eli's Admonition were obstinately habitually perverse in their Ways and despised the Lord 1 Sam. 2.17 25 29. In like manner all such are perverse in their Ways and despise the Lord so as Solomon here means who do stubbornly and impenitently persist in any sinfull Errour or wicked Practice against the Law of God or the Gospel of Christ either not relinquishing the one after Discovery or not amending the other after Reproof but upholding the one and continuing in the other against the Warnings of God and Man Of such Perverseness of men in their Ways there are many Degrees according to the several kinds of Warnings given them the Frequency of their Actings the Stifness and Stubbornness of their Wills the Proceedings of their Practices the Excellency of God's Will which they bend themselves against and the Engagements they have to conform to it Sometimes the Lord warns men of the Evil of their ways by the Reproof of an Enemy and it is Wisedom to make use of it for our Amendment Even Plutarch hath a Treatise directing a man How to get good by an Enemie's ill will this is to make Mithridate out of Poison Sometimes a Friend shews us our Evil and then it is great Perverseness to persist in it Sometimes an authourized Pastour a Parent a Yoke-fellow admonishes with due Correction and yet persons continue obstinate Sometimes God sends Warnings by his Prophets as he did to the Israelites 2 Chron. 36.15 16. He sent to them by his Messengers rising up betimes and sending them because he had Compassion on his people But they mocked the Messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets until the Wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no Remedy Sometimes he warns men by his Judgments either on themselves or on others expecting that when his Judgments are in the Earth the Inhabitants of the world should learn Righteousness Isa 26.9 Yet though they be iterated varied be very conspicuous and terrible men return not to the Lord as the Prophet complains Amos 4.11 Yea they are so far from being bettered by God's Judgments that as it is said Rev. 16.11 some blaspheme the God of Heaven because of their Pains and their Sores and repent not of their deeds Yea so far are God's Judgments or Mercies from turning men from their Sins that oftentimes they multiply Abominations the more which shews extreme Perverseness The same may be said of them that abuse God's Patience and Long-suffering not knowing that the Goodness of God should lead them to Repentance as the Apostle speaks Rom. 2.4 And of those that because Sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore their Heart is fully set in them to doe evil Eccles. 8.11 And according to this Stifness of their Wills there are Degrees of Perverseness in their Practices For some as the Prophet chargeth the Jews Zach. 7.11 refuse to hearken pull away the Shoulder stop their Ears that they should not hear Yea saith he vers 12. they made their Heart as an Adamant-stone lest they should hear the Lord and the words which the Lord of hoasts sent in his Spirit by the Prophets therefore a great Wrath came from the Lord of hoasts Some shut their Eyes against the Light in them by their vicious Affections darken the Light of their natural Conscience and are given over to a reprobate Sense Many hold the Truth in Vnrighteousness after it is made known to them Rom. 1.18 and not onely yield not to it but also wrangle and cavil against it Yea there are not a few who in stead of being altered by any Denunciations of Judgments from God or Convictions of his Law turn the very Speeches of the Prophets and Preachers that are sent to them into proverbial Scoffs as those that scornfully said Let him make speed and hasten his Work that we may see it and let the Counsel of the Holy one of Israel draw nigh and come that we may know it Isa 5.19 And those that tauntingly took up the Prophet's term of the Burthen of the Lord Jer. 23.38 To what height of profane Impudence and Perverseness in their Ways are they come who as if they counted it their Bravery abuse the very words of Holy Scripture even of Christ himself in their Discourses and foolish Jests though by themselves and those like them counted witty to make themselves sport and render them ridiculous who as if it were a part of Gallantry to provoke the God of Heaven glory in their outrageous Swearing and direfull Imprecations against themselves Others there are like Elymas the Sorcerer whom S. Paul Act. 13.10 terms a man full of all Subtlety and all Mischief a Child of the Devil Enemy of all Righteousness who ceased not to pervert the right ways of the Lord in seeking to turn away the Deputy Sergius Paulus from the Faith of Christ
