pardoning mercy sets hearts on work to fear God and to tenderness in the study of holiness then ye may see how many of the Children of God do cut the throat of all their endeavours after holiness and to walk tenderly through their not closing with pardoning Mercy I suppose some have the Conscience a sad Monitor unto them a sad Wan-rest within doors for want of tenderness and some would fain be at serving and worshipping of God and yet they cannot win at it but look if thou leaves not thy encouragement behind thy hand in not closing with pardoning Mercy and by so doing not only cuts thy self short of the Joy of the Lord which is thy strength but provocks God to blast thy study of holiness that thou would put in his room or in the room of his pardoning Mercy But thou that would be keeped fresh and green in thy pursuit of holiness here is thy method that thou must follow first wrap thy self in the bosom of pardoning Mercy and then try thy work and thou shalt find it more delightsome and go better with thee than when thou leaves this encouragement behind thee lay thy self in his bosom for pardon and O! but that will make thee fear him much and love him much that woman Luke 7 that bad much forgiven her loved much and had abundance of tears to wash Christ's feet her closing with pardon did so melt her heart and so would it thine closing with pardoning Mercy would heal palsie hands and feet and make thee work walk and run it would kindle that love that is strong as death and that jealousie that is cruel as the grave the coals whereof are coals of fire that have a vehement flame and bring it to that that many waters cannot quench or the floods drown or contemn all that would compet with it I dare not offer to insist the day being shortened but as on the one hand they who fall asleep on pardoning Mercy as the bride of Christ may some times take a nap but wakens and sets to her feet again would know they make not a right use of pardoning Mercy but sin grievously and if they sleep on they evidence that they cheat themselves in that matter and these that love not holiness proclaim they were never partakers of it so upon the other hand thou that loves holiness but cannot win at it close better with pardoning Mercy as that which will strenthen and encourage thee and by waiting on the Lord in this way thou shalt renew thy strength mount up with wings as eagles run and not be weary walk and not be faint Now to our God be praise and glory through Jesus Christ SERMON XIX Psalm 130. Verse 5. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope 6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning YE heard when I entred upon this Psalm that the first six Verses contain the wrestling and the exercise the Psalmist was under as the last two Verses contain his victory and issue and his improvement of it For his wrestling and exercise it consists as ye heard of three branches ye have him wrestling with the difficulties and plunging perplexities in his case these he expresses under the Metaphor of depths and his wrestling with them is by fervent wrestling and crying to God in Prayer verses 1 2. 2. Ye have him wrestling with the Conscience and sense of guilt that obstructed his audience put back his Prayers and offered to crush his hopes and with that he wrestles in the 3 and 4. Verses by taking with the dreadful desert of sin by laying hold on God's pardoning Mercy and carrying alongst with him God's end in letting out pardoning Mercy to sinners even that he may be feared and of this subject I have been speaking at great length and I must exhort and intreat that though a close be put to Preaching on it that yet ye may not give over the minding of that Doctrine it is that which will be your great Pasport pardoning Mercy if ye obtain it when ye come to grapple with the King of Terrors and go through the dark valley of the shadow of death Now in the two Verses read ye have the Psalmist in the third place wrestling with delays of answers to his Prayers or the delays of the out-gate prayed for and these he wrestles with by confident patient affection at waiting on God I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope c. And this purpose also we have cause to look unto because it gives an account of a Christians constant exercise in time he that would be a Christian indeed it is not enough that he pray in difficulties that he take with the desert of sin and look to pardoning Mercy when Conscience challenges him but when he hath done all that he must persevere in so doing and wrestle with the delays of answers to his Prayer he must give a proof of the patience as well as of the Faith of the Saints he must be a follower of these who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises There is a general Remark which will make way to the purpose contained in the words which I shall insist on a little that is That perseverance and constant waiting on God in his way is the great task of Saints and the Touchstone of their sincerity in all other exercises and duties This tryes how well breathed the Saints are and what is their integrity in other exercises that they are at sometimes even that they be constant bide by it wait on God and persevere in waiting on him in his way notwithstanding they meet with delays And that I may unfold this General to you ye shall with me take a threefold look of this perseverance 1. Look upon it in general as it is opposed to Apostacy backsliding giving up with the ways of Religion 2. Which will deduce this General more fully and particularly ye shall take a look of this perseverance as it imports a constant Tenor and course in waiting on God and seeking of God in opposition to folks phrases fairds and hot fits at some times wherein they are but fleeting And 3. Which will lead me to the particular in the Text look on it as it is opposed to wearying sitting up or falling by from employing God and waiting on him if they be delayed especially in sad dispensations and exigences they meet with For the first of these Perseverance in general as it is opposed to apostasie back-sliding and giving up with the ways of God and godliness I shall not dwell much on that Doctrine The necessity of it appears in the Promises made unto it Mat. 24.13 It is he that endures unto the end shall be saved and Rev. 2. and 3. Chapters it is always to the overcomer that the Promise is made though I
And Job 23.10 when he cannot get a sight of God on the right or left hand yet saith he He knows the way that I take when he trys me I shall come forth like gold c. What I would say from this is to leave a check at their door whom the dispensations of providence dings from all their confidence if God delay the Psalmist he will avow that he waits but so silly are we that there is nothing the storm blows against but we are ready to question it whereas if we see it be fair before the wind we question it not at all so silly spirits are we and so full of byasses O! lament this and know that duty is knowable and avowable in the saddest of dispensations for the Psalmist can say I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait And 4. As duty is attainable and knowable so it is very comfortable to a man to know it It 's good news to this tost Psalmist that he dare say I wait my soul doth wait it 's good news for the present Read often believe and improve that word Eccles 8.12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times and his days be prolonged yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God because he feareth before God The very present reward the Eccho of a good Conscience is sweet and comfortable that the people of God can say Our hearts are not turned back nor our steps declined from thy way though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons and covered us with the shadow of death Psal 44.18 O! How sweet an Eccho hath that in a mans bosome and a man that in a sad condition will not be made up in the testimony of a good Conscience it is righteousness with God to smite him with a rod dipped in his own guilt Look to it and make it your study to have this ground of comfort when others fail It 's good when a man can say I am sore broken yet my heart is not turned back I am in the deeps yet my soul waits I cannot win at him yet my feet have held his steps his way have I kept and not declined and as this is sweet and comfortable for the present so will it be found for the time to come when the waiter on God in duty shall be made to say and sing as it is Isa 25.9 Lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation I shall say no more but when all costs are reckoned it shall be found that a doer of duty waiting for God shall be no loser but a great gainer and it shall never be grief of heart to him that he made it his work to wait on him in his way when others declined As I closed the last day with that word Blessed are all they that wait for him so do I this day whatever he do to them whatever delays or difficulties they meet with they shall find that it will be found a rich mercy to be found waiting for God and upon God in their duty keeping his way and not declining therefrom I say no more but the Lord bless his Word that ye have been hearing for Christs sake SERMON XXV Psalm 130. Verse 5. And in his Word do I hope I Told you that as the two former Verses speak to one of the excellent Priviledges of the godly man to wit the remission of sins So the 5 and 6. speak to a most necessary though a most difficult task of the godly man to wait for God that godly men give a proof of their subjection to him and faith in him by their waiting for him notwithstanding they meet with so many delays and disappointments Somewhat hath been spoken to three principal Heads of Doctrine in these Verses 1. The Psalmists exercise he is a waiting man he is put to wait and he doth wait where ye heard that if God delay the Saints and put them to wait it is their duty to wait not only not to be hasty but if they hing on they would look their waiting be not poisoned with freâ—fulness passion and bitterness but seasoned and adorned with meekness and patience I spoke 2. to the object of his exercise I wait for the Lord where ye heard that the eyes of the waiâ—ing man must be taken off all things and set on God not only when all second causes forsake him but when these things that seemed to promise relief seem to be against him he must notwithstanding wait on God and keep his way and have all his expectation in God or God himself must be his expectation and he will be no loser by this if God himself be his great expectation he will easily make up the want of all other things In the third place I spoke to his affection in waiting my soul doth wait where beside that general that we should be able to give an account what we are doing in difficulties when we are exercised with delays Ye heard that true waiting lyes in the midst betwixt bitterness passion haste fretfulness on the one hand and stupidity and indifferency on the other hand The right waiter for God as he is not fretful and passionat so neither is he sleeping and careless he so waits as his soul doth wait his affections are aloft prizing and looking out for these things he is waiting for Now in the 4. place I proceed to consider his support in waiting What made him thus wait affectionatly confidently and patiently He Answers and in his word do I hope He hoped in the word of God and therefore he waits for God It 's not to great purpose to trouble you here with an exact distinction betwixt Faith and Hope Faith looks to the promise and gives a present subsistence to the thing promised as the word is Heb. 11.1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Hope looks to the performance of the good things promised Faith closes with the promise as true and is comforted in that which is contained in it Hope looks out till God come and make out what Faith sees and closes with in the word of promise In this place Faith and Hope may be taken promiscuously or indifferently in his word do I hope that is I wait till God make out to me that he hath promised in his Word or take it a little more distinctly in his word do I hope It will import that having closed by Faith with the good things in the word of promise he looks out for the accomplishment of them so that he hath not only Faith bene believing and closing with the Word but he hath hope looking out till God make his Word good to him I might here take notice of this that waiting on God though a man had no other evidence is ground of hope when a man is in a difficulty and sore put at and
merciful bowels to deal about them according to their ability and as there is cause and a cruel unmerciful disposition is a shrewd token that such an one has not obtained mercy But more of this afterward 5. And Lastly The Objects of this Mercy are described to be tender walkers according to the Rule and Pattern set before them Gal. 6.16 As many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy Their tender walk puts them not without Mercies mister The more tender they are in their walk they see the more need of mercy and this keeps them under the drop of mercy So much for the Object of this Mercy that is with God and for the characters of them to whom it is exprest which would be looked to by all of you who would be partakers of it I proceed now in the 3d place to speak to the properties of this Mercy which will help to unfold the nature of it a little more distinctly and among all the Properties that might be assigned to it a little briefly to these five 1. This would be fixed that the mercy of God is a real mercy Ye will get fair weather and complemental mercy enough in the World mercy professed where it is not and where it kythes not in any effect ye will get mercy enough like that Jam. 2.15 When a brother or sister is naked or destitute of daily food men that will say to them depart in peace be ye warmed and filled but they give them nothing needful for the body The whole world as one says are like Histrionicks counterfeit masked persons and in nothing more than in their pretences and professions of mercy but the mercy of God is a real mercy a mercy that folk may lippen to if ye enquire for it in the inward affection what can be required but it is adduced to express it Isai 23.15 It is exprest by sounding of the bowels Jer. 31.20 By bowels being troubled or moved Hos 11.8 By the turning of the heart within and repentings kindled together All these expressions are to point out how cordial and real the Lord is as to the inward affection of mercy and for the Effects of it men want rather eyes to discern them than the mercies themselves Even his own people are straitned in their own bowels how to keep the proofs of mercy when his heart is enlarged to bestow them and yet they never want a proof of his mercy while they have a room in the Hospital of his Heart and Faith to believe that they are in the Hospital of his Compassion that is an evident proof how real his mercy is 2. As his mercy is real so the Scripture tells it is that wherein he delights Mic. 7.18 He retains not his anger for ever Why Because he delights in mercy No but he delights in himself and in all his Attributes and in the manifestation of them in the World but in a peculiar manner in his mercy upon divers accounts He may be said to delight in it partly on the account of the frequency of his merciful dispensations and manifestations in acts of mercy For works of Judgment towards his people are his Work his strange Work and his Act his strange Act. Isai 28.21 But the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord Psal 35.5 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth to such as keep his covenant c. Psal 25.10 Again he delights in mercy because there is nothing flows from him but that which may invite not hinder sinners from coming to him being objects of his mercy It is true he willeth the death of sinners for sin to glorifie his Justice Yet Ezek. 18.23 He hath no pleasure at all in the death of him that dieth but rather that he should return from his ways and live Nothing flows from him to seclude any from his mercy that will not seclude themselves even when he strikes it is to drive to his mercy when he afflicts the language is Turn you and live why will ye die O house of Israel Again he delights in mercy because all the good he doth to his people he doth it not grudgingly Many a good turn among men is as ye speak spilt in the doing But the good that he does to his people he does it with his whole heart and soul Jer. 32.41 He acts mercy toward his people to speak so as one in his own Element and as going about a work that is kindly to him if I may so word it And lastly he delights in mercy because to speak after the manner of men he hath no pleasure that his people should ever raise any cloud betwixt his mercy and them the people of God cannot do themselves a greater wrong nor him a greater unkindness if ye understand it aright than by their provocations to incapacitat him to manifest his mercy towards them But mistake not this for he hath a Soveraignty in his grace even when they in a manner necessitat him to keep up the acts of his mercy and to afflict them hence when they go onfrowardly in the way of their own heart his tender mercy will make a stepping-stone of impediments that are put in its way Isai 57.17 Because he delights in mercy he will come over all these impediments to do them a good turn freely And that is a 3d property of this mercy it is a free mercy it is a mercy bestowed without money and without price But this as I told you the last day is comprehended under the notion of Grace that is imported in the Goodness of God in that it is freely given And therefore Exod. 33.19 cited Rom. 9.15 He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy compassion c. And it 's not in him that wills nor in him that runs but in God that shews mercy There is no place for disputing here Why he will have mercy on such and such and not on others it is an act of his royal prerogative in grace that none can hinder for who can hinder him to do with his own what he will A 4th Property of this mercy with God is That it is an eternal mercy I do not mean that any creature that gets not an Interest in the mercy of God in this life may look to be partaker of it after this life that was the Opinion of Origen that Devils and damned men and women should at length share in the mercy of God Either thou must grip mercy here or thou hast done with it eternally But to them that close with mercy here it is an everlasting mercy Hence is that over-word of the 136. Psalm His mercy endureth for ever and Psal 103.17 His mercy is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him from election to their eternal glorification so David finds that his tender mercies and loving kindnesses have been for ever of old And the Church Lam. 3.23 finds It is of the
