could not God do especially the God of Hosts and much more the Lord God of Hosts Thus in our addresles to God we should so consider of him as may most strengthen our faith and encourage our hopes as to the obtaining of what we have access unto God for and thus our Saviour himself hath taught us to do Math. 6. 13. for thine is the Kingdom and power c. Cause thy face to shine ie in a word Aspice nos vultu sereno ac benevolo Pisc vouchsafe us thy favour shew thy self gracious and propitious to us in thy Son give us the sense of thy love and because favour and grace much appears and manifests it self in the face in the sereneness of the face in the pleasantness and lightsomness of the countenance hence is this phrase both here and in many places elsewhere made use of to set forth the favour and grace of God as Psalm 31. 16. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant So Psal 67. 1. 119. 135 c. and it is the same with that Psalm 4. 6. lift thou up upon us the light of thy countenance And these forms and expressions seem to be taken from that solemn form of blessing the people prescribed by the Lord himself Numbers 6. 25 26. The Lord make his face shine upon thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee And we shall be saved i. e. if thou vouchsafe His rebus fructum felicitatem salutis assignat dicens Et salvi erimus vivemus regnabimus nec ullo bono destituemur si placatus nos respicias conversos ad te benignus complectaris Musc but to do these for us it shall be well with us we shall be happy this will remedy all our evils and be to us as it were a resurrection from the dead it will bring full salvation and deliverance from our miseries here and eternal salvation to us hereafter and upon God's turning them again and causing his face to shine this they certainly and undoubtedly promise to themselves as well they might for what should effect it if not these for God to turn them again and cause his face to shine CHAP. III. The first Doctrine observable as more general THE time and season when it was that they made this prayer that God would turn them again c. it was a time of trouble and distress Whence observe Doct. 1. When miseries and calamities do abide the Church and people of God that which then more especially and most earnestly they are to pray for it is that the Lord would vouchsafe them spiritual mercies As that God would turn them again and cause his face to shine that he would lift up upon them the light of his Countenance vouchsafe them his favour and grace c. This indeed In omnibus angustiis favor gratia Dei inprimis quaerenda imploranda est Amesâ—in locum they are to seek at all times Psal 105. 4. Seek the Lord and his strength seek his face evermore but then more especially and more than the removal of outward evils or the obtaining of other mercies and blessings because God then seems to suspend them and as it was to hide his face and to withdraw the sense of his favour and then they most need them yea and then the experiencing of such mercies is most seasonable Thus the Church and people of God do here the Lord fed them with the bread of tears and gave them tears to drink in great measure c. And what do they now pray and importune for for spiritual blessings Soul-mercies that God would turn them again and cause his face to shine and thus we are to doe R. 1. Because this is that which the Lord prescribes and puts his people upon and advises them to As Hosea 14. 1 27. take with you words and turn to the Lord. Say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us graciously c. Zeph. 2. 3. Seek ye the Lord seek righteousness seek meekness c. And how should we bless the Lord that gives us this counsel and advice to seek things so excellent and of such importance and wherein we are so infinitely concern'd and the having of which is of such absolute and indispensible necessity as that we cannot at any time want them nor be without them much less at such times who would not seek God's face divine favours at any time but especially at such times R. 2. This is that which others have done as here so elsewhere as Psal 90. 14. Moses there in a time of great and grievous calamities prays that the Lord would return and satisfie them early with his mercy or loving kindness for so the word is rendred elsewhere as Psal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 26. 3. the same word so Psal 119. 76. i. e. with thy favour the sense of thy love and v. 17. Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us c. So Isaiah 26. 8. Yea in the way of thy judgments O Lord have we waited for thee the desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee v. 9. With my soul have I desired thee in the night with my spirit within me will I seek thee early c. Lament 5. 21. Turn thou us unto thee O Lord c. and so David often still when he was in any distress he is seeking for spiritual mercies as Psalm 31. 16. make thy face to shine on thy Servant 35. 5. say to my soul I am thy Salvation Psalm 119. 76. Let I pray thee thy merciful kindness be for my comfort v. 77. let thy tender mercies come unto me c. R. 3. Want of this the Lord complains of Hos 7. 4. They assemble themselves for corn and wine c. Isa 9. 13. neither seek they the Lord of Hosts R. 4. To this the promise is made of pardon and healing too 2 Chron. 7. 13. If says the Lord I shut up heaven that there be no rain or send pestilence c. v. 14. If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their evill wayes then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land R. 5. This is the onely way to have those miseries and calamities removed in mercy so as to be sanctified before their removal to seek unto God to turn us again to himself and to cause his face to shine and unless the Lord do this they cannot be removed in mercy but we must expect heavier and sorer as the Lord threatens Is 9. 13 14. Amos 4. 11 12. Levit. 26. 21. c. for he will overcome when he judges but if he vouchsafe those spiritual mercies though the other should continue they could do us no hurt the evil and sting of them being remov'd R. 6. If the other should still continue these will comfort and support under them and
