Age has the Comfortable Reflexions of a Gracious and well spent youth to support and refresh it self with all That when the Body Languishes and the outward man Decayes and as it was once with good old Barzillai we can neither Taste nor Hear nor Discern betwixt good and Evil in a natural way yet we can then live upon the thoughts of that good we have done in our Youth with Gods Gracious acceptance in Christ this will be a sweet thing indeed Hoc viverebis est vita posse priore frui This is to live Twice to injoy the Comfortable reflexions of our Life already past Secondly As the Improvement of this point reaches to Young-ones themselves and to those which are in their Youthful Condition so to those also who have the Care and Government of Youth committed unto them and are in special manner intrusted with them as Parents and Tutors and Governors and Masters c. To have a more watchful Eye upon them and care of them And that still not onely in reference to the Condition at present but to that also which is to come hereafter That while their Younger years are regulated by you their Elder years may bless God for you which in such cases they will be ready to do we read of such an Expression in the Psalmist All my Bones shall praise thee and say Lord who is like unto thee Psal 35.10 Thus shall it be with those which are in Age as to their Godly Governors and those who have had the Educating of them in their Young years Their Bones shall magnify God in their behalf as acknowledging the good they have by them On the other side those which have been Careless and Negligent in this particular their Bones shall be ready to Curse them as we may so express it as carrying that guilt upon them which they have contracted from their Neglects and which if they had done their Duty to them they might happily have avoided and Escaped He that Rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour then he that flattereth with his tongue Prov. 28.23 Youth as I noted before it has commonly this Disparagement upon it that it is impatient of restraint and Admonition And many times they are in that Condition they have those that reprove them but hereafter when they come to be Old they will acknowledg them and give thanks unto them but when their Bones are full of marrow then they think reproof to be a Burden but when their Bones shall be ful of Sin and as it is here exprest the sin of their youth to wit in the Evil consequents of it then they will think reproof to have been a great Advantage and Favour if they might have formerly been but partakers of it which should incourage us so much the more in this particular Thirdly For those who are now in years and in their old Age. Here 's somewhat also which concerns them and especially such whose case it is with this Person in the Text. That their Bones are full of the sins of their youth even to perswade them as soon as may be to make their peace with God and to cleare scores and Arreares with Him not onely repent of sins which are at present upon them and which they have lately been guilty of but of sins past and gone a great while since even the sins of their Youth for otherwise these will prove very tedious and greivous unto them Say with David Psal 25.6.7 Remember thy loving kindness for they have been ever of old Remember not O Lord the sins of my Youth according to thy mercy remember me for thy Goodness sake O Lord. Here 's remember and remember not remember thy Mercy but do not remember my Sin remember Loving-kindnesses of old on thy part but do not remember Trespasses of old on mine Therefore be careful to look to this In all Humiliation for sin in all renewals of your Covenant with God Say with David Remember not the sins of my Youth In any thing which at any time troubles and afflicts you look back still upon your former Age and consider whether or no ye stand right with God as to the time of your Youth for certainly God does oftentimes call many people to an account for their Miscarriages then though it may be many years past and when they have forgotten it and think that He has forgotten it too will he bring it to Remembrance Ye may bring this down to the particular passages and occasions of your lives whatsoever they be Thou art troubled it may be with some strange Afflictions and hand of God upon thee in this or that particular And perhaps thou wondrest at it for thou hast often sought God about it and Humbled thy self before him for it and desired the removal of it and call'd to others for their Help and Assistance and Prayers to God for thee in it and yet still it sticks But consider seriously with thy self Is there nothing betwixt God and thee of an old Account which thou hast not yet repented of before Him Thou hast it may be a stubborn Child How wast thou thy self to thine own Parents in thy Youth Thou declinest perhaps strangely in thine Estate and thou canst not imagine how it should be so How didst thou come by it when thou wast a Young-man and what Foundation didst thou lay for it in thy Younger-years Thou hast these and these Diseases upon thee consider whether thy former Intemperance hath not been a Cause and Occasion of them and accordingly expose thy self to Repentance for them And so of the rest I am not able to specify all I instance in some as a Direction to you for the rest which must be done by every ones Person according to his particular Occasions But still remember this that God often reckons for old Sins which are long agoe past Yea and that also after conversion and grace wrought in the Heart where there is not an explicit and actual repentance of them they may be sometimes troublesome to a Christian in the effects and consequents of them though the Person be for the general justified and in a state of reconcilement and habitually acquitted from them yet such especially as the sins may be if there hath not been a distinct and particular Humiliation for them they may have a feeling of them in their bones Look as General Nations may be punished for the sins of former Ages as Israel in Davids time for Sauls sin in slaying the Gibeonites so particular persons may be afflicted for the sins of former times in the compass of their lives unrepented of by them And look as it in matter of the body that those who have been too venturous in their youth they smart for it in their Age so likewise in regard of the soul and mind Especially At sometimes and upon some occasions above the rest As bones which have been formerly broken they will ake against weather even so it is also with
with Sins they are never a whit the less Hainous because they were committed long ago Sin it is the same for the nature of it even then when men have forgotten it even so is it also with Mercy it is still the same considered in it self and accordingly deserves to be as much acknowledged as if it were never so lately conferred and as a Penitent man will do the one so a thankful man will do the other He which is a true Penitent person he will not onely be humbled for those Sins which he has committed lately but for those Sins which he has committed formerly for the vanity of his Childhood and for the refractoriness of his Nonage and for the Sins of his youth even so he which is a true thankful person he will not onely acknowledge those Mercies which he has received but lately but as well those Mercies which he has received many years past and David which did the one he did also the other and both as we may see in one place together Psal 25.6.7 Remember O Lord thy tender Mercies and thy Loving-kindnesses for they have been ever of old Remember not the Sins of my youth nor my Transgressions Thirdly He remembers Primitive or Original Mercies those Mercies which he had at first in the very entrance and beginning of his life when he first came into the World and were likewise the Ground and Foundation of all the rest And this is that in like manner which is to be done by every thankful man besides It concernes us very much to acknowledge Gods goodness as in his ancient love so also in his first love and beginnings of good will towards us Such was this here which David makes mention of in this present Scipture When he speaks of his coming out of the womb and when he speaks of his hanging upon the breast they were original mercies which contains two things in it First a Precedency of Order And Secondly an advantage of Derivation They had the right of Primo-giniture and they had the right also of conveyance being first themselves and causing others also to come after This mercy of coming out of the womb it opens the womb of Gods mercy as I may so express it and hath the Dignity of the first born amongst many Brethren And therefore is so much the more to be acknowledged and recorded by us as we shall shew in this regard It is with mercies as with judgements one makes may for another and the first is so much the more considerable as it induces and brings in the rest when God hath begun to punish he will proceed when I begin sayes he I will make an end And so also also for mercies when he begins to shew mercy he will proceed also Therefore let us take notice of first mercies they are the pledges of Gods goodness to us ye see how it is with men in the world for their ordinary affairs they use to stand much upon an handsel which they are ready to account and reckon upon as a fore-runner of more good unto them and so may we also here in the dispensations of Gods providence towards us It is a very great incouragement of us when God bestowes the first blessing upon us and he does expect accordingly that ye should be very much affected with it and thankfull to him for it We should do in the exercise of our thankfulness as again in the exercise of our repentance and humiliation He which will be a right penitent indeed and perform this work of Godly sorrow in that right manner he should do and as God requires of him he must not onely take notice of some few actual sins which carry in them the nature of streams but he must takes notice of his original sin also which carries in it the nature of a fountain he must ransack his heart to the bottom and deal with himself for his first sin of all The sin of his Nature and the sin of his Birth and the sin of his Conception As David I was born in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me Ps 51.5 And this which is the root and spring and fountain and cause of all the rest must be lamented and bewayl'd in him So he which will be thankful indeed he must not onely acknowledge those mercies which are bestowed upon him in a succession but the very first mercy also which he injoy'd not onely the mercies of his life but the mercies also of his birth and first being Thus does David here Lastly He takes notice of constant mercies those which were continued to him from the first moment of his being till now through the whole course of his life to this present He takes notice of the goodness of God to him in the full latitude and extent of it And this is another thing also which we are likewise hence instructed to do If we would shew our selves truly thankful consider the providence of God to us in every passage of mercy which he shews us Take notice not onely of one mercy but more and take notice not onely of some few mercies but many yea as near as we can of all Nay further take notice of Gods mercies even in crosses and troubles and afflictions themselves as David here though he was a man of sorrows in sundry particulars of his life yet he acknowledges that God was his God all his life-time notwithstanding that There 's a great piece of thankfullness which is due from us even for the worst and crossest of providence which happen unto us so far forth as God doth oftentimes bring greater good out of evil and sanctifie afflictions to such a purpose as to make us so much the better for them He which is a true child of God indeed he will see ground of thankfulness to him even for any thing whatsoever befalls him because all things work together for good to them that love him as it is in Rom. 8.28 And all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies as it is in Psal 25.10 Thus David not onely here in this Scripture but also in other places as Psal 68.19 Blessed be the Lord who loadeth us daily with benefits c. And Psal 48.14 This God is our God for ever and ever He will be our guide even unto death our God for ever and ever and our guide even to death it self He takes notice of Gods goodness all along And thus have we here seen the acknowledgement which David here makes in the General notion and representation of it he takes notice of common mercies He takes notice of ancient mercies He takes notice of primitive mercies He takes notice of constant mercies The Second View of it is the specification of the several particulars as they are here laid before us in the Text and they are these following First The blessings of the womb in his birth and first coming into the
while they live here in the World Especially in his Patience towards them and Long-suffering and Forbearance of them in that he does not presently take advantage against them but heaps many comforts upon them thereby to lead them and draw them to Himself but they commonly make but an ill use and Improvement of it by being from hence so much the more harden'd and confirm'd in Sin they despise that Goodness which they should Imbrace and the Author of it as so much the greater Aggravation of Wickedness and Sinfulness in them The Mercies which God bestows upon the Publique and so upon themselves in commonwith others and the mercies which God bestows upon them in private for their own particulars each of these are misimprov'd by them as it is said concerning the Israelites Jeshuron waxed fat and kicked and when God fed them with Quayles and Manna gave them drink and water out of the Rock delivered them out of the hands of their Enemies by a strong hand and a stretched out arm yet they forgot the works of the Lord and all the wonders that he had wrought for them which he took as a contemning of himself Thus Esay 5.12 The Harp and Viol the Tabret and the Pipe and the Wine are in their Feasts but they regard not the work of the Lord nor the Opperation of his hands Whether in Judgments or if we will also in Mercy the great things which his hands have wrought for them And so Psal 28.5 There is the like expression Because they regarded not the works of the Lord nor the Opperation of their hands he shall destroy them and not build them up Again as in the Providences of Mercy so likewise in the Providences of Judgment wicked men they contemn God here also in that while his hand is lifted up they will not see neither any thing better'd or reformed by it as it is said of them in Esay 9.13 This People turneth not unto him that smiteth them neither do they seek the Lord of Hosts And the Prophet Jeremiah to the like purpose Jer. 5.3 Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have not received Correction they have made their faces harder then a Rock they have refused to return When people shall come to this pass as to be inncorrigible under Gods Afflicting hand and Chastising of them it is a Contemning of him in a way of his Judgments which is the case of many Persons When Gods Judgments are either threatned but not Executed or Executed but with some Intermission or Mitigation of them this makes some kind of Natures to slight him and despise him in them Thus we know it was with Pharoah He that first asked who is the Lord when he sent a Messuage to him to let go his People and so contemn'd him as concerning his Commands when afterwards he was followed with Gods plagues and had any respite of them he still persisted and contemn'd him in his Judgments And that is the Second Explication of this Observation The Third and last is in his Servants and those which belong unto him We know how in the affairs of the world Contempt it does oftentimes proceed and Express it self in this not onely as to mens person but as to their Relations Thus are Parents contemned in their Children Masters in their Servants Princes in their Ambassadors and the like And thus is God also contemned in those that have Relations to him He that despiseth the poor says Solomon he reproaches his maker Those that contemn the poor members of Christ they contemn Christ himself and so he will account them to have done at the last day when he shall come to Judgment as much as they have done it to any of his little ones he will reckon it as done unto himself as he there professes in Matth. 25.45 Men may think when they slight and wrong and oppress any of the poor members of Christ that this Injury and contempt reaches no further then a Company of poor and Helpless men Oh but there is somewhat more in it if it be duly considered it reaches even God Himself who is despised in their Despisings and accordingly will take it to Himself at another day As in all their Afflictions he is Afflicted and Sympathised with them in their Sufferings so in all their Contemnings he is Contemned and Sympathised with them in their Despisings Those that Despise the members of Christ they Despise Christ Himself And so as for the Members of Christ so likewise for the Ministers of Christ which is another consideration of his servants It holds here also when these come to us in the Name of Christ and by authority from him and we shall contemn them in the discharge of their office it reaches to Christ He that despises you sayes he despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luk. 10.16 And 1 Thes 4.8 He therefore that despiseth not man but God who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit What are we sayes Moses to the Isaelites that ye murmur against us your murmurings are not against us but against the Lord Exod. 16.8 And again the Lord to Samuel when they rejected him for ruling over them They have not rejected thee but they have rejected me that is not onely thee but me and me in thee 1 Sam. 8.7 Thus we see in all these particulars and according to these various explications how wicked men do contemn God as a thing which is manifest by experience In his Ordinances in his Providences and in his Servants Now it would he further inquired whence this does proceed in them Because it seems some what strange that indeed it should be so what may we then conceive to be the Ground or occasion of it Surely there is a twofold Ground which may be assign'd of it as is usually observable in other Contumelies in the world The one as proceeding from Pride and the other from Ignorance These two taken together are the grounds and occasions of this contempt First It proceeds from Pride This hath a common and usual influence upon Contempt Those that do too much pride and over-value themselves they are apt to contemn others and sometimes better then themselves and so it is here The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts in the fourth verse of this Psalm Through the pride of his countenance that is indeed through the pride of his heart which doth usually express and manifest it self in the Countenance This is that which makes him not to seek after God but to neglect him because he thinks with himself that he can do well enough without him Self-sufficiency it disposes men to pride and so consequently to contemptuousness Those that apprehend themselves independent are scornfull and whiles they think they can subsist of themselves they subject to despise others yea sometimes even God himself
is a Cup full of mixture How may we reconcile these two Expressions one with another in one place without mixture an aggavation and in another place an aggravation that it is full of mixture This is according to the nature of the things themselves which are related unto without mixture in the former place that is without mixture of Grace and Goodness whereby the Affliction might be allayed unto them Judgment without Mercy Correction without Mitigation Again full of mixture here in this Text that is of the Wrath and Anger of God with the Evil and Affliction it self which several phrases being thus explain'd we may here learn how to take this present Expression here before us which according to a double reference may admit of a double sense There is a mixture of Strength and Patience There is a mixture of Comfort and Goodness We may take it either way and first of the former of these two as it carries a reference to the Godly and children of God This Cup of red wine and affliction which is tendered to them it is full of mixture in this sense as it is mitigated and mollifyed unto them Forasmuch as their Corrections are dispenst in much Mercy and Love unto them In all the Afflictions of Gods people there 's an intermixture and temperament of love and favour which shews it self in them The cup is full of mixture to them as may be made good in sundry particulars which are Ingredients into it As First of all There 's a mixture of Strength and Patience for the bearing of it God never lays any thing upon his Servants though it be never so harsh and terrible but he gives them some ability to indure it and to wrastle and buckle with it this is called in other places of Scripture a Correcting in measure which God does often make promise of that he will be sure to take care off The Lord is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which ye are able but will with the Temptation find a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it The Lord as he strikes with one hand so he still supports and holds up with another that 's one friendly intermixture Secondly There 's a mixture of Comfort and Goodness as to the things themselves God is not altogether in Affliction but he is very much in Mercy with it and as he is pleased to exercise his Servants with several troubles so he does likewise vouchsafe them many blessings together with them which he does comfort them withall He turns his Anger away and does not stir up all his wrath as it is in Psal 78.38 But as in one kind he brings Evil so in another kind he brings good with it His work is Checker-work as we may so call it of black and white Indeed this mixture is not always so taken notice of by them as it were fitting to be No if at any time we have any Troubles or Afflictions upon us we do not for the most part observe the many Mercies which we injoy with them but yet they are never a whit the less for all that There is a mixture of bad and good together in regard of Gods Dispensation And then Thirdly There 's another thing also which is much observable in the Afflictions of Gods People which makes up this Temperament Compleat and that is a mixture of Improvement and Edification God is still doing his Children good by all the Evil which he brings upon them He Chastises them for their profit that they may be made partakers of his Holiness as it is in Heb. 12.10 There 's the Excellency of it That so now though no Chastening for the present be joyous but grievous yet nevertheless afterwards it yeilds the peaceable fruit of Righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby What a sweet mixture is this And that 's now the First sense of the words according to the first reference of them to wit as to the People of God and so full of mixture that is full of Love and Mercy which is mingled and temper'd with it Secondly We may take it in reference to the Wicked the Enemies of God and his People and so full of mixture that is full of Wrath and Revenge which does mingle it self in the Judgments which here fall upon them This is considerable in the Miseryes which they indure not onely the Evil of the Affliction in its own Nature whatsoever it be but of the Hatred and Fury and Vengance of God Himself which is intermixt with it He Distributes Sorrows to them in Anger as Job speaks Job 21.17 This is that which is considerable in them this cup of red wine it is without the mixture of Sweetness and it is full of the mixture of Bitterness which is added unto it Thus we have it in Psal 11.6 Vpon the Wicked he shall Rain Snares Fire and Brimstone and an horrible Tempest this shall be the portion of their Cup. And Rom. 2.8.9 Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish upon them that obey Vnrighteousness And Revel 14.10 They shall drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the Cup of his Indignation These are the Phrases and Expressions by which the Scripture uses to set forth the Misery of wicked men in this particular And so the Terrours of the Almighty and the Arrows of the Almighty and the Gall and Vinegar and Wormwood and such as these What does all this come to but from hence so much the more to awaken men out of their natural Condition and especially as they do any thing abound and overflow with Sin that the Judgments of God they do not come singly or simply to them but with very sad and grievous intermixtures even of Gods wrath and fierceness with them which does aggravate and extend them and set them out so much the more this is their great Misery and Unhappiness that as the Comforts which they partake off they have them without the rellish of Gods Love and Favour in them so likewise the Judgments which light upon them they have them mingled with his Anger and Indignation and the Portion of their Cup. Comforts are less Comfortable and Afflictions are more Afflicting to them this is their Lot and Condition and so ye have also the Second particular considerable in this Resemblance namely the Liquor or matter which is here first in the simple Nature of it which is red Wine And Secondly In the Composition It is full of mixture The Third and last is the Posture and Situation of this cup or the Orderer and Disposer of it In the Hand of the Lord. All things are in the hand of God as the Scripture does all along signify unto us and among the rest these Judgments and Punishments which are sent abroad into the World This cup of red Wine it is in the hand of God Himself It is so and it is said to be so
Judgments are right and that in Faithfulness thou hast Afflicted me For indeed he does wonderfully moderate Himself in these his Corrections He punishes us less then our Iniquities deserves as Ezra makes Confession in Ezra 9.13 And although we do not always think so yet he always Corrects us in measure as himself declares unto us in Scripture thus in Esay 27.8 speaking concerning his Vineyard that is his Church In measure when it shooteth forth thou wilt debate with it he stayeth his rough Winds in the day of his East-winds And Jer. 30.11 I am with thee saith the Lord to save thee though I make a full end of all Nations whether I have scattered thee yet I will not make a full end of thee but I will Correct thee in measure and will not altogether leave thee Vnpunished Mark how these two are very happily joyned together I will not altogether leave thee unpunished and yet I will correct the in measure God will not leave his people altogether unpunished that he may the better rule them and keep them in awe and yet he will punish them and correct in measure that so he may keep them from Discouragement and Dispondency and dejection of Spirit Therefore I say let us observe Gods dealings in this particular and acknowledg his goodness in them It should teach us to entertain good thoughts of God and to look for such dealings from him as for time past it should draw out our thankfulness and so for time present it should strengthen our Patience and so for time to come incourage our Faith and Hope and Expectation That he that hath delivered will deliver and though he may Chasten sore yet will still mitigate his Chastenings to us that they shall not altogether overwhelm us and swallow us up but that we shall finde relief in them Indeed we cannot always expect it in the letter of the Text as to an absolute Freedom from Dissolution for that must come and will come at last after all our preservations from it upon such and such particular occasions Recovery is at the best but a Repreive and so must be accounted by us and what ever Evils we do escape there 's no escape of this comming to Death but yet under this phrase here we have signified Gods General inclination for the mitigating of his Corrections to us And therefore Secondly it teaches us also Bowels and Compassions in our selves in imitation of this goodness of God There are some kind of people in the world whom nothing will serve their turn but absolute ruine and destruction Like those two fierce Disciples in the Gospel presently calling for fire from Heaven or like the children of Edom in the Psalm concerning Jerusalem Raze it raze it to the foundation down with it down with it to the ground yea but these are taught better here from the Example of God himself who does hold and restrain his hand in the chastisements and corrections of his people This is still his manner of dealings especially where there 's any hope of proficiency for time to come He will not there presently make an utter end but spare them in much mercy As in Isa 65.8 When the new wine is found in the cluster oh destroy it not for there 's a blessing in it so will I doe for my servants sake c. And so much may be spoken of these words consider'd in their connexion The first part of the verse with the second as qualifying of it Now Secondly let us look upon them in their absolute consideration the latter clause of the verse distinctly and alone by it self He hath not given me over unto death We see here how God does graciously preserve his servants from Death and destruction he keeps and maintains their lives This David often makes mention of in other places of the Psalms besides As Psal 30.3 Oh Lord thou hast brought up my soul from the Grave Thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down to the Pit So Psal 116.8 Thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears my feet from falling This the Lord is pleased to doe upon sundry considerations First out of his Goodness and Mercy and Love unto them thus David sets it forth in that place Psal 116.5 6. Gracious is the Lord and righteous yea our God is mercifull And what follows hereupon The Lord preserveth the simple I was brought low and he helped me So in verse 15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints And Psal 72.14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence and precious shall their blood be in his sight It is not an indifferent matter with God the death of his Servants neither does he lightly take away their lives but where there 's good cause and reason for it and in order to some greater good to them Secondly Because he hath work and service for them to do In death no man shall praise thee and who shall give thee thanks in the pit Psal 6.5 And Again Isa 38.18 19. The Grave cannot praise thee death cannot celebrate thee The living the living he shall praise thee As long as God has any work for any man to do so long he is sure to live and abide in the world Here 's a double goodness of God manifested to us First In designing us to service and the work it self And Secondly In preâ—erving our lives that so we may serve him and doe the work he has design'd us to This should so much the more incourage us in fruitfulness before him we cannot take a more expedient way to prolong our lives than by doing as much good as we can in them Useless and unprofitable persons which live idly and out of any imployment they doe but stand in the room of those which would do better then themselves and they provoke God oftentimes in Judgement to remove them and to take them away As the barren Figtree in the Gospel it was cut down that it might not cumber the ground But those that are active and serviceable they are a great delight and content to him and he takes a great deal of delight in thinking upon them as himself also expresses it in Malach. 3.16 17. They shall be mine sayes the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him A man loves all his children as children and from his Relation to them Oh but those who are of his Trade and which work to him those he loves and tenders more especially and would be lothest to part with them of any other besides and so is it here with God his sons that serve him their death is more precious with him of all the rest neither will he easily give them over to it Not that he simply needs any work or service of ours who when we have done all we can are at the best but unprofitable
it and till then I shall be unable to do it There 's no teaching or converting of others till we are first wrought upon and converted our selves He that is otherwise he cannot do it Cannot do it in regard of Performance That 's the first Secondly Cannot do it in regard of Acceptance God will not take it so well from him in his mking and pretending to do it neither is it altogether so satisfactory to men To hear a man speaking against such and such corruptions in others which he does indulge in himself it has not that comeliness in it neither does God himself so approve it in him What hast thou to do to take my words into thy mouth c. Psal 50.16 when thou hatest to be reform'd Isaiah durst not go on God's message whiles he was a man of unclean lips And Paul was a chosen Vessel to God before a Vessel to bear his name before the Gentiles A Vessel of Election before a Vessel of Honour and fit for the Master's use and prepared unto every good work And so are all others else to be according to that of the Apostle 2 Tim. 2.21 Thirdly Cannot in regard of Success He that 's himself unconverted and unexperienced in his own heart he cannot speak so profitably to others and to the good of their Souls Nothing goes to the heart so much as that which comes from it When the Spirit of the Teacher goes along with his words and speeches then they are likely to be most effectual How coldly do words of consolation come from an uncomfortable spirit or words of confirmation from an unsetled spirit or words of correction from a licentious How forcible are right words says Job 6.25 And then are words right when the heart is right from whence they come Therefore this teaches us what in this case is to be done by us We see what cause Christians have among many other reasons besides to look to the frame and temper of their hearts even to the good and advantage of others among whom they live and converse withal That from hence they may be so much the more useful and beneficial in the communion of Saints and have greater success in the application of themselves to their Brethren whether as Ministers or other men For though God may sometimes do some good even by those who are themselves unconverted yet it is not so natural nor usual God first converts Peter before he strengthens others by Peter And Jeremiah must first return to God before he stand before God as serviceable to him Jer. 15.19 And when this is done then this effect follows upon it When Peter is converted then his Brethren also shall be strengthened which is another sense may be fastened upon the words by taking the Imperative for the Future which is also common and ordinary in Scripture And so here 's again not only a duty but a mercy and a priviledg which our Saviour does intimate and exhibit unto us The conversion of one Christian it is a strengthening and corroboration to the rest God's Grace and goodness to some of his Servants is an heartening and encouraging to their Brethren Thus St. Paul 1 Tim. 1.16 For this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to everlasting life God's mercy to the Apostle it was an embleme of the like mercy to be shewn to all other Believers And David Psal 34.4 5. I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears And what follows They looked unto him and were lightned and their faces were not ashamed They i. e. they which stood by which were strangers but yet observers of God's dealings and carriages to me And so again in that place before alledged which may serve as a kind of parallel to this Psal 51.12 David signifies that when God had restored to him the joy of his Salvation and had stablish'd him with his free Spirit that then as he in regard of endeavour would teach sâ—iâ—ers so then also in regard of success in all likelihood and probability of dispensation sinners should be converted unto him The Use of all comes to this namely to teach us accordingly to improve the examples which are set before us in this particular The examples of our Brethren falling and overcome with temptation should make us so much the warier and more shy of being tempted our selves To be strengthened that is strengthened with Grace and ability of resistance And the examples of our Brethren rising again and recovering from temptation should make us also to be so much the cheerfuller and more hopeful of being supported our selves Strengthened that is strengthened with comfort and expectation of subsistence And in both together shall we close with God's ends in such Providences as these are before us I have done now with the Third General Head which is a Christian's Duty and so also with the whole Text it self SERMON XII JOH 3.8 The Winde bloweth where it listeth and thou hsarest the sound thereof but knowest not whence it cometh and whither it goeth so is every one that is born of the Spirit There is nothing which is harder to deal withal than a carnal and unregenerate heart which will still have somewhat to cavil at and to object against the Truths of Christ even there where they have the greatest evidence and infallibility in them and are least of all to be questioned of all other Points besides An instance whereof we have here in this Scripture which we have now before us and the coherence of it in the discourse of our Saviour Christ with Nicodemus a Ruler of the Jews This person was somewhat convinced of the worth and excellency that was in Jesus and therefore betakes himself to him and yet he was afraid or ashamed openly to confess him and therefore comes to him by night in a private acknowledgment of him Now our Saviour presently saw what he wanted as the ground of this carriage in him and that was a serious work of the saving Grace of God upon his heart which might make him to close with him in good earnest and therefore takes occasion to discourse of this Point unto him Of the necessity of being regenerated and born again But Nicodemus understands not what he means or at least is not willing to understand it and therefore makes an exception against it from the absurdity and impossibility of it and wonders at it how it should be so Now this Text which I have here read unto you is a taking off of this wonder from him by a further discovery and explication of this Doctrine to him Marvel not says he that I said unto thee ye must be born again The winde bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest c. THis present Verse before is nothing else as I may say but a description of the work of Regeneration or of