love himself less If we cannot reach the height of this Document which is to die for an Enemy yet we may goe so far as not to incurre our Destruction by an affected Hatred As God's Mercy is transcendent and runs through all his other Attributes so ought ours to be our very Acts of Justice and severest Rigour must be Acts of Mercy As it is our Compassion to the Body that makes us cut off a gangraened Member so must our Tenderness of the whole season that Severity which is directed against a private person The whole Frame and Course of things seem to lesson us to this Duty If we look towards that Heaven which must be the Seat and Mansion of the Saints 't is boundless and uncomprehended so much delights his Mercy to exspatiate it self that it will not be confined whereas his Wrath and Vengeance are content with a narrow Room for the execution of his Justice He hath made Heaven of a vast Capacity which betokens an Infinite Goodness but the Place of Torments hath he bounded with streight Dimensions lest his avenging Justice should be exalted above his Mercy in the largeness of its Dominion If God have scarce afforded his just Vengeance a Point or Angle in this great Vniverse then ought not Man in so small a Room as his Heart give any entertainment to unjust Cruelty or Hardness but study rather to enlarge it that he may take in a greater measure of that Mercy whose Property is to be boundless and transcendent Page 53. line 13. for delight your Bodies reade defile your Bodies A Catalogue of some Books Printed for Richard Royston viz. THE Works of the Learned Mr. Joseph Mede in Folio The Fourth Edition Books Written by Jer. Taylor D. D. and late Lord-Bishop of Down and Connor Ductor Dubitantium or The Rule of Conscience in Five Books in Folio The Great Exemplar or the Life and Death of the Holy Jesus in Fol. with Figures sutable to every Story ingrav'd in Copper Whereunto is added The Lives and Martyrdoms of the Apostles By William Cave D. D. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or A Collection of Polemical Discourses addressed against the Enemies of the Church of England both Papists and Fanaticks in large Folio The Third Edition The Rules and Exercises of Holy Living and Holy Dying The Eleventh Edition newly printed in Octavo Books Written by the Reverend Dr. Patrick The Christian Sacrifice A Treatise shewing the Necessity End and Manner of receiving the Holy Communion together with sutable Prayers and Meditations for every Month in the Year and the Principal Festivals in Memory of our Blessed Saviour In Four Parts The Third Edition corrected The Devout Christian instructed how to Pray and give Thanks to God Or a Book of Devotion for Families and particular Persons in most of the concerns of Humane life The Second Edition in Twelves An Advice to a Friend the Third Edition in Twelves A Friendly Debate between a Conformist and a Nonconformist in Octavo Two Parts Jesus and the Resurrection justified by Witnesses in Heaven and in Earth in Two Parts in Octavo New The History of the Church of Scotland by Bishop Spotswood the Fourth Edition enlarged Folio The Lives of the Apostles in Folio alone by William Cave D. D. Chirurgical Treatises by R. Wiseman Serjeant-Chirurgeon to his Majesty Fol. New The Principles and Practices of several Moderate Divines of the Church of England also The Design of Christianity both which are written by Edward Fowler Minister of God's Word at Northill in Bedfordshire In Octavo The Second Edition Reflections upon the Devotions of the Roman Church with the Prayers Hymns and Lessons themselves taken out of their Authentick Authours In Three Parts in Octavo New Goe in Peace Containing some brief Directions for Young Ministers in their Visitation of the Sick Usefull for the People in their state both of Health and Sickness In 12. New The Countess of Morton's daily Exercises or A Book of Prayers and Rules how to spend the time in the Service and Pleasure of Almighty God The Practical Christian in Four Parts or a Book of Devotions and Meditations with Psalms and Meditations upon the Four last things 1. Death 2. Judgment 3. Hell 4. Heaven By R. Sherlock D. D. Rectour of Winwick In Twelves The Spiritual Sacrifice or Devotions fitted for the hours of the day by a late Reverend Divine In Twelves Animadversions upon a Book Intituled Fanaticism Fanatically imputed to the Catholick Church by Dr. Stillingfleet and the Imputation Refuted and Retorted by S. C. The Second Edition By a Person of Honour In Octavo The Estate of the EMPIRE or an Abridgment of the Laws and Government of Germany Farther shewing what Condition the Empire was in when the Peace was concluded at Munster Also the several Fights Battels and Desolation of Cities during the War in that EMPIRE And also of the GOLDEN BVLL In Octavo The Sicilian Tyrant Or The Life and Death of Agathocles With some Reflections on our Modern Usurpers Octavo The Royal Martyr and the Dutifull Subject In Two Sermons By Gilbert Burnet In Quarto The Life and Death of King Charles the First By R. Perenchief D. D. Octavo
