in the right order needs not keep thee back thy desire to come and repent and seek pardon tells that thou art not guilty of that unpardonable sin and therefore stand not a back for scarlet and crimson coloured sins nor for relapsing in these sins There is forgivenness with God for those iniquities and that ye may grip the better to this when it is intimate that God is such a pardoner of sin ye would look to the infinit price of the Son of God whereby he purchased pardon and upon which pardon of sin is founded and ye would look to that infinite and superabounding grace in God inclining him to pardon and when these two are laid together well considered all thy doubts about pardon will amount to this whether thy iniquities or Christ's death thy abounding sin or Gods superabounding Grace will carry it And reason will determine it in favours of Christs purchase and the super-aboundant Grace of God 2. Let me leave this as a Witness against slighters of this offer of pardon I believe there are many engadged as the Jews were Jer. 2.25 Who said There is no hope no for we have loved strangers and after them we will go The matter is past redding There is little appearance that ever we will do well and therefore we mind not to do well But here is a Witness laid at thy door whatever thy condition be God and thou art yet in trysting terms and thou hast the offer of Pardon upon Repentance and turning to him art thou as mad as the man that had the legion of Devils Mark 5.9 will thou employ Christ he can cure thee Though thou were like Mary Magdalen out of whom Christ cast seven devils Luk. 8.2 He can cast them out and set thee down a worshipper of him at his feet Thy scarlet and crimson coloured sins he can make white as the snow or wool Thy scattered affections as the wind he can fix upon the nail fastened upon the sure place if thou wilt come and reason with him thou shalt find him as good as his Word and shall not this be a Witness against slighters of pardoning Grace that such profligat wretches runnaways and backsliders are within the reach of pardoning mercy and there is a Royal Proclamation made of it wherein it is offered unto them and yet they slighted it All the wrath of Sinai shall not be so terrible to such as this will be one day that in the Name of Christ we proclaimed pardon to you providing ye seek it in the right order and look how ye will answer the Lamb sitting down on his tribunal of Majesty I thought to have spoken to the persons who they are that are pardoned and that they may call God Father who seek pardon and how that it secluds not the vilest of sinners upon repentance and how it makes against the Novatian error that thrusts repentance out of the Church And to that case of godly men their relapsing in sins they have repented of and whether such be pardonable but the time having cut me short I shall forbear to break in upon these for the time The Lord blesse for Christs sake what ye have been hearing SERMON IX Psalm 130. Verse 4. But there is forgivenness with thee that thou mayest be feared I Have now broken in a litle upon this great Article of of our Creed the remission of sins The great Gospel-news the glad tidings of the Gospel of peace to them that are in the Psalmist's posture in the third verse that there is no standing before God marking iniquity in strict justice according to the Covenant of Works I am as yet detained on the first head that I proposed to be spoken to on this Subject that is the consideration of that which is pardoned it is iniquity as in the preceeding verse sin or transgression let it be called by whatsoever name it will and as to this I spake to these things 1. That all have sin 2. That sin is a Debt and Burden which they who take a right look of will see great cause will desire to be rid of it That sin being such a debt or burden the unpardoned man if he get a right look of his own condition he will find himself in a wofull plight and 4. That sin being such a debt as can only be done a way by pardon and such a burden as puts the unpardoned man in a woful plight It follows that it is good news the best of all news to a sensible sinner That there is pardon for iniquity in God When a man hath said verse 3. If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquity who can stand that he may add verse 4. But there is forgivenness with thee And here ye may remember that it was cleared how the least sins needed a pardon As also how the greatest sins for nature number or other circumstances are pardonable that sensible sinners needed not be troubled with that sin against the holy Ghost seing their very flying to the remedy of sin in Christ is a sufficient evidence that it was not in them I was the last day cutshort by time from speaking a word to these persons whose sins are pardonable And this I wold now speak to before I go to the other Heads I proposed to be spoken to And the ground of that which I would say of them whose sins are pardonable I shall take it from that pattern of Prayer Mat. 6.9 12 Father forgive us our debts They are Children who may come to God for pardon of sin and to open this a litle I shal speak to these three from it 1. It would be remembred that these who are not Children must come and become children in the due order that they may attain to the priviledge of pardon when Children only are allowed to beg pardon of sin it secludes none who are unpardoned from coming to God through the elder brother Jesus Christ that they may be put among the Children by Adoption for Isai 55.7 Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto Lord and he will have mercy vpon him and to our God for he will aboundantly pardon or multiply to pardon and Ezek. 33.15.16 When the wicked man restores the pledge gives again that which he had robbed doth walk in the statutes of life without committing iniquity he shall surely live he shall not die none of the sins he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him There shal be no more word of them which as I said the last day when I spake from these words leaves a sad check and ground of dittay at the doors of Rebels to whom the Fountain for Sin and Uncleanness is keeped open and they have pardon in their offer but will not follow the right method of obtaining mercy and pardon They will not come and be children but continue rebels still And it leaves also a caution and a check to many who if
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
is forgivenness with God and this is it in the Text for verse 3. he sayeth If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquity Who can stand But verse 4. Forgivenness is with thee That is it ye have Mat. 9.2 Son be of good chear thy sins be forgiven thee Now for this Pardon the nature of it and the terms upon which it is attained it will come in in the own proper place to be spoken to Here I am upon consideration of the thing remitted and that that I shall pitch upon is That there is a remission of sin attainable by sinners in the due order It 's a blessed Article of our Creed the remission of sins When I spoke of the remission of sin I spoke of the remission of all sins great and small in their nature and number There is forgivenness with God for iniquities I confess there is an exception made Math. 12.31 32. All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiven Heb. 10.26 They that sin afer they have received the knowledge ef the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin And 1 John 5.1 There is a sin unto death But the sin against the holy Ghost needs not trouble the sensible sinner that would fain have pardon It is true it should warn all to beware of malicious sinning against light and having sinned to beware of running away from God but the sensible sinner that is seeking peace and pardon needs not to be afraid of it That sin is therefore irremissible because the sinner comes not to seek pardon but if thou hast the sense of sin and if it be thy desire and endeavour to repent and to have pardon it is an evidence that thy sin is not that unpardonable sin But that I may make something of this I shall deduce it in two or three Branches The first whereof shal be 1. That small sins need Pardon 2. That gross sins are Pardonable 3. A word to the consideration of the persons whose sins are pardonable 1. The smallest of sins needs a pardon we are not as Papists would charge us Stoicks who affect a parity and equality of all sins we grant there are different degrees of sins and different degrees of punishment A beating with many stripes and a beating with few stripes Luke 12.47 48. But yet when we assert this difference we dare not with them assert venial sins that deserves not everlasting Wrath without repentance and fleeing to Christ for refuge sure the Apostle tells us Rom 6.23 The wages of sin is death What death look to the opposition and it will clear it but the gift of God is eternal life if the Gift of God be eternal life the wages of sin must be eternal death that he sayes it of sin indefinitly it 's equivalent to an universal the wages of sin is death so that they must take away the nature of sin from these sins they call Venial or grant the wages thereof is death and likewise Mat. 12.36 Christ tells that Every idle word that men speak they shall give account thereof in the day of Judgment And an idle word might seem a small sin well then if the smallest sin needs a pardon look that we do not practically make a distinction of mortal and venial sins even gross men if they fall into gross out-breakings it will affect them somewhat when they do not heed their ordinary escapes Godly persons also are culpable here a scandalous sin will affect them and so it should but how little are they affected with wanderings of mind in holy duties idle words and thoughts habitual distance from God and is not that a practical distinguishing of sin It is true none can in repentance distinctly overtake all their failings for Psal 19.12 Who can understand his errors Yet we ought to do what we can to overtake them and if we cannot overtake them be at Gods Foot-stool with them mourning over them in the bulk But 2. as the smallest of sins needs a pardon so the â—rossest of sins are pardonable in the due order There is forgivenness with him for iniquities as in the Text and Isai 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will aboundantly pardon He will pardon greatest sins in their nature and kind and hence David saith Psal 25.11 Pardon mine iniquity for it is great And Isai 1.18 The Lord sayes Come now and let us reason together though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow though they be red as crimson they shall be as wool And these great sins are pardonable in the due order whether they be done in ignorance as Paul's persecution was 1 Tim. 1.13 I was a blasphemer a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief Or whether they be committed through the power of temptation even against light as Peter's threefold denyal of his Master was yet not being malicious it 's pardoned Again as great sins for nature and kind are pardonable so great sins for the multitude and number of them when they are like a cloud and a thick cloud he will blot them out Isai 44.22 I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and sins And that word Isai 55.7 He will aboundantly pardon In the original it is he will multiply to pardon one and moe a multitude of them and Psal 40.11 12. David pleads for mercy for innumerable evils for iniquities that are moe than the hairs of his head And as God pardons great sins for kind and many for number so frequent relapsing in these sins which I may speak to afterward Jer. 3.1 She that hath played the harlot with many lovers is allowed to return And he that bade Peter Mat. 18.22 Forgive his brother not only seven but seventy times will much more do so to his penitent People renewing their repentance But when I say he will pardon great sins I would have it well applyed It is not to embolden any body to sin thou that so improves this Doctrine does turn the grace of God into wantonness and thou that ventures on sin because God is merciful to pardon great and many sins and thinks thou may take a whelps fill of sin and then go and repent and get mercy the woful shift that many follow O! remember that Repentance is not in thine own hand nay I will say more thou bears a sad evidence of one that will never get the grace to Repent but that abuse of this doctrine being laid aside ye shall while I am upon the explication of this great Article of Faith take a word or two of Inference in the by And 1. It may be great encouragement to sensible sinners thou who art sensible of thy sins thy Dyvour-bill of great and many sins if thou come