crying and tears c. how much more we who are involv'd in sin c. R. 7. Because the great price which hath been given to purchase and procure them no less than the precious bloud of Christ the precious life of Christ John 6. 51. and the bread that I will give is my flesh that I will give for the life of the world 1 Thes 5. 10. who died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him the life of grace here and the life of glory hereafter Ephes 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his bloud the forgiveness of sins Math. 26. 28. This is my bloud which is shed for many for the remission of sins and Hebr. 9. 22. and without shedding of bloud is no remission So we read of being justified by his bloud and reconciled by Rom. 5. 9 10. 1 Pet. 3. 18. his death and of his suffering for our sins that he might bring us unto God And shall not we cry for what Jesus Christ was pleas'd todye shall not we earnestly beg for what he bled shall not we lay out our strength for what he laid down his life and lift up our voice for what he yeilded up the Ghost O how unworthy then should we shew our selves of them R. 8. Because this is all that the Lord requires of us for the obtaining of them that we should ask them seek them beg them intreat them and should not we do this to purpose earnestly and with all our might when he requires no more as Math. 7. 7. Ask and it shall be given you seek and ye shall find knock and it shall he opened unto you v. 8. For every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened So in Ezek. 36. when God had made there those exceeding great and precious promises of blessings and mercies more worth than many worlds as v. 25. that he would sprinkle clean water upon them c. and v. 26. give them a new heart and put within them a new spirit and take away the stony heart out of their flesh and give them an heart of flesh and v. 27. put his spirit within them which is more than many worlds without them and cause them to walk in his statutes and keep his judgments and do them and v. 28. and they should be his people and he their God c. Now after all hear what the Lord says v. 37. Thus saith the Lord God I will yet for this be enquir'd of by the house of Israel to do it for them or be sought to and is this all and should not this be done earnestly Surely he that can't find in his heart to do this for such mercies deserves to go without them O consider God required a great deal more of his Son that we might partake of them What could he indeed require more he requires of him that he should come down John 6. 38. from Heaven to Earth from the Throne to the Footstool and become man be made flesh yea in the likeness of sinful flesh that though he was in the form of God and thought it not robbery to be equal with God yet that he should make himself of no reputation and take upon him the form of a Servant and be made in the likeness of Philip. 5. 6 7 8. men and being found in fashion as a man should humble himself and become obedient unto death even the death of the Cross that he should lay down his life shed his precious bloud one drop of whose bloud is more worth than ten thousand thousand worlds and than all the bloud of all the men that ever lived upon the face of the Earth yea that he should be made a curse ☞ undergo his wrath make his very Soul an offering for sin and be for a while as it was forsaken of his Father and all this and infinitely more than can be conceived much less exprest that we might obtain such mercies yea and Jesus Christ willingly and readily obeyed his father in all these Hebr. 10. 7. Then said I lo I come to do thy will O God and I delight to do thy will and as the Father gave me Psalm 40. 8. commandment so I do though to do that did John 14 31. as it was amaze him and make his soul exceeding sorrowful even unto death and brought Mark 14. 33 34. Math. 26. 38. him into such an agony that his sweat was as it were great drops of bloud falling down to the Luke 22. 44. Math. 26. 39. and Mark 14. 35 36 39. ground So that as man he could not but recoile as it were and pray and that three times O my Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me that is this bitter passion but if it may not pass but I must drink it or otherwise such choice mercies such inestimable benefits cannot be procured for poor sinners but they must come swimming to them in my bloud and be purchas'd by my undergoing of thy wrath thy will be done seeing thou wilt have it so that I must undergo all this to procure them I am willing I am content rather than poor sinners should go without them I am willing to purchase them at any rate This now God requires of his Son that we might partake of these mercies and all this his Son obeyed him in but to us that we might obtain them he says onely ask seek knock and let me be enquired of by you and should not we do this and do it to purpose surely else it must needs argue fearful ingratitude and strange disingenuity and we deserve to go without them You know what Naaman's servant said to him 2 Kings 5. 