use to speak ye will find him in another tune Psal 116 10. I believed therefore have I spoken Not only esteeming of faith for his own use but a man that dare commend it to others as Psal 27.14 Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord. All that I shall draw from this Head shal be first to recommend to the people of God who have hard pulls in time to assay this Trade of trusting in God and hoping in him it hath not an enemy but an ignorant one that 's a stranger to it that knows not the worth that is in it the rich advantages that follow it were it more tryed it would have more to commend it therefore let it be more your study and thou that would set about the Trade of believing and hoping in God must not take the report concerning faith and hope from every fit of a temptation thou must lay thy account to meet with many a fiery dart and with many a reproach cast upon thy confidence and to have thy self counted a fool for cleaving to that way but hold at it and the more thou do so thou shalt like it the better not only wilt thou not need any to commend it unto thee but thou wilt commend it to all that will take thy advice and counsel And 2. They that have been essaying faith and hope and have gotten good of it they would be afraid in any after-assault they may be put to to bring up an ill report upon the way of faith and hope thou may let these that never got good of it suspect it but thou that hast been helped to believe and wait on God and hast seen an end of the Lord and found the good of believing that can with the Psalmist Psal 28.7 say My heart trusted in him and I am helped How guilty must thou be if thy faith and hope be to seek in a new strait If after thou hast found the good of believing thou be put out concerning it in a new trial when that Song is cast up Psal 107.1 O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever who-ever let that Note ly by the second Verse tells thee Let the redeemed of the Lord say so whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy Who ever have a slender opinion of faith and hope it ill becomes thee to have it who has tryed it and has found the good of it or to be to seek in esteeming of it in a new trial But now I proceed to the 4th thing I proposed to be spoken to from this Exhortation that is the consideration of the persons who they are to whom this hope in God is recommended Let Israel hope in the Lord saith he Hope in God is not an Anchor that will be budded on every one It 's true none are secluded from coming to seek a right to hope in the right method and due order but there is an hope of the hypocrite that will perish that will be like the giving up of the Ghost and that hope is only for fair weather and for little to do but this hope of the Saints is the peculiar allowance of the Saints at all times Now for what is mean'd by Israel here I shall not deny but in the first place we are to understand that Nation of Israel a peculiar people to God who in various Ages while they continued a Church and Nation were meeting with work for their hope and with many rich advantages and proofs of the good of hoping in God and in the latter days when as it is Rom. 11.26 All Israel shall be saved they shall find this made out to them that they may hope in God But it is not to be restricted to them only since their off casting there is an Israel come in their place as the Apostle tells us Rom. 9.6 That they are not all Israel which are of Israel all that Nation were not true Israelits in Gods account So Phil. 3.3 There is a circumcision even among the Gentiles who do worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Jesus Christ and have no confidence in the flesh And Gal. 6.16 he tells There is an Israel of God Gods peculiar people of whatsoever Nation upon whom walking according to the Rule of the new Creature given them there shall be peace and mercy Again we may consider Israel either Collectively or Distributively Consider Israel Collectively for the Church of God correspondent to the ancient Nation of Israel Then by Israel we are to understand the invisible Church the society of Gods converted Elect through the World yet not excluding particular visible Churches who partake of the priviledges of the true Israel of God according to their purity and the number of true Israelites that are among them Again Israel taken Distributively takes in every Child of God who in his own place according to the tenor of the promises made to Israel hath no less ground to hope in God than Israel taken Collectively hath In the prosecution of this Head three things occurr to be spoken to 1. That Israel is a Society that is allowed to hope in God 2. That this hope is the common allowance of all and every one that is indeed an Israelite as well as of the Body of Israel in general And 3. That it concerns every one that would claim to hope in God in all exigencies to make it sure that they are true Israelites indeed and may put their names in those passages and promises wherein Israels priviledges are contained For the first Israel are a people that however matters go have ground to hope in God however things fare in the world or whatever may be said of the desperat case of others Israel is a Society that may still hope in God Hence when Ezra Chap. 9 is laid by with mourning for that generation that had mingled with the abominable Heathen a godly man Chap. 10.2 comes and tells him It 's true we are guilty yet there is hope in Israel concerning this thing Had such a thing fallen forth among others it had been a presage of dreadful news but in Israel there is hope of pardon hope of redress hope of making up this breach in Israel things otherwise desperate are not hopeless Jer. 31.15 17. Though in Israel there be a Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted because they are not She looks upon it as needless to offer to comfort her when her Children are gone yet even when they are not and she thinks that rationally she refused to be comforted Verse 17. There is hope in thy end saith the Lord that thy children shall come again to their own border It 's Israels priviledge that she can say that none else can say It 's Israels Song Psal 129. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth up may Israel now say She might
passion or perturbation yet is he no less tender and careful in shewing mercy than if these passions abounded in him 2. It is to be considered that it is to be wondered that he should be merciful when none of these things are in him that prompts men to be merciful all his mercy we owe to his goodness allanerly Men are prompted to be merciful to others because they are of the same nature with them Beside that weakness and softness of spirit that is in some may make them compassionat others in misery The experience others have had of such pressures may excite compassion to others in the like case mens relations may warm and affect their hearts with compassion to their relations in misery when yet they will be less concerned how it fares with others not so related to them and men considering not so much the simple trouble as the age dignity of the persons troubled when they see such in trouble it may waken compassion But all these are far removed from the Majesty of God he is infinitly above and infinitly distinct from man's nature neither is his nature subject to Misery yet he is no less merciful but infinitly more merciful than if all these things that serve to excite mercy in men were in him Only 3. Take one word more concerning this mercy that is with God in general because it is not so easy as many think to take up this mercy in an infinit and glorious Spirit He hath been pleased to bring this mercy in him a little nearer to us and to take up his dwelling in our nature in giving the Son of his Love to be incarnat and our kinsman a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief experiencing the misery of man that his mercy may run through this channel that his infinit mercy may be communicate to us through the tender bowels of a merciful and faithful high Priest who was in all things made like to his brethren Heb. 2.17 And who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities and was in all things tempted as we are yet without sin Heb. 4.15 To assure us that he can be touched with our miseries But I proceed in the 2d place to speak to the Object of this mercy in God and here in general all the creatures of God do in some measure partake of this mercy of God Psal 145.9 His tender mercies are over all his works or upon all his works as the word will read or to be seen in all his works Psal 33.5 The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord Psal 119.64 The earth is full of his mercy his mercy is extended to the very ravenous birds and beasts whose needy crys are lookt on as directed to a merciful God Job 38.41 He provideth for the raven his food when his young ones cry unto him Psal 104.21 The young lions roar after their prey and seek their meat from God Psal 147.9 He giveth to the beast his food and to the young ravens which cry Joel 1.20 In time of drought the beasts of the field cry unto him And Jonah 4. God respects not only the infants that were in Niniveh who knew not the right hand by the left but the very cattel and if beasts partake of the mercy of God then wicked men are not deprived of it Luk. 6.35 He is kind to the unthankful and to the evil ver 35. and the commentary put on this verse 36. Be ye therefore merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful The visible Church they yet more peculiarly are the object of Gods mercy as witness all the promises made to Israel of old for the elects sake that were among them But the most peculiar objects of his mercy are his own elect who as ye heard Rom. 9.23 are vessels of mercy which he hath afore prepared to glory His mercies towards them cannot be enumerated The mercy of their Election Exod. 33.19 and Rom. 9.15 He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy compassion on him on whom he will have compassion It is not of him that wills nor of him that runs but of him that sheweth mercy No but election may be called and is an act of Dominion and Soveraignity yet its scope is mercy Then there is the mercy of their Regeneration Tit. 3.5 According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration c. And being regenerat what a heap of mercy and goodness follows them all their days Psal 23.6 The mercy of pardoning their iniquity Exod. 34.6 The mercy of hearing their prayers as he sayes in another case Exod. 22.27 When he shall cry unto me I will hear for I am gracious The mercy of moderation in the midst of wrath Hab. 3.2 And not to enumerat all the mercies conferred on the saints the consummation of their mercies lies in their everlasting happiness Jude verse 20 Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life Then they will get that Prayer answered put up in the behalf of Onesiphorus 2 Tim. 1.18 The Lord grant that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day Thus the Elect from Election to eternal Glorification are the objects of Gods peculiar mercy I shall only in speaking to the object of this mercy in God desire you further to take notice under what notions the godly are described when he promises to express his mercy to them and to ensure it to them he is merciful to them because they are his own elect yet ye may notice these names and notions under which mercy is holden out and ensured to them and I shall name four or five 1. They are described as penitents bemoaning their sin and turning from their evil way Jer. 31.18 When Ephraim is bemoaning himself crying Turn thou me and I shall be turned and repenting then it follows I will surely have mercy on him An impenitent posture may obstruct mercy in its effects from coming to a godly man 2. The Objects of this Mercy are described to be lovers of him keepers of his commands as in the second command Shewing mercy to thousands of them that love me c. It is not simply to keepers of the commands but to such as keep them from a principle of love neglected obedience or obedience not from a principle of love may obstruct the manifestations of mercy 3. The objects of this special mercy are described to be fearers of God Psal 103.17 The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him and Luke 1.50 His mercy is upon them that fear him from generation to generation A heart standing in awe of God a man that hath all his performances and even his love seasoned with fear is the man that is under the drop of Mercy 4. The Objects of this peculiar Mercy are described to be merciful folk Mat. 5.7 Blest are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy They that have obtained mercy themselves cannot but have
Lords mercies that they are not consumed because his compassions fails not And David sings Psal 23.6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life It is an everlasting and eternal mercy There is a 5th property I intended to have spoken to and that is the fulness and riches of this mercy but because I am to speak a little more to that I shall leave it and the Use of the whole Doctrine to the afternoon God bless his word unto you SERMON XL. Psalm 130. Verse 7. For with the Lord there is mercy c. WHen some time is spent in speaking of the Mercy of God we are very far from sowing pillows to the Armholes or from making Kercheffs to the heads of the secure although I confess many do break their necks upon this blessed refuge of God's mercy and it will be their double condemnation that the mercy and goodness of God that should have led them to repentance was an occasion of their hardning in mischief Consider but the Scriptures design in speaking of that mercy that is with God that it is partly to leave Rebels and Wanderers without excuse when mercy is in their offer and they will have none of it And partly and especially to be the great cordial of the miserable man who when he is under all pressures that are ready to sink him hath this for his refuge that with God there is mercy as in Psal 13. who when he is troubled with soul-perplexities and desertion with apprehensions of being cut off and that his enemies should insult over him hath this for his cordial vers 5. But I have trusted in thy mercy and the sweet result of that is added My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation and vers 6. I will sing unto the Lord because he hath dealt bountifully with me that will be the sweet issue of the misterful mans trusting in Gods mercy Now ye have heard somewhat of the nature of this mercy in general somewhat of the peculiar objects of it and under what names and notions mercy is holden out and ensured to the godly man I have also spoken somewhat of the properties of this mercy that it is a real mercy that wherein God delights and that it is free and eternal and before I come to the use I am to speak a little to the fifth A 5th property then of mercy with God is that it is a rich full and infinite mercy a mercy to reach all the miseries and needs of his people as to the riches and fulness of his mercy the Scripture very plenteously speaks of it it is said of God that he is rich in mercy Eph. 2.4 He is said to be plentiful in mercy and full of compassion Psal 86.5 His mercies are manifold mercies Neh. 9.19 So they are called great mercies Neh. 9.31 Psal 119.156 Isa 54 7. And Dan. 9.18 It 's great mercy that Ushers in a supplication we do not present our supplications before thee for our own righteousness but for thy great mercies It is said further that he hath not only tender mercies that are very compassionat and condescending but he hath a multitude of tender mercies Psal 51.1 Psal 69.16 He is said to have abundant mercies in that 1 Pet. 1.3 He hath mercies in such abundance that they are infinitly above the mercies of man when David had it in his choice whether he would have three years famine or three moneths fleeing before the enemy or three days pestilence 2 Sam. 24.14 Let us now fall saih he into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great and let us not fall into the hand of man And to add no more it is said of Gods mercies Psal 103.4 That he crowns us with his tender mercies c. That is partly he surrounds his people with proofs of love on every hand as a Crown compasseth the head that they cannot turn them about but mercy compasseth them about as with a shield as it is Psal 5.12 And partly his mercies put respect and honour on his people as if they set a Crown on every Saints head and made them Kings and Priests unto God as David says Psal 18.35 Thy gentleness hath made me great Thus I have let you see how copiously the Scripture speaks of the fulness and richness of this mercy and that I may let you see it in some particular evidences and instances consider 1. That the mercy of God toward his people is a mercy to pity them when no eye pities them when they are the object of contempt and abhorrency as Ezek. 16 when they are cast out into the open field lying polluted in their blood having no eye to pity them then it is a time of love and he saith to them Live and he spreads his skirt over them that is rich mercy to take the refuse of the earth and make them the objects of his special mercy 2. His mercy is full and rich in giving a vent to it self even when he is letting out severity his mercy manifests it self even when he lifts up his hand and is striking in inviting them whom he strikes to turn that they die not as Job 10. when he is destroying him as he apprehended after he hath enumerat some common providences about him he says vers 13. These things thou hast hid in thy heart I know that this is with thee I know there is some other thing in thy heart than what I can read in thy dealing 3. The riches and fulness of this mercy appears in pitying and passing by the peevishness and waywardness of his people especially when they take with it and be moan it in that they have been as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke Isai 57.17 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on in the way of his heart and what follows I have seen his way and will heal him and will restore comfort unto him and to his mourners I am God and not man I am a merciful God I 'le misken my petted people and heal them I 'le not prosecute this quarrel 4. The riches and fulness of his mercy appears in his fetching an Argument from his stroaks to pity his people a stroak extorted out of his hand to pity his people a stroak inflicted in justice mercy will make it an Argument to pity the afflicted Jer. 31.20 Is Ephraim my dear son Is he a pleasant child For since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still my chiding and contending with him hath wakened my bowels towards him I will surely have mercy on him 5. The fulness and riches of this mercy appears in this that he considers tenderly the consequences of his pleading if he quarrel with them mercy tells him he may soon get the victory but that will lose him his people therefore he will forbear Isai 57.16 I will not contend for ever nor will I be always