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
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
earth is full of his goodness yet notwithstanding all that goodness to all his creatures it is said in an appropriat and peculiar sense Truly God is good to Israel It 's a goodness indeed a goodness by it self whence I infer that if the common goodness of God to all which being compared with his peculiar goodness to Israel doth scarce deserve that name be so rich and full how rich and full must that his appropriat and peculiar goodness to his chosen people be If the crumbs cast to the dogs and cast to them in wrath be so plentiful what must the covered Table of his goodness to his children be If the common out-Pasture be so rank and fat what must the Inclosure be If his common communications be such a goodness what a goodness is that and what are these special communications that are reserved for the Chambers O! When thou sees the men of this world glutting themselves with Gods common goodness and blessing themselves in it as being so rich and satisfying to them wilt thou then consider how much more rich and satisfying must his peculiar and Chamber-goodness be that kindness must be a far other thing A 2d thing that may offer some account of this goodness I take from the various names it gets in Scriptu e that one Attribute of the goodness of God which ye have in your Catechism comprehends several under it or it may undergo several notions of this goodness of God in reference to the several cases of the children of men consider it 's called goodness it 's all good and therefore all that thou an Israelite meets with in thy way homeward thou may write upon it This shall work together for my good Rom. 8.28 We know c. Thou mayest say as Psal 23.6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life Thou may say as Psal 119.68 Thou art good and dost good and therefore he will do good to thee Thou may say It is good for me that I was afflicted That is one blest hint of the goodness of God to Israel that what ever an Israelite meets with it is goodness or it hath goodness written upon it Again this goodness is called his love Jer 31.3 I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee It is called love to make sure the former that he will do nothing to his people but that which is good for them because his love cannot endure to hurt them Who can expect any thing from love but that which is good And love because he will rest in his love Zeph. 3.17 Love that when any thing would interpose to interrupt it to Israel will not hear tell of it he will rest in his love he hath loved them and will love them still Again because an Israelite hath no price to purchase goodness when he needs it therefore goodness is called grace upon the account of his freedom that all the goodness he communicats to his Israel it shall be without money and without price That if an Israelite has no price and consequently has nothing to give for it he hath to do with one that can take no price but communicats his goodness freely And further if thou be one that art not only worthless and hast no price but thou art such an one as art lying low in misery hast none to have pity on thee or bemoan thee or to turn aside to ask how thou dost His goodness is mercy with a relation to thy misery to consider thy trouble to know thy soul in adversities Psal 31.7 To remember thee in thy low estate Psal 136.23 To sit down beside thee and to stoop to the very dust unto thee that 's his goodness And I shall add further for finding out of this goodness that if thou who art an Israelite be vexed with thy own waywardness untractablness what will then the goodness of God do unto thee in that case The goodness of God to thee in that case is patience long-suffering to wait long upon a peevish Israelite to suffer his manners in the Wilderness not to chide with thee continually nor to retain anger for ever but to see thy ways and heal thee Isai 57.17 in Further if thou be one that is not only wayward but hath provocked him to strike thee with the rod what will goodness do to thee then I shall not resume what I said before that Psal 119.71 It is good for thee that thou art afflicted but in that case the goodness of God shall be clemency and moderation to thee to punish thee less than thy iniquities deserve Ezra 9.13 When thy luxuriant branches of corruption shoot forth to debate with thee in measure to stay his rough wind in the day of his east-wind Isai 27.8 He shall exercise such clemency and moderation towards thee that shall be admired and wondred at by thee when thou gets a right look of it Thus as the common goodness of God to all is one step to lift thee up to the consideration of his appropriat and peculiar goodness to his people so the many notes put upon his peculiar goodness or the many shapes if I may so term it wherein it turns it self unto thee of goodness love grace mercy patience long-suffering clemency and moderation how do these set forth how good God is to Israel and to thee who art one of them There is yet a 3d hint of this goodness which may be taken up more particularly in reference to Israels various cases And there 's a 4th general word to be said of it that it is no complement but a real goodness both which I leave till the Afternoon God bless what ye have heard for Christs sake SERMON XXXVI Psalm 130. Vers 7 8. Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption And c. HOpe in God being of constant use and a duty for which there is a constant ground and warrand it is not ill employed time that is spent in enquiring who they be that go the world as it will hope in God They are indeed the Israel of God to whom the warrand of hope is appropriated and though these may be discerned by all the marks of regeneration yet none do give a more clear encouragement to hope in God than their wrestling with God as a Prince in Prayer and their endeavour to purge their hearts of sinful pollutions that God may have a Throne and Dominion there and to exercise you to study to be Israelites indeed for though ye be of Israel that is Christians by profession yet they are not all Israel who are of Israel I was laying before you some considerations of the goodness of God to Israel ye remember it was told you in general that the goodness of God was such to his people as might rationally perswade folk to seek to share in it with his Israel 2. That this
is not to trapane you in a course wherein your expectations will be defeat but all that is said of it are the true and faithful sayings of God I shall only offer to illustrat this in three words and I have done with the Point 1. What is the language of all the common goodness of God to your selves to you who are profane to you who are rebels to you who are mockers at all Religion that think it an evidence of a silly Spirit to fall in love with holiness What means all this common goodness of God to you I say that he makes not the Earth open and swallow you up quick into the pit as he did Core Dathan and Abiram that he puts not forth his hand to sweep you off the Earth or makes you not monuments of his Justice and Judgment upon it Know ye I say again What all this means I shall give it you in that word Rom. 2.4 The riches of his goodness and forbearance leads or should lead you to repentance that so ye may come in to know what his special and singular goodness to Israel means he is laying invitations at thy door who art traversing thy wayes whom the wind has bound up in its wings and who art as light as the wind in following thy follies inviting thee to come in and be an Israelite indeed that thou may share in his peculiar goodness and put him to it as he bids you Hag. 2. See if he will prove a wilderness or a land of drought to you He gives you a bill of defyance if ye will turn in to him and be his Israel indeed that ye shall turn your back upon him and say he disappointed you 2. The Scripture intimats the reality of his goodness to all his Creatures his kindness is palpable to all creatures beside man Job 36.41 He provideth for the ravens their food when their young ones cry unto him the young lyons roar after their prey and seek their meat from God Psal 104.21 He feeds the fouls of the air he cloaths the lillies and the grasse in the field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the oven Mat. 6.20 And from all this our blessed Lord gathers verse 30. If God provide for fowls and so clothe the grass will he not much more clothe you O ye of little faith If God be good to all his creatures and will he not be good to his own children And a 3. word to illustrat it Christ gives you Mat. 7.9 from Parents goodness to their Children who if they ask bread will not give them a stone or if they ask a fish will not give them a serpent and then infers if ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your father which is in heaven give good gifts to them that ask him So God's common goodness to your selves his common goodness to all the creatures and the natural affection of parents to their children all of these concur to demonstrat that the goodness of God towards his people is real and no complement and therefore to shut up this purpose with this word of Exhortation that ye would seek to be Israelites indeed and to leave it at every ones door that do not study to be Israelites indeed that they forsake their own mercy in slighting this peculiar goodness of God and such as do so let them stand to their own hazard so I have done with the Exhortation Let Israel hope in the Lord. I proceed now to consider the encouragements arguments or grounds on