before him Take care that it may not be an indifferent thing with God what becomes of us for if it be so we shall prove to be but in a very sad and lamentable Condition Woe unto them sayes the Lord when I depart from them Hos 9.12 And so likewise when he care not for them For when ever it proves to be so they are from hence exposed to all kind of Evils and mischeifs which they are any way capable of whether from Satan the great Enemy of all who from hence will have advantage against them or from any other Enemies and Adversaries whatsoever besides God's Care for a Land is that which is the greatest Safegard and Security to it and on the other side the with-holding of this Care is the greatst Misery and Unhappiness of it as that which is indeed the Ground and occasion of all other Miseries and Calmityes besides Therefore I beseech ye let us take heed of forfeiting Gods care for us by any uncomely Carriage or behaviour towards him and study rather to be such as he may take special pleasure and Delight in and may be acceptable and well pleasing in his sight That he may continue still to be amongst us and to bless us and to follow us with his Blessings from one Age and Generation to another That we may be a People all Righteous and which shall inherit the Land for ever The Branch of his Planting the work of his hands that we may be Glorified as it is in Esay 60.21 And so now I have done with the first General part of the Text which is the Interest this Land here had in God's Affection exprest to us in these words The Land which the Lord thy God Careth for The Second is the Interest which it hath in God's Inspection in these words The Eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it from the beginning of c. Wherein again we have two Branches more First The Priviledge it self and that is of being under the Eyes of God the Eyes of the Lord thy God are upon it Secondly The Continuation of this Priviledge and that is exprest in two words more First In the word of Perpetuity and that is always Secondly In the words of Extent From the Beginning of the year to the End of the year First Wee 'l take notice of the Former viz. The Priviledge it self here mentioned And that is of being under God's Eye The Eyes of the Lord thy God are upon it We use to say Vbi amor ibi Oculus That where the Heart is the Eye is also And so it happens to be here in this present place where it having been said of this Land that it was the Land which the Lord Cared for it follows presently hereupon that his Eyes were upon it as an Effect and Demonstraion of that Care God hath no Eyes properly no more then he hath Care but this is spoken after the manner of Men and accordingly is now at this time to be understood by us as denoting Especially that Providence which he hath over his Church Thus Psal 33.18 Behold the Eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him and upon them that hope in his Mercy And in Psal 34.15 It is said That the Eyes of the Lord are upon the Righteous And the same is likewise quoted and repeated by the Apostle Peter in 2 Pet. 3.12 Thus it may for orders sake be reduced to sundry Particulars by way of Explication First An Eye of Observation that 's one which God hath upon his Church he does mark and mind and take notice of the State and Condition in which it is His Eyes are upon it to observe it Ther 's nothing which can befal the Church but God is Sensible and Apprehensive of it and sees what it is in Psal 16.14 Thou hast seen for thou beholdest Mischief and spite to requite it with thine hand And Exod. 3.7 I have surely seen the Afflictions of my People which are in Egypt and I know their Sorrows It is a great satisfaction in Affiction to be regarded and taken notice of in it Now this is that which the Church does pertake off in all the Evils that happen unto it yea thugh sometimes they may be carried with the greatest subtilty and secrecy that may be yet his Eyes are upon it for all that for he has piercing and searching Eyes and therefore sometimes compared to a flame of fire for the Clearness which is in them His Eyes behold and his Eye-lids try the Children of men as itis in Psal 114. Though men may think sometimes they do not and say as those Atheists sometimes did The Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard it How doth God know Can he judge through the dark Clouds c ye he sees for all that and will shew and declare that he does see He has an Eye upon his Church that is first of all an Eye of Observation Secondly An Eye of Compassion He has an Eye upon it to pity it and to Comfort it in the State in which it is Ther 's no Evil which befals the Church but God looks upon it as in a manner his owne and is accordingly affected with it when no other Eye besides pitties it as himself expresses it himself does it We know with what Compassion our Blessed Saviour looked upon Jerusalem when he came near it and wept over it his Eyes they were weeping Eyes which he did cast towards it and so they are proportionably the same towards his Church still where ever it is while he layes to heart the Afflictions which are upon them Thirdly An Eye of Direction a Teaching Eye God has such an Eye as this which he does sometimes vouchsafe his Church Ther 's a great matter in the Eye to such a purpose as this is and it is here considerable of us as we have it in Psal 32.8 I will Instruct thee and teach thee in the way in which thou shalt go I will guide thee by mine Eye Christ looked upon Peter and Admonished him His very Eyes was a Document to Him Gods Providences they are Teaching Providences to those who observe them and that know how to make use of them in every particular whether prosperous or otherwise Fourthly An Eye of Protection and Preservation and Authority His Eyes are upon his Land so as to maintain it and to bestow himself for it Thus we have it expresly 2. Chro. 16.9 The Eyes of the Lord run too and fro through the whole Earth or through the whole Land to shem himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him God does not look onely to look but to Act answerably to his looks and his Hands they follow his Eyes in this particular And that in all kind of Actions wherein they may seem to stand in need of them For the preventing of Evil that it may not touch them for the restraining of Evil that it may
First Vanity both of Spirit and Conversation That 's one kind of Distemper which this Age is Exposed unto so the Preacher has told us Eccl. 11.10 Childhood and Youth are Vanity Not onely Vain but Vanity it self in regard of that frame and temper of Spirit which is upon them They mind and imploy themselves chiefly about Toys and Trifles and Superfluities but in the mean time neglect Solider matters and those things which are more Real and Substancial How much part of men's time even the prime and floure of their Age is as Samuel speaks to the People 1 Sam. 12.1 Carryed after vain things which cannot profit nor content in the latter end because they are Vain Pastimes and Pleasures and Sports and Gaming 's and such things as these are they are made not onely the Play and Recreation and Refreshment but even the Work and Business and Imployment oftentimes of that Age. Lovers of Pleasures more then lovers of God 2 Tim. 3.4 Secondly Flexibility to Evil that 's another Evil in Youth easily wrought upon and drawn away and intised to that which is Evil. The very Heathen Poet Himself couldtake notice of it Cereus in vitium Flecti Like wax to any sinful impression which shall be fasten'd upon them Like dry Tinder to Sparks of Fire thus is Youth for the most part to Temptation quickly takes no sooner can they meet with any Persons which are willing to Corrupt them but they are presently Corrupted by them In matter of Judgment to such in any new Opinion though never so Gross In matte of Practise to conform to any sinful Course though never so vile this is that which is very much incident to the Age of Youth A Flexibility to that which is Evil. Thirdly Unteachableness and Untractableness and Uncapableness of Admonition that 's another thing in Youth Monitoribus asper that Age does disrellish such as would reform them and bring them into rights so deferring of Repentance c. Wax to Temptation and Flint to Admonition and the means of Reforming These and the like are the Distempers which that Age is subject unto in regard of the frame of their Spirit Now as for outward Practises and the actings of Sin so Impetuousness and Intemperance and Violence and Uncleaness and such Bodily Lusts they are such as though all are not guilty of which is not the meaning of this Discourse yet the Age it self is exposed unto which accordingly does give this Denomination of the Sins of Youth that is as it is First of all to be understood by way of Specification as denoting the kind of Sin The Second is as denoting the Time Thus a Sin may be in some sense call'd the Sin of a mans Youth when it has been committed by him in his Youth though it may be as to the Quality of it it was a Sin of riper years There are some kind of People in the World which do Antedate their Age to themselves as in other things so in matter of Sins in which they grow old betimes and make hast unto it As there are some which are guilty of the Sins of Youth in the time of Age so there are others which are guilty of the Sins of Age in the time of Youth Malitia supplet aetatem Their Wickedness it makes up their years when they were Defectives Now these also are as well as the other the Sins of Youth what ever Sins men committed in the time of their Youth they are to them Youthful sins by way of Denomination And so much briefly of the first Particular Considerable in this first General viz. The sin he Sins of his Youth The Second is the Punishment of his sin which is exprest and propounded in those words where it is said that his Bones are full of them Thus although it may be very well applyed as to the matter of Guilt as we shall hear more anon Forasmuch as Sin does as it were Incorporate it self into Wicked men and is as a part of their Substance yet as I conceive in this place it does refer Especially rather to the Punishment The Spirit of God would hereby signify to us the sad and miserable Condition of an obdurate impenitent sinner that has Especially lived for a long time in a Course of sin That he possesses the iniquities of his Youth as it is Exprest in another place of this Book His bones are full of it This word Bones it may be taken here in this Text two manner of ways either in a Corporal sense or in a Spiritual Either proper in a Literal or in a Mystical If we take it in the next and Literal sense Corporally so it does denote the Body and outward man If we take it in the Remote and Qualified sense Spiritually so it does denote the Soul and the more particularly the Conscience each of these are full c. First The Bones that is the Body and Flesh and outward man taken it Literally There are many which in old Age feel the sins of their youth in their Bones according to this Interpretation which mourn at last when their Flesh and Body is Consumed Prov. 5.11 And which receive in themselves that recompence of their Errour which is meet as the Apostle speaks Rom. 1.27 Namely in regard of those Diseases which does attend their Vicious Courses and hasten their Bodily Destuction There are some kind of Sins which God does punish even in this present Life and as they are committed with the Body so are they avenged upon the Body which is made the Subject of Punishment as it has been before of Miscarriage and all little enough to take off such Persons from them as are addicted and given up unto them Secondly By Bones here we are to understand not onely the Flesh but the Spirit and more particularly the Conscience Thus we shall find the phrase used in some other places besides of Scripture As Psal 6.2 Have Mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heal me for my Bones are vexed So Psal 38.3 There is no Soundness in my Flesh because of thine Anger There 's the remembrance of sin in the Body Neither it ther any rest in my Bones because of my Sin There 's the remembrance of sin in the Soul So again Psal 51.8 Make me to hear Joy and Gladness that the Bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce The broken-Bones i. e. The broken Spirit and that occasion'd from the sense of sin Sin it will stick in the Conscience for a long while after the Commission of it And when men are grown old they then pay for the Sins of their Youth in the reflections of them God charges the Guilt of them upon their Souls when the things themselves are past and gone Thus it hath several ways and degrees whereby it does proceed First In rubbing up their Memories and bringing their sins to Remembrance There are many which in the heat of their Lusts and while they are in the full
world Thou art he that tookest me out of the womb Secondly The Blessing of the breast in his nursery and first sustentation in the world Thou madest me to hope when I was upon my mothers breasts Thirdly The Blessing of the Cradle in the tutelary care of his Orphanage and desolate condition Vpon thee was I cast from the womb And lastly The Blessings of the Covenant in the continued and mutual interest which he had in God and God in him Thou art my God from my mothers Belly We begin with the first The Blessings of the womb which David does here acknowledge in his his Birth and first coming into the world Thou art he that took me out of the womb Where we see it is a Duty which lyes upon us to acknowledge the blessings of his Birth It is a mercy to be well-born bene nesci and accordingly to be acknowledged This is that which David does here and also in other places As in Psal 71.6 The parallel place to this Thou art he that tookest me out of my mothers bowels my praise shall be continually of thee where the latter words refer to the former Thou tookest me out of my mothers womb my praise shall be of thee That is it shall be of thee for taking me c. Where when David blesses God for his birth as he does also here in our present Text. we are not to take it simply and absolutely for a meer entrance and coming into the world no more but so though that hath its mercy in it to but we are to take it in the whole latitude and reach and comprehensiveness of it in all the several appurtenances which are attendant and belonging unto it As to instance in the chiefest of them which are to be observed by us First As it hath attendant upon it the Blessing of Life David blest God here not onely that he was meerly born but born alive that he was not still-born that the womb was not his grave but that God in goodness and mercy to him gave him the liberty to see the light This is that which many do not partake of which is so much the greater ground of thankfulness and acknowledgement to those which do Life is a very great blessing which hath a great deal of sweetness in it in the nature of the thing it self A living dog is better than a dead Lyon Eccles 9.4 .. But then moreover it is further a mercy as it is the ground-word and foundation of all the rest which he receives with it All other comforts besides which God hath given us whether natural or spiritual they are all founded in life and from thence take their use as concerning the activity of them One of the greatest and chiefest excellencies of all is that it proves an opportunity to us for the working out of our eternal salvation whiles we live we have an advantage for this and to God some special service in the places wherein he hath set us to glorifie him that made us who hath given us all things that pertain to life and godliness as the Apostle Peter speaks and in whom as the Apostle Paul sayes we live and move and have our being And this is one thing herein included Thou tookest me out of the womb that is thou tookest me out of the womb alive That was a great mercy to him And then further for th amplification of it with life not onely to himself but also to his Parent There 's many a child born into the world which like a Viper proves the death of the mother The life and birth of the child falls out sometimes to be the destruction of the Parent which bare it and brought it forth As ye know it was with Benjamin to Rachel He was Benoni and so she styled him the son of her sorrows But it was otherwise here with David he was not so And it is otherwise also with many others which is to be acknowledged by them both Parents and children as being great and special favours and mercies to both But to this here may be haply Objected That Birth and so also life is not so great a blessing indeed as we would seem to make it to be for the Scripture it self in some places speaks otherwise of them As Eccles 7.1 The day of death is better then the day of ones birth And Eccles 4.2 3. Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more then the living which are yet alive yea better is he then both they which hath not yet been who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the Sun Again 't is said of Judas Mark 14 20. It had been good for that man that he had not been born To these I answer First For those Saints of God which have sometimes curst the dayes of their birth it hath been a weakness and infirmity in them arising out of the strength of passion and inordinate sorrow in them which is no disparagement at all to the mercy it self nor their example to be followed by us as being sinful and unwarrantable in them Then as for Judas of whom it is said that it had been good for him if he had never been born It is not spoken as any diminution of birth in its own â—â—tufe consider'd but onely as it was improv'd by him wickedly to his own destruction and eternal damnation And indeed in this sense a man had better never been born indeed He that is not new-born he had better been still-born He that is not born again he had better he had not been born at all He that is not changed from his natural corruption has not a new nature put into him has not the image of God renewed in him is not converted and brought home to God either sooner or later but lives and dies impenitently and in the wayes of sin it had been a great deal better for that man that he had never seen the light nor had known what life had ment and in this respect is it said of Judas that it had been good for him if he had nor been born Again for those places in Ecclesiastes to answer them To the first where t is said the day of Death is better then the day of Birth The day of Birth is not simply diminished but the day of Death prefer'd before it and that not absolutely and indefinitely neither but respectively and Secundum quid as we use to speak To wit as the day of Death put an end to those worldly miseryes which Birth makes a man capable off and further as to the Children of God it is the beginning of future Happiness and Glory and the Birth day of Immortality it self Thus is the day of Death better but if we speak of them in Eodem genere comparing Life and Death together in the same Consideration so the day of Birth is better c. For the other place where the Preacher praises the Dead which are already dead more
his God so long both are implyed in this Thou art my God from my Mothers Belly First He here blesses God for being his God so Early My God from my Mothers Belly That is as soon as I had any being in the World He might have if he had pleased fetch 't it higher if we speak of Gods Decree in Election and have said from the beginning of the World Yea before the Foundations of the World were ever laid As Psal 90.2 But he speaks here rather of the Execution and Manifestation of this his Decree God is then our God properly when he manifests Himself to be our God by some special work of Grace in our Souls and by giving Himself unto us And so he is pleased to do to divers in the very first dawnings of nature in them The Prophet Jeremiah he was Sanctifyed in the womb Jer. 1.5 Before I formed thee in thee Belly I knew thee and before thou camest forth out of the Womb I Sanctifyed thee and I ordained thee a Prophet unto the Nations And so likewise John the Baptist he had the same Grace and Favour also Timothy It is said that from a Child he had known the Holy Scriptures which were able to make him wise to Salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 And Obadiah 1 Kings 18.12 I thy Servant do fear the Lord from my Youth This is the goodness of God to many persons to be early in his beginning of Grace which he works in them Thus there can be no other ground or reason assigned of it but onely his own free-Grace and good Pleasure and will towards them who as he is free in the thing it self so also in the time of Dispensation And there is a double use which we may make of this Observation First To inform and satisfy us as concerning the time of Conversion and beginning of the work of Grace which is a Question which does many times trouble and perplex many a Soul to know the distinct reason when God first brought him home to Himself For this It is not in all kind of Persons discernable by them Eccl. 11.5 As thou knowest not which is the way of the Spirit nor how the bones do grow in the Womb of her that is with Child so thou knowest not the work of God who maketh all Indeed for those who have a great part of their time lived profanely or a meer civil life in them because the change is more Eminent the time is more Conspicuous too but for those whom it hath pleased God to Sanctify in their Infancy and tender years and to carry them on sweetly imperceptibly in the tract of a godly and Religious Education all their Life in these it is not so easily distinguished neither should it trouble them when it is not If the time be up it is no matter when it is first begun It is not the change of a mans Course but the change of his Nature which is here required And that is done in those to whom God is a God from the womb Their Nature is changed in them though their Course it may be has been the same all their days to wit godly and Religious nay it is so far from being a Cause of trouble as that indeed it is rather an argument of greater comfort to them that God has loved them so soon Secondly Another use is Ingagement to all such in a special manner to love God so much the more And so much for that He blesses God for being his God so Early Secondly He Blesses God for being his God so long This is also implyed in this Expression Thou art my God from c. That is thou art my God still from whence we may note thus much That those whom God is a God too once he is a God too them always Those whom he takes into his Care and Tuition and Custody at first those he also preserves to the End There is no time wherein he Ceases to be a God unto them And therefore t is here without any sign of time Eliattah Thou my God that hast been and art and wilt be through all Generations This God is our God for ever and ever Psal 48.14 So Psal 71.6 By thee have I been holden up from the Womb c. The Ground of this in God is First His Vnchangeable Nature who is Yesterday and to Day and the same for ever If God were Alterable and subject to Varying he should then love us one Day and hate us the next to it For I am the Lord I change not Therefore ye Sons of Jacob are not consumed Secondly His Free-Grace who shews Mercy where he will If Gods Goodness were founded in us then he should Change and Vary as we do but this it is not There is nothing moves Him to be our God but onely because he will be so Thirdly His Exactness in all he does who loves to finish there where he has begun Ye know how it is with Exact men when they have begun a thing they love to perfect it and so here This should stir us up to the Observation and Acknowledgment of Gods goodness in this particular He has the perfection of all Love in him for he begins betimes and he Continues long and what could we desire more There are many which are good friends at last but they are a great while a comming on and before they can be perswaded to it There are others which are good for a while but they quickly give over But now the Lord he fails us in neither He is our God from our Mothers Womb. Even all our following and succeeding days And this it should teach us proportionably in the Second place to keep close to Him and as he continues constant to us so for us also to persevere to Him and to walk in the Constant ways of thankfulness and Obedience to Him And thus have I after somewhat long Travel brought this Child with Gods gracious Assistance at length to the Birth And have shown you here the several particulars in which David tenders his Acknowledgment and Sacrifice of Thansgiving to God For the Blessings of the Womb for the Blessing of the Breast for the Blessing of the Cradle and for the Blessings of the Covenant That is for common Mercies for ancient Mercies and for primitive Mercies and for constant Mercies Consider what I have said And the Lord give you understanding in all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SERMON XVI Psal 10.13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God He hath said in his heart thou wilt not require it Their cannot be a better Evidence of a Good and a Gracious heart then to be tender and sensible of Gods Dishonour and having first of all sufficiently bewayled its own Distempers and Infirmities to lay to heart the Enormities and Miscarriages of other men Like Righteous Lot whose Soul was vexed with the filthy Conversation of the wicked while he dwelt amongst them seeing and hearing their unlawful deeds as the
in sundry regards First As to matter of Preparation consider it so and thus it is in the hand of the Lord. Esay 45.7 I form the Light and create Darkness I make Peace and create Evil. I the Lord do all these things So Deut. 32.39 I kill and I make alive I wound and I heal neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand all is attributed to him Shall there be Evil in a City says Amos that is to say Evil of Punishment and the Lord hath not done it Amos 3.6 Affliction it is in the Hand of God and it is so as well as Blessing He has an Hand for one as well as for the other An Hand to Strike as well as an Hand to Stroke An Hand to inflict his Punishments as well as an Hand to distribute his Favours He is as well fitted for this as he is for that that so we may have right and congruous Appehensions of Him Indeed t is true that this of Punishment it is not altogether so pleasing to Him nor such as he takes delight in It is in his Hand but it is in his left Hand as we may so express it that hand which he does not so ordinarily or at least so readily make use off and so does the Scripture represent it in Esay 28.21 He calls it his Work his strange work and his Act his strange Act. As being such which we in a manner drive him to or else he would not undertake it And Hos 11.8 Ye shall see there how he struggles with it and how loath he is to come to it How shall I give thee up Ephraim how shall I deliver thee Israel Pleasures they are at his right hand At thy right hand there are pleasures for ever more Psal 16.11 And Victory that 's at his right hand The right hand of the Lord does Valiantly Psal 118.16 But Judgment that 's at his left where he is said to place the Goats that is the People which are appointed to Destruction He sets them at his left hand well but though it be at his left yet it is his hand still we may take notice of that he has an hand for this cup of red wine and this hand of his is stretched out as there is occasion for it as the Scripture declares it And therefore accordingly let us expect it and make account of it Let us look upon God as a Punisher and a revenger as well as any thing else as a Judge as well as a Father There are some kind of people in the world that look upon God as all Mercy as if he had no Justice at all in him This is to rob and spoyl him of that which is most due unto him it is to separate and divide him from Himself which is not to be done No it does as well beseem him to Punish as it does to shew Mercy and it does as much express him to the World and therefore says the Prophet David of him The Lord is known by the Judgments which he executeth in Psal 9.16 Gods Judgments they are Demonstrations of Gods Nature and they shew him to be that which he is in his Wisdom and Power so that this may not be denyed by us in any case And as not denyed in the Theory and Speculation so neither in the Practise which is more often and frequently done There are many which if ye put it to the Question and ask and demand of them what ye think of him in this matter they will be ready with their mouths to acknowledg that God is a God of Justice and Revenge and that in his hand there is a Cup of Red wine as it is here before us yea but their Livâ—s and Conversations are not answerable and sutable hereunto for they so walk and behave themselves as if there were no such matter as if there were no Eye to observe them nor no hand to inflict Punishment upon them Now let all such People and Persons as these are be here admonish't from this Expression what ever Mischief or Wickedness or Evil practise which any are undertaking or going about let them still meditate and think this with themselves That in the hand of the Lord there is a Cup of Fury and Wrath and Indignation it is in his hand and t is at his hand also t is ready at hand as he may be provoked unto it let them remember that And so ye have the first Explication how this Cup is in the hand of the Lord namely by way of Preparation It is he that provides it Secondly By way of Qualification It is he that tempers it ye heard before It was full of mixture Here now ye see who t is does it namely God Himself he orders and disposes and regulates all the Evil which is done in the World My Times are in thy hand says David Psal 31.15 What ever Troubles and Calamities there are flying abroad through the Earth they first come through Gods hands before they light upon such and such Persons as the sufferers of them he must give them their Fiat and their Pass before they can proceed any further Thus it shews what cause all have to make their peace with God and to keep in good terms with him especially in such times of Danger and hazard as these now are in which we live we see what Symptomes of wrath and Judgement there are almost in every place and what continual threatnings of more Now how much does it concern us in these cases to look to our selves and to do somewhat which may prevent it from falling upon our own Heads as the Prophet David gives us advice in Psal 2.12 Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled yea but a little Blessed are all they that put their trust in him This is the Comfort of Gods children in trouble That all Afflictions are in the hands of God In His hand to order and temper them by way of Qualification that is the second Thirdly By way of Distribution as giving to every one his share and portion in it it is in the hand of the Lord so when God has prepared this Cup which is here spoken of it is not to run loosely and at random without any difference or discretion at all No But as there 's an hand to temper it so there 's also an hand also to dispose it and he gives to every one so much of it as he pleases and thinks fittingest for them we may take notice of that also And it is very profitable among other improvements which may be made of it to this purpose hereby to keep me from murmuring and impatience and discontent Ye know what was the reasoning of our Blessed Saviour for his own particular Joh. 18.11 The Cup with my Father hath given me shall I not drink it The same likewise may every Christian and true Believer say also with him This is that which is
is there will the Heart be also What 's the reason that Earthly and worldly Persons all their thoughts are taken up about the world and worldly accommodations why it is because they place their chiefest contentment in such things as these are They think of that most which they most desire and most affect In like manner is it so on the otherside with the children of God Because they look upon God as their greatest and chiefest Good and most desire the injoyment of Him therefore it is that they thus think upon him And then properly to meditate on God as mine that 's that which makes my meditation of him to be sweet as that this House is mine this Land is mine c. That 's that which puts sweetness into it and so here c This God is our God for ever and ever he will be our Guide even unto Death Psal 48.14 And so this is my Beloved and this is my Friend c. Cant. 5. last vers And then Thirdly There is much also in their Imployment and the things which they are busied about Mens Imployments have a great influence upon their thoughts for the qualifying and ordering of them It is natural for men to think of their Business and of such things wherein they are most Conversant Now thus it is with Gods Servants in this particular they are much in divine Exercises Prayers and Reading and Hearing and such as these and therefore they are also much in divine with Meditation These Performances do suggest Holy thoughts and Meditations unto them and put them as it were before they are aware upon the Exercise and upon the practise of them Lastly From the Spirit of God that dwells and abides in them Gods Children they are the Temples of the Holy Ghost which Inhabits them and takes up his special residence and Commoration in them And he is not in them to no purpose but he is a very fruitful and profitable Inhabitant who still puts them upon that which is Good and infuses Gracious thoughts into them Look as on the otherside the Devil the Spirit that rules in the Children of Disobedience he is filling them still with sinfull and evil thoughts and suggests corrupt things into them So here the Holy Ghost which is the Spirit that rules in the Children of God he does put them upon Holy Meditations and the thinking of that which is good and agreeable to Himself As he puts into them Gracious desires in reference to Prayer and teaches them what to Ask so he likewise puts into them Gracious thoughts in reference to Meditation and teaches them here what to Contemplate and so helps their Infirmities for them in this particular also Thus we see how it comes to pass in sundry respects that Gods Servants are much in the thoughts and Meditation of Him This shewes us the difference betwixt Gods Children and the men of the World As for worldly men they have this Reproach fasten'd upon them That God is not in all their thoughts Psal 10.4 No more he is not there are many men in the world that live without God in the world that pass from Day to Day without any thoughts at all of him as if there were no such one as he is or if they have some flitting thoughts of him they are not such as do stick with them and by them They do not indeed meditate upon him as is here mentioned in the Text this they are far from If ye could anatomize and rip up the Heart of a Carnal Person ye should see little of God in it but all of the world His Riches and Honours and Pleasures and Carnal Contentments as it is recorded of that worldling in the Gospel Luk. 12.17 It is said that he thought within him self and what did he think off Of his Lands and of his Fruits and his Possessions Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years c. This was that which he contemplated upon and that alone not a thought of God which past through Him till God Himself awakned him and so is it likewise with many more whereas this is the property of Gods Servants to be very much in the Meditation of Himself and to have their thoughts pitcht upon him as is here intimated of the Prophet David And this is the first Particular viz. The Performance implyed Divine Meditation The Second is the Qualification Exprest and that is Pleasantness or Sweetness My Meditation of him shall be sweet which passage as it lies before us in the Text is capable of a threefold Emphasis or Impression which may be fastend upon it First of an Assertion Secondly of a Resolution and Thirdly of a Petition of an Assertion as signifying what it was of a Resolution as declaring what it should be of a Petition as desiring what it might be First Take it as an Assertion and as signifying what it was The Meditation which a Christian Soul has of God it is very sweet and Comfortable this is that which is here intimated unto us Meditation is very pleasing of it self considered as an Imployment of the Soul which does naturally take delight in such reflexions but it is inlarged and further advanced from the quality and Condition of the Object which it is carried unto a delightful Argument makes a delightful Meditation Now thus it is here with a Christian to God while he meditates upon Him and that in his full Extent First The Attributes of God there 's a great deal of delight in thinking upon them in their several kinds and Varieties as for example First The Power of God how much sweetness is there in that to a Christian that shall seriously consider it and think upon it that God is Almighty and Alsufficient and can do whatsoever he pleases both in Heaven and Earth as the Scripture represents him This is that which the Servants of God have been very much affected withall when they have taken it into Consideration as from whence they have been very Hopeful concerning themselves That God is able to Kill and to make alive that God is able to Help and to cast down that God is able to raise even from the Dead and the like such thoughts as these have upon occasion much delighted Gods Servants Thus the three Worthies in Daniel which were cast into the Fiery Furnace The God whom we serve is able to deliver us It was a very Comfortable Meditation to them Dan. 3.17 So Abraham being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform Rom. 4.21 And so Heb. 11.19 Accounting that God was able to raise up his Son Isaac from the Dead It was a very great Incouragement to him So Secondly The Goodness and Mercy of God there 's a great deal of sweetness in that also to be suck'd out by us in Meditation that the Lord is Gracious and Merciful and Long-suffering and Pittiful as we have lately had occasion to shew there is very much