wroth Why The spirit should fail before me and the souls that I have made I could soon destroy them but that I may not do and therefore will not contend for ever c. And 6. The riches and fulness of his mercy may be read in this that when he lets out bowels of mercy there will be no mercy which the Creature needs will be withheld from them When Ishmael hath slain Gedaliah whom the King of Babylon had made the Jews Governour and they are afraid of the Chaldeans Be not afraid of the King of Babylon saith he for I am with you to save and deliver you and I will shew mercy to you that he may have mercy on you Jer. 42.11 12. Fear not if ye partake of my mercy I will make the Chaldeans compassionat you So Psal 106 44. He regarded their affliction when he heard their cry and he remembred his Covenant and repented according to the multitude of his mercies What follows he made them also to be pitied of all that carried them captives He needs no other instruments of compassion to his people nor bitter enemies when he will have compassion on them So Solomon prays Give them compassion before them that carry them captive 1 King 8.50 And Hezekiah when he is to keep the Passover tells the people If they turn again to the Lord their brethren and children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive 2 Chron. 30.9 Gods compassion can soon bring the compassion of men in so far as he sees it needful Thus ye see in a few hints how rich and full the mercy of God is In a word it 's a mercy for all the needs and pressures of his people a Plaister broad enough to cover and effectual enough to cure all their griefs and sores For the use of this great truth That with the Lord there is mercy I shall briefly touch on five inferences from it and leave it And 1. If this mercy of God be relative to mans misery if it be good news manifested to the Creature on the account of its misery then those who are partakers of this mercy would have much sense of their misery mercy will not relish to any but to the man sensible of his misery a pardon will signify nothing but to a Rebel that is sensible of his Rebellion And here all that I have spoken of the riches freeness fulness c. of this mercy if ye read it right will be the first Lesson ye will learn from it all this is not proclaimed for a complement but because it 's needed by the miserable And consequently thou must infer If I have a right to you mercy it must not be ordinary thoughts of my misery that I must have there must be deeps of misery in me to call for deeps of mercy in God If we thus fence the point we need not fear that it be a sleeping Pillow to the secure look what misery is in thee to close with every thing in mercy If mercy be free look what ill-deserving is in thee if pardoning-mercy be in God look what sense of unpardoned guilt is in thee if multitudes of mercies be in God what sense of multitude of miseries is in thee They that have a right to mercy must tryst it in the dust in the very pit of misery 2. From this that there is mercy with God there is ground of assurance offered and afforded to the miserable that their irrecoverable case by the Covenant of Works is not now desperat O! the blessed intimation of that Attribute to fallen man that with God there is mercy How good news was it and should it be What had been the case of Adam and all his posterity after the Covenant of Works was broken had it not been for this blest Attribute that interposed But now because there is mercy with God irrecoverable distresses are not desperate Somewhat ye heard of this from vers 2 and 4. What a deplorable case had all been in if there had been no more to be lookt for but that vers 3. If thou Lord mark iniquities O Lord who should stand But a gracious answer is added vers 4. But there is forgivenness or mercy with thee and how this is prest upon the account of Gods mercy ye have an account given Jer. 55.67 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call on him while he is near let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous his thoughts and let him return to the Lord Why For he will have mercy on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon That there is mercy in God abundantly to pardon is an intimation to the man that is in an irrecoverable condition to look again to God And in that 2d of Joel after that the Lord hath uttered a sore and terrible Judgment and hath told verse â—1 That he will utter his voice before his Army for his Camp is very great and strong is he that executes his word and in the by if the Lord hath a Nation to punish he needs not raise and bring in an uncouth Nation to punish them he can cause Grashoppers or Locusts do his turn after all that Verse 12 13. He bids them turn to him with all their heart with fasting weeping and mourning for he is gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil When the Lord is setting forth and inflicting an apparent and remediless stroak this yet invites to repentance That he is gracious and merciful and therefore as on the one hand thou that slights this offered mercy and makes it a pillow to security who when thou hears tell there is mercy with God makes no use of it but rather abuses it to go on in sin O the Justice of God in the day of thy accompts will be a sad sight in comparison of mercy or justice execute on slighters of mercy will be dreadful Justice then it will be Hills and mountains fall on us and bide us from the face of the Lamb What There is little terror in a Lambs Face yea but the fight of the Lambs face in the day of compt and reckoning that he that offered mercy was a Lamb that mercy was with him will be most dreadful think on it slighters of the Gospel sit-fasts never-do-wells abusers of mercy or ye that would take mercy in the accomplishment but never give mercy employment who follow your abominations if not openly yet secretly better for you that ye had sitten all your time at the foot of Sinai than at the foot of mercy in Zion This is often told you but little laid to heart and the ofter it be told many the less it is laid to heart but the day will come when many will get Hell affrighting memories wherein ye will remember that which drops at your feet and is not noticed or is stept over and not regarded So on the other hand thou who on the account of
hopelesness in thy condition runs away from God take heed what thou dost thou looks on thy case as incurable and what will thou do with it If thou run away where will thou go next Thy case must either break thee or thou will grow stupid under it and besides if thou run away thou reproaches the mercy of God so far as thou can while thou runs from him with any condition how desperat and irrecoverable so ever and will thou bring up an ill report on his mercy as if there were no cure in it for thy case When thou should rather sing as David Psal 13.5 In opposition to every hopeless like case But I have trusted in thy mercy my heart shall rejoyce in thy salvation O then take heed that thou reproach not nor bring not up an ill report on this rich full mercy in God by running from it whatever thy condition be 3. Come here all ye that are making mercy your refuge under all your pressures miseries troubles temptations desertion or whatever ail you that know no other door to knock at but mercy in God ye have no song but that one which David had Psal 13. before cited and that I can never often enough repeat though God seem to forget him for ever and hide his face for ever from him though when he takes counsel in his soul he hath sorrow in his heart daily though his enemies had exalted themselves and said they had prevailed over him and reâ—oyced and the sleep of death seems to approach he hath nothing to all that But I have trusted in thy mercy Take a look how richly thou art made up that trusts in this mercy Remember the song that follows in that Psalm â—nd thou will not find it an heartless shift My heart says â—e shall rejoice in thy salvation I will sing to the Lord because â—e hath dealt bountifully with me And the Psalmist sings Psal 31.7 I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy Why For thou hast considered my trouble thou hast known my soul in adversity I got acquaintance with thee in adversity which otherwise I had not been capable of therefore I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy and consider that sweet song Psal 136.23 Who remembred us in our low estate Why for his mercy endureth for ever or as Hezekiah hath it Isai 38.27 He loved my soul from the pit of corruption That is the word in the Original His love and mercy have an Adamantine vertue to draw a soul out of the pit of corruption when he remembers us in our low estate consider thou that hast made mercy thy refuge how sweetly it can kep a deep distress Psal 69.15 Let not the water flood overflow me hear me O Lord for thy loving kindness is good turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies And Psal 86.14 O God the proud are risen up against me and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul but thou O Lord art a God full of compassion gracious long suffering and plenteous in mercy and truth O turn unto me and have mercy on me Consider what a good account of very hopeless tryals mercy will give Jam. 5.11 Ye have heard of Jobs patience and have seen the end of the Lord and what was the end of the Lord even this That the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy O but they are sad difficulties which tender mercy and pity in God will not afford relief unto and therefore think not your self in a poor plight who have mercy for your refuge who have no song to sing But I have trusted c. 4. When ye have closed with and are made up by this mercy look how ye improve it and do not abuse it I confess the want of the faith of mercy in a strait is an estranging thing Zech. 11.8 My soul loathed them and their soul also abhorred me but when thou grips to mercy see what influence it hath on thy heart for warming it for putting it in a sweet and tender frame on thy part may I say it I defie folk to abuse mercy taken by the right handle O the alluring melting constraining perswading power that is in mercy rightly closed with and O that folk could win to this gate of making use of mercy Rom. 11.1 The Apostle in pressing holiness saith I beseech you brethren by the mercy of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice c. And I may allude to that Phil. 2.1 If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels of mercy fulfil ye my joy If folk knew what overcoming mercy means they would let it be seen in a tender walk Thou talks of mercy yet thou art not overcome with it thou art not melted nor made more tender by it what a cheater of thy self and abuser of mercy art thou Remember the abuse of outward mercies will make a sad dittay Ezra 9. If after all these we break his commands But ah what shall be said when folk pretend to special mercy and abuse it But 5. Among other Uses that ought to be made of believed and closed with mercy this is one That we learn to be merciful Luke 6.36 We must be merciful as is our heavenly Father even in loving enemies c. Ye heard in the morning from Mat. 5.7 That it is the merciful that obtain mercy And that Parable of the man that had much forgiven him and would not forgive his fellow servant but cast him in prison Mat. 18.23 It was a sad evidence that he was not pardoned himself In a word thou who art much in mercies common it will make thee of a merciful meek temper which is that pressed Tit. 3.2 That we should speak evil of no man be no brawlers c. but gentle shewing meekness to all men seeing we our selves were sometime disobedient deceived serving divers lusts But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost A boisterous malitious unmerciful temper in any is but a poor Evidence that such live under the drop of the multitude of the tender mercies that are with God But the time being ended I leave this great Point and you to the rich blessing of this merciful God To whom be glory SERMON XLI Psalm 130. Verse 7 For with the Lord there is mercy THe Songs of the people of God while they are within time are made up of very mixed Notes yet in this they are sweet that their over-word or last word is still the best of it Poor and needy are they and may they be yet they are thought upon by God Troubled they may be but not distrest perplext but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but
the second main Point to encourage Irsael to hope in God that with him is plenteous redemption I proceed now to the 3d Observation that at the entry to these words I proposed to be spoken to That what God is or what is in God is put forth by God for the behove of his people according as they need it I gather this from the connexion of the two Verses with God there is merey and with him there is plenteous redemption and what follows And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquity If he have mercy to compassionat them in their misery and if he have authority and power to vindicate them from bondage it shall be seen in their actual deliverance The point is plain and obvious Gods all-sufficiency his furniture for the need of his people shall not be wanting but put forth actually as he sees good for the behove of his people If he have plenteous redemption he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities Hence it is that in Scripture we have not only an account of furniture in God if I may so word it for his people That with him is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption and of promises wherein God engages himself to put forth that furniture for their behove but the Scripture gives an account of his actual putting forth that mercy and power for them Jer. 31.10 There are news to be sent and publish'd in the Isles afar off and what is that He that scattered Israel will gather them and keep him as a shepherd doth his flock and what more For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he It 's spoken of as a thing done and on this account David in his Prayer promises himself a good day Psal 35.9 My soul shall be joyful in the Lord it shall rejoice in his salvation all my bones shall say alluding to that Psal 51.8 Make me to hear joy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice who is like unto thee that delivers the poor from him that is too strong for him yea the poor and the needy from him that spoils him I am would he say looking for a Song when not so much as a broken bone shall be dumb but all shall get a voice to sing praise for actual redemption I shall not need to stand to prove this from the all-sufficiency of God from his love and affection to his people and from his fidelity that cannot lie Nor will I break in on the particular inferences of this point now Only in general be not vexed take it not ill though ye be put to and kept at a task to keep a good report in your hearts of God when temptation says as Psal 77.7 8 9. The Lord hath cast off for ever and will be favourable no more his mercy is clean gone c. When temptation says what means this and that in my case If all this mercy and redemption be with God and thou may then have a hard steek of work to keep up a good report of him when so many Hell Fire-brands are going thick and three-fold Be encouraged and comforted in this that a day comes when actual redemption shall take all these off thy hand and thou shalt not have it to say only That with God is redemption in opposition to thy troubles but he hath redeemed Jacob and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he Be comforted in this ye that are engaged in a task to keep up a good report of God against prejudices The time is coming when he will leave you little to say to his commendation when he shall come and relieve you and make actual redemption give the lie to all mistakes and prejudices whatsoever SERMON XLIV Psalm 130. Vers 8. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities I Am now ye see towards the close of this Psalm which hath detained me so long upon the account of the riches and universal usefulness of the matter therein contained Ye may remember that after that Exhortation to Israel to hope in the Lord I came to the motives encouraging them so to do wherein somewhat was spoken to what is supponed concerning the Israel of God called to hope and allowed to hope in God that they are under the sense of misery needing mercy and under the sense of bondage needing plenteous redemption and in particular under the sense of the bondage of sin putting them in need to be redeemed from all their iniquities and in speaking to what is proposed for the encouragment of such to hope in God I hinted somewhat concerning these two great truths That with God there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption You may remember that I told you there be two words further to be gathered from this 8. v. One is that what is in or with God it shall be put forth for the behove of his people as they have need he shall redeem Israel and another is That it 's in particular Israels great mercy that God shall be a Redeemer to him from all his iniquities For the first of these I brake in on it on the close of the mornings Exercise that what is in or with God shall be put forth for the behove of his people as they need it and they shall find it made forth-coming to them as they need it for if there be with him plenteous redemption he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities I left at a general word of Use from this That we should not take it ill to be kept at a task of bringing up a good report on God against all prejudices and whatsoever temptation suggests of him for the time is coming which the Lord will hasten in his time that he will leave us little to say to his commendation his own performances will say so much and declare him to be exalted above all blessing and praise The time is coming that they shall not think shame of it that if we may so word it have spoken good of him behind his back and would not take a report of him but from his Bible But to follow out this a little for the comfort of them that are looking for the accomplishment of what is in or with God for the behove of his people I shall lead you to a fourfold direction in order to this and endeavour to put a close to this Scripture The first direction is this That ye would study to be well acquaint with the Word to be well acquaint with what God hath declared is in him for his people The Bible should be a well-finger'd Book in gloomy times David knew well what he was doing when he made the Statutes his song in the house of his pilgrimage and the reason why I press this acquaintance with the Word is to help you to prevent a double hazard there is on the one hand the hazard of ignorance