which the Psalmist presses that Israel should hope in God For with the Lord is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption and he shall redeem Israel from all his troubles and iniquities ye see the Arguments are taken partly from what is with God or in God and his power for the good of his people mercy and Redemption and that in great plenty that is authority and power to give a proof of his mercy to Israel and to rid them from all servitude and bondage and partly the Arguments are taken from that which God will let out for the good of Israel if mercy and plenteous redemption be with him then he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities I shall not here fall in upon a general Remark That folks hopes would be well and distinctly grounded for the Psalmist doth not satisfie himself to exhort Israel to hope in God but he layes down grounds of hope on which they are to go in the exercise of that Grace This Point if I were to stand upon it would give a check both to the blind guesses of the wicked who have hope enough alway and all that men can say cannot drive them from their carnal confidence when they cannot tell what their confident hope is or wherein it is grounded only they have a blind guess which they take for hope and partly it would give a check to the children of God for their â—ndistinctness in their hope and the grounds of it while they are hanging on God I do not deny but when they are opprest they must look unto God to undertake for them and when they are blind and cannot see through the cloud in the dark day they must grip unto him who must hold them by the right hand and when they are in a mist of confusion they must grip after God But confusion and undistinctness in ordinary makes much uncomfortable work whereas if folk studied to be distinct and clear in the grounds of their hope they would not lean so little weight on hope as tentation often perswades them to do But to leave this what I would say from these Arguments I shall draw it to these two general Heads I Ye see there is somewhat supponed here anent them that are put to hope and who are warranted to hope in God they are in such a condition that they are put to need mercy and plenteous redemption and that from many iniquities 2. There is somewhat proposed anent such persons that there is hope of mercy and plenteous redemption for them with and in God and there is Gods power and willingness to redeem them from all iniquities and this they are to look to and hope for For the first That which is supposed I shall take it up in three Notes 1. That the man called to hope in God is miserable in himself and put out of himself to see what is in God that makes for him 2. That he is not only simply miserable but under a bondage that needs redemption and plenteous redemption 3. That he is a man that above all pressures he is lying under finds the pressure of sin and guilt to be the greatest for he must have a peculiar Redemption for all his iniquities 1. The man put to hope and warranted to hope in God is a man miserable in himself and put to look for mercy he is not a man that is conceity
in more than ordinary exigence we might say through Christ strengthning us we can do all things Lord bless his word unto you SERMON XXXVII Psalm 130. Verse 7 8. Let Israel hope in the Lord for c. YOU heard that these two Verses do contain the second part of the Psalm wherein after that the Psalmist in the first 6 Verses hath been wrestling partly with plunging perplexities represented under the notion of Depths vers 1.2 Partly with the Conscience of guilt verses 3.4 And partly with the delays of comfort and an outgate verses 5.6 After that I say the Psalmist comes to get some issue and outgate whereof he giveth not a direct and express account but any good he hath gotten he presently makes it appear in good news to Israel he hath an exhortation to them to hope in the Lord and hath Motives and Arguments pressing his Exhortation which are taken partly from what is in God to the behove of his Israel For with the Lord there is mercy c. And partly from what he will let forth of this for their good and behove not only is mercy and plenteous redemption with him but he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities For the Exhortation I spoke to it at length And at the last occasion I brake in upon the Motives The Instructions to be gathered from which I reduced to two general Heads 1. Something supposed concerning them that are put to hope and allowed to hope in God And 2. Something proposed concerning such as are called and allowed to hope and as a ground to their hope For the first That which is supposed in the Words it may again be reduced to these two Heads of Doctrine 1. That the man called and allowed to hope in God is one that is acquainted with misery in himself and is put to look out to what is in God or with him to do his turn For with the Lord there is mercy That there is mercy with God implys That the man that is called and allowed to hope in God is in himself miserable and put to look out to God for mercy and so it is one of the blessed and sure characters of a person that is called and allowed to hope in God that he is kept humble not conceity nor dreaming of any good in himself and the nearer he be to the dust he hath the more warrand to hope for the man that spears the right gate to hope is he that Lam. 3.29 Puts his mouth in the dust if so be there may be hope he creeps low in the dust to seek encouragement to hope and the man that is called to live by Faith is opposed to the man whose soul is lifted up in him and consequently to the man whose heart is not upright in him Hab. 2.4 And further the man that is called to hope and allowed to hope in the humbling sense of his misery he is put to look without himself to what is in God or with God for him he is called to hope on the account of mercy in relation to his misery It intimats that the humble sensible man the Israel of God can never be undone so long as God is to the fore and there is enough in him to do his turn though he be miserable and wants that he stands in need of yet if it be in God he shall not want If mercy be in and with God he is made up in the midst of his misery To this I have spoken already and shall not repeat I proceed to the second Observation implyed in that which is supposed concerning the man that is put to hope and warranted to hope in God That not only is he simply miserable and needing mercy but he is under such a bondage of sin and misery as he cannot extricat himself out of it except God interpose He needs not only mercy in God but redemption and plenteous redemption in God to rid him out of these bonds wherein he is fettered and bound and out of which he is not able to deliver himself Although the consideration of sin will come in to be spoken to on the next Observation by it self yet I shall on this touch a little in general both on the bondage of sin and misery under which the Israel of God are supponed to be lying As for sin all men by nature are bound slaves to it they are hurried away with every impetuous blast of temptation that blows upon their corruption but it is the Israel of God that are called and allowed to hope in God that feel this bondage Hence the Apostle Rom. 7.19 saith The good that I would I do not but the evil that I would not that I do And he finds a law in his members warring against the law of his mind leading him captive to the law of sin on which account he crys out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death There is a captivity indeed under sin and he tells the Galatians Chap. 5.17 That the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these two are contrary one to another so that they cannot do the things they would So the Israel of God are under a bondage of sin when they would do good as the same Apostle hath it ill is present with them And for the bondage of their misery the Scripture is so full anent it and the experience of the Saints so amply confirms it that it is needless to stand on particular proofs and instances of it How often are they put to that Psal 107.11 Because they rebelled therefore he brought down their heart with sorrow and labour they fell and there was none to help In the Application of this I shall speak a word first to the wicked and ungodly and then to Gods Israel who are called and allowed to hope in him notwithstanding this bondage they are under For the first to wit the wicked They would from this look on it as a sad character to know little and be as little sensible of their bondage through sin and misery They look on a licentious way of living in sin when they have eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin as it is 2 Pet. 2.14 When sin reigns in their mortal bodies and they obey it in the lusts thereof and they yield their members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin Rom. 6.12 When they give themselves up to work all uncleanness with greediness Ephes 4.19 They look upon that as their liberty and they are never out of bonds except when they are glutting themselves with sin they slâ—ep not except they do ill O! that such knew what a madnes and distraction they are under while they glory in their chains as if a mad-man should glory in his fetters look to it assure thy self thou shalt find sin to be a bondage and need of looking to God for Redemption from it ere thou have a warrand to
delighting in these sins that procured it 3. The scope of the Point leads me to press this that when an Israelite is in misery and finds the hand of God pursuing him he would take another look of things than to look upon them as insuperable though he cannot expede himself yet with God there is redemption when thou hast essayed to shake off the yoke of thy transgressions that thou hast wreathed on thy own neck and hast laboured in the very fire and wearied thy self for very vanity as the word is Hab. 2.13 Sit not down hopeless look not on thy case as not only deplorable but desperat call not thy wound grievous and thy bruise incurable for with God there is plenteous redemption to break these bonds that to thee are insuperable Only remember in the 4th place that thou take the right way to an out-gate thy bonds will sit fast by thee not only till thou resent thy folly in drawing them on but till thou run to him to set thee at liberty the language of all thy bondage and the bonds wherewith thou hast bound thy self thou may take up in that Psal 107.13 when he brought down their heart with labour and there was none to help then they cryed to the Lord in their trouble and he saved them out of their distresses Thou art brought in bondage through thy folly thou uses means to be out of it but thy difficulties continue insuperable every essay thou makes to be quit of them miscarries but see that it be not because thou art not at the right door with them no marvail they continue till thou come to him with whom is plenteous redemption So much for the 2d Point That the man put and allowed to hope in God is under such a bondage of sin and misery as he cannot extricat himself out of it till God interpose and redeem him The 3d Observation implyed