it is said Thou art a God ready to pardon or a God of Pardons gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great Kindness And the Prophet Isa 55.7 exhorts the wicked to return unto the Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon It is then one of God's Jewells which his Crown is set with that he is not as a cruell Tyrant or infernall Fiend with whom there is nothing but Cruelty and Mischievousness but as a gracious King or loving Father in whom is Clemency as well as Justice affectionate Forgiveness as well as severe Correction Which that we may the better conceive it being that on which our Life lies it will be requisite that we consider 1. What Sins God forgives 2. For what Motive 3. To whom he forgives them 4. Why he forgives them I. For the first our Saviour hath resolved it in express terms Mark 3.28 29. Verily I say unto you All Sins shall be forgiven to the sons of men and Blasphemies wherewithsoever they shall blaspheme But he that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost hath never Forgiveness but is in danger of eternall Damnation What this Sin is and whether any be at this day guilty of it is a Question that requires some disquisition The Schoolmen as Aquinas make six Species of the Sin against the Holy Ghost Despair Presumption Impenitency Obstinacy Impugning the acknowledged Truth and Envying our Brother's Grace Protestant Divines taking in other Texts out of the Epistles to the Hebrews and Titus and out of S. John's 1. Epistle have formed such a Definition as this That it is a Blaspheming against the Gospel of Christ testified by a clear Conviction of the Spirit of God in the heart of the Blasphemer arising out of a spightfull Hatred and obstinate Rejection of that Truth and Testimony of and by which he was convinced causing an oppugning of it and the Avouchers of it upon the strong possession Satan hath got in his Heart But the Text Mark 3.30 in which it is added Because they said He hath an unclean Spirit doth seem to restrain it to that spightfull belying Christ's Miracles done by the Spirit of God most evividently so as that they could not gainsay it as if they were done by the Prince of Devils and Christ were possessed and acted by an Unclean Spirit Which makes it very probable that none at this day can as things are commit it there being no such Miracles now done as can evidently shew the Operation of the Holy Spirit to be blasphemed as it was by the Pharisees Nor is Julian the Apostate sufficiently proved however so judged by some of the Ancients to have committed this Sin Much less have any of those doubting Souls who by reason of their Tenderness of Conscience which makes them very jealous and fearfull of their own Condition have been apt to charge themselves with this Sin any reason so to doe they being guilty of no such Blasphemy in words Rejecting of Christ Speaking evil of his Spirit or its Operations Oppugning of the Gospel or the Believers of it nor of any Obstinacy in any course of open Persecution or Disclaiming Christ and his Gospel Perhaps this which I have said may be of great use to some doubting and troubled Spirits who put themselves on the Rack through Mistakes arising from the Weakness of their Understandings and the Fearfulness of their Hearts As for any other Sins they are not in their own nature unpardonable other Blasphemies are pardonable Peter's Denying Christ though with Cursing himself if he knew him yet had Pardon Manasseh though notorious for his Cruelties as filling Jerusalem with innocent Bloud even of the Prophets of God though infamous for his setting up the most abominable Idolatries of the Gentiles though proceeding so far as to use Familiar spirits yet when he was humbled and prayed to God in his Affliction God heard him and forgave him 2 Chron. 