of these and shew that in order to the obtaining of pardon men should be careful not to run headlong and voluntarly on in sin for that will make the coming at pardon more difficult that they should be frequent in self examination to find out sin That they should be serious in laying to heart the desert of sin as the Psalmist is verse 3. And serious in Repentance for sin I told you also that these things being premitted it was the duty of the penitent sinner by Faith to close with pardoning Mercy which I closed with a check both to the wicked who because they see not the advantage which is on the back of Conviction of Sin never look their sin in the face and with a check to the godly who notwithstanding their being humbled in the sense of sin stand aback from closing with pardoning Mercy And I came in the third place to speak to what was consequentially required to pardon as the Psalmist here having said There is forgiveness with thee he adds as a consequence of it that thou mayest be feared And upon this Head I named two or three things as native Consequences of pardoning Mercy as that there must be love to the Pardoner as that woman Luke 7. did evince much was forgiven her because she loved much That there must be a Heart-melting when we reflect upon the pardoning of iniquity and a Compassionâ—â— looking on them that are still lying in that pit that through mercy we have escaped I told you there are other two consequential evidences of pardon that I intended to insist a little more on As 1st The forgiving of others that have injured us And 2ly The fearing and serving of God the one of these I find it necessary to insist upon because it is put in by Christ in that pattern of Prayer Mat. 6.12 And the other because it is recorded in the Text to be a consequent of pardon For the 1st of these concerning the forgiving of others I shall briefly speak to these three anent it as it is spoken of in that Pattern of Prayer 1. That the people of God are getting wrongs in the World 2. That it is the will of God that we should forgive those that wrong us 3. That folks forgiving of others that wrong them is an evidence of their being pardoned themselves 1st The people of God these that are allowed in the Pattern of Prayer to call God Father they are getting wrongs in the World they are getting debts in the World they have their debters in it thereby is not meant so much men that are under civil obligations to pay the debt they owe to them though that may have its own place as we may hear as chiefly and mainly wrongs injuries unrighteous dealing violating the Law of Love in their carriage and deportment This is the condition the woful condition that all the Children of men are in since the fall Tit. 3.3 They are foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another and Hab. 1.13 14. Tells that men are like the fishes of the sea and the creeping things that have no ruler over them where the greater are ready to devour the smaller and the children of God are large sharers in this matter And Paul confesses 1 Tim. 1.13 That before Conversion he was a blasphemer injurious and a persecuter and Mat. 5.44 Christ supposes the godly will have enemies cursers of them haters of them such as will despitefully use them and persecute them and experience in all ages makes it out how much work fearers of God have for this sweet disposition called for in them to be forgivers of others All that I shall say from this shall be in the first place to invite you to consider the state of all mankind since the fall as the Proverb is Homo homini lupus one man is a wolf to another that men are now more ready to wrong and injure one another than the brute beasts are in their own kind this is a sad document how far man is fallen from God by sin 2. From this I would have the Lords people to take warning what they are to expect in the world they will have wrongs to bear injuries to suffer and endure debts to forgive Cement as we will these two seeds the seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent will never be one one Family and Ark one Womb will never make them one But as it is Gal. 4.29 As he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit even so is it now Therefore ye are not to wonder when ye meet with trouble and persecution in the world but rather wonder at the moderation ye meet with 3. Let it be a warning to them that wrong others that thereby they constitute themselves debitors injurers breakers of the Law of love if not of justice and righteousness also They run themselves under debt which they must repent of Luk. 17.4 and make restitution of with Zacheus Luk. 19.8 They must not stand upon their credit so to do neither must they be as many who if they do an injury resolve to crush them utterly to whom they have done it that they may not be able to repay it and beside that they may remember that God is the principal Creditor who will crave and exact that debt if it be not repented and pardoned The second thing proposed to be spoken to is That it is the will of God that these debts men contract in reference to the people of God his people should forgive them Christ will have them to say Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors Mat. 6.12 It is commanded Eph. 4.32 Forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Col. 3.13 Forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you so also do ye And our Lord Jesus Mat. 5. when v. 44. he hath bidden his followers love their enemies bless them that curse them do good to them that hate them and pray for them that despitefully use and persecute them he adds v. 45. That thereby they should evidence their good condition they should evidence themselves to be children of their Father which is in Heaven that maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sends his rain on the just and unjust That which I would say anent this forgiving of injuries shall be briefly in answer to a few Questions As 1. If it be inquired what it is that men should forgive 1. I answer for Civil Debts what-ever the Law of Charity requires in some cases as to that yet it is as we hinted before mainly wrongs injuries defraudations persecutions oppressions and the like 2. If it be asked How can we forgive these they being sins against God Ye may remember when I spake before of the Author of pardon
How shall they get their crap submitting to it How shall they get their bitter disposition under their feet that they may heartily remit wrongs done unto them I confess this is a duty that requires more than an ordinary measure of grace and grace in exercise and few attain it Alas How few are who when they have gotten a wrong have that testimony that they mourn more over their own disposition than resent the wrong and pray for the person that hath wronged them but in short there are four words I would recommend to you in order to that meâ—k and mortified temper 1. It were a special mean to bring you this pardoning-humour to be daily sensible of the wrongs that ye have done and are doing to God and who wots but a wrong done by thee to God is laid in thy dish by a third hand to make thee sensible of it The man that is daily sensible of the wrongs he doth to God is the only man to be a good neighbour when he comes out loadned with the sense of his own provocations he will be ready to forgive others He that finds he hath ten thousand talents to be forgiven will easily be brought to forgive an hundred pence It 's our distance with God and the want of the sense of the wrongs done to him that makes us keep up a revengful humour 2. They that would have this pardoning-disposition would be sensible of how much need they have to be forgiven themselves Eccles 7.21 22. Take not heed unto all words that are spoken lest thou hear thy servant curse thee do not sash thy self with noticing every injury were it from as mean a person as thy servant for oft-times also thine own heart knoweth that thou thy self hast cursed others There is no living in the world if as we use to speak we do not live and let live if we forgive not as we would be forgiven If thou seest a more in thy brothers eye pull the beam out of thine own and then thou wilt see more clearly to pull the more out of thy brother's eye This will make thee of a meek and condescending frame 3. I recommend to thee that would forgive to labour to get a sight of the hand of God in the wrong done to thee When thou gets a wrong it may be of a person far below thee and one that thou can easily reach O! How doth poor dust swell with thoughts of revenge But were the hand of God seen in that wrong it would tame thee when David is fleeing from his son Absalom and Shimei comes out and curses him Abâ—shai says Should a dead dog curse the King let me go over and take off his head O let him alone saith David God hath said unto him Curse David Who then shall say Wherefore hast thou done so 2 Sam. 16.9 10. If the providence of God extend to the hairs of our head that they are all numbered Mat. 10.30 Unquestionably it is not unconcerned in the affronts and injuries done to us by men and whatever thou hast to say to the person that hath injured thee yet if thou look up to the hand of God in it thou wilt be silent and calm And 4. Remember when thou does not pardon but offers to revenge at thine own hand thou usurps Gods place Rom. 12.19 Dearly beloved revenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord and consequently when thou offers to revenge thou takes his place and provocks him to leave thee and let thee stand to thy self and not concern himself in any wrong done to thee But the third thing I proposed to speak a word to is That this forgivenness of others is absolutely necessary to them that would evidence that they are pardoned of God themselves Mat. 6.12 We are bidden pray Forgive us our debts as we forgive others I shall briefly explain this and close And 1. As I have often hinted before our forgiving others doth nor merit pardon for forgiving of others is not an antecedent to pardon but a consequence of it it 's the evidence of a pardoned man and consequently cannot be antecedent to pardon far less a meritorious cause of pardon 2. While Christ bids us pray Forgive us as we forgive there is no proportion to be understood there is a vast difference betwixt Gods forgiving and our forgiving his forgivenness extends to ten thousand talents ours only to an hundred pence Mat. 18.24 28. His forgiving requires a satisfaction to justice before he give out the sentence of pardon not so ours his forgivenness brings no profit to him as ours doth to us we having thereby access to pardoning mercy only in this the parallel holds that we forgive frankly and freely as God forgives us 3. Consider the connexion a little more nearly partly it is an encouragement to the sensible sinner to believe he is pardoned when he finds a disposition in himself to forgive others a poor sensible sinner lying at Gods foot-stool suing for pardon though he be pardoned yet he hath a hink whether he be so or not but this encourages him to believe it that he finds in himself a loosing of heart to forgive another that hath wronged him often he may reason have I gotten many wrongs and yet I can find in my heart to forgive and put them in my bosome that have wronged me upon their repentance and shall I doubt but God who is a God infinite in mercy hath pardoned me So that thy warmness and loosing of heart to forgive others looses and opens a door to thee to believe that the infinite God in mercy hath pardoned thee and partly ye would remember that it is a condition of pardon not antecedent but subsequent whereby a man may reflect and gather whether he be pardoned or not read Mat. 6.14 15. he contents not himself to say Forgive if we would be forgiven but he adds if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Ye can have no evidence that ye your selves are pardoned except ye have a tender disposition and frame of heart to forgive others and therefore that servant who Mat. 18.27 had ten thousand talents forgiven him and yet when he got his fellow-servant would not forgive him an hundred pence he proclaimed that though he seemed to be forgiven he was not forgiven but behoved to go to prison Now I have been detained in providence upon this Doctrine for this time a Doctrine that is not unseasonable to you if ye be in earnest in seeking the pardon of your sin it serves to point out to you the terms on which it is attainable and by which ye evidence that ye are pardoned that ye may not in this matter cheat your selves in taking a lie in your right hand in stead of pardon and it is not
Holiness and Jealousie of God that he will not be affronted in the matter of his service and worship it calls for Fear and reverence it is a strong Argument used by the Apostle to press us to serve God with Reverence and with Godly Fear Heb. 12.29 For our God says he is a consuming fire and that which Moses said to Aaron when his two Sons were slain burnt up with fire which went out from the Lord for offering strange fire before him This is the thing which the Lord spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come near me and before all the people I will be glorified I will either be honoured by them or I will be honoured upon them that draw near me and take my Name in vain Well then have ye any thing of this Fear of God will ye kythe it by your serving him Mal. 1.6 A son honoureth his father and a servant his master if he be a Father where is his honour and if a Master where is his fear stand ye in awe of God that do misken him all your time do ye fear him that never take a spare hour to pay homage to him that will not bow a knee to him But I shall add the service that ye pay to God I pray you look how it is ballast with fear that it turn not in presumption and if ye have need of an intimation of Mercy to correct your fear that it degener not in despondency Ye come to God's House to Worship him but how few of you when ye come here have said How dreadful is this place would ye have your Character take it from Jude verse 12. These are spots in your feasts of charity when they feast with you feeding themselves without fear ye come before God ye join in the publick Exercises of Gods Worship but without any impression of the fear of God more than if all we did while we are together had no relation to him O be ashamed that the fear and awe of God doth so little ballast and season your service and worship But in the 2. place we come to take a look of this purpose with an eye to the Scope There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared says the Psalmist then the fear of God more tender walking being more frequent and serious in duty to God more reverence of his service it is the kindly product of a heart that hath on right terms closed with Christ in pardoning mercy a fear to offend God a reverential fear in his Worship and service And hence I shall lay these few particulars before you and close 1. Which is the main thing in the Scope come and try by this if ye have been closing a-right with pardoning mercy see what is the consequence of it and that will tell you Are ye closing with pardoning Mercy to make your boast of it that ye may sin on and sleep more securely That is all the Dream that some have in their head of God's goodness and mercy in pardoning sin to take in a new Swack but thou that does so turns the Grace of God unto lasciviousness and offers a contempt to pardoning Mercy which the Gracious God will not brook But O! here is the blessed Fruit of pardoning Mercy to be more tender in thy walk more afraid of sin more diligent in Duty the further God is pleased to put thee in his bosom the greater distance thou keeps with what may provock him the more freely he forgive thee the more thou delights to be active in his service find many Scriptures that gives an account of the overcoming goodness of God towards ingenuous Souls not only that Psal 85.8 He will speak peace to his people and to his saints but let them noâ—â—urn again to folly but that of Hos 3.5 The