in that which is supposed here anent hopers in God is that of all bondage and slavery the bondage of sin is the greatest to the Israel of God to the man that is called and allowed to hope in God On this account it is that the Psalmist doth not content himself to say There is plenteous redemption with God in the general but there must be a particular Promise subjoined That he shall redeem Israel from all his Iniquities That there be redemption in and with God will not content an Israelite except there be in it a redemption from sin because redemption from sin is Israel's great business and affair I shall not need to confirm the truth of this either from Scripture proofs or instances where we find the Saints especially troubled with sin amongst the croud of their exercises sin hath been their great exercise Nor shall I need to stand to give reasons of the Point as that sin is the greatest evil the fountain whence all our misery and bondage flows and they that seek relief from their bondage without seeking redemption from sin are like these that seek to dry up the stream miskenning the fountain But passing these I shall speak a word first in general and then in particular to the Israel of God how sin is taken up by an Israelite in a right frame as the greatest bondage and slavery In general I recommend more conscience making of sin and more exercise about sin a thing I fear little in practice amongst the generality ye will get men in times of difficulty with their hands on their loins having pangs and crying out as a woman in travail by reason of affliction who will have very few thoughts of sin and less exercise about it there is oft times much trembling of mind where there is little trouble of conscience or none and ye would beware of confounding these two A mans mind may be troubled and confounded and put through other when he hath the answer of a good Conscience as being at peace with God through the blood of Christ and a mans mind may be troubled when his conscience is asleep and hath no exercise for sin and therefore in times when there may be much anxiety and vexation in folks mind about dispensations of Providence let not the great business be trouble but sin and whatever ye meet with take that along with you Isai 27.9 By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin The conscience of sin and exercise about it would take away the clamour diâ— that 's about trouble a conscience troubled about sin will soon justifie God in inflicting any trouble on body or mind and will say as Ezra 9.13 Thou hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve And a man at peace with God though he have tribulation in the world and exercise of Conscience for sin yet in Christ he shall have peace but a vexed and discontented mind about trouble without any exercise or trouble of conscience for sin may make a man evil company to himself bad enough company to others whom he hath to do with in the world SERMON XXXVIII Psalm 130. Verse 7. Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy c. HOpe in God as it is the mans wealth who confesses himself to be a pilgrim stranger on the earth for he is saved by hope not an hope that is seen for then it should be no hope Rom. 8.24 So there is no undertaking that the saints may have more encouragement for than to hope in God it is that which many times comes between them and sinking and giving it over as in the Psalmist Psal 42.5 Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted in me hope in God for I shall yet praise him and whereas the world may think the hope of the Saints a blind guess and say of their souls there is no help for them in God and temptation within or probability without may confirm or seem to confirm the worlds verdict yet to a right discerner it hath a fair field to go on and a broad board to feed on Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy c. I am yet as ye may remember detained on some truths imported here concerning right hopes in God As 1. That on the account of emptiness and misery at home they are left upon God with whom there is mercy 2. That upon the account of bondage and pressures from which they are not able to extricat themselves they are left on God with whom is plenteous redemption And 3. That among all the pressures necessitating them to look to God for Redemption There is none pinches them so hard and sticks so close to them as sin so that there is need of a particular Promise of redemption from that I left in the morning with a general word from the last of these That sin and the bondage we are under through sin should be more our exercise
remember though when thou hast done all thou can thou cannot rid thy self of iniquity and it will be with thee he in whom thou art called and allowed to hope can deliver thee But 5. Iniquity being a burden and bondage and abominable and hateful to the true Israelite and the wrestler to be free of it finding that he cannot get himself rid of it God interposing to redeem from it is a peculiar mercy That 's a proof that with him is plenteous redemption if he redeem him from iniquity This is the main point and a point that I cannot enough batter on you Redemption from iniquity to a right discerner will make up all redemptions Let a man be a servant a slave a bond-man a worm and not a man he is the Lords freeman if he be redeemed from iniquity Isai 33.2 Then the inhabitant shall not say I am sick the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity It 's a noble Physick for sickness to be a pardoned man it 's a noble antidot to all pressures to be redeemed from iniquity it compenses and makes more than up all other pressures to be redeemed from this pressure And as this redemption makes up all other redemptions so other redemptions without this will signifie little to a right discerner this to him is the choice of mercies let God cast him in trouble and bring him out of trouble if he bring him not from the bondage of iniquity it 's no delivery to him if when he is cast into the furnace his skum depart not from him but he brings it out with him he can see a plague in other redemptions when the bondage of sin continues In a word to the right discerner of the bondage of sin God is a matchless God to him on this very account that he pardons iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage a place which with others I had occasion to make use of in speaking on the 4. verse And whoever are complaining of pressures and seeking to be rid of them yet they continue if ye would read the language of that dispensation aright here it is God is making that pressure to ly on till redemption from sin be lookt on as the crownning mercy which if we enjoy we cannot be miserable and if we want it have what we will we cannot be happy Mind this mercy more redemption from iniquity to humble uncircumcised hearts to be groaning under the bondage of sin longing for delivery from that woful Trade of walking contrary to God and provocking him to walk contrary to you and to punish you seven times more and seven times more till ye be humbled and take with the chastisement of your iniquity Remember I have left it with you in the Name of the Lord that there be more conscience making of sin and of being exercised mainly about it and putting God to redeem you from it let this be your great task and exercise whatever be your exercise otherwise Now I have done with that which is supposed in the motives backing the Exhortation to hope in God I come then to that which is proposed to encourage to hope in God And I suppose the rest of the Doctrines in these two Verses may be distinctly enough reduced to these four 1. That relative to Israels misery There is mercy in God or with him 2. That relative to Israels bondage There is plenteous redemption with God 3. That what is with God shall be put forth as the Israel of God needeth it Redemption is with him and he shall redeem c. 4. We shall speak a little to this redemption from iniquity how God works it For the first it may thus be taken up that it is a great encouragement to Israel to hope in God in all cases and exigents that there is mercy with God This mercy of God is in effect the goodness of God that Attribute of God which ye have in your Catechism It 's the goodness of God I say exprest under a notion relative to the misery of man and so ye have it Psal 136.1 O give thanks to the Lord for he is good How is that evidenced for his mercy endureth for ever He who is good in himself and doth good to others as David hath it Psal 119.68 He is good and manifests his goodness by doing good to otheâ—s by his mercy that endures for ever Not to insist on the various notions and expressions of this goodness of God if we look to it in the fountain his goodness as it is communicate to his creatures is called his love and his goodness in the fountain is called his love because it 's an eminent proof of his goodness that he loves with an everlasting love Jer. 31.3 That he hath a love to his people wherein he will rest Zeph. 3.17 That he hath such a love to them as nothing shall separate from and partly because he doth not bestow this his goodness grudgingly or complementingly but in love Love stretcheth out the hand of bounty Jer. 32.41 He rejoyceth over them to do them good with his whole heart and with his whole soul Again is the goodness of God in its root and fountain is called the love of God to his people so in respect of its freedom and their ill-deserving to partake of it It 's called the grace of God a term that we find frequently occurring in Scripture and it 's nothing else but the goodness of God or the effects of his goodness freely communicat freely bestowed without money or price where there is no merit or deserving yea where there is much undeserving or deserving of the contrary Again this goodness of God as it is manifested in opposition to the waywardness and peevishness of his people it is called patience and long-suffering for his patience in waiting on them and his long-suffering in bearing with their manners in the Wilderness what is it but the goodness of God overcoming the waywardness and peevish disposition in his people Again the goodness of God as it is still continued even when Justice and Severity takes place it 's called Clemency and Moderation that in measure when it shutteth forth he debateth with it and stayth his rough wind in the day of his east wind Isai 27.8 And that in wrath he remembers mercy Hab. 3.2 There the goodness of God moderating deserved stroaks droping in proofs of love in the midst of deserved wrath all these are the goodness of God represented to us under various notions and here in the Text the goodness of God in reference to his peoples misery is called mercy And Exod. 34.6 When the Lord proclaims his Name in Moses hearing ye will find there are various notions of the goodness of God that I have been speaking of and in the same method The first Letter of his Name is Merciful to nominat that the first look that God takes of poor man is pity and compassion in
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
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