Contentment in it Oh how great is thy Goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee Psal 31.19 The Lord is Good a strong hold in the day of Trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him Nahum 1.7 It was a great Comfort to think of that because from a Good God nothing can come but good and that which is like to Himself And then the Wisdome of God to meditate on that also that he is great in Counsell c. and the Scripture proclaimes him that he can foresee all Events and discern all Hearts and search into the secret corners of the Soul That there is nothing hid from his Eyes c. That he confounds the wisdom of the Wise and brings to nothing the understanding of the Prudent as it is said of him This is that which affords matter of satisfaction to that Soul that does duly Contemplate it And so Lastly To add no more at this Time the Truth and Faithfulness of God the God that keeps Covenant and Mercy that is true to all his Promises and that performes what ever he undertakes It is very pleasing to think on this and thus is the Meditation of him sweet in reference to his Attributes which is the first Explication of it to us Secondly The word of God which is a part of Himself the Meditation on that is sweet also It is said of a Good man That his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in that Law doth he meditate Day and Night namely for the delight of it Psal 1.2 So Psal 19.8.20 The Statues of the Lord are right rejoycing the Heart the Commandments of the Lord are pure inlightning the Eyes more are they to be desired then Gold yea then much fine Gold sweeter then Honey and the Honey-Comb How much sweetness is there wrapt up in a Promise and to be drawn out of it by a serious Meditation especially fitting to the present State and Condition which at any time we are in here it must needs be very sweet indeed and so it is and the Servants of God have found it so upon their own Experiene'd promises of Pardon of Assistance of Deliverance and such as these they are all of them very sweet If we look into Scripture we shall find variety of Gracious Intimations suted to particular Conditions now these they cannot but be very Comfortable to those that are in them in Sickness in Poverty in Captivity in Temptation and the like and we cannot better provide for our own Comfort and Contentation in them then by thinking and meditating upon them in our own minds and where we are not furnished with particulars yet at least to close with the Generals which have a miraculous sweetness in them also I mean such promises as are made to Gods Children at large that God will give his Spirit to them that ask it That no good thing will he withhold from tehm that walk uprightly that he will never leave them nor forsake them That all things shall work together for good to them that love him It is unexpressible how much sweetness there is in the Meditation upon these Truths which are Exhibited to us in Scripture being set home by the Spirit of God Himself which must be taken in as pertinent hereupon Thirdly The works of God the Meditation on them also it is very sweet and that in all kinds As First His works of Creation to consider of them as they are all very good and beautiful considered in their Nature and kind so is the Contemplation on them is also remarkable As Psal 8.1 c. O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the Earth c. When I Consider thy Heavens the work of thy singers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained c. And so for this present Psalm which we have now before us the Hundred and fourth all throughout of it a meditation upon the works of Gods Creation which the Psalmist pleases Himself in and which he blesses God for So Secondly The works of Providence how sweet is it to meditate on these also to reflect upon all Ages and to consider what great things God has done for his Church and People in them What Mercies he has bestowed upon them what Deliverances he has wrought for them and that also sometimes after what a strange and miraculous manner It is very delightful to think of it This has satisfied and comforted Gods Servants when they have been in great Temptations and Trouble and perplexity of Spirit as for instance the Psalmist Himself Psal 77.7 Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more Hath God forgotten to be Gracious c. And I said this is mine Infirmity well but what was that which holp him and relieved Him in it He adds presently hereupon I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High I will remember the works of the Lord surely I will remember thy wonders of old I will meditate also of all thy works and talk of thy doings Meditation on the works of Gods Providence it was here sweet unto Him Thirdly The works of Redemption how sweet is it likewise to meditate on these To meditate upon God in Christ By whom he has reconciled himself to the world forgiving them their Trespasses as the Apostle Paul expresses it in the 2 Cor. 5.18 This is the sweet Meditation of all and without which we cannot meditate upon God without any true Comsort or Contentment The thoughts of God out of Christ they are not sweet but dreadfull and terrible Thy Heart shall meditate Terrour whosoever thou art that meditatest on him thus Deus Absolitus as Luther called it God considered absolutely and in Himself there 's no comming near him here so much as in our very thoughts and Meditations No but God manifested in the flesh taking our Nature upon him the Mediator God and Man together This is that which affords unto us the most Comfortable matter of Meditation Especially if we shall take him in his full Latitude and Extent and as he is of God made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption c. 1. Cor. 1. vers 30. Take Christ in all his Offices of King and Priest and Prophet and how sweet then is the Meditation of him Of a King to subdue our Enemies and to Govern and order our selves of a Priest to reconcile us to his Father and to make both Satisfaction and Intercession for us of a Prophet to reconcile unto us the whole will and mind of God all these are sweet things to think on And so as the Offices of Christ so his Graces which are likewise Emanations from Himself they are all very sweet and lovely there is not a work of the new Creature in us but it is very lovely and amiable in it self and the reflexion upon it also very delightful When a Christian by the help of the Spirit shall be
of Gods servants in this regard who dare not trust him with their lives and the preservation of them notwithstanding so many Gracious Promises and experiences which they have received from him As David he was but just before delivered out of his enemies hands and he presently cryes I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul even so it is with many others besides who as the Apostle speaks through fear of death are all their life-time subject to bondage Heb 2.15 Now for such as these they may be here said from this passage before us though God may bring them to danger yet as he sees cause he will deliver them from it as he did here with this servant David The Lord hath chastened me sore but he hath not given me over to death Secondly Where we partake of this mercy let us acknowlelge it with all thankfulness Thus does David do here we are to take notice not onely of his words but also of his Affection which is signified in them and the Spirit from whence they came from him he utters them with a great deal of feeling and sensibleness of Gods goodness to him And so they are not onely a narration of his present condition but an acknowledgement of Gods favour to himself to an answerable temper and disposition which he does here Express by the words which came from Him He hath not given me over to Death They are not words of Boasting and Vanity and Ostentation and Carnal Rejoyceing but the words of Soberness and Piety and Discretion And there are divers things intended by them First He would make it an Argument for Patience The escaping greater Evils should breed Contentation under less That as God afflicts us below our Deserts so also below our Capacities that he does not afflict us in the utmost Extremity and so to this purpose should we argue and reason with our selves he has taken away my Health but he hath not taken away my Life He hath exercised me in my Body but he has spared my Soul He hath deprived me of Earthly Comforts but he hath not deprived me of Heavenly of the Graces of his Spirit of the assurance of his Love of the Communion with himself of his own blessed and Gracious presence these he hath not denyed me but continued them still in the midst of all other Discouragements Secondly He would hereby silence the false rumours which were to the Contrary and the Insultations of his Enemies from them for their mouthes were full to this purpose and delighted to be so as these which spake according as they would have it as in the place before alledged Psal 41.6.7 And if he come to see me he speaketh Vanity his Heart gathereth Iniquity to it self when he goeth abroad he telleth it all that hate me whisper together against me against me do they devise my hurt This was the Condition of David in regard of his Enemies They Tryumpht before the Victory and pleased themselves both in the thoughts and speeches of his supposed Ruine and Destruction now by this Expression here in the Text he does in an holy and Humble manner signifie their Mistake and Disappointment as if he had said unto them it is not so bad as ye thought it nor so bad as ye hoped it nor so bad as ye talked it I am through Gods goodness alive still for all the surmises The Lord hath Chastened me sore but he hath not given me over to Death Thirdly Which is here namely Considerable David I say would hereby express his Thankfulness to God for this Mercy they are words of Praise and spiritual Rejoyceing as appears by those that follow in the 19 verse of this Psalm Open to me the Gates of Righteousness and I will go into them and will praise the Lord namely for this his Goodness to me This is that which we all should do as we have occasion for it and indeed there 's none of us all but have so one way or other though some more then other either by way of prevention in keeping of Evils from us or by way of recovery in delivering us out of those Evils and especially in these late Distempers which have been so rife and frequent amongst us for this year now last past wherein Death hath come up into our Windows as the Scripture speaks that we should not be given over to it is matter of due praise unto us and to be acknowledged by us And we cannot better nenew the year unto us then by such performances as these are And further stir up others to do so occasionally from our Example which is another thing here intended by David in this Expression he does not onely hereby signify his own Thankfulness but also excite and stir up others to praise God both for him and themselves upon the like occasion as we find him in another place Psal 34.2.3 My Soul shall make her boast of God the humble shall hear thereof and be glad O magnify the Lord with me and let us Exalt his name together But especially as a third Improvement of this point let us be careful to use our lives well which God has given us to his Glory and so give them back to him again who has first given them too us Life it is a Blessing as it used and ordered by us For men to live onely a Natural Life here in the word to Eat and Drink and take their pleasures like brute Beasts Alas what a poor thing is that for men to live onely for such a purpose as this is to fiill up the measure of their Sins and to aggravate their Account at another Day by thinking that they are delivered to commit such and such Abominations this is very sad and Miserable but then is Life indeed when it is improved to Gods Glory The doing of good in our several Opportunities the Furtherance both of our own and others Salvation and laying up in store a good Foundation against the time to come laying hold on Eternal Life Therefore I beseech ye let us be careful especially to look to this and that likewise those which are in the prime of their Years and Health and Strength let them not neglect so Blessed an Opportunity as that is those that are past it let them indeavour to redeem it for time to Come We should labour to find our lives given us and continued to us in Mercy and Love which we may know to be no otherwise then accordingly as we have hearts given us with them for the improvement of them as we may do any other Mercy besides where it has the stamp of Gods love upon it it makes us to serve him better with it and our selves to be really and indeed so much the better for it whereas when it is otherwise it is a fign it is in wrath and to harden us so much the more in Evil There 's none are so bad as those who are bad after Mercies Received both as having
greater Guilt upon them and a secret Curse also cleaving to them for their abuse and perverting of thess Mercies And so much of the thing it self here signified for the main Gods Deliverance and preservation of David He hath not c. Now we may further here take notice of the Phrase and Expression which is here used He hath not given me over to Death It is not simply he hath not killed me or taken away my life from me though that be principally intended But he hath not given me over to Death This is true of the Servants of God even there where Death seases upon them yet they are not under the power of it It does not at last prevail upon them which holds true in a twofold regard First Not under the Curse of it it being sanctified to them for their Good Death to the servants of God is a Conquered Enemy it is a Serpent without a sting O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy Victory The sting of Death is Sin the strength of Sin is the Law But thanks be to God who hath given us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ as St. Paul in his Heavenly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 15.55.56 God hath not given his Children over to Death but rather hath given Death over to his Children therefore Death is said to be theirs not they to be Death's 1 Cor. 3.21.22 All things are yours and amongst the rest even Death it self Death is under the power of the Church and in a sort at her Command forher Benefit and Advantage as an Entrance for her into Eternal Glory To me to live is Christ and to Die is gain says the Blessed Apostle of Himself Phil. 1.21 Which is true also of any other Beleiver Christ has redeemed us from Death as it is a Curse the Saints they are not under that Secondly As the Saints are not under the Curse of Death so neither under the Contrivances of it and so in that respect not given over to it as being at last made partakers of a blessed and Joyful Resurrection As our blessed Saviour Christ Himself who seems also to be tipified in this Psalm it is noted of him Acts 2.24 That God raised him up from the Dead having loosed the pains of Death because it was not possible that he should be holden of it As it was not possible for him so neither is it possible for any of his Members it was not possible for him to be detained many days Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy one to see Corruption For it is not possible for his Members to be absolutely and always detained but shall at last be loosed from it As Death had no dominion over him so neither over them This Corruption shall put on Incorruption and this Mortal shall put on Immortality and Death it self shall be swallowed up into Victory as the Apostle has it 1 Cor. 15.45 This is a point of singular Comfort to the Children of God and that which may satisfy them in the thoughts and Meditation of their Mortality that though they may and shall die at last yet they shall not be given over to Death It shall not tyrannize nor Dominear over them Indeed it is the Happy advantage of people that they are given over to no Evil whatsoever whether Spiritual or Temporal neither to the Evil of Sin nor to the Evil of Punishment though they be Capable and sensible of both and liable to them First Not to the Evil of Sin and Satan not given over to that As for wicked and ungodly persons it is their Misey to be so Satan rules in them God gives them over to sinful Courses as it is noted of the Gentiles thrice together in one Chapter the First of the Romans God gave them over He gave them over to Vncleanness and he gave them over to vile Affections and he gave them over to a reprobate Mind still he gave them over But he does not so with his own servants though for just and holy reasons he suffers them to be troubled with Sins while they live here below in the world yet he does not give them over to it Sin shall not raign in their mortal Bodies Iniquity shall not have Dominion over tkem nor presumptuous Sins especially shall not prevail upon them nor given over to the Evil of sin No nor Secondly To the Evil of Punishment neither not given over to that and in particular to this of Death As for wicked men and such as are none of Gods Children It is said they are like Sheep laid in the Grave and Death shall feed on them Psal 49.14 Death shall feed on them that is have it's fill and glut of them and shall do what it list unto them Yea but with the servants of God it shall be otherwise as David there makes the opposition in his own Person but God will redeem my Soul from the power of the Grave for he shall receive me Selah He was not given over to the power of Death And as not of Death Temporal so especially not of Eternal neither God did not give him over to this of any other whatsoever could be thought off God hath not appointed us to wrath but to obtain Salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes 5.9 God will be sure to keep his Children from this and does order all things to them in reference hereunto even Corrections and Afflictions themselves as I in part hinted before Chastens them here that he may not Damn them hereafter so that the Connexion holds very well here in this sense which we have now before us The Lord hath Chastened me sore but he hath not given me over to Death as a Mercy consequent to this his Chastening and Correcting of me And so we have done with both the parts of the Text The Condition and the Qualification of that Condition to him in this whole verse The Lord hath Chastened me sore but he hath not given me over to Death SERMON XXVI Psal 133.1 Behold how Good and Pleasant a thing it is for Brethren to dwell together in Vnity It is the great advantage of Vertue that it carries it's Evidence within it self whereby it becomes lovely and amiable in the eyes of all that observe it and behold it and take notice of it And as other Vertues and Graces besides so amongst the rest the Grace of Love and peaceableness and Unity and brotherly concord It is such as is very eminent and illustrious and which commends it self to all mens Consciences in the sight of God This is that which is here exhibited to us in this present Scripture before us in the Testimony of the Prophet David wherein we have a lively representation set before us of the Benefit of the Communion of Saints which is a main and Principle Article of our Belief and Christian Faith And so an argument very sutable and agreeable to the present occasion of our Assembling and coming
hood he should do any thing which was unworthy so long as he feared God there was no cause why they should fear him for this fear of God would restrain Him And that 's the first Grace here spoken of them as the Grace of Gods Acceptance the Grace of Fear The second is the Grace of Hope or Faith of those that hope in his mercy As the Lord takes pleasure in the former so in this likewise He delights in his Servants more especially as they give greater Testimonies of their Faith and Dependance upon him The more that any cleave unto Him the more doth he take care of them and pleasure in them Thus Psal 33.18 Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his mercy where we have both expressions of the Text joyn'd together and both to one and the same purpose as to Gods delight in such persons That which we are now speaking to is the latter of them That special respect which God bears to such persons as do by Faith cast themselves upon him and leave themselves to Him They are such as he is exceedingly pleased withal and does prize and esteem above any other The Reason of it is this because they are such as doe mos advance Him of any besides Faith it gives glory to God And therefore will he incourage those who do abound in it and who are most in the reall practise and exercise of it They are such as honour him in his Truth in his Power and in his Mercy which is the Prime of all And those that honour Him He will Honour Therefore let this teach us still to Act it and to draw it forth as much as we are able let us not cast away our Confidence which hath so great recompence of Reward as we see that it hath let us nourish and cherish this Heavenly Hope in us as much as we can which will carry us above all dejections and discouragements whatsoever Let us resolve and cry out with the Psalmist why art thou cast down oh my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God And so I have done with the Text in the first Acception of it as it may be taken Absolutely and Emphatically and in the simple Proposition as expressing Gods real Delight in such and such Persons The second is by taking it Comparatively and in Opposition to other Persons or Things And this as it refers to the verse immediately going before There we find it exprest thus He delighteth not in the strength of the horse He taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man And then it follows presently in this verse The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him and that hope in his Mercy The scope and meaning whereof is this That God does not so much stand upon or accept of Humane and Natural means so as to assist and cooperate with them for his Churches Deliverance as He does delight rather to assist the Faith and Prayer of his Servants when they are void of all External Incouragements An humble standing in awe of God and a faithfull Dependance upon him and an Importunate seeking to Him it is a great deal more effectual to Deliverance then all earthly or Humane Assistance This is the Drift of this Passage and Expression which we have here before us And it is the same with that in the Scripture above mention'd which comes to one and the same effect Psal 33.16 17 18. There 's no King saved by the Multitude of an host A mighty man is not delivered by his much strength An horse is a vain thing for safety â—â—ither shall he deliver any by his great strength Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his Mercy where the Opposition is still made betwixt carnal means and spiritual and the latter advanced above the former Reliance upon God is a great deal surer then reliance upon Men. It is is usual and frequent with the Scripture to put the greatest Disparagement upon those Creatures which men are apt themselves most to trust in and to advance and cry up above all other And thus it does here in these Texts which we have now before us An horse if it be considered simply in it self it is a very useful and profitable Creature and especially in the Battel which it is in a special manner fitted and prepared for but yet without Gods concurrence with it and assistance of it it is of no force or efficacy at all Prov. 21.31 The horse is prepared against the day of battel but safety or victory is of the Lord. And here He takes no delight in the strength of an horse In which expression by a Synecdochical speech is signified the insufficiency of all Humane Refuges whatsoever and the efficacy and prevailing and sufficency of Faith it self before them Wisdom sayes the Preacher it is better then strength Eccl. 9.16 And again Wisdom it is better then weapons of war Eccl. 9.18 And in both he means Spiritual wisdom especially which is the wisdom that is from above This is better then all the strength in the world and is able both to stand out against it and to prevail over it We shall find this to be verified and made good by Divers Instances and Examples in Scripture where the Saints and Servants of God by the strength and Power of Faith and Prayer have been able to do more then all their enemies by all their Carnal and External Advantages whatsoever Thus it was with the Iraelites when they were pursued by Pharaoh and the Egyptians They had a great deal of outward strengh and advantage against them of Horses and Chariots and the like But what did these come to in the Conclusion and in regard of the Event See in Exod. 15.21 Sing unto the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously The horse and his Rider hath he thrown into the Sea According to that again in another place in Isa 21.3 Now the Egyptians are men and not God and their Horses flesh and not spirit when the Lord shall stretch out his hand both he that helpeth shall fall and he that is holpen shall fall down and they shall all fall together There 's no strength against the strength of Israel So we may see it in Jabin and Sisera Who had Nine hundred Chariots of Iron with which they came against Israel but the Lord discomfited them and all their Hoste with the Edge of the Sword before Barak Judg. 4.15.16 And it is said there was not a man of them left So the Horses and Chariots which the King of Syria sent against Elisha 2 Kings 6.14 We know what they came to in Conclusion and how little they preailed against Him The Faith of the Prophet it procured a greater strength then that which was opposite unto Him The Mountain being full of Horses and Chariots of Fire round about Elisha So likewise Hezekiah in
Lord alone and none but He. This is his Prerogative and that as to both Explications of Tryal whether by Discovery or Reformation If we take it by way of Discovery as the Lord says so he does it alone that is infallibly and effectually It is his Title to be The Searcher and Tryer of the heart and he hath taken it upon him as that which he means to perform This does not exclude others absolutely and in subordination to him It is that which some others may do and it is that which others ought to do according as they are called thereunto to try and sift the hearts and spirits of other men and to discern what they are whether in order to converse with them that so they may get no hurt from them or in order to their further benefit and instruction There may be use of it likewise so But First None can try the heart thus Authoritatively And Secondly None can try it thus effectually and infallibly and with so much success Not so Authoritatively any because none hath that power over it The Heart and Conscience of a a Christian is in subjection to none but him that made it Not so Infallibly neither because none have that piercing insight into it Men when all is done they can but guess and conjecture and imagine and make supposition But the Lord he knows the Heart in every winding and turning of it yea even The thoughts of it afar off as the Psalmist expresses it in Psal 139.2 This teaches us accordingly to go to him for the discovery both of our own hearts and others as to whom it does belong When we would try our own private hearts a Duty which I mentioned before we see here how to do it most successfully and that is by taking in God to help us herein as David himself gives us a pattern in that Psalm Psal 139.23 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Know that is make me to know thee for my particular And so as for our selves so for others when we would know what is in them Let us take this course also to seek direction from him As the Disciples when they were to chuse a new Apostle and had cast Lots between Justus and Matthias They prayed and said Thou Lord which knowest the hearts of all men shew which of these thou hast chosen Act. 2.24 Again further Seeing this is God's Prerogative to try and judge the heart let us hence learn not to incroach upon it and to assume it to our selves by passing rash and peremptory judgment upon any Take heed of that we may discern but we may not absolutely determine being the Property of God alone This is urged by the Apostle Paul himself and in his own case 1 Cor. 4.4 5. He that judgeth me is the Lord Therefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts It is the propriety and peculiarity of God to try the heart by way of Discovery It is his again also by way of Reformation As none can try it that is know it but He so none can try it that is purge it but He neither He alone can take away the iniquities and defilements and pollutions of it which cleave unto it It is He alone which can take away the heart of Stone and gives a new heart of Flesh It is His Grace alone which is stronger than Sin and Corruption which is in us Therefore this should teach us to have our eyes still fixed upon him When at any time we come to the Ordinances and to be made partakers of the Word the Fining Pot as it were for Silver and which it self is as Silver refined and tryed in the Furnace See here where our Expectations would be fastened not so much upon the instruments as upon God himself who is the Worker of it Alas we are but Bringers of things together it is he who gives efficacy to them Who is Paul and who is Apollo but ministers by whom ye believed 1 Cor. 3.5 We are to do what in us lies and to commend the efficacy and success unto him And so as Ministers for their People so Parents for their Children There is many a Godly Parent which does earnestly desire the Conversion of his Child and the changing of his evil heart Now we see who must do it when all comes to all Not that it must be cast upon him so as to neglect other helps There must be the Refinings of good Education which is a very great conducement hereunto but this it must not be rested in without Addresses made to the Lord. And to conclude Where any do partake of any cleansings in their own hearts let them see here to whom to give the Honour and Glory of them even to Him who hath wrought them in them O Lord says Jeremy I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Jer. 10.23 No it belongs to Him and let him therefore be acknowledged for it We are said sometimes to purifie our selves but it is still meant in the strength of his Grace assisting us and concurring with us Whom therefore we must bless and praise for it Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Nome give glory for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake Psal 115.1 That is the third Emphasis here signified which is an Emphasis of Appropriation The Lord that is the Lord alone tryeth the hearts So much for that So I have done with the Second General Part of the Text which is the Reddition in the Comparison And so much also of the whole Text it self SERMON XXXIII Prov. 17.3 There are many devices in a mans heart nevertheless the Counsel of the Lord that shall stand There is nothing which is more desireable in the Course of this present Life then to know what to trust to Uncertainty is many times more grievous than Disappointment and to doubt how things will fall out more Perplexing oftentimes then Miscarriage it self And therefore such places of Scripture deserve of all others besides as most usefull and profitable both to be studyed and handled by us especially in such times as these are in which we we are as do anything serve to satisfie and settle us in this Particular In the Number whereof is this Text which I have here made choice of at this time with Gods assistance to speak unto from the mouth and Pen of Solomon who had a double advantage upon him for such a purpose as this The one as he was a Wise man and had much humane Sagacity in him The other as he was a Good man and did partake of the works of Grace in his heart which after all the disputeings about