13. My Father if the Prophet had bid thee do some great thing wouldest thou not have done it how much rather then when he saith unto thee wash and be clean So what could God have said unto us do for such mercies more worth than many worlds but we should have been ready and willing to have done it how much more then when he says onely ask and it shall be given you seek and ye shall find and Rom 10. 13. Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved and seek the Lord and ye shall live Amos 5. 6. But Jesus Christ dies that we may live 1 Thes 5. 9 10. and shall not we cry that we may live Was a malefactor condemned to dye and was there procured for him upon some great price paid by another a pardon of his Prince which he should have upon asking and begging O how importunately would he beg it and ask it When God said to David Seek ye my face O how readily does David's heart eccho back Psalm 27. 8. again thy face Lord will I seek Lord thy face thy favour makes heaven and may I have that for seeking for asking which Jesus Christ
procured by dying Lord I will seek it and seek it to purpose intreat it as he says elsewhere with my whole heart Ps 119. 58. And truly we had never had them for seeking if Jesus had not purchased them by suffering never for begging if he had not purchased them by bleeding nor for crying if he had not purchased them by dying R. 9. Because this is the way to have them thus to seek them I mean with all earnestness with all our might with our whole hearts Thus Jacob obtained the blessing Gen. 32. 29. and he blessed him there Moses pardon and God's presence David clensing and the recovery of God's face and favour thus the woman of Canaan obtained the casting of the Devil out of her daughter thus Monica obtain'd the conversion of her son Austin c. The ears of the Lord are open to the cry of the righteous Psalm 34. 15. and James 5. 16. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much That 's the prayer that prevails that carries it the effectual fervent prayer There 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is but one word in the Original but it is so sublime and Emphatical that Translations cannot reach the height of it The Greek properly signifies the working prayer and it signifies such a working as notes the earnestest and liveliest activity that can be the greatest force and vehemency of an earnest spirit and affection Excusso stupore torpore ardenter instanter cum fiducia câ—elum pulsemus compleamus clamoribus tum certò confidemus descensuram ad nos domini miserationem Winckelman in Luc. 11. Such a prayer that sets the whole man a work and all the graces a work heart a work and affections a work and faith a work repentance a work love a work c. that strongly presses and enforces as it were upon God and is not so much the labour of the lips but the travel of the heart These are the prayers that prevail when there is an heat and warmth in our spirits and our affections are fired by the holy Ghost and with gracious ascents flame up towards God when we pray a prayer not onely say a prayer and the holy Ghost makes intercession for Rom. 8. 26. us with sighs and groans that cannot be uttered The promise is made to such prayer Jerem. 29. 13. And ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart Hosea 6. 3. Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord c. Prov. 2. 3. Yea if thou cryest after knowledg and liftest up thy voice for understanding v. 4. If thou seek her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures v. 5. Then thou shalt understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledg of God Psalm 81. 10. open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Thus it is wrestling in prayer that prevailes when there is such an holy impudency as it were as to take no denial this is a token for good indeed and to such God hath not said seek ye me in vain Luk 11. 8. I say unto you though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth That which we translate Importunity is in the Original Impudence and so the Dutch read it nevertheless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his impudence sake because of his immodest persistance taking no denial It seems to be a Metaphor taken from a sort of Beggars that when they come to your doors will not be said without an Almes you can't get them gone do what you can speak them fair or foul all is one they will weary you out but they will have it and so at length get it and if an importunate impudent beggar gets from man how much more shall an humble daily importunate petitioner obtain from God to whom importunity is so acceptable and at no time unseasonable as yet it is to man v. 7. And he from within shall answer and say trouble me not the door is now shut and my children are with me in bed c. as if he should say Is there no time to come but now or is this a time to come Luther was exceeding frequent and fervenâ— in prayer one writes of him No day passes wherein Luther spendeth not three hours at leasâ— in prayer and once it fell out saith he that â— heard him good God what a spirit what a confidence was in his very expressions c. And would to God says Luther I could alway Utinam eodem ardore orare possem c. pray with a like ardour for then I had alwayâ— this answer Be it unto thee as thou wilt Thus to prevail in prayer the way is to be earnest and Fiat quod velis ardent in prayer it is ardency not eloquencâ— that carries it here Matth. 