not destroyed 2 Cor. 4.8 9. Much may they have to say both from within them and about them to brangle their threed of hope which is their great stock and store-house but they have infinitly more above them to support it though Israel be in misery and bondage and under servitude through sin yet says the Text Let Israel hope in God Let nothing they find within or about them in the world brangle their confidence For with the Lord there is mercy Ye may remember that from these encouragements to Israel to hope in God I have been marking what is implyed on the part of hopers that they need mercy and redemption and particularly redemption from iniquity and I began to speak the last day to what is proposed for their encouragement notwithstanding all these disadvantages they are under and I took some time to speak to that sweet Attribute of Mercy in God In speaking to which ye had some account in general of the nature of this mercy and of the Object and Properties of it and somewhat was spoken to the Use of the whole Doctrine A Doctrine which though some may abuse and break their neck on and which will be the sad dittay of these within the visible Church That mercy was in their offer and they slighted it yet it is a Doctrine absolutely necessary to them that are lying under the sense of sin and misery Now I proceed to a 2d main Point to encourage Israel to hope in God That with him is plenteous redemption That is both Authority to redeem and power to vindicat his people out of the bondage and servitude wherein they are and that in a great measure a plenteous redemption and that is connected with the former with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption That same God with whom there is mercy hath also plenteous redemption which gives a ground to this general Remark that I shall batter out a little that mercy in God is not a bare naked affection if I may so word it in him as ye may find it amongst creatures some are very merciful and compassionat and can condole the case of others in chains when they cannot help them they may weep over them whom they cannot relieve But I say mercy is not such a bare naked affection in God but it is accompanied with authority and power to make the effects of his mercy forthcoming for the miserable as he finds there is cause To lay this a little open to you and in the passing thorow to hint at some Uses of it I shall speak a little to these three 1. What this redemption imports 2. Why it is called redemption And 3. What the plenty of this redemption that is with God may look to or hint at For the first What redemption imports ye know that redemption properly is a recovery by paying of a price or by exchange or otherwise of that which hath been brought in bondage or under the power of another Now redemption when it is attribute to God imports a recovery of his people out of that bondage of sin and misery unto which through their own folly they have cast themselves And for the import of it beside mercy relative to their misery who have sold themselves it imports both authority to redeem and power to redeem 1. Authority and authority of Soveraignity in Dominion to recover or bring back what or whom he pleases out of that bondage and servitude under which they had brought themselves To allude to that Plea of the Caldeans anent the Redemption of Captives Isai 49.24 Shall the lawful Captive be delivered we have taken them lawful Captives and who has authority to interpose and take them from us So when guilt and justice pursuing for guilt hath the Israel of God lawful Captives in that case he hath authority and supremacy a soveraign dominion to interpose for the Redemption of his people when he will as it is said Psal 3.8 Salvation belongs to the Lord it is his prerogative royal to give salvation to redeem as Princes have a power Paramount to pardon Crimes the Law strikes against he hath a power to pardon to love freely to see his peoples ways and to heal them Isai 57.18 That is the first thing then imported in this redemption an authority and right to redeem and before I passe from it I would leave this word with the people of God that when their distresses are great and many and all other doors are shut on them they would learn to look to Soveraignty in God as the Latin Proverb is They may be in that case wherein salvation cannot save them and then they must look no laigher than God and to a Soveraign Dominion in God to redeem remembring whatever be the sad premisses in their case he hath a dominion to make the conclusion what he pleaseth his authority and soveraign dominion can make the conclusion comfortable when the premisses writes bitter things against them this would be the last anchor that we would hold by when all others are driven and come home and I would have you so far from mistaking and stumbling when ye look to Soveraignty in God and ye are brought so low that you have no claim but to put off your Ornaments and see what God will do to you all things in your case or what ye can look to for relief are so hopeless and desperat only ye dare not limit God I would in this case have you so far from stumbling at Soveraignty in God that I would have you rather afraid when ye have any thing to look to beneath it It is sad when God is afflicting his people with crosse Providences it should be with them as with that people Jer. 2.37 They go forth from him with their hands on their head and the Lord hath rejected their confidence that is a sad trade when Gods work of Providence is to blast and reject their carnal confidence and to defeat them that they shall not prosper in them because they will not quite them and lay their deplorable case at the footstool of Soveraignty in God So much for the first thing imported in redemption That is authority to redeem 2. This Redemption in God imports further even a power to exercise that authority and dominion for the actual redemption of his people many a time experience shows that authority is baffled and affronted in the world because it is not in its way backed with power but our blessed Lord who has authority to redeem has also power to exercise that authority and actually to redeem he is the God of the Spirits of all flesh to whom nothing is too hard Psal 115.3 Our God is in heaven he hath done whatever he pleased Psal 135.6 Whatever the Lord pleased that he did in heaven and in the earth c. And ye have his power asserted in this very affair Isai 29.24 Shal say they the prey be taken from the mighty
of the Saints when they are right that be Prayer hopeless or not hopeless they will not quite it they will not give it over put them in the Depths It 's a great encouragement to them that they know it is to good purpose to Pray but be it to purpose or no purpose they must be about it they will not quite it that place cited in Jonah proves it let God cast him out of his sight yet will he look to his holy Temple and Pray shut him out at the Door he will be in at the Door by Prayer Tell him his difficulty is so great as Temptation will be ready to say that crying to God will do him no good it 's all a matter to Prayer he must he 'll rather sink Praying than be saved without it Psal 61.2 From the ends of the earth will I cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed That 's a notable word from a man in a deep Distress What could a man imagine to be discouraging that he wanted for his Case he is as far from God as the ends of the earth for his Heart he is under Perplexity his Heart is overwhelmed and yet in that condition he will cry unto God if so be he will lead him to the Rock that is higher than he come of it what will he will Pray And Heman is another notable instance Psal 88.13 and vers 14. he says Lord why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me and vers 15. I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted I am put out of my Wits my Wit gets a rack with thy terrors and yet vers 13. Vnto thee have I cryed O Lord. No hopelesness of my undertaking no hardship I meet with could put me from crying to thee and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee I will continue Praying and to speak after the manner of men Thou shalt be soon up but my Prayer shall be at thy Door to prevent thee That then is the 4th thing imported here not to be put from Prayer were our Case never so desperate nay not by the apprehension of drowning in the Depths though at the next Bout we should sink to the bottom But 5ly That he says Out of the depths have I cryed unto thee it imports that not only a Saint will not be put from Prayer through the greatness of his Distress but his Distress will put an edge upon Prayer when he is most fervent and made to cry out when he is in the Depths And this word Crying expressing Prayer in the Text suffer me to Explicate more particularly what it imports I intend not to Speak of it as it is generally used in Scripture but as it expresseth Prayer And I shall here offer four or five Things to be looked to by them that would continue Praying in the Depths or out of the Depths 1. It imports a Mans being Affected with that which is his Case The crying Man knows what ails him when a Man Scricks or Cryes out it is an evidence that he feels somewhat that Affects him much Thus Crying is used upon the account of Grief Ezek. 5.4 The marked Persons are such as sigh and cry for all the abominations done in the midst of the city They cry out of sad oppression from Grief And I find Crying in Prayer made us of to signifie the fears of the Supplicant Heb. 5.7 Our blessed Lord is said to offer up prayers and supplica-with strong crying and tears and he was heard in that he feared Grief and fear importing the sense of our Case the source and fountain of our Cryes a stupid Man that wots not how it 's with himself or the people of God who is like Pharaoh that knew not that Egypt was destroyed will not be a crying Man 2. This Crying imports not only a sense of ones Case but an earnest affection after that which our cryes are employed about it 's not for Triffles that a Man cryes either to obtain or avoid them at least they are not Triffles in his opinion it 's given as an estimation of Wisdom Prov. 2.3 when a man cryes and lifts up his voice for it And David cryes about that which he is affected with Ps 84.2 my soul longeth yea euen fainteth for the courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God It 's a token of raised Affections either to be rid of some imminent ill or hazard or to attain some excellent good that puts folk to Crying A slighting of Trouble when a Man is like Ephraim Hos 7 9. gray hairs are here and there upon him and he knows it not and a slighting of desyrable Mercies will not produce Crying for the one or to avoid the other But 3ly This Crying imports with sense of need and earnestness of Affection to be at the thing cryed for a sense of a distance Wee use to cry to folk that are far off and not within ordinar speaking or rounding and this follows well upon the former When folks are put to Pray from the Depths they will discern God at a distance from them and themselves at a distance from God it is another thing when a man is in the Depths to be within speaking terms with God as when he is at ease The children of God while they are at ease are like Sampson who thinks he hath no more ado but go out and shake himself and have God at his command but the Man in the depths will not find such an easie matter to come near God He will not only be sensible of his natural distance but of that distance he is under upon the account of his Provocations and so this Crying will take in sense of Guilt to be confessed and mourned for before God But this I shall leave because it will fall in upon the third and fourth Verses following A 4th Thing imported in this Crying is That notwithstanding of all that hath been said a Saint should cry out of the Depths with Confidence in God and of Relief from him hence the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 Gal. 4.6 It doth not prompt a Man to muter or peep or whisper his Prayer to God but to cry out with Confidence Abba Father And whatever sense we have of our need or of our distance from God or of the Guilt hath drawn it on Confidence is needfull to usher in Prayer Heb. 4.16 Having such an high priest let us come boldy The word in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies let us come with an all-saying with an open mouth unto the Throne of Grace with Confidence that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need 5ly and lastly This Crying out of the depths it imports as the result of all that I have been speaking to from it a fervency of Affection when folks are not only sensible of that they need have an