they might magnifie Gods Grace and Goodness and Bounty in the amendment and recovery of them as it is noted of Mary Magdalen afore-mentioned that Because her many sins were forgiven her she loved much These words here in the Text Let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy they are still to be taken in an Exclusive Sense He will so have mercy upon him if he return as he will not have mercy upon him if he doth not Whosoever he be that goes on in sin without Repentance let God be as merciful as he may be yet such a person will not be the better for it whilst he so remains but rather the worse He that despises the Riches of God's Goodness and Patience and Long-suffering he does but treasure up unto himself Wrath against the day of Wrath and the Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of God Rev. 8.24 Let us therefore lay all these things now together and take them in the right Sense and Construction and make a right Improvement of them neither giving our selves liberty in sin nor yet doubting or Despairing of Mercy The one being a Trespass upon God's Justice and the other upon his Goodness and both together upon his Truth Which hints the contrary to us in this Text which we have now handled and dispatched 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 SERMON XXXIX Isa 30.21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying This is the way walk ye in it when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left God never makes account he does good enough to his People till he does them good in their Souls and in their inward man in reference to their Eternal Salvation and their Estate in a better Life Spiritual Blessings being the chiefest Blessings of all And such as in the injoyment of them do serve to recompense and to make amends to them for any other wants or exigences what soever which are upon them And this does the Prophet Esay here signifie to these present People whom he had to deal withall where he tells them that though God did exercise them in other respects feed them with the bread of adversity and drench them in the water of Affliction yet he did graciously provide for them as to the Spiritual and Evangelical Dispensations which in a large and plentifull manner should be imparted and communicated to them upon all occasions Forasmuch as their ears should hear a word behind them saying This is the way walk in it when they turned either to the right hand or to the left This is the Coherence of the Words with those which went before IN the Text it self we have three General Parts Considerable of us First The Monitor Secondly The Admonition it self And Thirdly The Occasion The Monitor in these words Thine ears shall hear a Word c. The Admonition it self This is the way walk ye in it The Occasion When ye turn to the right hand c. We begin in order with the First viz. The Monitor Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee This it may be taken by us two manner of ways Either in the proper sense or the Metaphorical The proper sense that relates to the word which is without us The word of the Ministery The Metaphorical sense that relates to the word which is within us the Dictates of the Spirit Now either of these may be very well understood here in this place when as the Lord signifies to his people that their ears shall hear a word behind them It is either a Promise to them of the Continuance of Ministerial Opportunities or else it is a promise to them of the Continuance of Spiritual Suggestions First We may take it in the first sense as it relates to the Opportunities of the Ministery which God promises here to this People to continue still unto them Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee that is the Ministerial Word And thus it sutes with the words which went before in the precedent verse the latter clause of it Thy Teachers shall not be removed into a corner any more but thine eyes shall see thy teachers Now it follows And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee Here 's an Accommodation of both senses as to this particular The Eye and the Ear. The Eye in reference to the Person and the Ear in reference to the Duty In reference to the Person First Thine Eyes shall see thy Teachers this was a great mercy and so to be accounted although it is not always so The World does not usually so esteem it whatever it be in it self care not much sometimes whethey see their Teachers or no or their Teachers them But yet it is not so simply in it self a very great mercy It is a favour when God does vouchsafe Teachers to us and when he vouchsafes us likewise an opportunity of beholding them when they are not removed into a corner but our eyes may look upon them But Secondly That 's not all there 's somewhat more in it besides all this Not only the advantage of the eye but the advantage of the Ear And thine Ears shall hear a word behind thee c. It is not only to see but to hear them It is not only to see that we have Teachers and to hear them but when we list or not at all But to see and to hear them to It is a mercy to see them it is a Duty to hear them Yea it is a Duty and a Mercy both where we are sensible and capable of it and therefore does the spirit of God here join them both together to make it the more full and compleat Thine Eyes shall see thy Teachers in the former Verse And thine Ears shall hear a word behind thee saying Here in this Now this latter is that which we are to speak to with Gods Assistance at this present time viz. The hearing of the Ear. That God will vouchsafe to this People this Opportunity of being made partakers of his Word and Heavenly Doctrine This is that which he here promises to them as a part of that blessing which he has reserved in store for them He had in the 18th of this Chapter signified that he would wait that he might be gracious and that he would be exalted that he might have mercy upon them This was a promise of Mercy in General But now in the Verses following he does bring it down to the particulars and to this amongst the rest o injoying the Ministery of the Word Now there two things at once which are involv'd and imply'd in this Expression First Here 's the opportunity it self A word behind thee Secondly Here 's the imbracing or closing with this Opportunity Thine ears shall hear it First Isay Here 's the Opportunity itself A word behind
in their several temptations When I said my foot slippeth thy mercy O Lord held me up says David Psal 94.18 And Psal 73.23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee Thou hast holden me by my right-hand Still it was God's holding of him Secondly The Servants of God do sometimes happily light upon careful and skilful persons whether Ministers or other Christians which herein are very helpful unto them When a man has broken or put out of joynt a leg or an arm if he meet with a skilful Chirurgeon or Bone-setter it is a great advantage to him in that respect Why thus now does it happen sometimes to the people of God in temptation they meet with friends skilful to this purpose 〈◊〉 Intercessor one of a thousand who has the tongue of the learned and is able to speak a word in season to the weary soul a spiritual man which can restore them and put them in joynt again by a spirit of meekness And now whiles it is thus with them they do in such cases more easily recover This was the case of David who when he was fallen in his great temptations had this advantage of the Prophet Nathan for his conversion and turning again And this was the case of Eli who when he had trespast against the Lord by his indulgence to his wicked Sons had the advantage of young Samuel to admonish him and put him in mind of it And this was the case of Hezekiah who being tempted to pride and vain-glory and carnal confidence in his treasures and possessions had the advantage of the Prophet Isaiah to awaken him in it And this was here now the advantage of Peter when he was drawn aside to the denial of his Master that he had the seasonable eye of Christ to look upon him and thereby to reduce him and to bring him to repentance as we find him to have done Thirdly There is in the servants of God a Principle of spiritual life which does conduce hereunto There 's a great deal of difference betwixt a dead man and a man in a swoon A man which is stark dead there 's no recovery of him again because a privatione ad habitum non datur regressus from an absolute and total privation there is no return again to the habit But it is otherwise here with the children of God in temptation they are not dead but sleep Grace it is not absolutely lost or extinguisht but only stunned in them And from hence it is that they do at the last return to their former condition This is signified in the connexion of these words with the words going before I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not And when thou art converted So long as a man's Faith fails not so long is there hope of his conversion in the sense which is here spoken of The Servants of God their Principles are still sound in them and this is very advantageous to them in this particular As ye see in other matters when a man has a strong nature and a good temper and constitution of body it will easily work out some distempers in him which another lies under Even so is it here in these spiritual things where a man has a gracious frame and temper of heart for the general this will conquer and overcome some occasional weaknesses in him Lastly which I will here but only name because we shall speak to it more hereafter the children of God they are also careful of themselves When men are sick and distemper'd and take no care for their recovery or amendment they may dye of the distemper but by good heed health is often restored And so here God's Servants when they fall into temptation they take care of themselves in it and so at last get out of it and are freed from the inconveniencies of it which are appertaining to it Thus we see an account of this business how God's people after temptations are restored The Use of this Point to our selves is not from hence to make us so much the more bold and busy with temptations in hope of being at last delivered and freed from them which is an ill improvement of such Truths as these are but rather as a word of comfort to good Christians against Satan's assaults and attempts upon them The Devil when at any time he sets upon any poor soul his desire and intent is to undo it and to take it off wholly from God that it should never return to him more But yet he is herein disappointed and frustrated of his expectation so as he shall not prevail so much against it and therefore may every good Christian in this case triumph with the Church in Mic. 7.8 Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy when I fall I shall rise again when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me As God sets bounds to his people's afflictions so to their corruptions also and temptations that they shall not too long lye upon them Peter though for a while tempted yet shall at length be restored and converted And thus much of the words in the first sense as they may be taken by way of supposition and as the intimation of a Priviledg When thou art converted The Second is by way of imposition or command and as they have in them the intimation of a Duty Return or convert thy self Thus the two ancient Eastern Translations both Syriack and Arabick carry it and that not altogether unagreeable to the Original Text It being ordinary in the Greek Language to turn the Imperative into the Participle As Matth. 28.19 Go teach all Nations baptizing them i. e. Teach them and Baptize them So here having converted strengthen i. e. Convert and strengthen And this sense is also further justified from the Participle in the Active signification We will therefore not excluding the former take it in this construction also So there is further in it That Christians when they are fallen through temptation ought as soon as may be to return and restore and recover and convert themselves from it Having first converted thy self which it concerns thee to endeavour then do so also to thy brethren For the better opening of this present Point unto us we must remember that there 's a double Conversion there 's a conversion from the state of Nature to the state of Grace and there 's a conversion from some decay or weakenings of Grace to the renewings and strengthening of it There 's repentance as to the state and also to the act Now it is not the former Conversion but the latter which is here intended in this Scripture As for Conversion in the former sense wherein indeed the word is commonly and most usually taken that Peter did partake of already and was not at all fallen from it that is from the general work of Regeneration and the new creature But as to the latter of that he was capable And Christ here warns him as occasion should serve
hindrance and impediment of the mercy of God neither have the servants of God upon this point been any thing disheartned from access unto him see it in David Psal 25.11 For thy names sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great Mark it is great therefore pardon it so far is he from refusing pardon upon this consideration as that upon this he does therefore desire it and that upon a double account in reference to himself and in reference to God in reference to himself pardon it because it is great and so I have more need of pardon in reference to God pardon it because it is great and so thou shall have the greater honour in pardoning of it To satissie us fully in this point we may consider thus much That the ground of Gods pardoning of sin or not pardoning it it is not the greatness or smalness of the sins but his own free grace and goodness considered in himself as Isa 43.24 25. Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins and wearied me with thine iniquities yet I am he that blotteth thy transgressions for my names sake It is for Gods names sake that he pardons sin and whilst he does so it is not the greatness of the sin which will keep him from it nay it is this which will rather put him upon it as delighting hereby so much the more to magnifie his bounty towards us So secondly as not the greatness of the sins in their nature or kind so neither the multiplications of them neither there is no hinderance from this God promises to heal even the apostasies and backslidings of his people and to love them freely Hos 14.4 And Jer. 3.1 Thou hast played the harlot with may lovers yet now return unto me saith the Lord. God has mercy even for the renewals of sin upon the renewing of our repentance and turning to him He is a great Physician which can cure great diseases and following relapses that so we may not despair in our accesses and our approaches to him Therefore let us not stand upon this as that which should keep us off from conversion and coming to Christ for of it self it is no hindrance at all It is not the sins themselves but the holding of them and making much of them which does make men uncapable of favour and mercy from God so long as they remain and continue in such a condition Again Thirdly it is not the want of such a measure or degree of Humiliation which does exclude neither There are many think they may not come to Christ and are sometimes taught so to think because they are not humbled in so deep and large a manner as some others are Now for this we must know that this is a very great mistake in them and it is contradicted by this present Text before us Him that cometh I will in no wise cast out When the Promise is made to the coming not to the preparations he that is so far humbled as to come he shall find grace and acceptance with Christ and may expect it and look for so much from him As for the preparatory work of Humiliation it is different in several persons according to their several tempers dispositions conversations and future employments That which we are principally to mind and to apply our selves to is the thing it self which is the sight of our own vileness and emptiness and insufficiency an apprehension of the necessity of Christ and grace by him a willingness to leave our sins and to close with Christ upon his own conditions Where these things are really and in good earnest wrought in us we need not much to trouble our selves about any thing else This is that which undoes many people in this particular in that they think to be accepted with Christ from somewhat in themselves the smalness of their sins and the greatness of their humiliation and their Legal performances Whereas alass this is not the matter nor that which God does so much look at The Lord does not pardon any sin because it is small but because he delights in pardon and because ercy pleases him Mic. 7.18 No the Lord does not pardon any sins because he has so much forrow and grief and trouble of spirit upon him which is a thing which God does not delight in but for his own Names sake out of the largeness and infiniteness of his Attributes as we hinted and intimated before And ye for all this we do not say with the Arminians that there is no Qualification at all required in us that God pardons an Adulterer or Murderer or Drunkard so remaining for that he does not do He forgives those that come to him but now such as these they do not come To say or think that any one may come to Christ in the allowance and approbation of his lusts and resolution to live still in them is to speak and hold those things which are contradictory the one to the other Look how far any man does favour and allow himself in any evil course so far does he withdraw from Christ and does forbear to come unto him and so in conclusion does expose himself to eternal ruine The great cause of that Errour which is in many in this respect is the mistake of the true nature of coming for many think this to be all the coming to Christ which is required to repair to him for mercy and forgivness and to desire to be saved by him Now this 't is true any may desire though never so vile and wicked and abhiminable They may come to Christ and desire him to save them yea but this is further the coming here spoken of and intended in this present Text to come to Christ and desire him to rule them to cast off those sinful affections and desies and complacencies which are in them and to be willing to have better hearts bestowed upon them Those that come to Christ thus it is no matter what they have been formerly he will in no wise cast them out This is the scope of the Gospel and that which in the preaching of the Gospel we are to make known and to press upon you That whosoever in this sense comes he may have grace and mercy by Christ and shall certainly be received by him without any denial And he that does not come thus he shall remain and die in his sins This is that which we are to believe about this Doctrin of our coming unto Christ. Therefore let us lay hold on it and make much of it and improve it all we can to our best use and advantage as it becomes us to do Take heed of that censure which our Saviour passes upon the Jews Ye will not come to me that ye might have life Joh. 5.40 Whilst it is so with us we can have nothing to say for our selves That man that chuses rather to hold his lusts and his base affections than to serve Christ though he might save his Soul
and these will help us and support us in such conditions as these are it being not suitable or agreeable to these that he should leave his people in distress but should take notice of them He will neither leave them distressed nor yet leave them in their distress as is here signified to us that is He will never leave them nor forsake them as he has promised in another place we may be sure of it and depend upon it as that which he will undoubtedly confirm and make good unto us As here to his Disciples so in like manner to all other Christians and Believers besides What a great encouragement and consolation is this now to us in the right improvement of it not onely as it stays the Soul in present perplexities but likewise as it arms it and prepares it against future dangers when we know not what may befall us as how far we may be comfortless in the world yet whiles we know that Christ will not leave us nor disown us it may be heartning to us Beloved there is a time will one day come when all things here below will leave us and we shall leave them when we shall be stript and deprived of all these outward and earthly refreshments of Houses and Goods and Friends and all such like comforts Oh what an advantage will it be then to us that we shall not be left of Christ nor forsaken of him that when all things else shall leave us comfortless yet that he will not leave us comfortless with them but stand by us and own us in such conditions and when we have most need of him will then give us most encouragement from him which if we be such as do belong unto him we need not to question For the further and fuller opening of this present passage to us of Christs not leaving of his people comfortless we must know that it is considerable according to a two-fold explication First as to matter of Affection And secondly as to matte of Activity For there is a leaving in both of these respects A man is said to leave another when he does remit of his former love and tenderness and good-will unto him And again he is said to leave him when he does abate of his former practises and performances for him Now in neither of these considerations will Christ leave or desert his servants in comfortless conditions First He will not leave them in his affection and the inclinations of his heart towards them he will not leave them so In the worst and most discouraging Providences of Christ towards his Church and People he does still reserve his heart for them and does bear a tender respect unto them As he tells his People in Captivity I know the thoughts that I think towards you thoughts of good and not of evil c. Jer. 29.11 And Hos 11.8 My heart is turned within me and my repentings are kindled together Does a Mother at any time love her Child the less because it is sick no therefore she loves it so much the more and is a great deal the more tender of it In like manner is God also of his Secondly as to matter of Activity he will not leave them so neither As he will not cease to love them so he will not cease to bestir himself for them which is a fruit and consequent of love the less able they are to help themselves the more will he help them and the less able they are to comfort themselves the more will he comfort them His power is made manifest in their weakness Now the consideration of this point it should have a two-fold influence with it by way of improvement the one is in a way of thankfulness and the other is in a way of imitation First this care of Christ of us in such conditions as these are it should draw acknowledgment from us This is that which we shall find the Church to make conscience of in such a condition Psal 136.23 Who remembred us in our low estate for his mercy endureth for ever It is one of the particulars amongst the rest which in that Psalm she blesses God for And so Psal 145.14 The Lord upholdeth all them that fall and raiseth up all those that be bowed down It is that for which he extols God and praises him for ever and ever Secondly As to matter of Imitation we should learn our selvs also to practise it and in our places as near as we can to conform unto it by not leaving others comfortless as Christ does not leave us Let the same mind be in us to this purpose which was in Christ Jesus Parents to their Children Magistrates to their Subjects Ministers to their People First to be careful how we make them comfortless And secondly to be careful how we leave them so It is a Christian disposition to be tender of the spirits and conditions of other persons and especially which are any ways united and related to our selves and which are of themselves apt to be overswayed That we do not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax nor make sad the faces of those whom God has not made so or which he has made so that we make them not sadder by deserting and leaving them in their affliction and by that means adding sorrow to sorrow To do this is very far both from the practise and disposition of Christ as it is here exhibited to us and not onely here but likewise in other places as we may observe if we look into the Gospel where he perceived at any time that his Disciples were in any state or condition of discomfiture how he was still careful to support them in it and to prevent them from sinking under it And so much may be spoken of the first Branch of this second General in the Text to wit the care of Christ toward his Disciples exprest in the Negative in these words I will not leave you comfortless The second is the Affirmative in these words I will come unto you Which passage as it lies here before us is considerable two manner of ways of us First in the scope of it and the end for which it is uttered by our Saviour And secondly in the matter of it and the words themselves whereof it consists We 'll take notice of it in both For the first the scope and drift of it it was this especially that he might comfort his Disciples and prevent them from discouragement He does here in these last words practise that which he had promised to them in the words preceding There he had told them that he would not leave them comfortless whiles he went away from them And here he does take a course to provide comfort for them by telling them of his coming again after his departure that though he went from them for a while yet he would not go from them for good and all but would return unto them Thus he does as tender
Peter as concerning his denial of his Master he was a person that had a great measure of Habitual Grace in him and in particular of affection to Christ and he poor man thought that this would support him and carry him through temptation and therefore he so considently proclaims it That though all men should for sake him yet that he would never forsake him but yet when he came to the trial and conclusion we know how it was with him and if Christ had not presently prayed for him that his faith might not fail and also by his Almighty power had not kept his faith from failing it had fail'd and ceas'd in him eternally Look as when he walked upon the Sea it was Christs support that kept him from sinking and perishing in the waters so also when he was under a temptation it was Christs grace that preserv'd and sustain'd him When my foot slipt thy mercy O Lord held me up Psal 84.18 This we may see likewise in Paul in the carriage of God towards him 2 Cor. 12.9 when he was there buffeted with Satan and had sought to God to be freed from that temptation how does God endeavour to comfort and encourage him in that his conflict why he does it from this consideration My grace is sufficient for thee And my grace that is not onely my preventing grace the grace which I have already wrought in thee when I at first call'd thee to my self but my grace that is my assisting grace the grace wherewith I still follow thee and am continually present with thee It is not thy grace but my grace not so much the grace within thee as the grace without thee that is my favour and good-will towards thee from whence I come to take special care of thee Thirdly The strength onely of former assistance is not that which will suffice neither As we need Christs Actual grace as well as Habitual and his Assisting grace as well as his Preventing so we need the daily and continual and fresh supplies of this grace unto us without which we can be able to do nothing at least for any time so as we should do This is another thing which is here to be added and taken in by us for the explication of this Particular Without me that is without me daily with you and standing by you and helping of you and imparting and communicating new strength and ability to you ye are indeed able to do nothing According to our particular occasions so must answerably be our support from the Spirit of Christ yesterdays strength and assistance will not serve for the repelling or conquering of this days temptation no more than yesterdays meal will serve the turn for this days strength and corporal improvements No but as new occasions do at any time increase upon us so proportionably is new ability to be imparted to us As a man that carries a burden which is heavier than what he carried the day before he must have somewhat more strength in him than he had before as adequate and agreeable thereto Every new affliction every new temptation every new condition every new duty and performance it requires new strength from Christ besides what has been formerly manfested for the bearing and resisting and managing and accomplishing of it So that though former assistance be so far forth very comfortable as it is an encouragement to the expectation of new yet it is not sufficient alone and of it self without new And thus have we seen this Point explicated and amplified in its several particulars Now the consideration hereof for the Use and Application of it may be drawn out in a various improvement we may reduce it for methods sake to three Heads First in a way of Confutation Secondly in a way of Information And thirdly in a way of Excitement First it serves for Confutation of the contrary Error and false Opinion of the Pelagians and others with them who teach that there is indeed General and Universal Grace communicated to all men from Christ from whence they have power for the doing of good but that the reducing of this Power into Act and the particular doing of it it is purely and absolutely from themselves who do determine themselves in particulars to that which God has given them onely power for in general This I say is plainly refuted from this present Scripture where it is said that without Christ we can do nothing as well as will nothing Answerable to that other place before mention'd For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his own good pleasure that is not onely the power but the act And indeed it must needs be so and cannot be otherwise For forasmuch as the Act is more noble than the Habit the Operation than the Power the second Act than the first therefore the Act cannot be ascribed to our selves and the Power onely to God unless we will prefer our selves before God and give him the lowest place and least stroke in any good which is at any time done by us Again further it may be cleared to us that Christ must needs concur with us not onely by a common and general Qualification but also by a special and particular influence in every good work which is done by us by a proportionable consideration of what is observable even in Natural Actions For so we see it is with Fire the property whereof is to burn yet if God do suspend his influence from it and concourse with it it can produce no such effect notwithstanding the natural propensity and inclination of it thereto as we may see in the three Persons in Daniel which were cast into the fiery Furnace And so though God hath given us a power of Natural life at first yet if he do not preserve this life in us and give us motion together with life we can stir neither hand nor foot for all that because in him we live and move and have our being And thus may this passage here before us serve in a way of Confutation Secondly In a way of Information and Satisfaction We may from hence be now instructed in the truth of this Point which is here before us and take notice of it in its full latitude and extent where whiles it is said that without Christ we can do nothing namely that is spiritually good as we have hitherto explained it we are to take it in all te appurtenances belonging hereunto and the steps and gradations of it whereby this assistance and enablement whereof we speak does proceed First It is He who must inform us and instruct us in that which is our duty which must inlighten out dark understandings in this particular for we are naturally so blind of our selves as that we are unable to discern it That which we do not know we cannot do But he hath shewn thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee Mic. 6.8 Secondly It is
despise not the chastening of the Lord c. Heb. 12.5 But to have his goodness and his mercy despised and to have his patience and long-suffering abused this is the worst of all Patientia laesa fit furor Patience when it is once abused it turns into fury and wrath And so will the Patience of God when it is exercised by the Provocations of men There 's a time a coming when Mercy will be worth the owning and will not be despised There are divers evils consequent upon this despising of the mercies of God First The removal and taking away of the mercies themselves When God bestows good things upon them and they make nothing of them or pervert them to a contrary use God does then justly deprive them of them and bestows them sometimes upon those which will better deserve them Thus Hos 2.8 9. She did not know that is consider that I gave her corn and wine and oyl and multiplied her silver and gold which they prepared for Baal And what then Therefore will I return and take away my corn in the time thereof and my wine in the season thereof and I will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness There 's no better way to secure and to preserve any comfort to us which at any time we enjoy than by thankful and fruitful improving it to Gods glory and the doing of good with it whereas the contrary it does plainly forfeit and expose it to ruin and loss Secondly Vpon despising of Gods mercies there follows not only a removal of them but also a perverting of them and turning them to evil God as I said before is able to curse mens blessings and so oftentimes he does upon this account wherein he deals with them suitably to themselves For they do for their parts use his blessings to a contrary purpose and he does dispose his blessings to have a contrary issue to them that what is comfortable in its own nature shall be to them matter of disquiet Thirdly He does also hereupon inflict heavy judgments and absolute punishments when mercy will do no good he then takes another curse and proceeds to destruction especially where mercy is presumed on As Dent. 29.19 20. He that blesses himself in his heart and says He shall have peace although he does thus and thus the Lord will not spare him c. The Consideration of these things should make us therefore to be shy and careful in this particular Oh take heed of despising the riches of Gods goodness and patience And the greater mercies they are that God follows thee withal be so much the more tender of them because himself is more tender of them also and those are spiritual mercies and which concern our spiritual welfare do not neglect or despise them of any other besides the Gospel and Ordinances and Ministry and Dispensations of the Spirit the motions and stirrings and checkings of Conscience in the soul which I spake of before take heed of despising of these for it is a despising even of God himself and his goodness He that â—â—â—â—seth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luk. 10.16 And so 1 Thes 4.8 He that despiseth despiseth not man but God who hath also given us his holy Spirit says the Apostle to the Thessalonians There are many which are apt to think well themselves that when they reject the Ministry of the Word and slight such performances as these are that they despise but the pains and labours of some weak and frail man Oh but there 's more in it than so it is a despising of the Goodness of God even the riches of his Goodness as it is here exprest in the Text and of his chiefest goodness of all the riches of his grace which he most delights and takes pleasure in and would magnifie above all his works Before I pass this Head let me take notice of one thing more and that is the phrase and manner of expression Thon and thou O man by way of particular designation which shews the nature and property of the Ministry in the exercise of it which is to come home to mens particular consciences and to deal effectually with them in particular It is both an indefinite word and a restrained it is indefinite in regard of the Preacher but it is restrained in regard of the Hearer for the Ministers they cannot always know who are guilty of these and these miscarriages therefore they speak at random and in generalities they know not to whom But the Spirit of God in mens consciences brings it home to the particular persons of those which are concerned in it As St. Austin has it to this purpose Aures omnium pulso sed conscienties quorundam convenio c. I speak says he to al mens ears but I meet but with some mens consciences I do not say Thou such an one who art thus guilty amend thy self but whosoever in this auditory is thus guilty let him amend himself Publica est correctio sed peccata corrigit And so I have one with the first General Part of the Text which is the simple expostulation Despisest thou the riches of his Goodness and long-suffering c. The second is the aggravating amplification in these Not knowing that the Goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance Wherein again we have two Branches more First The truth asserted And secondly The truth questioned The truth asserted that 's on the Apostles part in these words The Goodness of God leadeth thee c. The truth questioned that 's on the Sinners part in these words Not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance c. We begin with the former viz. The truth asserted The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance Now this will require a little Explication from us how it is to be understood by us and it may be taken three manner of ways First Occasionally as it gives the opportunity Secondly Argumentatively as it gives the Motive and Ingagement Thirdly In a sense also effectively and operatively as it gives the very thing it self First I say Occasionally as it gives the opportunity the Goodness of God does so far forth lead to repentanceâ—â—â—s it affords time and space for repentance for so it does If God should deal strictly with men in rigour of justice and cut them off presently in their very sins they would then find no place for repentance But now his patience and long-suffering towards them is in this respect an advantage to them as a Creditor that spares his Debtor and does not instantly fall upon him he gives him time to pay his Debts which otherwise he could not do Thus does God with the sons of men by his indulgence and forbearance of them he does hereby give them respite for this that they may consider their ways that they may bethink themselves that they may return and make their peace with him in the blood of