goodness of God the Object of their Faith makes them fear him and his goodness and that of David 2 Sam. 7.27 Who when he gets a promise of building him a House the kindness of God sets him on fire as it were and puts wings to his Prayer Thou O Lord of hosts God of Israel hast revealed to thy servant saying I will build thee an house therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee and Hezekiah Isai 38 15. When the Lord had spoken of his delivery he will not wax wanton but he will walk softly all the fifteen years added unto his dayes in the bitterness of his soul and when the Lord falls in upon Ephraim with sweet converting Grace and turns him Jer. 31.19 after he is turned he repents after he is instructed he smites on his thigh he is ashamed yea even confounded because he hath born the reproach of his youth see to it ye that grip to pardoning Mercy and lay claim to it I am so far from envying you that I say the Lord say so too But O! let it be seen in your tenderness in your reverential fear and awe of God in the constraining power that the love of Christ hath on you if ye believe that he died for you will not his love constrain you to lâ—ve to him 2 Cor. 5.14 And ye that are tender will ye not be afraid that that kindness of God ye lay claim to is either a lie in your right hand that produces not somewhat like this or that ye are in a plagued condition that the goodness and kindness of God works not upon you 2. If pardoning Mercy be let out that God may be feared it puts me in capacity to answer the Cavillations of the profane they live in the contempt of holiness they have a prejudice at it they see no form nor beauty in it wherefore they should desire it What shall they get if they turn fearers of God They see no advantage by it but loss But shall I say to thee if thou looked rightly on it thou would be ashamed to owne any such Cavillation Piety has no enemy but an ignorant there is none that ever knew Piety that would give it the Character thou gives it if pardoning Mercy work up a love to holiness in men and make them to fear him thou that has a prejudice at holiness evidences that thou art not a partaker of it and why would thou tell all the World that thou knows not what this pardoning Mercy means thy contempt of holiness proclaims that all thy iniquities are bound upon thy back If ever thou had layen at Gods Foot stool and been lift up with pardoning Mercy saying to thee Son or daughter be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee it would put an edge upon thee to pursue after holiness and therefore let me intreat you who are profane and entertain a prejudice at holiness not to publish your own shame and by your contempt of the fear of God and his service to declare ye are yet without the pardoning Mercy of God But from this ye shall take a 3. word If closing with
waiters on God or if ye be backslidden and sitten up I confess there may be a temptation as to this haunting a tender soul some may think because they make not such din and noise of their Religion as sometime they did that they are backslidden but thou may have more life now than thou had in thy former fraziness and forwardness thou was before like green wood that has much din will crack much but hath less heat and light but now thou art like the dry wood that has better light and more heat and there may be also a mistake on this account that because God is leading thee through the abominations of thine heart and humbleth thee with the naughtiness of thy disposition which he discovers to thee thou may think thy self worse than sometime thou was when thou art not worse but sees better than thou did before therefore where there is tenderness we would guard against such mistakes upon that hand where tenderness lies But alas we have greater cause to guard against a blind upon the other hand that is that because folk keep up the tale of Duty and are as frequently about Relâ—gious Performances as they wont to be they think they are not back-slidden nor sitten up in the way of God and yet they are far from that love to and delight in God that once appeared in their Service and Worship And to instruct this a little to you I would have these that would try if they be backslidden from that they had or might have had or that others have attained looking to these four or five things 1. If they be growing according to that 2 Pet. 3.17 Beware lest being led away with the error of the wicked ye fall from your own stedfastness but grow in grace in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ There is no standing still in a Christian course the person that is not growing in the fruit or to the root that is not making progress in Sanctification nor is not growing in Mortification and Humiliation for his shortcoming he is certainly a backsliding person 2. I would have folks looking to this whether Religion in many be not come from their hearts to their heads so that these who wont to be full of sap are now sapless these who had a lively impression on their Souls of the life and power of Religion are now come to that that all they have is bare tastless notions speculations not only do folks that are sitten up forget to look to the frame of the heart and few cabinet counsels are betwixt God them but O how tasteless sapless lifeless is Religion Religious Duties to them they have a notion of Misery and Mercy of Sin and a Saviour but it is like a dream a thing they can look on with very little or no affecting of heart 3. I would have folk that would try their frame looking to this what Conscience is made of sin when the saints are in a right frame they walk tenderly in a continual jealousie of themselves they have many a reflex look back check and heart-sinking for this and that they find amiss and this is not at a start but it will be their trade and exexcise But O when it comes to this that thou art a stranger to a tender walk with God to inward checks and challenges and thy Throat grows wide and thou gets over guilt without reluctancy thou miscarries and thy light tells thee of it but thy heart is not affected with it that tells thou art sitten up for a growing frame is tender in the matter of sin and guilt 4. I would have folk that would try their frame looking well to their diligence It is the hand of the diligent that makes rich Prov. 10.4 The soul of the diligent shall be made fat Prov. 13.4 And therefore folks that are at little pains in the Duties of Religion for the honour of God and their own souls advantage but spend much of their time in laziness and carnalness when they cast up their accompts they will find they are sitten up withered and under a decay 5. And to add no more They that would try their frame would consider that though they be free of these things hinted at yet if they be under a spirit of discouragement they cannot be making progress Look then to your frame who are more tender what discouragement ye find in it The day was when the Duties of Religion and closs following of Christ was thy delight but now thy Conscience is turned a Tormenter unto thee thou drives heavily in any task thou art called to thou art like Thomas Joh. â—1 16 who followed Christ but discouragedly Let us go also says he that we may die with him though thou keep up the tale of Duty thy discouragement evidences thou art fallen from thy first love from that love which once thou had or might have had Well then try your selves by these things what your growth is what your heart-work is what conscience is made of sin what diligence in Duty what discouragement in stead of delight and when ye have tryed reflect on that I said before of your hazard and prejudice what retardment in good what loss is in what ye had gained what indignity hath been offered to God what reflecting on him what stumbling-blocks have been laid before others what sorrows ye have been brewing to your selves And I shall only add this Consideration I wish that all back slidden and up-sitten Professors would ponder that place Rev. 2â—4 5. Where there is a Church that is very zealous cannot bear with them which are evil hath tried them which said they were Apostles and found them liars had born and had patience and for the Name of Christ had laboured and not fainted and yet Christ quarrels her for that she had lost her first love and what follows Remember from whence thou art fallen Repent and do the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place A Church leaving her first Love her gradual decay may provock God to un-Church her except she consider from whence she is fallen repent and do her first works But a 2. word of Vse shall be to hint to you a direction what folk should do with an up-sitten condition when they find it and cannot win out of it I confess it is not so difficult to find out the Disease as the Remedy and here to say nothing to them that are so fast a-sleep that they will not waken to consider of their up-sitten condition I find on the one hand some that are sensible of their backsliding ready to sigh and go backward they look upon their case as deplorable and on themselves as in an evil plight and yet they loiter on and win not to their feet And I find on the other hand others who if a conviction of this kind be called home upon them they think they
make us say with that wicked King 2 King 6.33 This evil is of the Lord why should I wait on the Lord any longer And readily the man that will not wait on God hath that which he had with it v. 31. God do so to me and more also if the head of Eâ—â—sha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day The godly man resolves to be like the infirm man at the Pool Joh. 5.57 There will he lyâ— were it never so long till the water be troubled and some put him in or till Christ by his immediat hand cure him This was the Psalmists way here after he is put to cry out of the deeps and to wrestle with guilt meeting him in the teeth and to cry for pardoning mercie and no relief appears he resolves during the delay to wait on God I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope My soul waits for the Lord more c. And Psal 62. after he hath said Truly my soul waiteth on God from him comes my salvation v. 1. he presseth it over again v. 5. O my soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is from him he will wait and better wait and continue in waiting Now the prosecution of this would lead me to the particulars in the Text wherein these four or five things are clear 1. The Psalmists exercise I wait 2. The object of his exercise of waiting I wait for the Lord. 3. His affection in waiting My soul doth wait 4. His support in his waiting My soul doth wait and in his word do I hope 5. The great measure of his affection in waiting My soul waits for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more c. These are the particulars in the Text in the prosecution whereof we may have sundry things for laying open this exercise of waiting on God I shall now speak a few words and close I shall not touch on this that duty is ours and event is Gods a man having done his duty may if he could win up to the use of his allowance sleep very sound under cross events but it is our unhappy temper that we would still be at the Throne and have the guiding of things we are like the ill Scholar that 's busier at his neighbours Lesson than his own But to pass this consider four short words and I have done 1. Waiâ—ing on God is a blest mean appointed of God in order to an out-gate out of all difficulties Isai 30.18 Blest are all they that wait on him A man by waiting on God and brooking delays with faith patience affection and submission may find an out gate without a delivery 2. Waiting on God in the case of delays and persevering in waiting is commendable on this account that we can do no where else so well as to ly still at his door a man that wearies to wait on God would look what he will do next ere he give it over When Christ ask'd Peter Will ye also leave me He answers To whom shall we go We had need to seek a better Master ere we quite thee and that we cannot find thou hast the words of eternal life What will a man do next if he wait not on God David is fasht with waiting and dependence and he will go down to the Land of the Philistines and the History tells what befell him there he is forced to lie he is likely to be brought in a snare by fighting against the people of God and his interest and in Ziglag in hazard of being destroyed by the Amalekites a man may well get an ill Conscience by apostacy and declining he is never a step nearer delivery so that go the world as it will waiting on God is the best of it And 3. When we weary of waiting on God because of outward dispensations we bewray too much affection to the things of time thou art in a difficulty thou wearies because of the calamity that lies on and thou gets not an out-gate but it were better for thee to mourn over thy inordinat affection to the things of time that makes thee weary and that would make way for thy out-gate and lighten thy burden 4. Remember that even a delivery from any difficulty out of Gods way without waiting on God is a plague When a man comes not under a signal plague till he come under this that as the word is Mal. 3.15 he tempts God and is delivered And therefore rather abhor such an issue that is a plague than lust after it SERMON XXI Psalm 130. Verse 5. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and c. IN these words as ye heard the last day is contained the 3d Branch of the Psalmists exercise after that he hath wrestled with difficulties by crying to God out of the depths and wrestled with the conscience of guilt by taking with it and fleeing to pardoning mercy on right terms he is put now to wrestle with delays of comfort and an out-gate and this he wrestles with by confident affectionat meek and patient waiting on God I spoke to the general Doctrine of this Verse The task of perseverance and constancy in the way of God and followed it out a little in opposition to apostacy and back-sliding and more particularly to these brashy hot fits that folk have at some times which are followed with as great cools and in opposition to delays or wearying and sitting up from employing God when folks meet with delays which is in the Text which ye may remember I divided in these five 1. The Psalmists exercise I wait 2. The object of his exercise of waiting I wait for the Lord. 3. His affection in waiting My soul doth wait 4. His support in his waiting My soul doth wait and in his word do I hope 5. The great measure of his affection in waiting My soul waits for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning For the first of these that he is waiting this if I should follow forth in all that might be said of it I should take in that Confidence and affection the Psalmist hath in waiting which will occur in their proper places to be spoken to when I proceed in the words of the Text here I shall pass not only a general of the Psalmists reflecting on what he hath been doing and his giving an account of it which I purpose to take in afterward but I shall handle waiting on God here only in these two 1. Somewhat Supposed That he is put to wait 2. Somewhat proposed That when he is put to wait he doth wait For the first somewhat supposed that he is put to wait which affords us this Observation that the Saints even in their serious and sincere seeking of God in difficulties may be exercised with delays of comfort and an out-gate when a godly man is here crying