his salvation yet pray on there is nothing formidable in a Supplicants condition so long as he is not driven from Gods Footstool but he prays on 2. Another direction is that repulses or delays should promove humility in Supplications and Supplicants It 's here supplications that he puts up when he pleads for audience Now the poor uses supplications supplications are the Beggers are the Dyvours Language many Supplicants when they have cryed long and are not heard may be in peril to fret to quarrel to repine to bark but that 's a wrong method to come speed with God in Prayer thou ought to be the more humble the longer thou art delayed thou ought to creep the nearer the dust and come in among the poor that speak supplications And a third direction shall be from the Phrase and Metaphor in the Text as I explained it in the entry that is that there be a believing that the Lord hath an affectionat ear to listen unto and hear the cry of humble Supplicants This is imported in the very terms of the Prayer put up to God as an affectionat Parent ready to notice the cry of his Child when he is in hazard and crys for help and this is a needful direction when the Supplicant is held at the door that beside diligence and humility he entertain Faith that bods well of God Faith that when God was seeming to destroy Job made him say These things hast thou hid in thine heart I know that this is with thee Job 10.13 I know thou hast a kindness for Job though thou appear terrible to me so must Faith reckon when answers to Prayer are delayed I know he will do me good though I seem not to be noticed Now I come to the third and fourth Verses wherein we have the second Branch of the Psalmist's wrestling and that is a wrestling with guilt that might hinder audience and to give you a general view of these two Verses ye shall take this Branch of his wrestling in these three 1. Ye have a very sensible and humble acknowledgment of the desert of sin in the most godly vers 3. If thou Lord should mark iniquity O Lord who should stand That is iniquities are so hainous a thing that if thou wilt mark them as a severe Judge and according to the Covenant of Works proceed with men none would be justified 2. Ye have the Psalmist's relief being thus humbled in Gods pardoning mercy on which he lays hold in the beginning of the 4. vers But there is forgivenness with thee 3. This pardoning mercy in God is amplified from the end he hath before him in letting it forth That thou mayest be feared that is not only in general because thou art a merciful and pardoning God in Christ men have access to worship and serve thee who otherwise art a consuming fire but in particular thy pardoning mercy will excite men to fear and worship so good a God that freely pardons iniquity under the weight and burden of which they could not stand For the first of these his sensible and humble acknowledgment of the desert of sin in the most godly I may touch it the more cursorily now because it will fall in when afterward I come to speak of the right way of applying pardoning mercy where I shall take a view of this Verse as it points out the right method of obtaining pardon and the qualification of the pardoned sinner calling upon God in trouble what I would say now upon it ye shall take up in these three 1. Ye have the sense of sin and guilt joyned with the sense of trouble 2. Ye have the sense of guilt meeting a godly man in the teeth when he is sent to God by Prayer in trouble 3. Ye have guilt meeting him with a terrible Aspect that if God marked it he nor none is able to stand For the first I shall give it to you in this brief Observation That in right exercise the sense of sin and guilt should go along with the sense of distress and trouble the Psalmist rests not on his being sensible that he was in the deeps but he is also lying under the sense of sin and guilt a man that hath the meer sense of trouble without the sense of sin he is no more than a beast that will feel a smart and so it is a bruitish thing to be houling under the sense of trouble without the sense of sin Hos 7.14 They have not cryed unto me with their heart when they houled upon their beds They houled for their trouble but they called not sincerely unto me And vers 16. They return but not to the most high they are like a deceitful bowe And hence Micah 6.9 The Lords voice calls unto the City hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it There must be a hearing of the Appointer of the Rod as well as the Rod it self To evince the truth of this point I shall shortly hint at some consequences that readily follows the sense of trouble without the sense of sin Not to stand upon this that readily they choise a new sin to an outgate Job 26.1 This hast thou chosen rather than affliction I shall name these three 1. Where the sense of trouble is without the sense of sin folks expects to win soon out of it There are readily a world of conceity folk that think they will win soon and easily out of their trouble Judah found the weight of trouble but not the weight of sin and when they were going to captivity they were filled with dreams of outgate Jer. 12.4 They said he shall not see our last end And Jer. 2.25 They said because I am innocent surely his anger shall turn from me And when they were brought very low that delusion did not leave them Ezek. 11.15 They say Get ye far from the Lord unto us is the land given in possession And Ezek. 33.24 These of them that did inhabite the wastes said Abraham was one and he inherited the land but we are many the land is given us for inheritance Whence it is clear that deluded confidence is one of the wofull fruits of the sense of trouble without sense of sin A 2d is woful bitterness and carnal distempers of Spirit if not when the trouble comes on because they trust to be soon delivered from it yet when it continues long How find ye that people Jer. 5.19 and the parallel places who are brought in saying Wherefore hath the Lord our God done all these things unto us What 's our iniquity And what 's our sin And Isa 51 20. Ye may take up the temper of such a people Thy sons have fainted they ly at the head of all the streets as a wild bull in a net they are full of the fury of the Lord the rebuke of thy God Ye will not tame a wild Beast by putting him in a Net but mad him the more and so are they who continue long under the
come away he waits to receive you but lay a solid foundation acquaint your selves more with the sinfulness of sin with the desert of sin and with the impossibility of standing before God marking sin in strict Justice that ye may close with Christ in earnest God bless what ye have heard for Christ's sake SERMON VII Psal 130. Vers 3. If thou LORD shouldest mark iniquities O LORD who shall stand 4. But there is forgivenness with thee that thou mayest be feared YE have heard how the Psalmist in the 1st and 2d Verses being wrestling with plunging perplexities expressed here under the name of deeps gets guilt stopping his audience and success to wrestle with in the 3d and 4th Verses wherein as ye have heard we have 1. A sensible confession concerning the desert of sin Verse 3. Next we have his refuge when he is humbled with the sense of that and it is pardoning mercy forgivenness with God to which he claims in the beginning of the 4th Verse And lastly ye have the end for which God lets out and bestows pardoning mercy on sinners that he may be feared For the first of these in the 3d Verse I am near a close of what I purpose to say upon it for beside the conjunction ye have heard ought to be betwixt the sense of sin and the sense of trouble without which the sense of trouble is but bruitish and beside that ye have heard that guilt will readily meet the people of God in straits when they are made to cry out of the deeps unto God Beside these I say I insisted the last day on that great Point that iniquity marked by God according to the Covenant of Works and the Rules of strict Justice is that which no man is able to stand under and ye may remember how at great length I both Explained and continued this truth by several Deductions from the Text which I shall not now repeat I shut up the Point with a general word of Exhortation that sinners that look for everlasting happiness would learn to say over this Text with application to themselves If thou Lord should mark iniquity I cannot stand and to do it sensibly for the fixing of which and bearing of it home ye may remember what Considerations were laid before you as Considerations concerning God your Party Considerations concerning the number of your sins and guilt It 's called iniquities in the Plural Number Considerations concerning the nature and aggravations of your guilt upon which account also it 's called Iniquities Considerations also of the just threatnings of God and of the infallible execution of them upon the sinner or his Surety Considerations concerning the sufferings of Jesus Christ a Glass wherein the desert of sin must be seen Now before I come to the next Verse I shall mark three or four particular inferences And 1. Ye have here a clear discovery that there is no Justification by Works that a man by his Works cannot think of standing before God Justification by Works is that only which we know by the Light of Nature and that first Covenant made with mankind in Adam and therefore every man hath a natural propension to do his own turn that way The Jews being ignorant of the righteousness of God and going about to establish their own righteousness did not submit unto the righteousness of God Rom. 10.3 Ignorant persons think to please God with their Repentance and the mending of their faults and doing better