set it home upon the soul But when he does so then it obtains this effect Goodness and patience sanctified it do â—â—very much lead men to repentance by gracious and ingenuous impressions fastened upon the minds of men otherwise it does no good at all at least in any saving way The goodness of God that does us good in a way of repentance it is not his goodness without us but his goodness rather within us by the changing of our inward man and the infusing of gracious Principles into us And thus far indeed he does conduct us and lead us hereunto There are some which are of opinion as if we has a Power in our selves so far forth to improve God's Goodness and forbearance and long-suffering towards us as thereby to be easily drawn to repentance if our selves please that they are proper and sufficient means with the help and cooperation of the Spirit of God which does always accompany them to bring them hereunto But this is more than the Apostle does aâ—â—ert here in this place or than can be rationally deduced from it Where first he speaks not of such a repentance as does come home to absolute conversion and which is sound in true believers and the Children of God but only of a disciplinary repentance couâ—â—sting especially in an external cessation from those grievous sins before mentioned and of the change of vicious acts and customs into those which were morally honest and laudable Secondly He does not affirm that this Goodness and Mercy of God has any suitableness or congruity hereunto in a connexion of causes and dependance of one thing upon another Neither thirdly which is also supposed does he say That God does absolutely intend the Actual repentance of all such persons to whom this Mercy is shewed But this is that which he does propound and exhibit to us That God does hereby as it were lead men by the hand and intice them and invite them and draw them on to the doing it more than they do and so objectively leads them to repentance And this is enough to convince men and to leave them inexcusable whiles they pull themselves out of Gods hand offering to lead them and refuse to be better by him and by all his favour and mercies towards them which he follows them and tends them withal To this I might also add by way of further illustration how God leads men to Repentance Exemplariter by way of pattern and example and that also in this his Goodness and Patience whiles himself seems to repent of the evil which he intended to bring upon them as we find that phrase often in Scripture this is a special inducement to them for their repentance of their evil against him But these things I cannot now press and insist upon That 's the first Branch in the second General viz. the truth asserted That the Goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance The second is the Truth questioned in those words Not knowing that Which words may be taken either as a part of the Expostulation as join'd with the foregoing words Despisest thou c. and doest thou not know Or else as the Assignation of a ground and reason of that contempt forasmuch as thou does not know c. Take them which way you will and if you please both ways together And so this expression not knowing it does imply three things in it First simple Ignorance not knowing i.e. not apprehending Secondly Interpretative Ignorance not knowing i.e. not considering Thirdly Affected Ignorance not knowing i.e. not willing to know First Simple Ignorance not knowing i.e. not apprehending this is that which worldly men are oftentimes much encompast withal they are ignorant of the scope and end and intent of Gods Providence towards them they do not know what he means either in his chastisements or his forbearance of correction but have oftentimes sinister conceits and apprehensions in this particular as thinking that to be a favouring of sin in them which is rather the contrary and thinking that to be an allowance of wickedness which is rather a motive an incitement to goodness and so repentance as it is here exprest Evil men understand not judgment but they which seek the Lord underst and all things both in judgment and mercy it self as is there implied Prov. 28.5 Now this Ignorance as is here also intimated is a cause and ground of this miscarriage therefore men make no better use of all his gracious dealings with them because they know not nor do not understand the drift and meaning of them nor the errand which they carry with them which it is a matter of concernment to know Christians they should labour to be well acquainted with the Providences of God to spell out the meaning of them and to learn that proper lesson which he would teach them by them Secondly Interpretative Ignorance not knowing i.e. not considering that which a man does not attend unto it is in effect as if he did not know and so it is here and that as a ground and occasion of this distemper and miscarriage of despising of the goodness of God when men do not thoroughly weigh and consider what this goodness of God tends to they are from hence apt to despise it And indeed all miscarriage is upon the point founded hereupon men would be a great deal more innocent if they were but more advised if they did but ponder and consider and perpend things more than they do which indeed they do not Thirdly Affected Ignorance not knowing i.e. not willing o know because men have no mind o repent therefore they have no mind neither to know those things which should induce them to repentance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are willingly ignorant of this thing as the Apostle Peter speaks it of them in 2 Pet. 3.5 Therefore in the verse next the Text it hath hardness and impenitency of heart joined together with it whereby they do arm and fortifie themselves against every thing which should make them better Now let us lay all these things together and make aright improvement of them to our selves by way of Application they are such as will very nearly concern us upon a double account both Personal and National both in reference to our own particulars in reference likewise to the Community wherein we partake and which we are members of that we be careful not to despise the riches of Gods goodness and patience towards us but to know that he hereby leads us to repentance if we will be led by him First for our own particular persons it concerns us to be sensible of it here whosoever thou are that God does bless more than ordinary with any measure of these outward comforts be sure to make a good use and improvement of them whereby it may be evidenced to thee that they are bestowed u8pon thee in mercy and not cast upon thee either in wrath or no more than out of common Providence and a
Final point or Conclusive He ends the Year as well as begins it with the Expressions of his Goodness in it He Crowns the Year with his Goodness Psal 65.11 Solomon tells us that the End of a thing is better then the Beginning and so inded it is in that which is Good And this is that which is Remarkable in God in his Dealings and Proceedings with his Church he is always sure to make a good End and cheifly with them nay where the Beginning may seem at least to be Contrary yet the End is always Comfortable ye have heard of the patience of Job and ye have seen the end of the Lord. Know ye that the Lord is very Pitiful and of tender Mercy as it is in Jam. 5.11 Thus is God Gracious to his Land and People in all Points and Periods of time from the beginning of the year to the end of the year from one year to another Yea from one Age to another Lord thou hast been our Dwelling-place in all Generations In Generation and in Generation as it runs in the Hebrew Text. Remember the days of old Consider the years of many Generations Ask thy Father and he will shew thee thy Elders and they will tell thee Namely of thy Goodness to them Deut. 32.7 Yea further ther 's a larger Extent yet behind then all this And that is from Everlasting to Everlasting in Psal 103.17 Thus is his Mercy upon them that fear him and his Righteousness unto their Childrens Children as it is there exprest that is not in the full compass of time but also before time was Even till time shall be no more from Everlasting in Election to Everlasting in Salvation The Sum of all for the use of it to our selves comes to this To teach us to make an answerable Improvement of it which we are to do Especially three manner of ways First In a way of Thankfulness and Acknowledgment Secondly in a way of Faith and Dependance and Thirdly in way of Truth and Obedience First In a way of Thankfulness and Acknowledgment where we have at any time the Experience of this made good to us in our own Particulars as we very much have Let us but cast our Eyes back upon the year newly past and consider if it hath not been thus indeed in a great measure with our selves How hath the Providence of God watcht over us and the Eyes of the Lord our God been upon us from the beginning of the year to the end of the year In our Persons in our Families in our Imployments in our several Condions Assisting us in them carrying us through them Preserving and Prospering of them to us we know what a sad year it hath been as in other Respects so especially as to the sad Distempers and Sicknesses which have been amongst us sweeping and carying away many which were more likely to live then our selves Now that we should be alive this day and have our health continued to us notwithstanding such Danger how much does it concern us to apprehend it and to be sensible of it That Gods Eye hath in this sense been upon us from the beginning of the year to the end of the year What can we render unto the Lord for all his Goodness his special singular peculiar and distinguishing Goodness in the whole Compass and Latitude of it Secondly In a way of Faith and Dependance let us make use of it so also that so we who have had Experience of his Goodness for the year past may still wait upon him in the use of all good means for the year Insuing and Comfortably rest in that Providence which God does Exercise towards his Church and People It is very Satisfactory in times of Vnecertainty and Hazard and Suspicion we know what 's in the Beginning of the year but we know not what may bee in the proceedings of it or before the End of it Yea but this we know That Beginnings and Proceedings and Endings they are all at the Disposal of the Lord our times are in Gods hand both first and last And his Eyes are always upon his Church from the Beginning of the year to the End of the year All things shall work for the best to them that love God as the Apostle Paul tells us in Rom. 8.28 And as the Preacher Solomon tells us in Eccl. 8.12.23 Though a Sinner do Evil an hundred times and his dayes be prolonged yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God which fear before him But it shall not be well with the Wicked c. Thirdly In a way of Fruitfulness and Obedience we are to improve this point so likewise That as the Eyes of the Lord our God are upon us in this Extent and Production so our Eyes may be upon Him likewise in the same Extent As his in a way of Providence and Protection and Preservation So ours in a way of Obedience and Fruitfulness and Circumspection First To Begin the year with him as he does with us and thereby to lay a good Foundation of Holy Conversation to our selves To set our selves in a good way at first in this Entrance of time Indeed God by right should have the first Fruits of all our times in all the parts and Distributions of it The first of the Day in the Devotions of the Morning the first of the Week in the Sanctification of the Sabbath the first of the Life in the buddings forth of the Childhood And here now the first of the Year in the beginning of such a time as this It is that which Divers amongst us may in a manner have been said to do this Day already In the Renewal of Conenants with God at the Lords Table we have there now Sollemnly ingaged our selves to walk more Closely and perfectly with him for the time to come and to give him the Fruits of the following Year and all our life after in answerable Obedience to him Now it Concerns us accordingly to be always mindful of this our sollemn Vow and ingagement to him And in particular to begin well with him A good Beginning has that which makes way for a good Ending If we have hitherto been any way failing in our Duty and Neglected it Let us now at least and at last keep it Secondly Let us proceed also as God does with us He begines and he goes on in his Goodness his Eyes which he cast upon his Church and People they never fail but continue and hold good still So should our Eyes also upon him we should perfectly Continue in Goodness and proceed in it from one Degree of it to another As the yeare rises in the Light of it so should we rise also in the Improvement of it This is the Nature and Disposition of those that are good as it is in Prov. 4.18 The path of the just is as the shining Light that shineth more and more unto the perfect Day and unto the perfect Year Thirdly
not in the things themselves driven further from salvation it self and the tendencies to it Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked Deut. 32.15 what are these now blessings No they are curses rather they are blessings turn'd into curses Mal. 2.2 And they make the condition of those which are in this case to be very sad and fearful The goodness of God should lead us to repentance and his mercy should provoke us to obedience and his love should constrain us to Duty and the better he is to us in his providence over us the better should we be to him in our observance of Him when we make another improvement of them so as to turn his grace into wantonness and to be so much the more confident in evil we go contrary to his gracious purpose and end in the blessing of them and doe not injoy them in love Lastly God blesses indeed when he blesses us with spiritual and eternal blessings in Grace and Glory The former Explications which I have given of this present phrase in the Text have refer'd to Temporal Blessings in regard of the manner of bestowing them These here now before us and which I speak of at this present time are of an higher strain and condition for the Nature and kinde of them This is true whether we take it in reference to whole Nations or else to particular Persons For whole Nations see Psal 144. ver ult where the Psalmist had reckon'd up many other blessings besides That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth that our Daughters may be as corner stones c. That our Garners may be full affording all manner of store c. and plenty upon all with this conclusion Happy is that people that is in such a case yea happy is that people whose God is the Lord makes the last to referre to all the rest And so as for Nations so for Persons these are the Great Blessings of all as may appear by that acknowledgment of the Apostle in Eph. 1.3 Blessed be God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly places in Christ We are ready to think with our selves that God never blesses us indeed but then when he bestows upon us a great measure of these outward Comforts The Corn and the Wine and the Oyl and such things as these yea but what Grace has he wrought in our Hearts what assurance of his love and favour towards us what hopes and beginnings of Heaven has he bestowed upon us These are Blessings indeed and such as are cheifly to be looked after by us and to be put into the prime of our desires and wishes which we make for our selves And thus we have seen the Explications of this phrase and Expression in this Text. Oh that thou wouldest bless me c. Now the Improvement of all this to our selves in a way of Application is accordingly with Jabez to indeavour our selves hereunto we should desire not onely that God would bless us but likewise that he would bless us indeed that blessing he would be sure to bless us and not onely give us blessings in shew but also in Reality For which purpose to use all good means and to be sure to be in such a posture and Condition as do tend hereunto The Scripture does sometimes hint unto us some Qualifications as Advantagious herein and promoting of us As to instance in one or two Obedience and the practise of Self-denyal This we may observe more Especially in Abraham who because he was willing to offer up his Son Isaac upon Gods Command God took it so well at his hands that he blest him and had never done blessing him as he expresses it of him in Genes 22.16.17 By my self have I Sworn saith the Lord that in blessing I will bless thee and Multiplying I will Multiply thee c. Because Abraham obeyed God God would bless Abraham Secondly Sincerity and Uprightness when we serve God indeed hee 'l bless us indeed when we give him the truth of our Performance he will give us the truth of his Blessings And there is no better way for us to procure and obtain the end then by practising and pursuing of the other This is that we should be careful of in the Duties and Exercise of Religion which we undertake 1 Joh. 3.18 My little Children let us not love in word neither in Tongue but in Deed and in Truth And so Thirdly Zeal and Fervency and Intention in that which we go about It is said of Elias that he prayed Earnestly He pray'd in Praying and as he pray'd in Praying so God blest in Blessing As he pray'd indeed so God blest him indeed This is the ready way to it and the course which is to be observed by us in all the Ordinances of Religion in particular in this now in hand The Sacrament of the Lords Supper Christ deals really with us in it his Flesh is Meat indeed and his Blood is Drink indeed and accordingly should we be careful indeed to pertake of them that so we may be blest indeed in our application to them let us not content our selves with the mere shadow and shell and outside of Religion and Performances but take all the care we can for the Substance and Marrow of them and to receive that Benefit by them which is intended in them we should go from this Spiritual performance with more Spiritual strength then before with more Heart and Life and Comfort and Heavenly ingagement These are the Ends and proper Grounds of our Coming if we come as we should do not out of mere Custom and Fashion but out of Love and as sensible of the Benefits we should labour to perform these Holy Duties and all such as these are with more Eagerness and Intention of Spirit Pray in Praying and Hear in Hearing and Receive in Receiving that so God may Answer in Answering and Give in Giving and Bless in Blessing which is the sum and height of all One thing more before Heave this passage in the Consideration of it as a Prayer And that is the vehemency and intention which Jabez here Expresses in it It is not simply bless me but Oh that thou wouldest bless me for the greater Expression of his Affection and Earnestness in the thing desired And here observe two things more which are pertinent hereunto First The Person for whom Jabez was thus Earnest and importunate and that was for Himself That thou wouldest Bless me Secondly The matter in which Jabez was thus Earnest and importunate And that was the Blessing of him in his outward man as may appear by the particulars that follow which we shall come to in this place from which of these there is somewhat which we may observe to our selves First We see here how exceedingly Earnest and Sollicitous we are ready to be in our own particular Case and Condition when Jabez was here to pray for himself Oh
God First That God would bless him in his Estate and give him sufficient Maintenance That thou wouldest inlarge my Coast Secondly That God would bless him in his Imployment and give him proportionable Assistance And that thy hand might be with me Thirdly That God would bless him in his Person and vouchsafe him Gracious Preservation And that thou wouldest keep me from Evil that it might not grieve me All these three particulars are here Considerable of us in this Text thought the first of them we shall onely speak to at this present time The First is this That God would be pleased to bless him in his Estate and subsist me in the World That thou wouldest inlarge my Coast Vt dilataveris terminos meos A phrase that suits very well here with your own Language and Occasions and is proper unto them This is that which Jabez would here have an Extention of the Bounds of his Estate and the Possessions which he injoyd to a just measure and Proportion when he desires that his Coast should be inlarged we are to understand it in a Qualified sense not for such an Inlargement as men of the world commonly seek after without any Bounds or limits at all An unsatiable desire which like the Horse-leach that Solomon speaks off cryes nothing but Give Give Prov. 30.15 Or like those that the Prophet speaks off and denounces a Wo unto them which joyn House to House and lay Field to Field till there be no place that they may be placed alone in the midst of the Earth Esay 5.8 Such kind of persons as these they would have their Coast inlarged like the Sea There 's no measure at all of their desires which surely is such a kind of inlargement as the Lord does not approve and therefore we are not to understand it to be meant here in this Text. But we are to take it in a more restrain'd Acception That thou wouldest inlarge my Coast that is that thou wouldest bless me with a fair and competent Estate This was that which Jabez in this Scripture did seem to desire at Gods hands in this Expression And there are two things here answerable of us from it First That this is a Blessing considered in its own nature and such as in a strict way may be desired Secondly That it is such a Blessing that if it be desired at all it must be desired and desired from God himself Whosoever would have it they must wait upon Him for it as Jabez here did he calls upon the God of Israel that he would inlarge his Borders for him First I say it is a Blessing in it self considered in its own nature and such as may be in a sort desired A fair and large Estate here in the World This we gather from the reasoning and practise of Jabez here in this place That it is so and may appear unto us not so much by the Inclinations and Affections of men themselves which are many times in this point irregular as rather by the Representations which the Scripture it self makes of it First As promising it for a Blessing sometimes to those that do well as we may see in Deut. 28.1 If thou wilt harken diligently to the voice of the Lord thy God c. Then all these Blessings shall come upon thee Blessed shalt thou be in the City and Blessed shalt thou be in the Field Blessed shall be thy Basket and Blessed shall be thy Store So again 't is said of Spiritual Wisdome Prov. 3.16 That length of Days is in her right Hand and in her left hand Riches and Honour It is true it is but in her left hand but in her right hand it is notwithstanding And for Incouragement of men in labour and Industrious following of their Callings it is said That the diligent hand shall make Rich. So again Secondly on the other side The Contrary is threatned for an Affliction as in the same fore-named Chapter in Deut. So likewise in other places As Habb 1.8 Ye looked for much and loe it came to little c. That it is a Blessing indeed and so in that regard may be desired which I need not stand much to prove may appear further upon this Account First As an opportunity of Receiving Good And Secondly As an opportunity of doing Good and of Receiving as Appears by that of our Saviours Luk. 16.9 Make ye friends of the Mammon of Vnrighteousness that so when ye fail that is when ye Dy they may Receive you into Ever lasting Habitation What 's the meaning of that what Are Riches alone of themselves able to do this no but by the Friends which they make in the improvement and Dispensation of them He that Conscionably Scatters his Estate amongst the poor Servants of God he has so many Prayers to the Bargain which are put up for him to the throne of Grace not onely for the increasing of his Temporal Estate but likewise for the promoting of his Spiritual c. Thus we see how t is an opportunity of Receiving Good It s so also of Doing which if we compare them is somewhat more then the former It being a more blessed thing to Give then to Receive as the Scripture speaks The Comfort of a great Estate is not as most men make it to be onely to look upon it with his Eyes and to please themselves in the Injoyment of it no more but so No but as a Greater opportunity of greater Services and of doing greater Good This then serves to teach us in what respects principally to desire it if so be we ever desire it at all and also upon what terms to injoy it and to be partakers of it namely with Thankfulness and Improvement which is that which makes it to be a Blessing indeed Honour the Lord with thy Substance and the first Fruits of thine Increase So shall thy Barns be filled with plenty and thy presses shall burst out with new wine as Solomon advises to this purpose in Prov. 3.9.10 There was never more need for it then now in these present times of want and distress which many people abroad in the world are perfectly pincht withall it being that which is the proper result of such a Mercy and Blessing as this is which is bestowed upon us For consider seriously with our selves Why should God multiply us while hedeminishes others Why should he add to us while he takes from others Why should he make us to abound while he causes others to want If it were not for this reason that we might be so many Stewards and disposers of his Goodness to others through our hands and so many standing Monuments and Patterns and Examples of the freeness of his Mercy and love in these respects Alas what is it for men at any time to have an inlarged Coast and not to have an inlarged Heart To be amplified in their Estates and yet to be straiten'd in their Bowels To have Great comings in to themselves and
God a people of Inheritance As we should serve God in our own Generation so we should take care that others may likewise serve him in theirs and thereby propagate Religion in the World Thus we have seen the end of Gods delivering of his People That they might be to him a people of Inheritance Now further we may look upon it also as a Consequent and so see the Connexion of these two both together How did God bringing his People forth out of Egypt make them to be to him a people of Inheritance Namely thus far as they had now larger Opportunities for the serving of him afforded unto them while they were in Egypt they were there restrained in regard of the Idolatrous people which they were mingled withall but now being escaped they were more at liberty This therefore is the Advantage which we should still make of such opportunities That being delivered out of the hands of our Enemies we may serve him without fear in Holiness and Righteousness all the days of our life as it is there in Zacharys song Luk. 1. vers 74.75 And so much of the first Particular observable in this second General viz. The design it self to be c. The Second is the Amplification of it That we have in those words As ye are this day In which clause we have three things especially hinted to us concerning God First the Accomplishment of his purposes Secondly The Certainty of his promises Thirdly The Continuance of his performances The Accomplishment of his purposes God does whatsoever he decrees and propounds to himself He had propounded this to make Israel a peculiar people to himself and he had now at this day performed it and brought it to pass so that we see how there is nothing stands in his way for the hindering of what he has a mind to He spake and it was done He commanded and it stood fast Psal 33.9 Our God is in Heaven and doth whatsoever he pleaseth Psal 115. vers 3. This should satisfy us and incourage us as to our Expectations for the good of the Church that all Gods thoughts of peace towards it shall be accomplished and brought to pass and are sure as if we see them done already before our Eyes wheresoever he intends good unto them their good shall not be kept from them but shall certainly be Effected and brought to pass and all the attempts to the contrary they prove in vain As for Pharaoh and the Egyptians they were both to part with Israel and to let them go out of their Land having a desire to keep them in Bondage and Service still and they thought they dealt very wisely in so contriving as we may see in Exod. 1. vers 10.4.5 But yet for all that they mist of their mark and their aim as it appeared in the Event and as it was now at this present day with them That 's the first Accomplishment of Gods purposes The Second is the Certainty of his promises as to the performance and effecting of them also As ye are at this day We see how punctual God is with them to a day he keeps his time to a moment and as he had long ago promised that he would bring his people out of that land so he now effected it and brought it to pass All Gods promises they are Yea and Amen God is not a man that he should lye nor the Son of man that he should repent Hath he said and shall he not do it or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good as it is Numb 23.19 Therefore let us rest upon his promises where-ever he does vouchsafe them to us and comfort and incourage ourselves by them and make use of this point as to Corporal Deliverance so to Spiritual He promises for treading down Sin and Satan and Death and all the Enemies of our Salvation and bringing us out of the Thraldome and Captivity of them which he will surely do for us The third and last is the continuance of His performances As ye are this day Namely in the fruit and efficacy of it This was performed fourty years ago for the thing it self but yet Moses speaks of it as done at that day to wit in regard of the benefit which thereby did redound unto them God's mercies they are mercies of extent which do not only reach to the present times in which they were first wought but also to many succeeding Generations Now from hence will follow another point as our Duty which is here also to be observed and that is that we are accordingly to remember them and call them to our mindes and so from thence make them fresh unto us as if done at this present time It is that which Moses indeavours to make these Israelites to do here In the Text who minds them of a mercy which was done many years ago for them as if it had been done for them just at that time This is the scope of this narration and this also hath been the practise of the Saints of God in other places Thus Psal 78.1.6 Give ear O my people to my law encline your ears to the words of my mouth I will open my mouth in a parable I will utter dark sayings of old Which we have heard and known and our fathers have told us We will not hide them from their children shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord and his strength and his wonderful works that he hath done For he established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel which he commanded our fathers that they should make them known to their children That the generation to come might know them even the children which should be born who should arise and declare them to their children c. Thus there 's very good ground for First Because the mercy in its own nature is still one and the same and Time does not take away from the greatness or largeness of it That which was done so many years ago is as great a Mercy as if done at this day 3dly because one Age alone is not sufficient to praise God for them therefore posterity must take notice of them for them The children must herein help the fathers to publish and set forth Gods praises for the mercies bestowed upon them This therefore should be our own particular practise as we have any occasion afforded us for it Not content our selves to take notice of those mercies which are bestowed upon us at present but which have a long time been bestowed upon one to another that have been before us or upon our selves though for many years past To conclude our Meditations on this Text we may here take notice of two things more with which I will shut up First The Inlargements of God towards his people We see here in how many particulars he expresses Himself towards them First In that He brings them out of that sad condition in which they were though in
we say Lead us not into Temptation That is doe not in thy providence administer occasions of Sin unto us from whence we might be intangled with it whereas on the other side God threatens wicked men that he will lay a Stumbling-block before them and that they shall fall upon them Jer. 6.21 It is that which he oftentimes does in the way of his Providence which is the reason why many persons doe miscarry so as they do God lets loose Satan upon them and suffers him to present such and such objects and occasions to them which meeting with that habitual Corruption which is prevailing in them causes them to stumble and fall and ruine themselves But now for his Saints and Servants he does in a special manner watch over them to preserve them when he is said to keep their feet Secondly As by preventing of the Occasions of of Sin so by fortifying and strengthning the Heart and mind against closing with them so that although occasions be administred yet they shall have no power or efficacy upon them thus he kept the feet of Peter Luk. 22.32 Simon Simon Satan hath desired to have you and to sift you as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not And thus he kept the feet of Paul 2 Cor. 12.9 When he had the messenger of Satan to buffit him and prayed thrice that is often that it might be take away from him he had this answer returned unto him That Gods Grace was sufficient for him as it had been said God would not be wanting to him in the keeping and preserving of him from being overcome with that Temptation and so he does with divers others besides partly by Executing and stirring up in them those Graces which he hath already wrought partly by administring new strength unto them There are four Graces amongst the rest which are especially conducing hereunto First of all The Grace of Fear and Spiritual Watchfulness Blessed is the man says Solomon that feareth always Those which are confident and presumptious they do of all others soonest miscarry but God by stirring up in his Servants an holy tenderness and jealousie over themselves does by this means very much scare them who by fearing least they should Sin do come to avoid Sinning it self Secondly The Grace of Faith that 's another supporter likewise It is the sheild whereby we quench all the fiery darts of the Devil And Gods people in the use of this are much arm'd against Spiritual Assaults Faith it lays hold upon all the promises of Assistance and Strengthning and Confirmation which God has made to his Servants Such as this now here in the Text and hereby does preserve all such persons as are the subjects of it therefore it is said 1 Pet. 1.5 We are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation By the power of God as the Principal And by Faith as the Instrumental improving that power which is in God and drawing it forth according to the preset occasion and Necessities in which we are And this Faith still wrought and Excited and strenghthned by him that he may still have the Glory of all And that 's the second Explication God keeps the Feet of his Saints not onely by preventing them from the occasions but likewise by preserving them from closing and complying with them and yeilding and giving way unto them Thirdly Gods keeps the feet of his Saints from progress and proceedings in Sin when they fall or slip he holds them up from falling further Thus Psal 94.18 When I said my foot slippeth thy Mercy O Lord held me up This is another great Expression of Gods goodness to his Servants that he does not suffer them to run into the same Excess of riot with other men That though for reasons best known to himself as to humble them and to shew them what is within them he may perhaps suffer them now and then to fall into Sin yet he does Graciously keep them from the Degrees and Extremities of them Hence it is said 1 Joh. 3.9 That he that is born of God does not commit Sin What not Sin at all no That 's not the meaning of it for he had said in the first chap. vers 8. If we say that we have no Sin we deceive our selves But not Sin in that height with that greediness in that measure and manner and circumstance as others do Though they may begin yet God lets them not go on and proceed in it but puts a stop and restraint upon them that they go no further He keeps them back from presumptuous Sins that they may not have Dominion over them as David prayes for himself in Psal 19. vers 12. Lastly He keeps the feet of his Saints from Relapse and Returning to Sin again He suffers them not like the Dog to return again to their former Vomit nor like the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire This he undertakes for them Thus says David of a Righteous man Psal 27.24 Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand As Paul Phil. 4.7 The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus Keep them as in a Garrison as the word in the Original Text properly signifies The proper Improvement of this point thus explain'd to our selves is a word of special Comfort and Incouragement to the Servants of God as being interested in a very great Privilege which does belong unto them What a wonderful Mercy is this that God will keep our Feet from falling as David speaks of Himself Psal 116.8 That he prevents us and keep us from Sin Especially considering the many Dangers and Snares and Hazards whereunto we are daily exposed It is a Comfort to the Servants of God as to matter of imployment In great Services and Undertakings whether in Majesty or Ministry whether in the Church or the Common wealth in regard whereof they may happily now and then be suspicious of themselves and jealous of their own Hearts as many Godly men now and then are A good Christian when he is called to some great and special Service he does not so much think with Himself how shall I go through it without trouble but how shall I go through it without Sin This is that which most sticks upon his Spirit How shall I avoid the Snares the Temptations the Sins the manifold Miscarriages which this my Place or Work or Imployment is by reason of humane Corruption compast withall now here 's that which may satisfy him He will keep the feet of his Saints Those which keep close to Him he will strengthen and inable them for the services whereunto he calls them and likewise from the infirmities which they are subject unto in these services So likewise as for matter of Imployment so for matter of Condition whether Riches or Poverty Prosperity or Affliction and the like These are many