33.12 13. I instance in these as seeming to come nighest to the Sin against the Holy Ghost the one sinning against Knowledge after Warning and solemn Promise to the contrary the other offending in the most hainous manner in Sins of the greatest Guilt with extreme Wilfulness and Violence Not to mention the Sins of David or Lot or Noah or Solomon If Cain meant it as the Vulgar Latin hath it Gen. 4.13 My Sin is greater then can be forgiven it might well be replied to him Mentiris Cain Thou liest Cain Thy Sin might have been forgiven if thou hadst had a penitent Heart and hadst begged Pardon from God Though in the Law God would not forgive some Sins as Blasphemy Murther Adultery Sins with an high hand so as to expiate them by Sacrifice and free the Sinner from death though God sware to Eli that the Iniquities of his House should not be purged with Sacrifice nor Offerings for ever 1 Sam. 3.14 though he never will pardon the Sin of Devils of Judas the Son of Perdition nor the final Impenitent and Unbeliever Yet Christ tells us plainly No kind of Sin or Blasphemy except one but is pardonable to the sons of men II. But then upon what Motive God forgiveth Sins is to be farther considered They that say that any Sins against God are venial ex genere suo the whole kind of them of their own Nature as having an evil or inordinate thing for their Object but not against the Love of God or our Neighbour or by reason of the Smalness of the matter in which or the sudden Motion by which they are done speak otherwise then the Scripture which makes the Wages of Sin simply and every Sin death Rom. 6.23 and him cursed who continues not in every thing written in the Law to doe it Gal. 3.10 They derogate from the efficacy of Christ's Bloud which alone is it that cleanseth from all Sin make it a light matter to sin against the Most high and infinite Majesty would excuse our First Parents Sin and harden men in Impenitency And when they make voluntary Works of Penance Satisfaction for such Sins Priests Absolutions Popes Pardons and saying of Divine Offices for the Sinner sufficient to take away the Guilt of Sin against God though they provide for their accursed Gain yet they derogate from the Necessity and alone Sufficiency of Christ's Bloud who is the onely Advocate with the Father and the Propitiation for our Sins and the Sins of the whole world 1 Joh. 2.1 2. We learn Heb. 9.22 that without shedding of bloud is no Remission and that though the Sacrifices of the Law might procure Forgiveness in respect of some Penalties and sanctify to the purifying of the Flesh yet that it is the Bloud of Christ alone who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God that can purge our Consciences from dead works to serve the living God vers 14. and that it is for Christ's sake whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through faith
God's Mercy is the practice and delight of them that have a Spirit of Holiness in all Generations They write Ex dono Dei on all they have they ascribe all they doe to Mercy all their Prosperity Victory Success they account as Mercies from God When they cast up the Inventory of their Good things they have enjoyed all that they possess the Summe totall is innumerable Mercies How precious are thy thoughts unto me O God how great is the summe of them If I should count them they are more in number then the Sand Psalm 139.17 18. The Law of Gratitude then which none is more equal ties every one to magnify God's Mercy What hath any which he hath not received 1 Cor. 4.7 And who can look upon his Receipts as due Wages and not rather pure Alms Who hath not received loads of Benefits from God and all out of pure Mercy Our Forming in the womb is a prime Mercy our Birth our Education our Instruction our Preservation our Salvation That I be not infinite in this Account Our Life Breath and all our Ways all our natural Parts and Abilities all our Motions and Proceedings all our Escapes from Dangers from Sicknesses from Death and most of all from being a Prey to the Devil and our Deliverance from Hell are Evidences of transcendent Mercy in God which all God's people are sensible of And this leads us to the VI. OBSERVATION That the apprehension of God's great Mercy encourageth his People to hope and wait on God for a Consummation of their Welfare The greatness of God's Mercies encouraged David to cast himself into God's hand rather then to fall into the hands of men 2 Sam. 24.14 And Holy Daniel in that effectual fervent Prayer Dan. 9.8 9. to appeal to God's Mercy O Lord to us belongeth Confusion of face to our Kings to our Princes and to our Fathers because we have sinned against thee To the Lord our God belong Mercies and Forgivenesses though we have rebelled against him Vers 18. We do not present our Supplications before thee for our Righteousnesses but for thy great Mercies Psalm 138.8 