Papists plead with an open mouth for Justification by Works some Mungrel Protestants would mumble out somewhat that way but ye are to consider that the Covenant requires that which is now impossible even perfect holiness and that Covenant being once broken is everlastingly broken and for any Evangelical Paction the Text leads us to there is no Medium betwixt God's marking iniqiuity and forgiving iniquity a man must either stand to his hazard of God's sitting down on his Tribunal and marking his iniquities to punish them or he must lay aside all thoughts of complementing with God in this matter or of patching up a business of Grace and good Works in his Justification before him they that study the first part of the Text well that if God mark iniquity none can stand they will easily be put from that conceit of Justification by Works and plead forgivenness And therefore 2 I would have sinners considering that there is no standing under guilt except Christ be fled unto for refuge if ye have not taken Sanctuary in Atheism that ye look upon all that is said in this Preached Gospel as cunningly devised Fables will you but look to it and think with your selves what will you do in the day of Visitation and in the day of Wrath when the just threatnings of God shall be execute against sin and all sinners that are out of Christ when many will be ready to cry out for Hills and Mountains to fall upon them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb. O! consider it if ye can be perswaded to be in earnest about your souls what ye think to do in the day of Gods wrath for sin In that day wherein the sensless sinners that made a sport of sin will be made to sing that doleful Note Lam. 5.16 The Crown is fallen from our head wo unto us for we have sinned Then ye will find it desperate folly and madness that ye went on in sin and fled not in time from the wrath to come Ponder that Parable Luk. 16.24 which is not to be stretched beyond the principal scope as if there were charity for others in Hell and ye will find what a dreadful Bargain sin is when a drop of cold Water to cool the Tongue would be an ease to the Drunkard in torment and he cannot have it when his warning of others is a witness against himself that he was a desperat man that run such a hazard that is now past remedy Think I say on these things if ye look not on this Word as Fables But 3. If none can stand before God's marking iniquity then the sense of guilt should make us justifie God in all the troubles that come upon his People when we consider that the Lord may for sin not only as in a solemn day call our terrors round about as the word is Lament 2.22 But may everlastingly condemn us in hell how dare a sinner murmur under lesser calamities or troubles The language of a man sensible of the desert of sin is that which ye have Ezra 9 13. Thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve and that Lam. 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not A man that is sensible of sin and of the desert of it ye will not find him a murmurer against any cross inflicted but a wonderer at the moderation that shines in the sharpest tryals Therefore as I said upon the first head the sense
pollution of it Here as ye heard however Sanctification be taking sin to task in every pardoned man yet the tender man sensible of sin cannot but be affected when he finds sin in the pollution of it to remain though it be not reigning though it hath not the Throne but then with the publick Declaration of pardon there shall no blot of sin no spot no wrinkle nor any such thing remain Ephes 5.27 There shall no scar be left of these wounds that sin hath made which the pardoned sinner may bear about with him while he is here 2. While the godly are here though they get frequently pardon of sin yet they have still need of new pardon they must be pardoned over and over again and as often as they get their daily bread they must as often seek the pardon of their sins daily but the blotting out of sin in that Day shall be a Declaration of the Pardon of sin so fully that there shall be no need of a reiterat pardon they will then sin no more nor be in hazard of sinning and will have no more need of the open Fountain whereunto the pardoned man while he is here must continually resort with his foul feet to get them washen 3. The pardon of sin here is not only Transacted betwixt God and the sinner without the knowledge of the World but it is oft-times keeped up from the sense and feeling of the man that has gotten it A man that is pardoned may be keeped in fears as if he were not pardoned a man that hath his Bonds taken off him may be as if he were still bound But in that Day the Pardon of Sin shall be publickly declared in the audience of Men Angels and Devils and the pardoned mans pardon will be proclaimed and perfected in the sense and feeling of the pardoned man the Court of Heaven and the Court of the Conscience will say both one thing and there will not be a demur in the one about what is past in the other as now often there is And 4. Though sin be pardoned yet the effects and consequences of pardon are not at all times let out on the pardoned man here he may be not only keeped under Desertion but he may be under Chastisement on several accounts as I cleared to you before though he may say as the Apostle John speaks 1 Joh. 3.2 Now we are the sons of God but he must add it doth not yet appear what we shall be but in that day pardon shall not only be proclaimed and perfected in the Conscience of the man but all the effects and consequences of pardon shall flow out like a River upon him Then sighing and sorrow shall flee away and everlasting joy shall be upon his head and in his heart and these stripes that here were necessary for the back of fools shall cease and his pardon shall be written in that blessed Sentence Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Thus ye see what is imported in that blotting out of sin at the great day and from it I shall shortly recommend to you two words in order to practice one is That this may be a strong motive to you to make pardon of sin here sure when ye consider that it hath such blessed effects hereafter the rich fruit and incomes of thy fleeing to Christ for pardon here may seem to thee as we use to speak to be far from the Sheaff but there is a day coming when the advantage of it will be made known to Men Angels and Devils their Conviction what it is to have pardon for sin Thou that gets a pardon here may be looked upon as an uncouth unknown body but thou carries about with thee a Treasure that in that day will be found a Treasure indeed And therefore 2ly Ye that are fled unto Christ for pardon and have gotten pardon believed and now and then ye are feeling some of the fruits of pardon it should quicken you to long for that day wherein the effects fruits and consequences of that pardon will be fully displayed and let out on pardoned sinners It it no wonder that a pardoned man long to be home when he considers what a mercy pardon of sin will be found to be when it is laid in broad-band in that day But now I come to the 5. general Head I proposed to be spoken to and that is To clear up to you the right method of coming to close with pardon and for attaining of pardon I have insisted to tell you what a rich priviledge pardon of sin is Now any that are not stupid and senseless will say how shall I be sure of pardon that I have closed with it and win at it and that I am not deluded in so great a concern I have occasionally hinted at the chief matter of these things that I am to say upon this in the preceeding purpose I shall now gather them together and lay them in view before you that ye may order your steps aright in closing with pardoning mercy If I should speak to this in general I find many things mentioned in Scripture to the obtaining of pardon I find Faith for we are said to be justified by faith and consequently we are pardoned by Faith Rom. 3.25 God hath set forth Jesus Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins 2. I find Repentance often mentioned in this matter Mark 1.4 John preached the baptism of Repentance for the remission of sins The Apostles Doctrine was to preach repentance and remission of sins in his name Luke 24.47 Peters Doctrine is Repent ye and be converted that your sins may be blotted out Act. 3.19 The counsel given to Simon Magus is Repent of thy wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee Act. 8.22 3. I find also Confession of sin mentioned in order to pardon of sin Psal 32.5 I said I will confess my transgression unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin And 1 Joh. 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 4. I find confessing and forsaking of sin mentioned in order to pardon Prov. 28.13 He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall find mercy 5. I find prayer also required in order to pardon of sin Mat. 6.12 Christ bids the Disciples pray forgive us our debts c. But that I may speak to this purpose somewhat more distinctly and so in effect take a view of this Text and take in the 3d. thing I proposed to be spoken to in it I find that as the Apostle sums up Christianity Philip. 3.3 as running upon three things that like Letters on a Signet are drawn backward that ye may stamp them forward in your practice 1. That a man have no confidence in the flesh 2. That from that he be led to rejoyce
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
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