Wisdom and strength he hath Counsel and Vnderstanding as it is in Job 12.13 And this strength of his he does purposely improve against those which are his Enemies as it follows in the next vers to the Text vers 10. of this Chapter The Adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to peeces c. These words By strength shall no man prevail being taken in reference to the Wicked And the Second Clause in the verse where 't is said The Wicked shall be silent in Darkness It may hold good in a double way of Explication First As to the saving of themselves And Secondly As to the offending of others the Saints and Servants of God which are better then themselves Their strength it shall not prevail in them to either purpose First As to the saving of themselves it shall not serve them for that but they shall certainly and irrecoverably be destroyed God will be sure to be avenged upon all those which are Evil doers and they shall not Escape none shall deliver them out of his hand As we have it at large exprest unto us in Amos 2. vers 14.15.16 The Flight shall perish from the Swift and the Strength shall not strengthen his Force neither shall the Mighty deliver himself neither shall he stand that handleth the Bow and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself neither shall he that Rideth the Horse deliver Himself and he that is Couragious among the Mighty shall flee away naked in that day saith the Lord. Where the Prophets cuts of hope of Escape from wicked men in the greatest Advantages which seem to be upon them This is matter of great Awakening and Astonishment to all wicked men and may teach them to look about them to Consider what ever it be which they look upon as their strength and Excellency that it is not that which will secure them against Divine Vengance but it will pursue them and overtake them notwithstanding so that they shall not Escape And therefore hence to be perswaded to Repentance and Reformation and amendment of life There is no way whereby to prevail upon God but by his own strength that is by strength which is Communicated from Him the strength of Faith and Prayer and Supplications and Turning to him For any way else it will not do But Secondly As this holds in their insufficiency as to the saving of themselves so likewise as to the offending of others by making those words the wicked shall be silent in Darkness an Expression of their Weakness and inability of attempts upon the Church they shall not know here what to do nor what to say against the people of God but shall be as those which are Amased and Astonish't and Damp't and put to Silence in themselves This the Holy Ghost here amplifies by adding this Clause to it For by strength shall no man prevail If the matter went by outward strength always Gods people might perhaps go by the worse and their Adversaries might prevail against them and insult and triumph over them but this it does not do There is Greater strength which is Acting and Moving and stirring for them and such as the other is unable to resist This it hath a double Improvement which does follow from it First Of Confusion to the Wicked and those which are the Churches Enemies whilst they shall consider that all their attempts and undertakings are in vain to this purpose and that they shall not prevail in them There 's nothing which does usually more confound men then unlikelyhood of success in that which they set their hands unto This is the Case and Condition of such as these towards the Servants of God as it is in Psal 129.1.2.3.4 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth may Israel say many a time have they afflicted me from my youth but they have not prevailed against me The Plowers plowed upon my back they made long their furrows The righteous Lord hath Cut asunder the Cords of the Wicked So Esay 8.9.10 Associate your selves O ye people and give ear O ye of all Nations gird your selves and ye shall be broken in peices gird your selves and ye shall be broken in peices take Council together and it shall come to nought speak the word and it shall not stand for God is with us Thus seems Emanuel God with us in our Nature and so with the Persons he shall disappoint you Secondly This is a matter of Confusion and Discouragement to the Enemy so of Comfort and Consolation to the Church The people of God are oftentimes as Agur says of the Conyes a feeble folk such as have no strength in them yea but they make their nest in the Rock even the Rock of Ages in which is Everlasting strength as the Prophet speaks Esay 26.4 And this is that which may support them in all the Assaults which are made upon them whether Corporal or Spiritual thus as on the one hand The Lord shall keep the feet of his Saints so also on the other hand That the wicked shall be silent in Darkness aad that by strength shall no man prevail This is that which we have here made good unto us in this present Occasion with the Circumstances of it Here 's an Instance of what hath hitherto been deliver'd in all Particulars both as to the different State and Condition of different Persons and the same Account which is given of Each As for the different State and Condition of different Persons we have that here in both the Branches of it Both as to the keeping of the feet of the Saints and as to the Wicked's Silence in Darkness The former in God's Gracious Preservation of those who were then the Members of both Houses of Parliament and in them of the whole State and Church of God in this Nation from the Effects of that Hellish Conspiracy of the Gunpowder Treason attempted by the Papists against them in the year 1605 on the first day of November A Providence which is never to be forgotten by us in this Kingdom but to be transmitted to all Posterity we may here say with a witness that God hath kept the feet of his Saints in that he hath not suffered them to be takeniâ— the Snare of the Wicked Our Soul is Escaped as a Bird out of the snare of the Fowler the snare is broken and we are delivered as the Psalmist speaks in the like case of Israel Psal 124.7 Thus it Concerns us not onely barely to take notice of but to take notice of with Advantage and Improvement and that Especially to a threefold particular First To Thankfulness and Acknowledgment of the Great Mercy and goodness of God to us in this particular I say of his Goodness to us for our particular Persons who are interested and concern'd in it either as these who had it taken effect might either have not been or have been destroyed and so thereby prevented from those Mercies which have been
is a great Incouragement to Posterity to consider how good and Gracious God has been to those before them The other is taken from the Experience of Gods Goodness to himself which he fetches as far as from his Birth and his first comming into the World and so continued And this latter is that which here we have Exhibited in this present Text. THe words themselves are nothing else but David's observation and acknowledgment of Gods manifold Goodness to him continued through the whole course of his Life from the first entrance and beginning of it to the present time and moment wherein he wrote and penn'd this Psalm And we may look upon it two manner of ways First Of all in its General notion in the nature of those Mercies which he acknowledges And Secondly In its particular Notion in Specification of the Mercies themselves in their several kinds For the first considering this acknowledgment of David's in it's General notion we have these representations of it First He takes notice of common Mercies those Mercies which himself injoyed with many others besides Secondly He takes notice of Ancient Mercies those Mercies which were bestowed upon him long ago Thirdly He takes notice of Primitive Mercies those Mercies which he had at first and were original and Fundamental to all the rest which he since partaked off Last of all He takes notice of constant Mercies those Mercies which he injoyed continually and were cast on him upon every occasion First He takes notice of common Mercies let 's begin with that such were most of these which were here in this Text exhibited unto us they were such kind of Mercies for the Nature and Condition of them as most men are partakers off to come safe and sound into the World and to be perswaded and sustained in it they are such things as most men have allotted and vouchsafed unto them Indeed there are some exceptions sometimes that so we may more take notice of Providence and be dependant upon God for his blessing but yet usually and for the most part they are such as never faile they are such as are common for the Subjects of them which all both good and bad both just and unjust do partake off And they are common also for the Dispensation which do seldom or never happen to be otherwise in an ordinary course And yet these as common as they were does the Prophet David think fitting to acknowledge in this present Scripture which we have here in hand From whence we learn the same Duty likewise to be performed and practised by our selves as occasion is offer'd we are not onely to take notice of special and peculiar favours which are proper to our selves but also as well of such blessings as we do injoy in commom with others Our Lives and our health and our Liberty and our presevation and the like these they are such as deserve both to be acknowledged and remembred by us And the reason of it is this because that these have the Ground of Acknowledgment and Thankfulness in them as well as any other besides What 's the ground of Acknowledgment and Thankfulness Why t is this the receiving of something which is profitable and beneficial to our selves it is when any thing is bestowed upon us which we have Comfort and Sweetness in now this is no way diminished by thegenerality and commoness of it at all The Sun is never a whit the less Glorious because more look upon it the fire is never a whit the less Comfortable because more are warm'd by it The Air is never a whit the less refreshing because more breath in it And Life and Being it self is never a whit the less sweet and desireable because more partake of it Mercies though never so common and ordinary yet they are Mercies still As Sins are never the more Excusable because more commit them so Mercies are never the more contemptable because more injoy them Therefore this serves to stir us up to be mindful of such things as these and accordingly meets with the Vanity and unworthiness of those which neglect them There are very few which are sensible of common Mercies truly such is the Corruption of our Nature and that base Ingratitude which is in us that we have much adoe to observe and take notice of special Priviledges as now of our Peace and Freedom in these times of common distress but for General and Common Blessings we never regard them yea we are so far from due regarding them as which is worse many times with us that we do therefore so much the more contemn them as for Example the greatest Mercy of all viz. The Gospel and practising of the word because it is common and frequent amongst us we despise it even this Heavenly Manna and so other Mercies besides which we see David's thoughts was otherwise He acknowledges and remembers and takes notice of common Mercies Secondly He acknowledges ancient Mercies those Mercies which had been cast upon him long ago these they were still fresh and new in his memory and this is another affection and disposition of a thankful Heart to remember those Mercies which another would have quite forgotten and never thought off Thus does David here the Mercies of his Infancy and his Childhood and his younger years which one would have imagined that now in his Age had been quite out of his mind yet these does he here stir up Himself to remember and bring to his thoughts Took me out of the Womb when was that It may be threescore years ago when David penn'd the Psalmes He thinks of those Mercies which God vouchsafed Him when he was not capable of thinking nor considering what was bestowed upon him and so are we taught hence to do in an imitation of this holy Example which is here set before us Remember God s goodness of old and the Mercies of former Generations which we injoyed before we knew what it was which we did injoy Thus we should do both in Spiritual things and Temporal In Spirituals Gods love in Election and Designation of us to Eternal Glory before the Foundations of the World were laid and so Gods love in Conversion and Effectual calling of us when it may be many of us were going on in a way of Perdition that God past by us while we were in our Blood and said live that he had thought of Peace towards us when we had thought of Rebellion against him These are such mercies as are never to be forgotten by us And so in Temporal matters Gods ancient Loving-kindness to us here also it is worth our remembrance Those Mercies which he had bestowed in our minority we are to call to mind and acknowledge in our riper age And there 's the same Ground for this as there was for the former Observation forasmuch as time does not take from Curtesy nor make the thing in its own nature to be ever the less valuable by us look as it is again
then the Living which are yet alive c. He does not prefer Death and annihilation before Life and being absolutely but onely order to such a time and season of it He does not say I praysed the Dead which are already dead more then the living which have been formerly living but more then those which are now alive And he does not say better is he then both which never shall be but better is he then both which hath not yet been viz. Till these Miseries and Calamities are gone and over past So that still the injoyment of Life and so Birth is to be acknowledged a Blessing and to be counted so by us But here a Question may come in by the impertinent to this present argument in hand Whether it be lawful and warrantable for a man to celebrate his Birth-day or no to commemorate the day wherein he was born That which seems to make against it is that we never read of any in Scripture which did so but wicked men and Infidels and unbelievers and such as were never acquainted with the Mystery of Original sin which defiles our birth as for example Pharaoh in Genes 40.20 He made a feast on his birth-day And so also Herod in Matth. 14.6 His Birth-day was kept but for others which were Godly and holy men we have no instance or example of them for such an Observation To this I anser That notwithstanding we have no example for it yet forasmuch as we have nothing absolutely against it nor yet which by way of consequence may be inferr'd in opposition to it the thing in it self is such as may be lawfully practis'd but still with this caution that in regard of the frequent abuses which have crept into it through men's corruption in its corporal observation that therefore men had need to be more watchful over themselves in it And especially to let their hearts run out in the spiritual observation of it rather then in any thing else to wit in thankfulness to God for their Creation Birth Education and other mercies received An examination of their life past and a renewing of their Covenant with God for time to come to walk more carefully and exactly before him In such things as these especially does this business consist but as for other matters wherein men chiefly express their rejoycing at such times as by feastings and gifts and the like being they are things which are less material and impertinent to the main thing of all there is the less respect to be to them and perhaps as circumstances may carry it may be as well omitted as perform'd And so much of the first and main Benefit which is attendant upon his mercy and for which it is to be acknowledg'd as a Birth The Blessing of life Now besides this there are other Mercies also which belong hereunto which are to be acknowledged herein likewise by those which are partakers of them As for Example soundness of Constitution a good Temper and Natural frame and Healthfulness of Body when men are blest with this Vita non est vivere sed Valere He does not live that Breathes but that lives Healthfully and t is a very great mercy of God considering the manifold miscarriages and weaknesses which are in this kind when it pleases God to give us a good habit and Composition of Health Secondly Due proportion of Parts and Limbs and Senses and such as these we see how many deformed mishapen and monstrous Births there are sometimes in the World Blind and Deaf and Halt and Creeple and the like such defects and imperfections as these as makes life oftentimes a burden and weariness to those which have them These its a very great mercy to bee freed and Exempted from And this Holy man David seems to bless God here inclusively for these yea indeed he does it expresly in another place as we may see it there at large in Psal 139.13.14.15.16 Thou hast covered me in my mothers Womb I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made Thirdly Wit and Understanding and Ingenuity and natural Capacity such as these are also here to be taken in as matter of Acknowledgment There are some which are born Idiots and Fooles and Dullards and void of common reach There are others which have crabbid Natures and Crooked and untoward Dispositions now where ever there is a freedom from these it is also a mercy And so I might proceed at large in these several Appurtenances but so much may suffice of the first particular which David here mentions The Blessing of the Womb in his Birth Thou art he that tookest me c. The Second is the Blessings of the Breast in his Nursery and sustentation being born Thou madest me to hope when I was upon my Mothers brests Madest me to hope How are we to understand this Infants have not the exercise of reason and therefore have not the exercise of Hope which is an act of reason how would then David say here Thou madest me to hope For the understanding of this we must know that he speaks not of the Mind but of the Estate Thou madest me to hope that is thou puttest me into an hopeful Condition thou gavest me Ground and Foundation of Hope from thy carriage at that time unto me And that as it may be further explain'd in these two Particulars First By Protection and Preservation Secondly By Provision and Sustentation Gods goodness in each of these particulars made David to hope First By Protection and Preservation God did then defend and preserve him from many Evils which he was subject unto and so some translate the present word Mavtictu Thou keepest me in safety as ye may see in the Margent of the Text. There are many Evils and Dangers which are kept and preserved from them You know what was the ill hap of Mephibosheth the Son of Davids friend 2 Sam. 4.4 His Nurse slipt and let him fall that he became a Cripple ever afterwards And the young Children which Herod slew in Bethlehem they were some of them killed upon the Breast and the blood of the child mingled with the milk of the Mother There are others which have been kept from Diseases and Sicknesses which they have been here liable unto the Nurse sometimes infected and yet the Infant free'd and escaped When we consider the many Mischances and Casualties which this first condition of Life has attendant upon it of Starving of Overlaying of Smoothering of Infecting and such as these we have very great cause to bless God that preserved us when we hung upon the Breasts And further to make it an argument of depending and trusting upon him him still for following times This is the Scope and drift of this Text and Scripture which we have now in hand and for which also I have the rather made choyce of it to handle at this present time to uphold us against the Fears and Dangers of the days we now live in
God's Goodness in this first Dispensation of himself unto us The State and Condition of Infancy may here be a ground of Security to riper years Thus it was here to David And accordingly it should now occasionally be improved by you against all inordinate carefulness and Sollicitude and distraction of Spirit whether for your selves or those which in this relation belong unto you There are many which much perplex themselves with such thoughts what shall become of them and especially of their Infants and little ones in such sad times as these which are now upon us Of War and Slaughter and Desolation and national Ruine why consider now for this purpose who it is that makes to hope upon the breast It is not the tenderness of Condition which makes God uncapable of shewing mercy or unwilling or unable to give protection nay he gives it so much the rather in that regard in which respect we should depend upon him and though God may not always it may be shew it in that way which we may desire and expect it yet he will do it in some other way and manner which shall be altogether as profitable for us and comfortable to us And that 's the first pledge of Goodness which David draws from this Condition The Pledges of Protection and Preservation The Second is the Pledge of Provision and Sustentation God fed him upon the Breasts therefore there was good ground to hope that God would feed and sustain him still Here 's an argument now against Sollicitous and distracting care for our support here in this World which is that which does very much disquiet many an Heart What shall we Eat and what shall we Drink and wherewith shall we be Cloathed Our Saviour in this case sends us in another place to the Birds and to the Lillyes and Beasts Here now we are sent to the Babes and Sucklings and Breasts consider what God has done here in this particular and fetch an argument of Faith from hence It is a good security to us for our Sustenance and daily Bread And when we are at any time tempted to distrustfulness we should make this use of it to look back and consider how God provided for us in this Condition and reason thus He that fed me when I was a Child and unable to feed my self will he now starve me when I am a man and when I partake of more Abilities He that fed me with Milk will he not feed me with stronger Meat He that has fed me will he not feed those also which are mine and which belongs unto me Thus should we argue in these cases and consider that this Carping and Caring as it is offensive in other Considerations so it does also in particular trespass upon our experience of Gods goodness to us in our Infancy and tender Estate There is one thing more before I pass this particular which is not to be omitted by us my Mothers Breasts There is somewhat also observable in this It is not said the Breasts of the Nurse but the breasts of the Mother to signify thus much unto us that none in an ordinary way are so fit Nurses of Children as Parents Where there is a Concurrance of other Qualifications and no special hinderance and impediment that justly lyes in the way as an obstruction thereunto which must always in such cases be excepted She that is the Childs Mother is the fittest to be the Childs Nurse it 's most sutable and agreeable to Nature and that affection which God hath put into Parents for this end amongst the rest Esay 49.15 Can a Woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her Womb. Where the Son of her Womb and her sucking Child are put together as explaining one another A Woman may forget a sucking Child which is the Son of another Woman but which is the Son of her own Womb this she can hardly forget This was the Happiness of Moses when Pharach's Daughter took him up for her adopted one that she which was his Mother was his Nurse and so David here in this place he does intimate it as a blessing to be remembred that she that bore him Nurst him and that as God preserved him upon the Breasts so especially upon the breasts of his Mother This is therefore by the way a good item and admonition which is here suggested unto us as concerning Parents and Mothers of Children to be taken notice of by them that they consider upon what grounds and in what cases they devolve this work upon others which properly and naturally and orginally and in the example of Scripture hath still for the most part been an imployment belonging to themselves And that 's also the Second particular The blessings of the Breasts The Third is the blessings of the Cradle in the care of his Orphanage and Education Vpon thee was I cast from the Womb. Here is a further Expression of Gods goodness and mercy to him in his former Estate There are two manner of ways in which David was said from the Womb to be cast upon God and so consequently any other may be said to be cast upon him in the same respect likewise First By the Helplesness and Necessity of his Condition He was now a poor and destitute Creature unable to help Himself or do any thing towards his own advancement and then did God himself take a special care of him he was cast upon him that is left to his mercy Secondly By the Faith of his Parents Who in the exercise of Faith in the promises and Gods Covenant of free-Grace did commend and commit and give him up to Gods tuition First He was cast upon God from the Womb by the Helplesness and Necessity of his Condition He was so cast upon God as that he or none must now relieve him and take care of him and so he did Thus Psal 27.10 When my Father and Mother forsake me then the Lord will take me up Which is true both of a forsaking of Affection and likewise of a forsaking of Presence which latter as I conceive is there chiefly and principally intended When his Father and his Mother forsook him by being removed and taken away from him so that here now we have exhibited unto us the special care which God undertakes to have of Orphans and Fatherless Children to provide for them or any other which though they have Parents yet are such as cannot help them Thou art the helper of the Fatherless Psal 10.14 And in thee the Fatherless find mercy Hose 14.3 In which places by Fatherless we may understand not onely such as are commonly and properly so called but which are in any destitute and forelorn Condition whatsoever it be Thus did God graciously provide for David and thus also for sundry others he is a faithful and careful Guardian to protect and sustain those which are most to seek of outward relief and he delights to shew himself so
two Eminent Divisions and Ranks of People as we have alrerdy heard that is High and Low Rich and Poor Great and Small Magistrates and People Nor neither of these in these circumstances shall be exempted from Destruction and Desolation Those which are Great and High their Eminency shall not secure them but rather expose them And those which are Mean and Low their obscurity shall not hide them but also unvail them wherein the Lord does very much pervert the vain conceits of many persons in this particular For as great Persons depend upon their Greatness as thinking that that will shelter them and keep off danger from them So mean persons do sometimes trust to their Meanness as thinking that there shall be no notice taken of them The rush thinks to scape whiles the Branch is cut off yea but if these be otherwise then they should be they shall both of them go to it The wicked which are poor sometime there 's great wickedness amongst them I mean the common and ordinary Beggers which live without God in the world all which as the rush which are wicked none are here exempted And so for Persons in Places and Government and Authority which are the Head and the Branch if they still be naught and wicked and Atheistical so as instead of punishing sin to commit it instead of being examples of virtue to be patterns of vice instead of being a terror to evil works to be a terror to good they cannot think to escape neither in the time of Gods general Judgment and Destruction and not to be overwhelmed with it In a word when Governours shall be the Rulers of Sodom and Governours shall be the People of Gomorrah as the Prophet calls those of Israel in Esaiah 1.10 What can be looked for and expected by each but even ruine and destruction it self The Lord shall cut off from Israel head and tail branch and rush That 's the Second thing to wit the Extent The Third and Last with which I will end is the Season or time of Execution and that is here exprest to be in one day There 's two things at once in it First it is tempus definitum and Secondly it is tempus contractum It is a day in regard of the certainty of it as that which is set and fixt And it is one day in regard of the suddenness as that which is speedy and soon accomplisht First It is exprest by a Day this time for the execution of Gods final and destructive Judgment It is that which he has set and appointed to all impenitent and incorrigible sinners Not so much a day in the ordinary account of it in so many hours but a time and particular season There 's a particular day for such a Peoples particular Visitation as the Scripture sometimes expresses it It is said of wicked men that the day of their calamity is at hand and the things that are coming upon them make hast Deut. 33.35 And again the wicked his day is a coming in Psal 37.13 Look as there is a day of respit and favor and indulgence in regard of Mercy This day as it is said to Jerusalem so on the other side there is a day of Wrath and Vengeance in regard of Judgment Secondly It is one day in regard of the suddenness and quickness of execution of Judgment This is that which God threatens to wicked Persons when he hath given them the warning of many days and they are not moved or reformed by them to destroy them and cut them off in one day that is very speedily and with great dispatch so as not to be very long and tedious about it He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy Prov. 29.1 And Psal 64.7 God shall shoot at them with an arrow suddenly shall they be wounded In one day that is at one time and with one destruction As Caligula wisht that the People of Rome had all but one neck that he might cut them off at once so does God threaten here to do with Israel as provoked by their wickedness even to destroy them altogether and in one moment as Abishai said to David of Saul that he would smite him to the Earth at once and would not smite him the second time 1 Sam. 26.8 And as the Lord threatens in Nahum 1.9 That he would make an utter end Affliction should not rise up the second time As the Lord threatens Babylon That in one hour should her Judgment come Rev. 18.10 The Consideration of all these things laid together comes to this to teach us to reflect upon our selves for our own particular ourselves of this Nation in General and our selves in this City in Special To consider how it is or may be with us if we go on to provoke God by our Impenitency and hardness of heart and continue in sin by our Oaths and Drunkenness and Uncleanness and Atheism and Profaness Let us not flatter and indulge our selves or bear our selves up upon Gods former goodness to us and patience with us and forbearance of us which will make but so much the more in conclusion against us as having turned his grace into wantonness and his having suffered so much mercy and loving-kindness which we have been partakers of We cannot be dearer to God than was his ancient people of Israel and yet we see here what he threatens to them in such cases as these were Therefore let us not be high-minded but fear for as the Apostle Paul argues to the Romans If God spared not the natural Branches but in this case cut off them neither will he also spare us but if we mend not and reform our ways even we also shall be cut off We cannot but observe and take notice except we are very blind and stupid indeed of the Judgments of God which are upon us and do farther threaten us for our sins We see how many amongst us in all places both in City and Country are cut off by those raging diseases which are amongst us How God punishes us in our bowels and smites us in our inward parts and takes away divers from us of all sorts and ranks and conditions Head and Tail Branch and Rush Yea and smites also very quickly in one day God does not only herein deal with the poor and meaner sort of People as at other times but even with the richer and greater It is observed by some that there are more of those who have been snatcht away by these late distempers than were in the late Plague and Pestilence which was amongst us Nor he does not only take away the aged and ancient and decripit but even infants and children and young and strong men as if he did indeed intend a general and universal Destruction of us SERMON XXXVI Esaiah 57.21 There is no Peace saith my God to the Wicked There is nothing more necessary for a Preacher and a Dispenser of the Word of