would be at or expect And I shall add that as waiting for God would be with much affection with affection suitable to his excellency so it would be suitable to thy need of him and these things thou waits for from him Thou sayest God is thy excellency Jerusalem is thy chief joy the joy of the Lord is thy strength but is thy affections suitable to thy need of him and his consolations when if thy comfort be suspended if thou can win at comfort in any other thing thou waits not for him and his consolation 3ly I shall add that when affection is indeed aloft for God there is no hazard no want of accommodation that would pinch men so sore as the want of God will pinch a man that is set to enjoy God The Psalmist whose affection is aloft he waits more for God than they that watch for the morning I shall not dip upon this it is a mercy not to get leave to sleep till folk be out of an ill condition when folks get no rest to the soles of their feet out of God And I wish them who want him more disquietness nor many loiterers have till they get to their feet and seek for their Husband and find him and I wish them no ill while I pray for this to them And I shall add raised affection for God Who knows what a prognostick it might be of a sweet and comfortable out-gate and that such a souls song should be with the Psalmist here Let Israel hope c. Affectionat waiting for God getting to the feet to run after him O! What a cloud might that be like an hand-breadth at first that will cover the Sky and at length bring abundance of rain But want of affection leaves folk in a woful condition to rot to dead And I shall add if affection should be put out thus for God and if want of God to an affectionat waiter be a distress that pinsheth him above any hazard they are in who are put to wait for the morning Then certainly the enjoyment of God according to the measure that a man doth enjoy him should make him drink and forget his misery and remember his poverty no more And the man that enjoys God Though the fig-tree do not blossom and though there be no fruit in the vine and the labour of the olive fail no meat in the fields no flock in the folds no herd in the stall Hab. 3.17 Though the earth be removed and the mountains carried into the midst of the sea c. Psal 46.2 He will be as far above the men of the world in their enjoyments as his affection while he wanted God was above their resentments I shall go no further God bless his word unto you SERMON XXXI Psalm 130. Verse 7. Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him there is plenteous redemption Verse 8 And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities YE may remember in the first six verses of this Psalm we have the Psalmists wrestling which as we shewed you before hath three Branches He hath been wrestling with difficulties and plunging perplexities in his case which are represented under the notion of depths in the first and second Verse he hath been wrestling with the Conscience and sense of Guilt putting back his Prayers and offering to crush his hopes and so interposing to obstruct his success and access verse 3 4. and in the 5 and 6. he hath been wrestling with delays either of comfort or an out-gate or both and notwithstanding of all his hard exercise in crying to God by Prayer in his trouble and perplexity in taking with the dreadful desert of guilt and claiming to pardoning mercy and forgiveness he doth therewith wrestle by patience and hope He waited on God and that affectionatly and his patience in waiting was supported by hope in God grounded on the Word of God Now in these two verses read ye have the second part of the Psalm containing the Psalmists delivery or victory His delivery or victory is not expresly asserted but it is very sweetly implyed in his improvement of the exercise he hath been under and holding forth the good he hath gotten when it is well with him the issue he hath gotten he doth not conceal it nor only speak it out but he improves and layes it out for the good of God's Israel when he hath got a sweet sight of the good of waiting and hoping in God he conveens them all as it were to come and write after his Copy and encourages them to hope in God upon the account of mercy and pardon and plenteous redemption and redeeming Israel from all his iniquities So the words contain first an Exhortation to Israel in the beginning of the 7. verse Let Israel hope c. 2. They contain motives and encouragements pressing the exhortation by way of arguments that this counsel should be hearkned unto and these motives or encouragements are taken partly in the first place from what is in God In the end of the 7. verse Let Israel hope c. for with the Lord there is mercy c. There is mercy and power and authority in God to bring redemption to his people from all their sins and miseries And the 2. Argument is taken from this that God will let out that mercy and redemption that is in him for the good of his people Not only is there mercy and power with God if he please to let it out to redeem but it is expresly asserted that he will redeem his people verse 8. He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities a promise which howsoever it be made out to Israel in all ages yet it is signally to be erified to the Jews in their Conversion in the latter days for the Apostle Rom. 11.26 adduces this promise out of Isai 59.20 As it is written there shall come out of Zion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob That is that shall redeem Israel as was hinted from all his iniquities To return to the Exhortation Let Israel hope in the Lord I have been would he say assaying to hope in the Lord and have found the good of it for when I was waiting for God I was supported by hope in his Word and now I have gotten so good an account of my hope that I dare recommend it from mine own experience to all and I have such a kindness to Israel that any experience I have gotten by waiting for God and hoping in his Word I will not hoord it up I will be no hookster of it but recommend it to them as a common-good Therefore let Israel hope in the Lord. That I may get somewhat digged out of the Treasure here I shall reduce the grounds of Observations to be gathered from this Exhortation to four general Heads 1. I shall touch upon what is implyed and held out in the general scope of these words 2. I shall speak to the
thou hast little to say to the commendation of God of hoping in him will thou believe that there shall be a good account of all thy exercise in waiting believe that thou shall not for ever return ashamed that there will be an end of the Lord and a good end that thy expectation shall not perish for ever that though thou be laid in the grave with crushing thy dead men shall live there shall be an end and thy expectation shall not be cut off take the exhortation that word to Mary Luke 1.45 Blessed is she that believes for there shall be a performance of these things which were told her from the Lord. Thou that art running to God and waiting on him for an issue of thy pressures and sees no appearance of the day breaking but rather that the night groweth darker do not think that it will be ay so Do not follow out thy work and task as a hopeless undertaking follow not Christ as Thomas did to die with him but sow in hope expect that he that hath opened thy mouth wide will fill it and not with an empy spoon only do not mistake while thou art holden at work needful exercise is still requisit which will come in afterward when I speak to the exercise of Faith and Hope and therefore here I shall leave it and proceed to the next thing which I marked as implyed 2. When the Psalmist hath got a breathing and good account of his hope he is very communicative of it he poures it out in Israels bosom That which I mark from it is That the exercises and out-gates of the Saints when they are blessed of God to them they make them very publick minded when the Lord drops out any good thing to them they would fain deal about them for the good of Gods people and make many sharers in it Ye know there is a Communion of Saints it is an Article of our Creed it is a communion and entercourse such as is betwixt the members of the body that when one member suffers all the members suffer with it and when one rejoyceth all rejoyce with it What one hath is at least should be communicat for the good of the rest and of the whole body and I might add it is a sad thing when the duties of the communion of Saints must be looked on as a crime and transgression But that which I am now upon is That this communion of Saints will be improved by all who are lively and who are blessed of God in their exercises and out-gates as we may see the Psalmist here what good he hath gotten by waiting on God he communicats it to Israel I may confirm this two ways 1. We find in Scripture when the people of God are in trouble themselves they are never so throng about their own case or so taken up with themselves but they have spare time for the case of the Church or others who are in the same or like exercise If our blessed Lord suffered being tempted that he might succour them who are tempted Heb. 2.18 Then the saints when they are under tentation pressures and hard exercise will find that to be a call to them to have a large and tender heart towards others under the same exercise yea to bring in the pressures of all that are about them as ye may see in that holy man Psal 102. what a hard exercise he is under from the beginning of the Psalm to verse 12 13 and 14. Ye will find the blessed improvement of this I am upon thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Sion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come for thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust c. All that he hath to do within doors though his days be consumed like smoke his bons brunt as an hearth his heart smitten and withered as grass his bones cleaving to his Skin though he be like a Pâ—lican in the wilderness and an owl in the desart as in that 102 Psalm yet all that hinders him not to cry That God would arise and have mercy upon Sion but rather excites him And a 2d Confirmation of the Point I take from Scripture Precepts and examples that press us to communicat what good we get of God to others for their good Luke 22.32 When Christ hath told Peter of his fall and recovery he subjoyns to that When thou art converted strenthen thy brethren And whoso will read Psal 32.6 and the Verses following Psal 66.16 They will find that the Psalmist when ever he hath gotten a proof of Gods goodness to himself he is very careful to communicat it to others in direction instruction encouragement or comfort according as God hath communicat it to him I shall say no more from this but let it condemn the selfish Disposition of many who being in trouble the whole bensil of their Spirit is little enough for themselves and they have no inlet for the griefs and pressures of others and if it be well with them if they be delivered they are far from remembring Joseph in Prison They do not endeavour this publick-mindedness to communicat their experience for others good such selfish frames provock God to give folk humbling exercises to learn them to be publick minded Now I have done with the first general Head of the Doctrine implyed in the Exhortation Let Israel hope c. I proceed in the 2d place to the matter of the Exhortation or the Duty recommended that is to hope in the Lord to exercise Faith and hope in God of this ye may remember I have been speaking at some length upon the 5. verse before which may save me a labour of insisting much on it now But this of Faith and Hope being a work and task of the people of God while they are in time there can never be too much said to it Therefore I shall offer to you two grounds of Observation which I shall take from the Psalmists recommending of it to the people of God here over again 1. His Exhortation implys the constant need that the Saints will have of Faith and Hope in time 2. That the Saints have a constant warrand of Hoping and Believing in God 1. Consider though the Psalmist as would appear hath gotten a good account of his hope yea for all the issues he hath gotten before and that the saints and people of God in that generation and before had gotten of Faith and Hope they had trusted in God and He had delivered them from all their fears and they were not ashamed yet still he presses Faith and Hope as that which the Saints will still have need of and wherein their life consists The Observation then is plain That Faith and Hope are Graces whereof the Saints will constantly stand in need what-ever deliveries or issues they get in time As here it is supposed the Psalmist hath gotten an issue yet he will not have Faith and Hope out
to neglect it If ye speak of Faith for personal reconciliation and the influence it hath on Duty 1 Joh. 3.23 This is the commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ if ye respect Faith as it is exercised about the various lots and times that pass over Gods people it is a commanded duty at all times Psal 62.8 Trust in him at all times there is no time wherein ye are dispensed with not to trust in him yea even these times wherein ye will need God for a refuge and if I might insist I would let you see how Faith is a commanded duty in the most desperat conditions and lots Ps 46.1 2 3. God is our refuge a very present help in time of trouble Therefore we will not fear though the earth be removed and though the mountains he carried into the midst of the sea c. The Believer in God thinks himself in a surer posture than the course of nature The World may turn upside down but the Believer is then sure having God for a refuge and a present help Hab. 3.17 Though the fig-tree do not blossom though no fruit be in the vine c. yet he finds warrand to believe I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation a fruit of Faith Many would have been ready to say What should I do believing if the tryal had come half that length but come what will come he finds ground to believe Luke 8. A man comes to Christ with his sick daughter and she is a dead daughter ere he come to the house and they say thy daughter is dead trouble not the Master But what says Christ verse 50. Fear not believe only Faith hath a warrand when trouble goes from sickness to death not to fear but only to believe David was tryed with formidable things as Psal 56. Yet that takes not away his warrand to believe Therefore verse 3. He says what time I am afraid I will trust in thee my fear shall feed my confidence and not drive me from it Look on him again as a man whose troubles and fears had confounded and run down yet he looks not on himself as a man that might quit Faith for all that Ps 61.2 When I am at the ends of the Earth says he when my heart is overwhelmed when I have perplexity like to make me swoun when I am surcharged and laid by with them yet from the ends of the Earth I will cry unto thee an act of Faith when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the Rock that is higher than I my heart and my flesh failing shall not warrand me to cast away my confidence and the Acts resulting thereon and Job 3.5.14 Elihu says to Job Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him yet Judgment is before him Therefore trust thou in him and that was Abraham's practice who against hope believed in hope Rom. 4.18 when he could see no probability of the thing promisedâ— it is in that case in that Paroxism the Believer is to trust in God so ye see the Point is clear that Faith is the allowance of the Saints at all times in all conditions and Faith hath still a warrand to put forth it self to exercise The rich good will of God the immutability of God and his promise bottoms Faith in all times conditions it was a good word that David had when the sycophant Doeg came and told Saul of his coming to the house of Abimelech and flew fourscore five of the Priests Why boastest thou in mischief O mighty man the goodness of God endureth continually and seing it is so Faith hath continual ground to go upon For Use I would give you these three words from it The first shall be to represent this as a mercy 2. To press upon this ground constant believing and hoping in God as a duty And 3. To speak a word to them that are troubled because they cannot get this Command constantly obeyed 1. I wold represent this as a mercy that its thy duty to believe hope in God at all times though I fear I have but few to speak to on this score few would ever venture an hair of their head on Faith or on God if they could get any other fend so long as they could have any sinful shift ouâ— of hell I had almost said in hell it is to no purpose to speak to them of Faith But are there any of you sensible of the ill of Unbelief that when ye would sit down and take a lift of your self or of your condition or of anything that is dear to you your unbelief and discouragement is like to break you the discouragement of some through the prevailing power of Unbelief is so great that they turn like dyvors they dare as soon look on hell as on all the perplexities that are in their case I would say to such does thou in this case resent it as a mercy that thou knows it is thy duty to believe and a sin to give way to discouragement and unbelief O bless God thou may venture on Faith which if thou had not it is sad to think what thou would do next I am now speaking to them that have any thing to do betwixt God and their souls though I fear there be few that have ado with what I am now upon And O that I could lament over you and that ye could lament over your selves But are there any of you pressed with your souls condition and yet ye are too fool hardy in venturing upon unbelief and discouragement One of two either ye have never tryed these deep foords of discouragement and unbelief or otherways ye are under a dreadful tentation for of all the mercies next unto Christ a soul that is crusht with discouragement and unbelief will think this the greatest mercy that it hath a warrand to believe and if ye could bless him for that who knows what it would produce if ye would bless him that ye know ye have a command to believe and that it is a sin to misbelieve and give way to discouragement But 2. If it be a constant commanded duty to believe and hope will ye constantly obey that command Trust in him at all times Whatever ye read in your cases or lots or in the times read this never to cast away your confidence but to believe and hope in God Thou will say I have few motives to it but on what account does thou forbear murther or theft or any other gross sin Is it because thou wants temptations to them or because God hath forbidden them and hast thou not a command for believing Thou must not abstain believing till thy faith be budded but because he has commanded fall about it Thou thinks thy Faith little worth it is a blind guess like the blind mans gropping for the wall But shall I say Faith in obedience to a Command believing with the judgment against the