seasonable mixtures sweet reserves and exceptions in the lots of saints And as there are mixtures in their lots so in their frames wherein we will find confidence seasoned with deep humility as in Abraham Gen. 18.27 I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord who am but dust and ashes Gloriation seasoned with the sense of being nothing 2 Cor. 12.11 In nothing am I behind the very chiefest Apostles though I be nothing Nearness to God seasoned with a sight of their own pollution Isai 6.5 Wo is me I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips c. For mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of hosts Job 42.5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee wherefore I abhore my self in dust and ashes Thus ye see what a sweet mixture the frame and way of the saints is made up of when right and this in the Text is to be adverted That patience in our waiting be seasoned with affection lest our waiting turn to indifferency There are many pretend to be waiters but what wait they for Their heart is not affected with it Affection must still be keeped on foot and meek and patient must our waiting for God be Therefore look to it Let not folk deceive themselves in thinking that they have this patience and waiting that I have been speaking of when they have nothing but a coldrife indifferency stupidity loitering and lying by in that waiting What Mercies do folk want but they pretend to wait for them from God and yet their Conscience will bear them witness their heart was never affected with the want of them nor drawn forth after the enjoying of them they cannot say Their soul doth wait As upon the one hand true patience must temper the edge of right affection that it over-reach not or run it self out of breath So on the other hand it would be adverted that while patience is tempering affection affection be not feeding on the breasts of security carelesness indifferency stupidity that with these Virgines Mat. 25. While they are waiting for the coming of the Lord they do not fall asleep or slumbering that 's an abuse of patience in waiting when it is suffered to degenerat in stupidity and indifferency In a word that ye may know what is meant by the Saints soul-waiting for God I shall give it to you in what is represented in the people of God in the Captivity upon the one hand we find a Command is sent unto them Jer. 29.5 To build houses in Babylon and dwell in them to plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them take wives and beget sons and daughters that they might be increased and not diminished and to seek the good of the place whither they were carried captives and pray for the peace thereof that is that they should be as careful as they might without sin to make their captivity tollerable that was to wait for God when their cankered haste and fretfulness was done away And yet on the other hand compare that with Psal 137.1 By the rivers of Babel we sat down yea we wept when we remembred Sion we hanged our harps on the willows in the midst thereof when they required of us mirth we said how shall we sing the Lords song in a strange land if I forget thee O Jerusalem c. A soul-waiting affection is aloft in them although they made their distresses as tolerable as they might without sin and were warranded so to do yet they would not suffer their patience to degener in indifferency they would not suffer their affection to fall asleep and forget that which their Captivity had deprived them of and therefore the people of God in difficulties waiting for God they would still have somthing of that frame Lam. 1.7 Jerusalem remembred in the day of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old before the people fell into the hand of the enemy Wait for God there is good reason for it Be patient and meek Why not But O! in your waiting let it be seen that affection is aloft when thou art ready bitterly to resent God's depriving thee of mercies or detaining them from thee guard against that let bitterness be banisht but guard also against stupidity and senselesness that they come not in the room of it but let thy soul be waiting But I proceed to a 2d Observation from this Head and that is a general which I deferred to speak to when the last day I spoke to this waiting and it now comes in seasonably The Psalmist not only gives an account what he is doing but how he is doing Though he be delayed and mercies be keeped back yet he dare avow he is waiting for the Lord yea that his waiting for God is of the right stamp that his soul is waiting that in his waiting he keeps off both the extreams of passion and haste and of careless stupidity and indifferency The Observation then is that it is not only a commendable thing in Saints to be able to give an account of what they are doing especially in sad times but it is comfortable to themselves when they are able to give an account of what they are doing and that they are in the way of their duty it is so to the Psalmist here that he can say he waits and his soul waits for God This Point I shall speak to in these four because it is and will be your work if ye be serious 1. That work is our great business 2. That work acceptable to God in a low condition is attainable 3. That as it is attainable so a man may know he hath attained it 4. That it is comfortable to him when he knoweth it and dare avow that he is acceptably employed A little to these four as time will permit And first I say work and duty is our main business when our lots are saddest One would think it had been a more seasonable and a more near concerning Question for the Psalmist to be now looking what God is doing when he had been crying out of the deeps taking â—ith guilt pleading for pardon but he looks to what he himself is doing we would alway as I hinted before fain be at the Throne and have the guiding of the world or have God taking our advice what he should do in it and how much of folks time and spirit who are serious is taken up in scanning of providence but O! fix this that duty is ours event is Gods duty is our task and we should leave it to God to make of us and duty what pleases him yea more it is one of the great ends why sad times and lots passes over us that we may give a proof what we think of duty when it wants present success whether we will take duty for a reward to it self whether a man will bless God go the world as it will that he is
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
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
sin but he sets them on work to purge out all sin and in due time he will redeem them from the reliques and remainders of sin every thing that hath the relique or remainder of iniquity in it he will redeem them from it in due time And 4. Ye would consider the object of this mercy who they are that he will redeem from all iniquity they are his people Israel the object of God's power and mercy in redeeming in his being a propitiation for sin in redeeming from the power and guilt of sin are Israel and they only That as Adam when he fell drew all his seed along into perdition with himself So Christ the second Adam will redeem all his seed which is the true import of that comparison institute betwixt the first Adam and the second Rom. 5. and not to prove an universal redemption for then as all fell in Adam so all should be actually redeemed and liberat by Christ but the meaning is That as in Adam all his seed fell with him so by Christ all his seed are redeemed and as in Adam all fell not Christ was excepted so by Christ all are not redeemed his seed only are recovered This is a Point I need not enter to debate It is too evident many are not redeemed by Christ for many have not the outward means that make offer of redemption by Christ many never heard tell of Christ and if Christ had payed a price for all it were not agreeable to Justice that so many should be put to suffer punishment in hell It is clear also from that that Christ would not pray for the world Joh. 17.9 And he did not die for them for whom he would not pray and he doth not sanctifie himself for all therefore he redeems not all and yet this needs be no impediment to them to look to him for Redemption who find their need of him their fleeing to him for refuge and gripping to him for satisfaction opens up the council of God that they are among the given ones to be redeemed by Christ only remember that as none of God's Israel are secluded from this redemption how worthless soever they be Though they may be secluded from these gifts and measures of graces afforded to others yet not from this redemption from all iniquity That is the common-good of all that 's the nail fastned in the sure place on which all the vessels of greater and smaller quantity are hung so on the other hand it is to Israel alone and to none other that this redemption is ensured Having thus explained the Point it remains That we should draw some Uses from it and put a close to the Psalm and there are four or five words of inference that I would give you from what hath been said 1. See here what is the great concerning business the chief Interest and exercise of the true Israel of God It is the matter of iniquity what to do with it how to be rid of it and delivered from it therefore after all the former encouragements to hope in God That with him is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption this comes in as the reserve that he shall redeem Israel from all his Iniquities To tell that the great exercise of a true Israelite will be about iniquity the conscience of sin and guilt what to do with that how to get the conscience pacified in reference to it this exercise is a great stranger in the visible Church there may be much trouble of mind where the conscience is dormient and sleeping There may be much vexation and fashâ—ie about trouble and cross dispensations of providence when guilt is little minded but ye would look to it I shall not say they are not Israelites that fall into this error but surely it looks not like a true Israelite where sin is not made the main exercise where daily searching out of sin and endeavours to have the conscience purified and purged from guilt is not folks great task And I shall add that exercise about sin and guilt would give a more comfortable account about trouble If we were studying to have this Text made out to us He shall redeem Israel out of all his iniquities we should find that of Psal 25. Redeem Israel O God out of all his troubles also made out to us redemption from iniquity would bod well were a good prognostick of redemption from trouble for as ye heard from Isai 10.12 Trouble hath a work on Mount Zion and if ye would know what that is see 27.9 By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin when he maketh all the stones of the Altar as chalk stones c. Were trouble getting its work it should have the less ado when it had gotten its errand and therefore ye that are fasht and vexed folks with the Cross tost with many troubles shall I say to you that ye run long on little ground and to little purpose if ye had more ado about sin ye should have less ado about trouble or your exercise about it should soon be discust Therefore look on it as a mark of a true Israelite that whatever exercise he have sin is the greatest exercise 2. Whereas folk may seem to have some exercise about sin but all that it amounts to is to take with sin and grip to pardoning mercy and this is very common in the visible Church to name sin and to name pardon and upon the naming of sin to make a present Plaister of pardon and there is an end To obviat this mistake take this word That the pardon of sin and purging out of sin must go together hand in hand But in this mistake me not I would hurt none nor have I commission to hurt any Ye may remember that when I was on the 4th Verse I told you that the filthiness of sin remains after the pardon of sin but remember also that I then told you God strikes at the guilt and power of sin both at once that where Christ comes with the merit of his death he comes also with the power of his death he lays the Axe to the root of the Tree but I would not be mistaken in this either the pardoned sinner gets not the power of sin presently subdued yea when he is pardoned the power of sin may fash him more than before and when sin is in the dead-throws it may vex him most with strugling Many a sad bout may pardoned sinners have alongst their life with their predominants but where-ever God pardons sin he sets folks to be in necks with sin and to have the dominion and power of sin subdued that sin reign not in their mortal bodies they and sin will not dwell in peace in one house they will not be taken alive captive without a scart they oppose it and protest against the prevailing of it they sin not with full consent And O! but this