own infinite Majesty and Glory what are all Nations and Kingdoms of the World Surely as the Prophet Isaiah speaks of it Isa 40.21 Behold the Nations are as the drop of a bucket and are accounted as the small dust of the ballance Behold he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing The Lord is high above all Nations and his Glory above the Heavens Psal 113.4 He encreaseth the Nations and destroyeth them he enlargeth the Nations and straitneth them again Job 12.23 Who smote great Nations and slew mighty Kings Psal 135.10 Secondly The Importunity of Sin and Guilt that makes for this likewise Nahum 1.12 Though they be quiet and likewise many yet thus shall they be cut down when he shall pass through says the Lord there by his Prophet because their Sins call for Vengeance As we see it was with the Sodomites and tâ—â— Cities round about them whilst the Cry of their Wickedness ascended and came up to Heaven in their committing of Fornication and going after strange Flesh it is said That even they suffered the vengeance of eternal fire And so the Cananites and the rest of the Nations which opposed and fought against Gods People we hear what a quick and speedy riddance the Lord made of them for it in their Universal overthrow and ruine and destruction And so he is ready to do with many more in the like circumstances Who would not fear thee O King of Nations as it is in Jer. 10.7 What cause have all the People and Kingdoms of the Earth to tremble before this great God who is able thus to crush them in peices and to destroy them even in Hell it self if they provoke him as he here threatens them We should here learn to satisfie our selves in this great Mystery both of Prudence and Religion It seems to be a strange thing to reason that God should damn whole Nations And therefore such Persons as make Reason to be the Rule of Faith they do much doubt of it and call it into Question For which purpose they have found out salvation even for the Heathen that know not God nor ever heard word of Christ But we see here how the Scripture it self expresses it self in this particular whereby it tells us that whole Nations shall be turned into Hell That so we may not be wiser or mercifuller than God himself But submit our own reason and the Dictates of our own understanding to his Discoveries and Proposals And in the mean time bless God our selves if he hath exempted us out of the number of those Nations which shall be thus dealt withal by a more peculiar manifestation and dispensation of himself unto us Thus for the Subjects here mentioned in reference to this Punishment All the Nations The Second is the guilt which is fustned upon those Subjects as the Ground and Foundation of this Punishment and that is Forgetting of God This now does a little qualifie it and restrain it and take it in It is not all Nations Absolutely and Indefinitely and without exception howsoever qualified but under this Notion of Impiety God does not in this case proceed in a way of Soveraignty but in a way of Justice It is true he might if he pleased do the former forasmuch as all the Nations of the World they are his own Creatures and the Workmanship of his own hands therefore if he saw good he might deal with them as the Potter with his vessel And no man might say unto them what dost thou But he has thought fitting to take another course than this with them and that is by proceeding upon the account of their own guilt as it is here declared unto us Therefore this Punishment and Destruction it is here limited and restrained to Sinners And so we find it to be also in other places as Psal 79.6 Pour out thine indignation upon the Heathen that have not known thee and upon the Kingdoms that have not called upon thy name Not upon the Heathen considered Absolutely nor upon the Kingdoms considered Indefinitely But upon those Heathens and Kingdoms which have not known God Nor called upon him And so likewise here in the Text All the Nations that forget God This is a Particular Character whereby a wicked People are distinguisht viz. Forgetfullness of God as that which carries the very root of all wickedness in it For hence it is that any Persons do make so bold with God as commonly they do by offending him and rebelling against him because indeed they are such as do forget him and think not of him This forgetfulness of God which wicked men are thus guilty of to explain it a little to you it extends to Sundry Particulars First To the Essence of God They forget God that is they forget that there is a God They have heard of it it may be and have seen Habitual Notions of it yea but in such and such cases and circumstances they do it or reflect upon it They do not Actually mind or consider it which makes them so to carry it as if indeed they did not beleive it Secondly To the Nature of God They forget God that is they forget who or what manner of one God is They forget him in his Properties and Attributes and such Expressions of him as whereby he has revealed and made himself known In his Holiness and Justice and Power and Omniscience and Omnipresence and the like In these they do not remember him but plainly forget him Wicked Men they frame to themselves such a God as is suitable to themselves and their own Fancies and Imaginations As he tells that wicked Man in the Psalm 50.21 Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thy self As if that which pleased them it were pleasing to him also Thirdly To the Word of God They forget God that is They forget what God does command or commend unto them They forget his Instructions and they forget his Injunctions and so in that respect they forget God himself for as much as he accounts himself interested and concerned in such things as these are as a Prince in his Laws David resolved with himself that he would never forget God's Precepts But this is that which such Persons as these do continually though they may seem to remember God Notionally yet they forget him Practically And though they profess that they know him yet in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate Tit. 1.16 Lastly To the Providence of God They forget God that is They forget what God has done and brought to pass in the World As it is charged upon the Israelites that they forgat the works of the Lord aad the wonders that he had shewed them Psal 78.11 His Works of Mercy they forgat them They remembred not his hand nor the day when he delivered them from the Enemy Psal 78.42 They forgat God their Saviour which had done great things for them in Egypt Psal 106.21 And
but the Thought and the Practise in Thought And so we may see by our Saviours Sermon upon the Mount where undertaking the Exposition of the Law he carries the Breach of it not to the outward Acts only but also to the Thoughts Secondly The Thoughts of men are the proper Issue and Emanation of their Souls and so for that reason more especially to be rectifyed in them There 's nothing so much a man as his Mind Nor there is nothing so much of a mans Mind as his Thoughts that do spring from it Look therefore how much a man is to be judged of so much is he to be judged of by his Thoughts Thirdly The Thoughts are such as whereto the Gospel and Ministery of the Word does especially and in a singular manner extend it self Heb. 4.12 The word of God is powerfull and quick and sharper than any two-edged Sword peircing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart And so 2 Cor. 10.5 Bringing into Captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Now so far forth as the Ministery does extend so far does Religion extend and the ordering and framing of a Christian Fourthly and Lastly God himself is a Searcher and Trier of the Thoughts and Inward man And therefore is regard to be had still to them Look how far he hath an Influence so far accordingly should we have a Care and Respect to our selves Now thus he has to the Thoughts and Cogitations and therefore he is usually described by such a Title as this is of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That searcheth the heart and tryeth the reins Men may sometimes ghess and conjecture but God he has absolute and certain knowledge He knows what is in man as was said of Christ All this shews how Religion does reach it self and extend to the Thoughts This therefore meets with the conceits of such Persons as confine it only to the Outward man who think that Thoughts are free as they express it and that they may think what they please without any care to give any account of it First It is not so The unrighteous man must forsake his Thoughts Not only his evil wicked ways whereby he is odious and abominable to men but also his Evil Affections wherein God Himself takes notice of him If ye shall ask now in particular what those Thoughts are which an unrighteous man is to forsake I Answer in a word all such as are proper and peculiar to a man in the state of Nature To a carnal and unregenerate Person precisely so taken who is here Emphatically called as I hinted before a man of Iniquity such an one as the Scripture tells us his Thoughts are wholly Evil Gen. 6.5 Col jetser The whole Frame of the Thoughts of the heart of man is only Evil and that continually And 2 Cor. 3.5 We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing that is good as of our selves c. Now these Evil thoughts which we now speak of an which accordingly are to be forsaken they may be ranked into three sorts especially 1. As to matter of Opinion 2. Of Contemplation 3. Of Designs First As to matter of Opinion Take a man in his natural Condition and he has many strange conceits in his head whilst he so remains as it is said concerning the Gentiles Rom. 1.21 They became vain in their Imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned Even so is it with such Persons They bring Religion oftentimes to their Carnal and Corrupt Reason and confine it to that But now Converting Grace where it comes it overthrows them all Casting down Imaginations c. 2 Cor. 10.5 To instance in some few particulars First The Thoughts of sin when a man 's converted he forsakes these and it concerns him to do so Take a man in his Natural Condition and he many times makes nothing of Sin He thinks it a very trifle and bauble and there 's no great matter in it why a man should trouble himself for it He thinks that there is no great hurt which can come to him by it Nay he thinks it the greatest delight and contentment that may be Fools make a mock of Sin and it is a sport unto them to do evil as Solomon tells us Yea but when God opens their eyes and begins a little to awaken Conscience and to reduce them and bring them home to himself then they come to be of another mind and it concerns them to be so To look upon Sin as the basest and vilest thing in the world and as carrying the greatest evil and malignity in it in the midst of all the appearing pleasures and contentments of it It alters a mans thoughts of Sin So again also his Thoughts of Grace and Godliness and Godly men When a man is in his Vnregenerate State he has low Thoughts and Conceits of Goodness and of those who are the followers of it Thinks Religion to be an empty business and strictness and exactness of Conversation to be meer folly and Godly men themselves to be so many Fools and Idiots That it is in vain to serve God and no profit to walk mournfulty before him as they said of it in Malach. 3.14 And in Job 21.15 Thus it was with Paul himself before his Conversion Act. 26.9 I verily thought with my self says he that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazzareth And so our Saviour tells his Disciples that there were some who would think that they should do God service to kill them Joh. 16.2 These are the Thoughts which men are subject unto in their Natural Estate But now in Conversion they must be all un-thought and laid aside So again farther For his Thoughts of God himself he must forsake these also and think otherwise of him What Thoughts have men commonly of God in such a Condition Surely such as are very strange and irregular and that in reference to any of his Attributes whether one or other Wee 'l but instance these two amongst the rest His Justice and His Mercy They have very sinister Apprehensions here sometimes they question his Justice and think he has little of that in him Think him to be an indulgent God and one that will let them do as they list without Controul as it is in Psal 50.21 Thou thinkest that I was altogether such an one as thy self God speaks there to an unrighteous Person who presumed upon his Patience towards him but withall he tells him that in the Event he should find it otherwise But I will reprove thee and will set thy sins in order before thine eyes So again on the other side for Gods Mercy there is sometimes in another extream now and then questioning of that and a thinking that it is no purpose for them to repent and be better for it shall notwithstanding be as bad with them for time
more easily leave them Secondly let him be careful to be well employed and to be conversant in good Company and the like Attend upon the Ordinances frequent the Communion of Saints be diligent in his lawful Employments These will take off his Rellish from sin and make him to dislike it Thirdly And especially to labour to get into Christ and to close with him in the Covenant of Grace whereby his Spirit may be communicated to him There is no Mortification of sin to any purpose but such as flows from our Union with Christ who is a powerful Head to this purpose and does enable more or less in all his Members to express it in themselves In Rom. 8.23 it is said If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye by the spirit mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Mark If by the spirit ye mortifie Mortification is a Work of the Spirit and this Spirit is the Spirit of Christ And this flows from our Union to Christ and Conjunction with him by Faith which does mystically knit us to him We must therefore first of all labour to find this Union to be in us and then make use of it and improve it to such a purpose as this is which we now speak of And this if we do we shall accordingly find mercy at the hands of God as is here expressed And so much of the Promise in the first Branch to wit The Simple or Absolute Preposition in these words And he shall have mercy upon him The Second is The Additional Amplification in these words For he will abundantly pardon Wherein again we have two Particulars more First The Word of Promise or Encouragement He will abundantly pardon Secondly The Word of Motive or Enforcement For he will abundantly pardon Because he will do this therefore 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 First Of the Word of Promise or Encouragement He will abundantly pardon Here is set forth unto us the Fulness and Largeness of God's Mercy according to those Expressions which are made of it in Scripture Full of Goodness Rich in Mercy Abundant in Compassion and the like The words here in the Original Text are very Emphatical Jarbeh Lisloach And we may reduce them to a threefold Intimation First To the Pardon of great sins Secondly To the Pardon of many sins Thirdly To the Pardon of sins reiterated and committed again First This Abundant Pardon in God it extends it self to great sins He is Magnus and remittendum The great God will forgive great Offences sins of an high nature of a deep die of an heinous aggravation Thus Isa 2.18 Come and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool See here scarlet sins and crimson sins and sins of such a stain as these are God tells his People that upon their Repentance he will pardon them and forgive them unto them And we have divers Instances to this purpose in Scripture take the Apostle Paul for all the rest who styles himself The Chief of Sinners 2 Tim. 1.15 says of himself that he was a Blasphemer and Persecutor and injurious and yet even he obtained Mercy and the Grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus Was exceeding abundant upon which occasion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See here Abundant Grace The very Expression which is here used in the Text. Secondly It extends to many sins He is Multus and remittendum Here is the abundance of Pardon in this also that God does not only forgive sin in one kind but in more as he has occasion for it Thus Manasses who knew how many sins were layed to his charge that he was an Idolater a Sorcerer a Murderer one that made his own Sons to pass through the fire and filled Jerusalem with innocent blood It is said He wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord. And yet when in his Affliction he sought the Lord and humbled himself greatly and prayed unto him the Lord was entreated of him and forgave him Mary Magdalen she was one who had seven Devils cast out of her and it is said expresly concerncerning her that Her sins which were many were forgiven her for she loved much in Luk. 7.47 God forgives not only one or two or a few but even many Offences Thirdly To sins reiterated and committed again and again This Abundant Pardon reacheth to these and God has Mercy and Forgiveness for them For Relapses and Fallings back into sin and the Repetitions of them he is Frequens and remittendum He will multiply to pardon as the Marginal Translation carries it He that has commanded us to forgive others again and again he will certainly do it himself out of all question Hence is that Gracious and Evangelical Imitation of the Prophet Jeremy's in Jer. 3.1 They say if a man put away his wife and she go from him and become another man's shall he turn unto her again shall not that land be greatly polluted but thou hast stayed the harlot with many lovers yet return again to me saith the Lord. So again in Hos 14.4 God says I will heal their back-slidings and will love them freely God heals Back-slidings and Apostatisings and Relapses and Recidivations sins committed again and again Thus we see how in all particulars it holds true that God will abundantly pardon The Ground and Foundation of this Truth is twofold First The Greatness and Infiniteness of God's own Nature considered in himself Secondly The Greatness and Infiniteness and Fulness of the satisfaction of Christ First The Greatness and Infiniteness of God's own Nature God is a great and infinite God of whose Perfection there is no end Therefore every Attribute in him is of Infinite Extent and his Mercy amongst the rest Thus it is said expresly of him His mercies are great or many in 2 Sam. 24.14 Mercy in us it is no more than a Drop but in God it is an Ocean In us no more than a little Stream but in God it is a Spring and full Fountain A Spring continually runs an Ocean is never drawn dry What is a little sparkle of Fire if it fall into the main Sea The same are the sins of a penitent person being propounded to the mercy of God Thus Micah 7.18 19. Who is a God like unto thee pardoning iniquity an passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy He will return again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and he will cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea But Secondly and Efpecially This is founded upon the Fulness and Infiniteness
of Christ's Satisfaction Therefore will God abundantly pardon because Christ has abundantly satisfied and payed the Debt which was required at our hands If we have no more to say for our selves than God's Nature and the Infiniteness of that it will not serve our turn for as God is infinite in Mercy to pardon us so he is infinite in Justice to punish us And where are we then But now in Christ his Justice is fully answered and there is an opportutunity for the Expression of his Mercy together with it This is that which is our great releif and accordingly we should make much of it for our great Comfort and Consolation that God hath set him for a Propitiation for our sins Christ has payed a Ransom which is sufficient for the taking away of the greatest sins that may be and therefore will God also pardon those greatest sins God's mercy must needs reach as far as Christ's death Now this takes away all sins whatsoever The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin He is a Physician that is able to cure all Diseases What matter what the Disease be whilst the Physitian has skill to remove it and to cure it and to take it away Or what matter what the Debt be where the Surety has already payed it and made satisfaction for it Christ has satisfied for great sins and God forgives great sins yea the greater the sins are the more does he delight to manifest his Goodness in the Forgiveness of them That where sin abounds Grace may much more abound as the Apostle expresses it in Rom. 5.20 The Consideration of this Point is matter of singular Comfort to all such Persons as are humbled and broken in heart and lie under the burthen of their sins and are willing to leave and forsake them and in good earnest to quit themselves of them Here is Grace and Mercy and Reconciliation offered unto them if they will accept it upon those Terms and Conditions whereupon it is offered And therefore let none reject it or refuse it or put it away from themselves Take heed of denying or diminishing this Free Grace of God which is thus richly tendered in the Gospel as there are some kinds of persons are now and then apt to do There are some sullen Spirits in the World which will be damned as we may say whether God will or no that will have none of that Mercy which God offers and holds out unto them that cry out with desperate Cain My sin is greater than can be forgiven Oh take heed of that It is not the greatness of thy sin but the greatness of thy stomach and the pride of thine own corrupt heart that lies in thy way Thou wouldst fain stand upon thine own bottom and be justified from thy self and go to Heaven through thine own Righteousness and art loath to be beholden to God for such a favour as Pardon is and therefore it is that thou opposest it and standest out against it Or it may be thou hast a false heart and art willing to keep thy Lusts still and not to come up to God's Conditions But do not thou any longer nourish such a corrupt disposition in thy self as being that which is very odious and abominable in the sight of God Despair is in a manner the greatest sin of all a devillish and hellish sin and such as is worse than any other which is there made the occasion of it because it is a sin against the sweet Bowels of God and the Riches of his Mercy in the Gospel which he desires to extol and magnifie above all other things in the World Therefore by all means take heed of it and withdraw from it Remember to observe the Condition and thou mayest undoubtedly expect the Promise to be accomplished and made good unto thee Though thy sins be many though they be great though they be repeated again and again yet at last wholly left and renounced there is mercy for them God looks not so much at the greatness of thy sin in its own nature as rather at thine affection to it That sin which is not too great to be forsaken it is not too great to be forgiven A great sin being left shall be pardoned whereas a smaller sin being returned shall plunge thee into Everlasting Death and Condemnation And so much may be spoken of the Word of Promise or Encouragement here mentioned He will abundantly pardon Now the Second is the word Motive or Inforcement in the Counsel For For he will abundantly pardon Because God will abundantly pardon therefore let the wicked forsake his evil ways And so there is this in it That God's Mercy is a special Argument and Motive for Man's Reformation Because he is so ready to forgive sin therefore we should be as ready to forsake it Thus the Scripture still sets it as in Psal 130.4 And it holds upon this account because here now we see that our labour is not in vain If a man might repent and turn to God and for all that God would shew him no mercy he were still but in the same case as before and might be ready to think with himself that he had as good go on in his sins still and enjoy the present delight and sweetness of them But now when he hears that upon his Repentance God will forgive him this Carnal Objection is removed and taken off from him And then it holds also in a way of Thankfulness and Ingenuity in answer to God's goodness Seeing God is ready to do so much for us as to pardon our sins so we should be ready to do so much for him as to remove our sins from us Therefore let us accordingly make this Use and Improvement of it Let us take heed of abusing such a sweet Truth as this and so turning God's Grace into wantonness as many sometimes are subject to do for God will be sure not to hold us guiltless if we do so Whosoever shall commit any sin with these thoughts of presuming on God's mercy without Repentance he does so far forth deptive himself of the comfort of this present Doctrine which still supposes the Renouncing of sin as the Condition annexed to the Promise Carnal and corrupt persons they pull this Text asunder which is to be taken still in its Connexion They are for the latter part of it only where it is said God will have mercy and will abundantly pardon But they are not for the formre part of it where the wicked is required to forsake his evil ways Now the one is of noforce without the other that so as men may not despair so they may not presume and as they may not deny God's Mercy so they may not retain their own Iniquity but rather search and examine their hearts in such cases as these are and observe God's dealings with them who oftentimes suffers them to fall into great sins for the punishing of their neglect of smaller And that also occasionally
are said to be briars and thorns and a rebellious house Ezek. 3.6 Briars and thorns there is no touching or handling of them And so were they in cap. 33.32 They come unto thee as the people cometh c. and they hear thy words but do them not There are divers Fortifications to this purpose which men raise to themselves to hold out against the workings of the Ministery that it shall have no force or efficacy upon them First Pride and Self-conceitedness that 's a great hinderance and impediment thereunto Jer. 44.2 Then spake Azariah c. and all the proud men saying to Jeremiah Thou speakest falsly Pride it is a great obstruction to effectual working upon the heart therefore St. James advises that wereceive with meekness the ingrafted word which is able to save our souls in Jam. 1.21 And the Promise of instruction is made to meek persons especially in Psal 25.9 The meek he will guide in judgment and the meek he will teach his way Secondly Another Fortification is Carnal confidence Men by cavillings and wranglings against the Word and the Ministery of it think thereby to make it void The preaching of the Gospel it is foolishness to men of the world and they think themselves too witty for it In Acts 13.45 They spake against the things which were spoken by Paul contradicting and blaspheming The Ministry it is to deal with strong-holds and imaginations or reasonings as the word properly signifies in 2 Cor. 10.5 Thus in the learned Greeks Thirdly Prosperity and outward Welfare and security from thence that 's another encouragement Thus it was with them there in that place Jer. 44.17 18. What was that which encouraged them in their opposition against the word which was preached unto them and the going on in their sinful courses Why then say they we had plenty of victuals and were well and saw no evil But since we left off c. we have wanted c. When men shall thrive for the present in evil courses and ways it is a very great encouragement to them in them and does fortify them against all those which shall go about to take them off from them The consideration of this Point may serve to give us a very good account of the little good which is many times done in the Ministry as to the success of it It is because that people are so much hardened against it so that let the Prophets say what they please yet they are resolv'd to do what they list and do as good as tell them that they are not likely to prevail any thing with them as indeed they are not But yet this for all that ought not to take them off from their work though these would discourage them yet they are not to be discouraged by them but to do their best notwithstanding to win them and work them and bring them home to God because the work is not theirs but his who is able to conquer and subdue the stoutest heart and to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 Thou shalt speak my words unto them whether they will hear or whether they will not hear Ezek. 3.7 In the mean time we may take notice of the desperateness of such a condition Those Patients that are resolved with themselves against all means and helps of recovery are most irrecoverable of any other And such kind of persons are these And so much also of the second reference of this expression There is no hope as it may be carried to the Prophet Jeremiah no hope in regard of thee The Third is in reference to God himself There is no hope i. e. there is no likelihood that if we should turn and amend our ways yet that God would be merciful to us and divert his wrath from us This is another sense of this expression And it does serve to discover to us another piece of sad distemper which is in wicked men even absolutely to despair of the mercy and goodness of God upon the conditions of repentance and so consequently to conclude that it is in vain to return unto him and to make their ways and their doings good as he had advised them and invited them to do in the verse before the Text. Thus it was with wicked Cain My iniquity is greater than that it may be forgiven Gen. 4.13 And so many others besides They despair of the Grace of God in Christ and call it into question This they come to do thus partly First from the suggestions and temptations of Satan who does intimate as much unto them The Devil knows that if he can work men once to this he shall sufficiently prevail with them for if all endeavours to the contrary be vain and to no purpose then they had as good still follow their lusts This is that which he makes them to believe and thereby does most effectually work upon them Secondly it proceeds also partly from the infidelity which is in their hearts A naughty and corrupt heart as it abounds with many other lusts and corruptions besides so amongst the rest with unbelief and a doubting of the truth of God revealed and made known in his word It hearkens herein to Satan rather than to God as it did at first in the first temptation Thirdly for a measuring of God by themselves Despair it is a fruit of carnal reason and proceeds from that And therefore God to cure it does call men to right reason and the actings of that Isa 1.18 Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow Though they be red like crimson they shall be as wooll If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the Land And again Isa 55.7 8 c. Let the wicked forsake his way and let him return to the Lord and he will have mercy upon him c. For my thoughts are not your thoughts nor my ways c. That which we learn from hence our selves is to beware of such a frame of spirit as this is which is most dangerous and pernicious of all other as that which is both most against our selves and against God likewise and so must needs be very bad and to be avoided First against our selves in two things both in point of Grace and of Comfort In point of Grace as it is most obstructive to that and does lay open the way to the greatest wickedness that can be thought of For whereas hope of avoiding punishment by keeping from evil courses is a great restraint upon man's spirit where this hope shall be taken off by despairing of the goodness of God there is a gap open to all licentiousness and profaneness as following and consequent thereupon Then in point of Comfort it is much against our selves there for those that despair of mercy can be filled with nothing else but horrour and astonishment of soul They must needs live
We are unto God a sweet savour of Christ not only in them that are saved but in them that perish 2 Cor. 2.15 But though he shall have as much glory yet he shall not have so much joy that 's occasion'd and increased from his peoples greater fruitfulness and and profiting under his Ministry And so the Scripture sets it and expresses it to us in sundry places as 1 Thes 3.9 What thanks can we render to God again for you for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God c. And so in Col. 2.5 Joying and beholding your order and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ And again Heb. 13.17 Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give an account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you Well i. e. well for the Husbandman and Dresser of the Vineyard Thirdly Well for the Vineyard and the rest of the Trees which are in it One barren and unfruitful Fig-tree it may spoyl a whole set and row of trees besides It cumbers the ground as it is said in the verse before the Text that is it is not only unprofitable in it self but also with its shadow by drawing to it the moistness of the earth It prejudices other plants which are near it Even so is it here in this particular Unfruitful persons they have a vicious and malignant influence they do not only do no good themselves but they hinder others from doing good from their example especially according to the places in which they may be and the circumstances which may be upon them As if they be men of ability and authority and esteem and the like here they are upon a double score accountable to God Not only for failing of that good which is expected from themselves but also for hardening others in their neglect and unfruitfulness which they are apt to be guilty of upon such occasions But now on the other side when any are fruitfel and active and zealous in goodness their zeal it provokes many others so much the more to piety And so it is well for the Vineyard Lastly and more especially well for the Fig-tree it self It 's well for every particular person when of barren he comes to be fruitful in every good work Psal 128.2 Speaking of such a one as this that fears the Lord and walks in his ways happy shalt thou be and it shall be well with thee And Eccles 8.12 I know it shall be well with them that fear God that fear before him Well as to the escaping of judgment and the avoiding of the punishments of barrenness And well as to the obtaining of mercy and the procuring of the rewards of fruitfulness And so much may suffice to be here spoken of the first supposition mentioned to wit of future fruitfulness in these words If it bear fruit well The Second is of further incorrigibleness in these and if not then after that thou shalt out it down Which words after that seem to carry a double reference and respect with them The one is to the Lord of the Vineyard patience and forbearance towards it After that that is after that thou hast let it alone for one year longer as I desire of thee if after that it shall still prove unfruitful then do thus and thus with it The Second is to the Vine-dressers pains and labour about it After that that is after that I have digg'd about it and dung'd it if after that it shall yet prove no better but remain barren and unfruitful still Then I say no more of it but this that thou shalt cut it down And here again this expression thou shalt cut it down 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It hath a double emphasis with it First an emphasis of Prediction and Secondly an emphasis of Permission An emphasis of Prediction Thou shalt cut it down that is thou wilt cut it down there 's no-body that can hinder thee An emphasis of Permission thou shalt cut it down that is thou mayest cut it down there 's no body will hinder thee From both together we have these two Points observable of us First that a peoples continued unfruitfulness after God's long expectations from them and forbearance of them makes his judgments to fall unavoidably and it recoverably upon them After that thou wilt cut it down it is a word of Prediction or Commination Secondly That a peoples continued unfruitfulness after long enjoyment of the means and labours of the Ministers amongst them it takes off the prayers and intercessions of the Ministers for them After that thou mayest cut it down And so it is a word of permission or submission to the will and mind of the Lord of the Vineyard First we 'l take notice of the former And here I say this that a peoples continued unfruitfulness after God's long expectations from them and forbearance of them it makes his judgments to fall unavoidably and irrecoverably upon them There 's now no way but one for them which is absolute and utter ruine and destruction of them After that thou shalt cut it down This we have signified to us not only here in this present Text but in divers others besides As Isa 5. from the first verse to the seventh which ye may do well to read at your leisure what God declares there concerning his Vineyard So Luke 13.34 and Luke 19.45 c. The reason of it is this First because it is a sign of wickedness more deeply rooted and setled in such kind of persons Vnfruitfulness at first it might be thought to proceed from non-attendancy but now it is conceived to proceed in this case from perversness Secondly There 's greater ingratitude and unthankfulness in it and a trespass upon greater bowels And goodness and mercy abused it turns into fury The Master of the Vineyard had much ado to let it stand before upon the account of its former unfruitfulness Cut it down says he why cumbreth it the ground But now when it shall be unfruitful still after so much forbearance what can be expected from him but that he should cut it down quite indeed Thirdly It must needs be so from the consideration of the Justice of God which cannot suffer unfruitfulness to go unpunished God's Justice does so far yield to his Mercy that so long as there is any hope he is willing and content to forbear but when his Patience has now run its full length his Justice comes in the place of it and discovers it self And that 's the first observation that unfruitfulness after long forbearance makes judgment unavoidable The Second is this That unfruitfulness after long enjoyment of the means of Grace and labours of the Ministers it takes off the prayers and intercessions of the Ministers for them After that thou shalt cut it down that is then thou may'st I will not then once