stream of thy own inclination is more acceptable to God than if in thy believing thou were sailing before the wind ye will say ye press a command constantly to believe but what should I believe I have no work for Faith but I have work enough for Diffidence and distrust I cannot stay now to deduce the Answer to this in particular instances relating to several cases and times but as I marked before on this subject there are general foundations that cannot be moved Catholick Cordials for every condition and labour to believe these when thou cannot dip on particulars As 1. Believe at all times and in all conditions that thou art in God's hand Remember that word Mat. 14.27 It is I be not afraid believe that all the world cannot pull thee out of his hand thou mayest think thou art in frem'd handling A messenger of Satan is sent to buffet thee a wicked man is sent to oppress thee but believe thou art still in Gods hand 2. Believe that as thou art in God's hand so he in whose hand thou art doth all things well that is his Motto in all his dealing Mark 7.37 And he will not begin at thee to give beguile to Trusters in him 3. Believe that his thoughts are not as your thoughts neither are his ways as your ways Isai 55.8 And therefore although thou can see no outgate yet he sees it and the way how to bring it about and let him take his own way and do not limit him to thy model 4 Believe that he hath wisdom power love that thou may venture thy all upon and that it cannot be so well as when thou ventures it upon these 5. Believe that he is God and not man thou would have out-wearied the patience of men and angels having had to do with them but he is God and not man with whom thou hast to do 6. Believe that all that he saith or doth to his people or thee â—ver says go a way The scope of all the sound of all he does or says is come and go not away desertions tryals scourges or whatever else he sends says come 7. Believe that many a disappointment will he give to thy false and deceitful heart when thou hast said Wilt thou cast off for ever will he be favourable no more is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise fail for evermore hath he forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies He will give these thoughts the lie and make thee re-cant and eat in that language with shame and repentance and believe this and say I am treasuring up matter of repentance and mourning for my self when God comes and calls me to an account for such thoughts of him 8. Believe that God is concerned in thee and his people and interest more than thou art his stake is greater than thine art thou come unto him Thou art given to him and he will count for thee and every one of his people He that touches them touches the apple of his eye And remember that argument Joshua hath Josh 7.9 What wilt thou do unto thy great Name Believe that and it will put thy mind to rest these are foundations and Catholick Cordials that thou mayest trust to at all times and make use of in all cases when thou knows not how to put forth Faith as to particulars And O! what sweet Cordials will flow out of them for Faith and Hope to feed upon in the darkest of dispensations But 3. If time would permit a word would be spoken to them that are troubled because they cannot get this Command of believing and hoping in God constantly obeyed Thou art convinced it is a commanded Duty but thou cannot win at it Unbelief makes a slave of thee when thou would comfort thy self against sorrow thy heart is faint within thee thou would look through the Cloud but thine Eyes are dim that thou cannot see through it thou that art so overpowered with Unbelief look that it be thy weakness and not thy wilfulness How shall I evidence that will thou say Here is a proof of it mourn over that which thou cannot overcome thou art overpowered with Unbelief and cannot help it come and sit down before God and cry violence is done thee Tentation and Unbelief prevails with thee and thou cannot master them but they overcome thee lament that to God if thou debate with Unbelief it will turn like a Snow Ball that grows the more the more it be rolled but mourning over it to God is the best way to get it overcome I thought to have deduced this at more length and shewed you it is an evidence of a blessed frame to be mourning for Gospel sins as well as for sins against the Law but the day being short I shall detain you no longer God bless what ye have heard SERMON XXXIII Psalm 130. Vers 7. Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy c. I Am now entered as ye heard upon the second part of the Psalm wherein the Psalmist who just before was wrestling with very humbling things in his case is now triumphant and victorious and though it be not exprest that he has gotten an outgate yet he implyes it very legibly in the improvement of it in his communicating the good that he had gotten to Israel the people of an hour of temptation may be lookt on as a very great folly and a poor shift for a man to betake himself unto and a man may then be tempted to cast them away but when men have tryed them well they will see cause to revock all the misconstructions that they had of Faith and Hope and to commend them from the rich advantage they have found in them if ye will consider David an eminent example and pattern of believing and hoping in God ye will find these three in him one is that he was as much put to it as any to live the life of faith ye will find that sometimes there is nothing betwixt him and fainting and over-giving but believing as Psal 27.13 I had fainted unless I had believed c. Ye will find that he had nothing for a casten-down soul and disquieted within but hoping in God Psal 42.43 Another is that as ye find him often put to it to live by faith and hope So ye will find him now and then under a temptation that he was at the next best under this shift and tempted to quite it How often is he put to that of the Church Lam. 3.18 I said my hope and my strength is perished from the Lord. So 1 Sam. 27.1 I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul And Psal 116.11 I said in my haste all men are liars Behold what a sad conjunction is in this case and what a low opinion he hath of faith and hope in an hour of temptation But in the third place take him again at the turn of the Tide as ye
we should silence all clamors about trouble with being throng about guilt that we should look on troubles and afflictions as things that we may get home with whether we be rid of them or not but we should look on redemption from sin as a thing absolutly necessar For without holiness none shall see God and that we should not take every trouble of mind for kindly exercise of Conscience for sin we should not let Conscience be sleeping in the bosom of a Delilah while there is a clamour made about trouble and that because it will not be suffered to sleep there without interruption Now to follow out this a little more particularly I shall offer you four or five words from the Text about their right exercise whose trouble is about sin or some Characters of them who have ground of hope that God will redeem them from all iniquity And 1. which is more general they that would approve themselves to God in their exercise about sin must learn to look on sin as a burden whereof they would be rid as a bondage from which they need redemption In the right Israel of God that is rightly exercised about sin no grievance goes so near the heart as that of sin The want of a delivery from trouble if they could be delivered from sinning under it or from having their corruption irritat to sin more by it it would be to them an outgate and they would drink and forget their misery if they could get sin shaken off if they could get that weight laid aside and be made light to run the race that is set before them What will ye say to this ye to whom wickedness is sweet and who hide it under your tongue who spare sin and forsake it not who count it not a bondage but a liberty surely to a true Israelite sin is the most unsupportable burden 2. They that look aright on sin as on a burden whereof they would be rid they must look on it as an iniquity abominable and hateful He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities and as the phrase is Psal 32.5 Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Some sins may be troublesom or vexatious and folk would not care to be quit of them on that or some other carnal account but there is none rightly exercised with sin that do not weary of it as hateful abominable and ugly in God's Eyes Thou may desire to be quit of one sin because it crusheth another sin but that is no evidence of a right groaning under the pressure of iniquity till it be groaned under as loathsom to God 3. As they that are rightly exercised about sin look on it as a burden and as iniquity so all of it is hateful and abominable as such I might here if I would follow it out point out to you that there is an all of sin in every one of mankind that there is an all of sin even in Israel who are allowed to hope in God a notion that David notices Psal 140.12 Mine iniquities have taken hold on me so that I cannot look up they are more than the hairs of mine head And O but they that are well acquaint with their own heart that are often upon a self-examination and search and do not live strangers to themselves they will find greater and greater abominations there Whither do they turn them but they will find pollutions in their omissions and commissions in reference both to Law and Gospel in reference to mercies received and corrections inflicted c. But that which I am upon is That Israel looks upon all sin as iniquity A partial opposition of sin is a self-deceiving undertaking a sacrificing of many sinful delights to one predominant a burning of many Cities to save one Zoar will not be taken off saints hands as a right opposition of sin As far as iniquity extends so far must their groaning under and opposition to it extend 4. They that are rightly exercised about sin will find it a pressure that needs a redemption that is a pressure that they 'l not get shaken off till God interpose There is some other thing in delivery from iniquity than for a man to think he will go forth as Sampson and shake him as at other times No a man will be put to look to God to attain it I confess painfulness in the use of means is our duty and it will never be taken off our hands for us to say that iniquity is our burden and hurtful to us so long as we are not using means to be rid of it No there must be endeavours on our part to cast out these Devils by Fasting and Prayer and though it were to beat down the body and bring it in subjection as the Apostle does 1 Cor. 9.27 in the exercise of Mortification that must not be wanting but it fears me there is little of the painful work of Mortification to be found among Christians in those days profession is the broadest thing in Religion among all and next to that some positive duties but for the serious study of Mortification to get Satan trode under foot to be above corruption O! how few Christians can have a sober testimony on that account And yet shall I say it that next to thy closing with Christ and making him thy City of Refuge thy painfulness in Mortification will be thy great Test But that which I am now on is to lay before you that on the one hand slipt in Mortification I had almost said sleeped in Mortification of sin is much to be suspected when some iniquities that had power over you seem to be subdued but ye never did any thing to subdue them ye would remember that parable Mat. 12.43 of the unclean spirit that goes out of a man many Devils go out that are not casten out that is he withdraws to take the man from off his watch and to surprize him to put himself in a capacity to return again to his house whence he came out with seven other spirits more wicked than himself But further as slipt in Mortification will not hold water so on the other hand when we have used all pains to mortifie and subdue sin our endeavours will not prove effectual though Prayer and Fasting be our duty and the use of other means till God come and give redemption from it It is God only that hath power over iniquity yea it may be that he hath a judicial hand in it and hath past a sentence making it thy plague as well as thy sin that till thou know the plague of thine own heart and look up to him for delivery from it as a plague thou shalt not be rid of it And therefore as on the one hand thou must be at pains to get the burden and bondage of sin shaken off that Naphthali may be a Hind let loose so on the other hand thou must not mistake though thy pains be not effectual as to that thing but
reference to his misery The next Letter is Gracious to intimate that God having lookt on miserable man as the objeâ—â— of his compassion because it might be objected God hath great compassion but what deserves miserable man He hath nothing to commend him yea he hath much to discommend him It is answered God is not only merciful to compassionat miserable man but he is gracious to notice him and compassionat him freely without merit and contrary to demerit Then he is Long suffering c. Now in reference to this mercy of God there are three things I intend to touch on before I come to the use 1. To open up the nature of this mercy 2. To speak a little of the object of it And 3. to the properties of it In speaking to the first I shall wave all School speculations anent it as whether mercy and punitive justice be essential to God and on what account they can be called essential Attributes seing mercy presupposes man miserable which is one of the Socinian foundations to overthrow the satisfaction of Christ but that might be easily cleared by adding a word to what hath been already said That mercy in God is nothing but the goodness of God with relation to the object to which it is communicat and punitive justice is nothing else but that essential Attribute of his holiness vindicating and avenging himself on a sinner the object of his justice and if we consider the mercy and justice of God thus we will find it no difficulty to rank them among the essential Attributes of God yea that it is blasphemy to deny them to be such I thought to have cleared to you how that mercy is no passion nor perturbation in God as it is in man though it be for our encouragment to hope in him exprest in most pathetick terms as also to have cleared That the Earth â—s full of his Mercy and Goodness Psal 33.5 All creatures share in it yet there are vessels of mercy afore pre-prepared to glory Rom. 9.23 That are objects of his especial mercy and to have spoken to its properties how it is real and not complementing How he delights in mercy Mic. 7.18 How it is free eternal sure and rich for all necessities But for want of time I forbear and recommend you and what ye have heard to His blessing whose word it is SERMON XXXIX Psalm 130. Verse 7 For with the Lord there is mercy THough when a look is taken of God's Israel none are more low and empty in themselves none that claim greater acquaintance with the dust than they are enabled to do yet none have such ample ground of encouragement as they if they be Israel thogh they be in misery and under bondage and particularly oppressed with and under the bondage of sin yet Israel is still allowed and commanded to hope in God and that because Israel's wealth and happiness and the ground of his encouragement is without himself Though he be poor and needy yet the Lord thinks on him though he have nothing in God he possesseth all things Though his house be not so with God yet his salvation and desire lies in this That God hath made with him an everlasting covenant well ordered in all things and sure And in a word have what he will or be what he will in himself yet he may hope in God considering what is with God Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord c. I have spoken from this argument pressing hope in God to what is imported in it as to the hopers condition that he is indigent and miserable in himself needing to look for mercy in God that he is in bondage needing to look for plenteous redemption with God and particularly that he is under the bondage of iniquity which puts him to look for a particular redemption from that from him that redeems Israel from all his iniquities And the last day I came to break in on what is proposed in the words for Israel's encouragement to hope in God The first Observation of four which I could scarce break in on was That it is the great encouragement of God's people to hope in him in all exigents and cases that there is mercy with God that they have to do with a God with whom there is mercy This mercy as I then cleared is nothing else but the goodness of God and consequently an essential attribute relating to the misery of the object to which it is communicat even as his punitive Justice is an essential Attribute being nothing else but his Holiness manifesting it self against sin for as the goodness of God undergoes various notions on divers accounts as was said so it hath the name of mercy with relation to the misery of man In prosecuting of this I proponed to speak 1. more generally to the nature of this mercy 2. To the Object To the Properties And 4. Of the use of the whole For the first the nature of this Mercy 1. It must be fixed that this mercy is free of all passion or perturbation in God When we consider God as merciful we must not conceive of him as of one subject to the passions of grief or sorrow for the misery of others as mercy in man is to be considered and therefore mercy in men used to be condemned by the Stoicks as being in their opinion a debasing of the spirit of man below the hight and greatness that it ought to have and it is reported of Agesilaus King of Sparta that he said it was difficult for a man both to be merciful and wise at once because if he were merciful it would be ready to transport him to that which was not suitable to a wise man but we have nothing to do with that debate here Mercy in God is free of passion or perturbation of sorrow or grief for others misery as it is in creatures it is only the goodness of God willing to remove allay or sweeten the misery of others only though God in his mercy be free of passion or perturbation yet he sweetens allays or removes the misery of man as tenderly and carefully as if he were affected with it Therefore for our capacity and better uptaking of it the mercy of God is spoken of as very passionat affecting and transporting in him as Isai 63.9 He is spoken of as being afflicted in all the afflictions of his people Zech. 2.8 as being touched on the apple of his eye when they are touched Jud. 10.16 as having his soul grieved or shortned in his resolution to punish when he looked on his peoples misery And Hos 11.8 As being put to a very great perplexity about them How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel How shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim my heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together All which terms are borrowed to shew that however God in shewing mercy be free of