The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me Thy Mercy O Lord endureth for ever forsake not the works of thine own hands Isa 63.15 Look down from Heaven and behold from the habitation of thy Holiness and of thy Glory where is thy Zeal and thy Strength the sounding of thy Bowells and of thy Mercies towards me are they restrained Psal 130.7 Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is Mercy and with him is plenteous Redemption Not one of all the Holy Saints in all the Bible hath ever dared to utter such Expressions to God or men as if they could challenge the least Relief in Trouble the least Abatement of Sufferings much less eternall Life and Reward in Heaven upon account of their own Merit as Pharisaicall Self-Justitiaries have presumed to doe Holy Jacob on the contrary Gen. 32.10 tells God I am not worthy of the least of all thy Mercies and of all the Truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant And Nehemiah when he allegeth his Actings for God Neh. 13.22 thus bespeaks him Remember me O my God concerning this also and spare me according to the greatness of thy Mercy This is the Plea of all upright humble Souls this is the Anchora sacra the sure Anchour upon which their Spirits are stayed in all their Fluctuations this is that Gale of wind which carries them on comfortably in all their Voiages They have learned from the Psalmist Psal 33.18 Behold the Eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him and that hope in his Mercy and therefore they say vers 22. Let thy Mercy O Lord be upon us according as we hope in thee They have found this Address to God always prosperous and therefore they joyn with the Holy Prophet in the words of my Text and the two following verses It is of the Lord's Mercies that we are not consumed because his Compassions fail not They are new every morning great is thy Faithfulness The Lord is my Portion saith my Soul therefore will I hope in him APPLICATION And now what is more necessary more just more meet for us to doe then to joyn in consort with the Holy Prophet in this passage Surely we may each of us say that it hath been of the Lord's Mercies that we have not been consumed in this most deadly Pestilence which hath swept away in our great City and the neighbouring places not many short of an Hundred thousand and yet we have hitherto been preserved alive to be Monuments of his Mercy Have not his Mercies been new to us every morning when we have heard either the dolefull Knells or the hideous voice of Carr-men Bring out your Dead or the Reports of the Weekly Bills of Mortality so many Hundreds in such a Parish so many Thousands in the whole dead of the Plague and yet we alive It was thought by God no small Mercy to Baruch when the common Calamity added Grief to his Sorrow when he fainted in his Sighing and found no Rest to give him his Life Behold I will bring Evill upon all flesh saith the Lord but thy Life will I give unto thee for a Prey in all places whither thou goest Jer. 45.5 And should you not count it a great Mercy to you that in this common and sore Judgment in which perhaps you have lost Wives Husbands Children Friends Neighbours Goods in which you have been filled with Fears oppressed with Griefs that yet you are not consumed that yet the whole City the whole Land is not consumed that yet our King our Nobles our Teachers our Government our Glory is not buried in perpetual Oblivion It is true it is a heavy Calamity but we have deserved worse It is true we have lost our Friends but our Lives are not lost our Souls are not lost unless our Unthankfulness our future Disobedience our Murmuring provoke God to bring a worse Misery the casting of Soul and body into Hell-fire which our Sins have merited Oh then let us still all our impatient Complaints let us quiet our Spirits in the present estate we are in let us be thankfull to God that we are not in Hell let us confess our Unworthiness let us be humbled for the great Depravedness of our former sinfull ways let us justify God in his inflicting Vengeance on us and our Land let us forsake those Sins which we have been guilty of that we have reason to conceive added fewell to this Fire that hath burnt so fiercely and wasted so extremely Let every one of us bewail the Plague of his own Heart let us lay to heart and mourn for the Sins of the City and the whole Nation their Pride Uncleanness Riot Oppression Unrighteousness Profaneness and the iterated Rebellions first open and hostile secondly more secret in Non-Conformity to Laws and Government and this maintained even against the unparallel'd Goodness