their labour here they are all for signs and I know not how many Impressions and Signatures they have to this purpose But now where God sets up a sign there they pull the sign down As for example here now in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper which is a sign and seal of the Covenant and where the Elements used in this Ordinance do represent to us by the eye of faith the Body and Blood of Christ here they will have no sign but the very Body and Blood of Christ it self in a corporal and literal acception When Christ says This is my Body we say This is the sign of his Body No say they it is his Body it self by Transubstantiation When Christ says This is my Blood we say This is the sign of his Blood No say they it is his Blood it self by the same device likewise Here they throw the sign away Thus those which are so much for signs at another time as with the Jews themselves to require them when themselves please here now when God offers one to them they will not have one though he would put it upon them but plainly refuse it Well to leave them and to come rather to our selves let us take heed that we be not some way or other guilty in this particular for thus we must know we may be yea and oftentimes are we may too much refuse this sign which God does here offer to us and that is when we do not improve it to that purpose as indeed we should and as God has intended it for surely it is a great part of Gods goodness that he is pleased to deal thus graciously with us as to afford us such helps as these are for the strengthning of our weak faith That though his bare word and promise were enough of it self considered alone yet that he is pleased over and above to add a further confirmation hereunto and to condescend and come down to our outward senses in these visible representations that so there might be nothing wanting on his part to encourage us to believe This I say is a very great piece of goodness and mercy in him Well let us then see that we do not make this Grace of God in vain to no purpose we must not make a meer sign of the Duty though there be a sign in the Mystery Take heed of that God will not hold them guiltless that take his name in vain nor God will not hold them guiltless that take his Ordinance in vain This we do when we do not hereby labour to strengthen and increase our faith in a belief of the Promises of God which he hath in Christ made unto us and of the things themselves which Christ has done for us For as verily as we do eat the Bread which we receive and drink the Wine which we take down into us and as these are meerly of our corporal nourishment so by faith are we to partake of Christ himself and those benefits which he has purchased for us and performing the condition of the Gospel we may be assured that they shall be made good unto us But so much for their presumption in this demand Secondly Here was their Peremptoriness and Importunity they require a sign that is there is no remedy but have one they must in all haste 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there 's somewhat in that if they had askt it modestly and soberly though they had askt it there might not perhaps have been so much in it there have been those of the Servants of God which have askt signs and they have not been blamed for it Gideon askt one and had it in his wet and dry fleece Judg. 6.37 c. Hezekias again askt one and had it in the going backward of the shadow in the Sun-dial of Ahaz 2 King 20.8 9. The Virgin Mary askt one and had it in the Conception of her Cousin Elizabeth Luk. 1.36 Thus there has been an asking of signs which has been allowed and approved of But the asking of these Jews it was somewhat more with some kind of resoluteness in it as if they thought it their right and due which did indeed belong unto them and as if they were much wronged if they had it not Thus they require a sign and this was very naturally in them For as we ought not to prescribe and limit God so we ought not to sollicite him and too much importune him but submit our desires to his and rest satisfied with the dispensations of his Providence as most fit and convenient for us Thirdly Here was their malice and perverseness they require a sign as if hitherto they had never had any The Jews of all others had little cause to be so earnest after signs for they had more amongst them than ever any people had yea and that in reference to the Messias also they had signs of Christ exhibited unto them both by himself in his own particular person and likewise in his servants the Apostles they had wonders in Heaven above and they had signs in the Earth beneath as it is in Act. 2.19 and in vers 22. of the same Chapter Ye men of Israel hear these words Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you by miracles wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you c. And again v. 43. Many wonders and signs were done by the Apostles And Mark 16.20 The Lord confirmed the word by signs following So we see then they wanted not signs and yet as if they had been altogether destitute they here require them as who should say that those they had had already were as good as none at all this was now an horrible perverseness and maliciousness in them and a slighting both of the power and goodness of God himself But so much may suffice for that viz. the first particular in the Text from whence Preaching seemed to be counted as foolishness the Demand of the Jews they would have a sign and let Preaching alone The Jews require a sign The second is the Inquiry or Pursuit of the Gentiles The Greeks seek after Wisdom By Greeks here we are to understand all other Nations besides the Jews amongst which the Greeks were most eminent and so by a Synecdoche are put for the rest of them and especially such as did most abound in humane learning and wisdom Although if we will we may take it also as restrained to that Nation who were the chiefest in that regard The Jews were not more notorious for their stupidity than the Greeks were famous for their admirable knowledg and wit they were a wise and understanding generation they looked much after the depths and mysteries of Philosophy they were for high and subtile Speculations which they did very much affect yea they were not only for high Notions but they were likewise for smooth Expressions they had the excellency of speech and humane eloquence wherein they did very much boast Whence 't was
distinction of Ages yet the truth of it is they do make up but one main and principal deliverance and are all as I may say in a manner referring one to another they hang in one common link and chain from which they cannot be severed as belonging to that chief and main end which God propounds to himself about his people If the Lord should deliver his Church in some Ages and not deliver them in following or if he should deliver us now in some particulars and let us perish in regard of others this work of his would be lame and intercepted and brought to no issue which does not sute I say with his exactness His work is perfect as Moses speaks in Deut. 32.4 And it is so in all the kinds and branches and specifications of it It is perfect in the work of Creation He finisht all his work And it is perfect in the work of Redemption he never left till he had said It was finisht And it is perfect in the work of Regeneration He that has begun a good work in you will finish or perfect it unto the day of Jesus Christ And here now it is perfect also in the work of Providence and deliverance and preservation He hath delivered and does deliver and we trust he will yet further deliver us as it is here in this present Text before us And thus do we see the ground of this present Point The Improvement of it may be in a double way of Application either in reference first of all to private persons in particular or else secondly to the whole Church and State considered in general Either of these may make a very profitable use and improvement of this Point which we now have been here upon all this while and to bring it home a little to each First For our own private and particular we should learn from this present Doctrine to treasure up unto our selves ground of expectation of more from God in a way of deliverance and preservation by considering what he has done for us heretofore in like exigencies and straits we may make use of it in all the several passages and occurrences and turnings of our lives Thus the Marriner or Traveller by Sea may reason God has delivered me in such a storm and such a tempest I am now in the same lawful way and he will deliver me again Thus the Warrier and Soldier may reason God has delivered me in such a Battel and in such a Battel and he will also deliver me in this which is undertaken upon the same warrantable ground as the former was Thus the Travelling woman may reason God has delivered me of such a child and such a child when I was in as great anguish and extremity I am now in the same way of his Providence and I trust he will yet deliever me still Thus should we still upon all occasions get ground as it were upon God and fortifie our selves against distrust from the consideration of his former goodness towards us The mercies or deliverances which God does at any time vouchsafe unto his people they have a threefold sweetness in them which is worth our taking notice of First The sweetness of the thing Secondly The sweetness of the fountains And thirdly The sweetness of the Experiment First The sweetness of the thing it self that 's a natural sweetness and such as is competent to sense which any natural or carnal man may find and have in the deliverance he partakes of Secondly The sweetness of the fountain or principle that 's such a sweetness as consists in the apprehension of Gods love in Christ and such and such blessings as flowing in to us from this ground and conveyance of them to us Thirdly We have the sweetness of the Experiment so far forth as those mercies and deliverances which at present we partake of serve to teach us to expect as much again at another time and this is that which we here now speak of Every new blessing and deliverance it carries another as it were in the bosom of it and is a pledg and forerunner of more which accordingly we should look for from it As Soldiers which have gotten one victory they are heartened to make account of another so it should be here with us O passi graviora dabit Deus his quoque finem We should learn from hence by answering God in his goodness towards us in our obedience and as we have obeyed formerly so to obey still But here it may be haply interposed that this does not always seem to hold so good as for us to found this confidence thereupon We find by many experiences that God does deliver his people from some evils and yet does not deliver them from others from this sickness and not from that from this danger and not from that from these enemies and not from others yea for this very instance here in the Text though Paul was delivered from this great danger in Asia and escaped death at this time yet afterwards he was under the power of his enemies and taken away by them How can we then make former deliverances to be grounds for trusting and expecting of future as here we do For answer hereunto thus much This holds good in regard of God though it does not so well in regard of us or the things themselves which do here make the difference as to Gods dispensation As for God himself he has the same power still that ever he had he is as able to deliver his people at one time as he is at another from one evil as well as from another from the greater as well as from the less And further he has the same bowels in him still as ever the same love and affection to his servants now as he has had heretofore and in former times So that upon these considerations they may very well make these conclusions But it falls out otherwise sometimes in these regards First That those which should be the subjects of these deliverances do vary and alter in their carriage and behaviour towards God perhaps neglect to seek unto him and to maintain their communion with him and give themselves liberty in some evil course and then as God tells the Israelites though he had delivered them formerly yet he would now deliver them no more they way go to the gods whom they have served Judg. 10.13 14. Secondly It is not always so conducing either to the glory of God himself or the greater good of the person in particular to be delivered in such a manner and way as it may be formerly they have been and then he does deal otherwise with them God still in all his dealings with his servants looks at the main chance which is to advance his own glorious name and to save their precious and immortal souls and to bring them to Heaven at last And so far forth as any deliverance may best consist with either of these so far forth they are
the judgment which on any is past by us We should so far reckon and esteem of any and of our selves as we have of this in us This it suits with the scope of the Text by comparing it with that which went before The Apostle had to deal with some in the Church of Galatia which stood much upon their Jewish Prerogatives and priviledges which they did partake of in that respect which did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made a fair shew in the flesh in ver 12 of this Chapter Gloried in their circumcision and conformity to the Law of Moses In answer to whom he adds the following words God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ c. And in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature And then he adds As many as walk by this rule that is as we may well understand it by this rule as to matter of judgment and estimation of any ones person This is that which we should be mindful of though respect is also to be had to other Considerations yet we should principally value any as they have more of grace and goodness in them walk by this rule in point of Censure Thirdly In matter of practise and the things which are to be done by us consult also with this rule Consider whether that which we do or not do be agreeable hereunto First Be sure to know and to consider what the new creature is and wherein it consists and then examine whether such and such actions do comply with it according to this we should either provoke or restrain our selves where we find our selves slack or remiss to our duty quicken our selves upon this Consideration that our Principles require better from us where forward and carried to evil check our selves also from this argument as being contrary to the new creature in us This is the state and condition of a Christian and of one that is indued with saving-grace that he cannot do those things which others take liberty in nor omit what others discharge themselves from but has a necessity upon them from whence it is that we read o◠such expressions as these in Scripture We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard Act. 4.20 And we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth 2 Cor. 13.8 Here 's can and cannot with a Christian in such cases as these are because he is under a law even the law of the spirit Rom. 8.2 That which he cannot do with a good conscience he cannot do at all A Moral impotency is all one with him as a Physical and he is provoked or tyed up according to the Principles which are in him Fourthly As to matter of carriage and behaviour in every condition we must walk by this rule here so deporting our selves as may be suitable to Religion and the work of Grace in us forasmuch as that does very much fit and qualifie us for all estates whatsoever The Apostle Paul speaking of himself in Phil. 4.12 says He knew how to be abased and he knew how to abound everywhere and in all things he was instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need He was taught a suitableness and comeliness of behaviour in a variety of conditions And who and whence was he taught it surely not from flesh and blood but from the work of God's Spirit in him and by Grace wrought in his heart And so must every one else be besides and being so be careful to walk proportionably hereunto with patience and humility and thankfulness and moderation and contentment and compassion and fellow-feeling of the necessities of other men to exercise the grace of that condition in which we are This new creature if we observe it and be indeed acted by it it will lead us and carry us to such a frame and temper of spirit as this is whatever state happens unto us And so now I have done with the first General Part of the Text which is the qualification of the persons here mentioned As many as walk c. The second is the signification of the blessings or priviledges belonging unto them Peace be on them and mercy c. I call it the signification of blessings but indeed there is somewhat more in it This passage for the clearing of it to us seems to carry a threefold Emphasis with it which may be fastened upon it First In the notion of a Promise or Divine Intimation Peace and mercy unto them that is there shall be peace and mercy unto them it is a priviledg which they have interest in Secondly In the notion of a Prayer or Apostolical Benediction Peace and mercy upon them that is let peace and mercy befall them it is the blessing which I do pronounce unto them Thirdly In the notion of a compliance or friendly salutation Peace and mercy upon them that is I am peaceably affected towards them and in charity with them either of these notions or all may be comprized in this expression here before us in these present words We begin with the first As it has the notion of a promise or Divine Intimation There shall be peace c. This is the advantage of all godly men living in the Power of Godliness and walking by the Rules of Christianity that they shall have peace and mercy for their portion which shall be bestowed upon them This is that which the Scripture does signifie in divers other places as Psal 119.165 Great peace have they that keep thy law and nothing shall offend them So Isa 26.3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee c. and Phil. 4.7 The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds c. Peace it is a large word comprehending all kind of happiness and felicity in it whatsoever but we may here in this place confine it more especially to that which is spiritual Peace and mercy that is peace flowing from mercy in the pardon and remission of sin through the blood of Jesus Christ This is the peace here meant with the effects and concomitants of it as belonging to powerful Christians they shall have peace and reconciliation with God as the main ground-work and foundation of all and they shall have also peace in their own consciences as issuing and following hereupon To which also we may add as an overplus Peace with men and all other creatures so as not to be able to do them hurt but rather good even in their greatest oppositions and at last eternal peace and rest in glory to him that ordereth his conversation aright I will shew the salvation of God Psal 50.23 For the further amplifying of this unto us it ma no be amiss for us to take notice of the manner of expression by an Hebraism Peace not to them but upon them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And
there are two things denoted in it First The Original and descent of so great a blessing as this is the blessing of peace as every other good and perfect gift besides it comes from above it is such as is shoured down from Heaven and descends from the Father of lights as the Apostle James speaks in Jam. 1.17 It isnot a thing which grows out of our selves and our own hearts which incline rather to all that is opposite and contrary hereunto neither can man bestow it upon us but it is the gift of God alone He creates peace peace Isa 57.19 and John 14.27 Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you says our blessed Saviour to his Disciples when he was taking his leave of them Secondly Here 's also denoted in this phrase the fulness of the blessing it shall be upon them so as to cover them and fill them and rest and abie in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to rule and triumph in their hearts as we find that phrase used Col. 3.15 This was that which is here promised to all such as live like Christians they shall have peace in a large and plentiful measure confer'd on them This is matter of exceeding great comfort and encouragement to all the true servants of God and to those whose hearts are perfect with him In the world it falls out sometimes that the more exact any are in their lives the more trouble and opposition they meet with and those which are naught and mischievous will be sure to create difficulties to them Look by how much the more that any are careful to walk by this Rule the more spight and hatred shall befal them But here is that which may satisfie all such persons as a promise from truth it self that his peace and mercy shall be upon them yea and so much the more for that disturbance which they find anywhere else Mark the perfect and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace says David Psal 37.37 Let us therefore all make much of this this perfection and integrity we speak of in order hereunto and as we desire to have peaceable consciences so let us be careful still to have sincere consciences Let us walk by rule and this rule which we have here mentioned unto us This will bring a man peace at last when all the world must be left by him with all the comforts and pleasures which are in it Oh the sabbath and sweet tranquillity of spirit which a gracious heart that is careful first to know God in Christ and then to keep communion with him finds in it self How free from those distractions and annoyances which another person is incumbred withal How peaceable in life yea how comfortable in death it self Whereas on the other side for the wicked there is no peace unto them saith my God But they are like the raging sea casting forthmire and dirt as the Prophet speaks there in that place Isa 57.20 That 's the first Emphasis of this phrase Peace be upon them c. as it carries in it the notion of a Promise or Divine Intimation The second is the notion of a Prayer or Apostolical Benediction Let peace and mercy be upon them This we find frequently in the Epistles to those whom the Apostle writes to we have it in the beginning of this Gal. 13. Grace be to you and peace And here also he closes with it But here with a little more restriction to the particular occasion and the matter in hand which he treats of and that is walking by this rule The Apostle solemnly pronounces a blessing of peace upon them This is not lightly to be past over by us for as there 's weight in an Apostolical curse and an Anathema sent forth by him as we have sometimes shewen from another place in this Epistle so is there weight also in an Apostolical Benediction and a word of blessing proceeding from him as it does here to all circumspect Christians They are blest by the Apostle of Christ in the name of Christ and this blessing it shall inseparably cleave and stick unto them and they shall find and feel the sweetness and comfort of it and what is tender'd in the promise it is here also further sealed and confirm'd in this pronunciation whereby God in the mouth and pen of his servant does further ingage himself to make it good to all such persons as are vers'd in it Let the Pope and Papist spurt their curse but God blesses which is all in all and more to be regarded by them And this for the inlargement of it reaches not only to the times wherein the Apostle wrote this Epistle but to all times and ages whatsoever in following generations For which purpose we may here also by the way take notice of the expression in the future as it runs in the Original Text which is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not which do walk but which shall By which expression as I conceive there are two things pointed out unto us the one respecting the Duty and the other respecting the Blessing and the reward and recompence of it that which respects the Duty is perseverance and continuance in good walking as a necessary qualification that which respects the reward is the continuance of this Blessing to the performance in a succession of times First As respecting the Duty it is perseverance and continuance in this walking And here two things more First What ought to be And secondly What will be that which ought to be is this that those who have begun a good walk they ought still to proceed in it and to go on as they walk thus at present so they must do further for time to come For this reason it is exprest in the future not which do walk but which shall because those which do so still must Perseverance it is the duty of a Christian which he is call'd unto having began he is ingaged to continue This hint it was but very requisite and proper to the Galatians because they had been especially guilty in this particular they had begun in the spirit and ended in the slesh Gal. 3.3 They had run well but were now hindred or driven back so that they did not obey the truth Gal. 5.7 Now therefore for these such an intimation was but seasonable unto them and 't is so as well to all others besides It is that which God expects from us whosoever we are if we have once taken up the ways of Religion to prosecute them and to proceed in them with all stedfastness and constancy of mind and to keep close to this rule And the reason of it is this because we have all incouragement that may be so to do There is so much satisfaction in Godliness and the ways of Christianity and true Religion as that there are none whoever enter upon the but they
man that feareth always but he that hardneth his heart shall fall into mischief Which agrees also with that of the Apostle Rom. 2.5 Who after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up to thy self wrath against the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God And this is the Emphasis of Causality The third is an Emphasis of Concomitancy or Prognostication When they say Peace and safety then sudden destruction oometh c. that is from the time that they say so it thus happens the former it is a forerunner of the latter and a manifest sign and somptom of it from whence ye may conclude it When ye observe people to be full of the greatest security they are then nearest the greatest ruine Presumption it is the harbinger of destruction This is that which is here intimated to us in this connexion which we have now before us We have a proof of it in divers instances and examples in the old world in reference to the Deluge In the Sodomites in reference to their destruction with fire and brimstone from Heaven In the Egyptians in reference to their overthrow and destruction in the Red Sea and so it shall likewise be with wicked men in reference to the day of judgment and destruction then when they least fear it it shall then most of all apprehend them and seize upon them Nebuchadnezzar whiles he was in his pomp and glory and greatest triumph and boafted of his great prosperity Is not this great Babel that I have built c. It is said that whiles the word was in his mouth there fell a voice from heaven threatning him and declaring God's Judgment upon him Dan. 4.31 So Belshazzar whiles he was in the midst of his cups drinking and swilling and carousing and little thought of any evil near unto him it is said that in the very same hour there came forth an hand-writing against him with Mene Tekel c. Dan. 5.5 And so it also happens sometimes to many others besides their confidence it bespeaks their undoing The reason of it is this Because God loves to cross and thwart the pride of man and to make him know that he is at his disposal who has all events in his own hand God will humble men by disappointing them and by showing them that they are dependent upon himself And then besides this security it makes men to venture so much the more upon sin yea indeed does argue sin to have the greater and deeper rooting in the heart which while it has so Destruction cannot be very far off as to the coming of it All these things laid together serve to awaken men out of this distemper which hath seized upon them and never more than in these present days in which we live Wherein as people were never more wicked and so from thence lyable to destruction so indeed they were never more secure and from thence in danger of destruction Well let us take heed of it and look to it take heed of abusing Gods patience and compassion and forbearance and despising of the riches of his Goodness and Mercy to thee which should rather lead thee to repentance and not as men sometimes make it confirm them so much the more in sin for though God be long-suffering yet he will not be always suffering there will a time of reckoning and judgment come at last and that to purpose the longer that punishment is a-coming the heavier will it be when it comes and leasurable correction shall be turn'dinto sudden destruction and such as there shall be no avoiding or escaping from it It is no matter what men may be for the present and for such a particular time and season which has no fixedness or certainty in it We know how the greatest Tempests and Storms that are upon the Sea they are sometimes usher'd in with the great Calmes going before them and so it happens sometimes to be as to God's Providences and Judgments in the world he may here proceed from one extremity to another and make the greatest prosperity to conclude in the greatest misery that so none may absolutely promise themselves Peace or safety in any estate or condition whatsoever which is full of uncertainty surely our peace and safety lyes not in any condition here below or the present happiness and prosperity of it but in our peace made with God in Christ and the assurance of his peace towards us wher 's itis otherwise we are in danger and hazard and jeopardy every hour and never more near indeed unto danger than when we think our selves farthest from it For as it is here exprest in the Text which I have now disptcht when they shall say Peace and safety then sudden destruction comes upon them at travail upon a woman with child and they shall not escape SERMON XLIV 2 Joh. 8. Look to your selves that we lose not those things which we have wrought wrought but that we receive a full reward It has been always counted a part of good husbandry here in the world not only to take care of getting but to take heed of losing and not only to have regard to the present but to provide for time to come Non minor est virtus quam quaerere parta tueir which as it holds in Temporals so in Spirituals and as in matters of ordinary Transaction so especially in Ministerial Dispensation This is that which the Apostle John does propound and exhibit to us here in this Scripture as a pattern to all others besides in the Applications of himself to the Elect Lady and her children He had been careful sometime formerly to instruct them and now he confirms them and indeavours to strengthen the things which remained towards them by perswading them to a special heed to themselves Look to your selves that we lose not the things which we have wrought c. IN the Text it self we have two General Parts considerable First The Caution propounded Secondly The Argument whereupon the Caution is urged or the matter wherein to be exercised The Proposition of the Caution that we have in those words Look to your selves The argument or matter in these That we lose not those things that we have wrought c. We begin with the first The Caution in its General and Indefinite Proposition Look to your selves This is that which belongs to all Christians and which they have need daily and frequently to be put in mind of even the best that are This elect Lady her self a choice and vertuous Matron and her children that walk't at present in the truth The Apostle John thinks it but necessary to lay his Caution and Admonition upon them for for self-observation that they would take special heed to themselves And we shall find the like elsewhere in Scripture in sundry places I shall not need now to insist upon them The Ground hereof is this First The danger which they are exposed to and the attempts and assaults which
water of life thereby to raise our thoughts in the admiration of it Look by how much we woul esteem of Life so much proportionably should we esteem of Grace which does carry life in the bosom of it even eternal life it self Thus our Saviour himself sets it in his discourse with the Woman of Samaria John 4.14 Jesus answered and said unto her Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life This is Grace both in it self and in the means that conduce to it Therefore those that neglect this they do even neglect life it self and judg themselves unworthy of it as it is Act. 13.46 They that hate it love death Prov. 8.36 And so much may be spoken of the first Branch in this third General to wit the benefit mentioned and that is the Grace of Christ or salvation it self exprest by the water of life The second is the persons to whom this benefit is offer'd and tender'd And they are here laid forth two manner of ways First In their extended notion and secondly in their limited The extended notion is whosoever the limited notion is that will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which does carry both an indefinite and a restrained sense with it First Take it in the extended sense Here is a gracious offer and tender of salvation to all men indefinitely an O yes Heus omnes as it is in that place of the Prophet Isa 55.1 This is the scope of the Ministry and the Tenor of the Evangelical Dispensation as the Scripture declares it to us Mark 16.15 Christ sent his Apostles with this Commission Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature And Col. 1.23 The Gospel is said to be preached to every creature under heaven i. e. rational creature This it proceeds from Gods Bounty and Royalty and love to mankind So God loved the world Joh. 3.10 And after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared in Tit. 3.4 God bore that special love to the sons of men above the fallen Angels as to offer them Salvation by Christ which the others are uncapable of and this it is general and unlimited as to the proposal and exhibition of it We may say to every man living Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved come to Christ and thou maist have life by him here 's none excluded of what rank or condition soever whether Jew or Gentile whether male or female whether bond or free if he be a man he i invited to come and to take of the water of life freely as it is here signified and exprest in the Text. Though God hath his secret number of such persons whom he hath appointed to Salvation in his rejection of others and neither hath he like intention towards all elect and reprobate neither have all the like Grace to receive Christ and to apply him unto themselves yet the offer is to all men indefinitely neither are any to exclude themselves where God himself does not exclude them And that 's the first Designation of the Persons here invited in the sense of extension Whosoever The second is in the sense of Restriction Whosoever will This is not so to be taken as if it were in our own power to incline our own wills to good and to the accepting of the Grace of Christ for that it is not It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth as the Apostle tells us but of God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9.16 But it is said whosoever will to shew that Salvation is not forced or obtruded upon us against our wills but in the exercise of those faculties in us which as men are bestowed upon us His people shall be willing in the day of his power Psal 110.5 But this willingness it is not from themselves but only from him We are the subjects of this willingness but he is the Author and worker of it in us Certum est nos velle sed Deum facere ut velimus as St. Austin speaks It is we that will but God that makes us to will whensoever we do so And it is he that works in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 2.12 God infuses a Principle of Grace and spiritual life into every true Convert whereby he makes him to be willing to accept of the terms of salvation and so therefore it is exprest Whosoever will The natural liberty of the will does not exclude or frustrate the spiritual nor the spiritual destroy or evacuate and make void the natural And so much may suffice also of the second Particular in this third General to wit the persons to whom the benefit is offered in General Whosoever in Particular Whosoever will The third and last is the offer it self in these words Let him take it freely Wherein again two things more First The word of conveyance and that is to take it And secondly the word of qualification and that is freely First There 's the word of conveyance Let him take it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This expression as it lyes here in the Text does seem to imply divers and sundry things in it as first the possibility of obtaining it it is such as may be had There are many who are sometimes invited and called upon to the participation of such and such comforts who when they come in the expectation of them are frustrated and disappointed of them and so in conclusion do but lose their labour They go it may be to the water but come home a-dry because the Well may be locked upon them like Tantalus in the midst of the waters but cannot partake of them thus it is sometimes with some others but in the invitations of God it is otherwise where he calls upon us to come he gives us leave to receive that which we come for whosoever comes if he will he may take Secondly The necessity of acceptance and imbracing of this gracious offer which is made unto us It is not enough for us to come but we must likewise take There are some people who now and then divide the one from the other and the latter from the former They are content it may be to come that is to present themselves to the means of Salvation the Word and Prayer and Sdoraments and such Ordinances as these which are the Conduit-pipes as I may so call them of this water of life yea but when they come they do not take that water which is conveyed in them Now here it is said let him taâ—e to put us not only upon the preparatives of Salvation but likewise upon the actual closings and compliances with it That we may not frustrate or make void the Ordinances and means of Grace unto us Thus in the place before