or the lawful captive be delivered We hear tell would they say of the redemption of Israel from the Babylonish captivity but we plead that they are not only lawful captives taken in war but we are mighty to detain them yea but says the Lord even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered were ye never so mighty and terrible when I interpose I will redeem and recover the prey I shall not need to insist further in the confirmation of this But 1. Any of you who are afflicted and sensible of your straits and of the sins that have drawn them on will ye believe this that there is not only mercy with God but power to manifest that mercy and it may content you to ly in the Hospital of his heart till he see it fit to manifest his power for your redemption If there be with him not only mercy but redemption it must certainly say some other thing than ordinarly we apprehend that he wants neither power nor good will to redeem his people for with their God there is mercy and with him c. and therefore were their hazard as peremptor as that of the three children Dan. 3. Who were to be cast in the fiery furnace this is support enough Our God whom we serve say they is able to deliver us c. and therefore when we are in straits and reckon that we want proofs of his power we would reckon also that it is not for want of good will for with him is mercy and it should content and quiet our hearts to take lodging in his compassion till he let the world see that with him also is plenteous redemption in the effects of it 2. From this I would recommend to you to study to believe this power much it is not for nothing that it is said of Abraham Rom. 4.20 21. That he staggered not at the promise through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God Why He was fully perswaded that what he promised he was also able to perform and the three children did not speak ordinary news when they tell Nebuchadnezzar The God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the fiery furnace It is true generally people think they doubt not of the power of God all their doubting is about his goodwill as that man Mat. 8.2 Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean but they that know themselves best will see atheism at the bottom of their diffidence and a doubting of his power as well as of his goodwill therefore this is an evidence that folks win easily to Faith in smaller and petty Tryals wherein there is not much need of power then their Faith will soar aloft but in great Tryals they succumb and sink and find their Faith a seeking and whence flows this but from unbelief That with God there is power to redeem and therefore I beseech the people of God to study to believe and be fixed in the faith of the Attributes of God especially in the faith of his power in difficulties But 3. From this I say I would have the people of God not to stumble though in their straits they be left on the Power and Omnipotency of God alone to relieve them Let Israel hope Why Not because they can extricat themselves out of difficulties not because ordinary help will do their turn but because with God is redemption and plenteous redemption because God is Omnipotent to vindicat them out of their bondage it is kindly to have saints brought frequently to be in Gods mister that nothing but God can do their turn so that they think they have done with it if God interpose not when they are brought to such perplexing questions as that Ezek. 37. Can these dry bones live That only Omnipotent Power in God can answer then they would not stumble when they are brought that low that their Faith is left upon the Omnipotency of God alone that power of God if as Abraham did thou take it up rightly If thou believe on him who quickens the dead and calls on things that are not as if they were because he makes them to be It is enough to answer all thy difficult questions Therefore whatever thy difficulties be guard against stumbling from this That with God is redemption and plenteous redemption So much from what is imported in this redemption I proceed in the 2d place to give you some account why this is called redemption and if we restrict redemption here to Israel and it is these who are bidden hope on the account of this Redemption and it is Israel that verse 8. He will redeem from all their iniquities The deliveries of the Lords people are fitly and frequently exprest under the name of Redemption not only their deliverance from sin as verse 8. but deliverance from trouble as Psal 25. Redeem Israel O God out of all his troubles Now I say That most fitly and frequently the deliveries of Gods people are called a Redemption on a threefold account which I shall first propone and then speak to 1. As they have a relation to their spiritual Redemption by Christ 2. As they have a relation to the troublers of Israel his people from whose power they are redeemed 3. As they have relation to the issue of their troubles That it is a redemption and setting them at freedom from servitude and bonds 1. I say The deliverances of the people of God are called a Redemption all of them because they are founded on and are the result of their eternal and spiritual Redemption through Christ all their deliverances are the appendices and as ye call it the bounty super added to that great Redemption which they have by the satisfaction of Christ and upon this account it is that deliverances to the people of God are noticed as evidences of his love to them in Christ Psal 18.19 He delivered me saith David because he delighted in me It was a proof of reconciled love to him in Christ That God delivered him from his troubles and hence all that the Lords people get and their deliveries among the rest are gifts bestowed on them with Christ Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Unto the Israel of God Christ is first freely given and then with him in him and through him all other things and their deliveries among the rest are afforded them on that account This I mark on a threefold account 1. To press upon folk the exercise of piety and the making sure of an interest in Christ and his Redemption for that 's your ground and claim to all other mercies When Christ is diverting his Disciples from careful anxiety Mat. 6.33 He bids them seek the Kingdom of God first and all other things shall be added to them And 1 Tim. 4.8 Bodily exercise profiteth little but
godliness is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come Many never mind this that godliness and making sure an interest in Christ is the only thriving gate as for such as find prosperity in another method I shall speak to them just now But for you that are godly or pretend to godliness to be taken up in seeking things in time ye forget your main work when ye are too eager and keen in your pursuit of these things wherein if God love you he will not let you thrive I wot not what of this is among you but if there be a nearness a nippedness and eagerness after the things of the world in that you may read your poverty if ye be seeking God and making an Idol of the world or any things in it he loves you better than to let you prosper in that pursuit and if ye would thrive indeed put godliness in the first place begin at it as the work of all your thrift But 2. Because many may laugh at this Exhortation founded on this that other mercies come as the result of Redemption through Christ and therefore that folk ought in the first place to sicker an interest in him and think that they speed best in things of time that neglect Piety I might bid them laugh at leasure Many profane folks that have had more prosperity than heart could wish and have thought they should never be in adversity and that they had no need of God to hold to their head they have win through it all and have been put to imbrace dunghills and in their straitned condition have been contemptible when the godly have shined in their greatest poverty But that which I press here is that every lot that folk have they would see how they hold it by what Title and Right thou that gets the mercy of prosperity or a delivery out of trouble if thou be not interested in Christ and a Student of holiness it 's but as a Bone cast at a Dog for thy portion as it is Psal 17.4 And I shall tell you the Testament of such men from that parable Luk. 16.25 Son saith Abraham to the rich glutton remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Thou hast prosperity while thou neglects piety but it may be thou art getting what thou gets in wrath and while thou art running to Satan and perdition thou gets outward mercies as a Post-horse to further thee in that deplorable Journey yea thou who art a child of God may be getting outward mercies when God is not pleased with thee There is a sad word 1 Cor. 10.5 after the Apostle has spoken of great mercies conferred on Gods people he subjoyns But with many of them God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the wilderness And therefore thou that would put a right value on mercies read them at that rate Isai 42.16 where when he hath spoken of bringing the blind by the way they knew not making darkness light before them and crooked things straight he subjoyns These things will I do unto them and not forsake them look if thou has God with what thou hast Have a man what he will till he have interest in him and stand in his favour he has little cause to insult or boast If thy mercies be not the result of redemption through Christ they will turn a snare But a 3d word of Inference from this is that it is an invitation to the fearers of God who have an interest in his love and are studying to walk tenderly to look sweetly on their portion and lot in time what-ever it be it may be thy share in the things in time is little thy troubles many thy breathing times betwixt troubles short thy comfort mixt with what is bitter and sad but that which will make all relish is that the same love that has given Christ for thee and to thee and will give thee everlasting happiness hath afforded these mercies as the result and appendices of that great redemption and that same love will sanctify all thy crosses and make them work for thy good And O! How sweet might sorry accommodations mean food and raiment be to have this written over them That love that hath given Christ for me and to me and will give me a Crown one day hath given me these This might be rich and sweet Sauce to a sober Diet excellent Furniture to a poor House to learn to look on these as the result of the great Bargain Seek to have your interest in Christ your Union and Communion with him more near and warm and to be more tender That thus ye may look on your mercies and be comforted the Lord bless what ye have heard SERMON XLII Psalm 130. Vers 7. And with him is plenteous redemption MAny are the exceptions and grounds of fears which the people of God entertain for fostering their discouragement and no fewer are the Cordials that are allowed in God to make out that to them that when they are afraid they are called to trust in God when Israel is invited to hope in God if misery and ill-deserving retard their obedience to that command they are told here that with the Lord there is mercy If they look on themselves as lawful Captives and none have a right to offer to rescue or ransome them they are told here that with the Lord there is redemption a Soveraign Authority Right and Power to step in when he will and vindicate them into freedom If they look upon it as hard and impossible ever to get out of the bonds they are under with him is plenteous redemption as the Psalmist sings Psal 146.7 To loose the Prisoners and open the prison doors and set them at liberty This is that I was speaking to in the morning That with God there is redemption I cleared that this Redemption imported Authority and Right to redeem and power to reedeem and vindicate And I came in the second place to clear in what respects this Redemption is so called or in what respects his delivery of his people is called a Redemption of them And the first to which I have spoken it 's because all their deliverances are founded upon and are the result of their eternal Redemption through Christ the Uses whereof I mentioned and shall not repeat I proceed now in the 2d place to clear that their Redemption is so called or their delivery is called Redemption in relation to their trouble and the instruments of their trouble from whom God will redeem them not by paying a price for them for that is already payed to Justice for doing away the controversie that God the principal Creditor had with them who therefore put them in Bonds and under Arrest but by the strong hand he redeems them from the instruments of their trouble to their
on stroaks from which folks will not easily come to be delivered O how oft may we write that over ill improved pressures which ye have Psal 81.13 O that my people had hearkened to me and Israel had walked in my ways I would soon have subdued their enemies and turned my hand against their adversaries And Isai 48.18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandment then had thy peace been as a river c. It must be otherwayes with pressed saints than it is with others It is a sin and a shame that so many ruines are under saints hands not improved but a double sin shame that they should increase under their hand and an evidence they have not been improved But a 3d word most directly from what I have spoken on this branch is this That if every delivery be a redemption and enlargement Then it calls the people of God to be comforted and enlarged under every mercy and proof of love how mean soever it be The Lord who calls men in the day of adversity to consider calls them in the day of prosperity to be comforted and joyful in any measure of redemption that they meet with Eccl. 7.14 And it 's marked by Nehemiah and others when God had brought Israel into the land of Canaan and gave them abundance of good things they delighted themselves in his great goodness Neh. 9.25 a practice very rare among God's people proofs of love particular redemption trists them which calls them to rejoyce in God and his goodness and yet they are where they were when they got them their mercies are little seen upon them by any enlargements given them and what wonder therefore that mercies be withholden from them who cannot be worse with the want of them than when they have them they droop when they have and they droop when they want the having of them is no enlargement to them and this they mourn not for as a sin they are better at picking quarrels at them than at being thankful for them which speaks a proud unsubdued selfie disposition I shall not stand to discuss the shifts and pretexts that folks make use of in their byasses in setting no value on Redemptions bestowed on them many a time their own spirit is a spirit of bondage when God allows on them a spirit of liberty It is not the want of allowances from God but the want of enlargement of heart a slavish servil disposition that makes a spirit of bondage when it is not Gods allowance Sometime they pretend the smalness of the mercy to undervalue it when they rather proclaim the want of humility in themselves The humbled Church Lam. 3.22 Under many pressures sees That it is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed if our mercies be compared with our lustings or deservings they will be great and admirable mercies And sometimes the cloud of continued pressures hides the sight of partial Redemptions but certainly every evidence of mercy remembred in wrath is a redemption and should be delighted in and our heart should be enlarged in receiving it as such in a word it is an evidence of a blest disposition when whatever be folks lots they love not to cast out with God they love not to fish faults with his Providence to miscal a mean mercy how insignificant soever it be to their sense and when they are content to pick up their mercies amongst the crouds of their crosses that these shall not tempt them not to be comforted in the meanest mercy and who knows but such a frame if it were studied might prove a door of hope to the increase and growth of favours they that delight to commend mercies shall find them grow Now I have done with the accounts on which deliveries are called Redemptions In the third place it remains that I should speak a little to the plentifulness of these redemptions With him there is plenteous redemption Ye heard the last day when I was speaking of the mercy of God That God is full of compassion and plenteous in mercy Psal 86.5 15. That he has manifold mercies Neh. 9.19 and that he is abundant in goodness Exod. 34.6 Here He is plenteous in redemption and this hath relation to these two 1. To the variety of the pressures the saints may be assaulted with for plenteous redemption speaks plentiful pressures 2. To the recurring of these pressures that when folk are brought out of them they fall in them again through their own folly There is plenteous redemption with God in relation to both For the first The variety of pressures wherewith saints may be assaulted There is somewhat 1. Supposed here That not only the Israel of God may have pressures but a variety a great many of them Hence Eliphaz Job 5.19 Supposing Job a penitent says God should deliver him in six troubles and in seven a number of perfection 2 Cor. 4.8 The Apostle says we are troubled on every side and Ch. 6.7 He tells There is need of the armour of righteousness both on the right and left hand there is no hand we can turn us to would he say but there is need of armour Chap. 7.5 Troubled on every side without are fightings and within were fears and in a word the Church tells us Lam. 2.22 That God had called as in a solemn day her terrors round about her in the day of Gods anger no pressure was wanting and there was a convention of them 1. Hence from this that variety of pressures are the lot of the people of God it doth on the one hand point out that they are ill to tame ill to hold like a wild ass snuffing up the wind it is not easie sisting them except they be hedged in on all hands hard wedges tells there are hard stone or timber to be divided and they who have many pressures may sit down and lament over their dispositions that less would not do their turn many might steal more quietly in to heaven were it not for their dispositions that are so wild and ill to be tamed Though yet I shall add the more pressures thou hast if thou could improve them well thou has the more doors open for mercy and occasions to get meat out of the eater 2. From it I would have many folks learning to silence their murmuring and complaining many have learned a gad of crying ere they be toucht there be many who though there be pressures be such as many of the people of God would count an outgate yet there is no biding of their complaining O! what would many of you do if ye were put in Job's case who in one day was stript of all that he had and the next day of his health and quietness of mind and yet he was born through it is a great evidence of mortification to be enabled to bear pressures well to make little din of grievances much din and crying under them tells there are many boyls to be let out and many