11. 12. and the violent take it by force i. e. they who with greaâ— earnestness and zeal seek after salvation they obtain it and onely they R. 10. Because when we thus seek them and obtain them we shall the more value them and with the more carefulness retain them by how much the more wrestlings we acquired them but lightly come lightly go When the Spouse Cant. 3. was at a loss for her beloved and she after earnest pursuits found him O how did she prize him and value him and how carefully retain him and would not let him go c. v. 4. I held him and would not let him go and so Mary her Master John 20. 16. O this is a mercy says the Soul that cost me many a sigh and many a groan and many a tear and much tugging and wrestling and therefore how singularly dear and precious is it to me and I can by no means part with it c. Vse 1. Are spiritual mercies thus to be sought with such earnestness fervently and frequently what shall we think of those then that in stead of seeking them thus scarce seek them at all O how many prayerless families and persons are there who call not on the name of the Lord and how sad is the state of such it cannot be exprest For 1. This is made the very badg and character of wicked men yea and of the very worst of wicked men Psalm 10. 4. The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts Psalm 14. 4. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledg who eat up my people as they eat bread and call not upon the Lord Thus it was said of her that was filthy and polluted the oppressing city Zeph. 3. 1â— she drew not near to her God 2. Such are practical Atheists they live without God in the world yea they say in effect Psalm 14. 1. there is no God for if there be a God why do they not
THE Sole and Soveraign Way OF ENGLAND'S being saved Humbly proposed By R. P. Minister of the Gospel O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou may'st be saved how long shall thy vain thoughts lodg within thee Jer. 4. 14. In his favour is life Psal 30. 5. Poenitentia amara est quidem ad tolerandum saluberrima autem ad convalescendum Bern in Serm. de verbis Sapient Ut malorum omnium haec causa est quod Deus offensus faciem abscondit ita plena salus ab unico favore ejusdem est expectanda Moller LONDON Printed by W. G. and are to be sold by J. Hancock at the three Bibles in Popes-head Alley N. Ponder at the Peacock in Chancery-lane and W. Adderton at the three Falcons in Duck-lane 1671. TO The Right Worshipful Sir THOMAS ALSTON Baronet Much Honoured SIR THE Treatise here ensuing being calculated not onely for the weal of greater Communities as Nations Cities Towns but also of lesser Societies as Families yea and particular persons In tenders of my service to your Self and your so worthily Honoured Lady I make bold here what it is to present it and the rather because it pleases the Lord by a distemper which so often renews its onsets upon you to give you so frequent memento's of that Turn which Moses declares to be the inevitable fate of all indefinitely Thou turnest man to destruction and sayest Psal 90. 3. return ye children of men Thus we run here a short round and soon come to our races end fetch but a turn as it Comparat oursum vitae nostrae gyro c. Calv. in loc were and then return back again Now may the Lord be pleas'd so to sanctifie those frequent memento's of your bodies turn to destruction as to advance more and more thereby that happy turn of conversion here treated of and so thereby bring you more and more under the shines of his face and comfortable displayes and refreshing beams of his favour I have often thought and sometimes upon occasion declar'd that however things appear to common sense yet certainly that is best for us here that state that condition those dispensations be they what they will though never so afflicting that are most effectual and have the fairest and most essential influence as to the advancing of our spiritual good here and our eternal happiness hereafter that is best for us in our way and where we take up onely for a while that doth advantage us most at our journeys end and where we must stay and abide by it for ever that not which pleases us best for a moment but profits us most for ever for things are here and are so to be counted of here as they relate to eternity and as to what is spiritual and everlasting which being the main and chief and that which is of greatest concern is in every thing to be the rule of the rest And because afflictions many times are most conducing here hence the Lord is pleas'd often to afflict those most here which he intends most good to hereafter And truly let our present condition be what it will here if the Lord does but please to mould it for our eternal weal hereafter it is an act of infinite mercy Lord lance here sear Domine hîc ure hîc seca modâ— in aeternum parcas here cry'd Austin so thou spare but hereafter so truly it matters not much what God does with us here so he spare but hereafter And by what he does with us or to us here does but the more fit us and the better mould us for Feliciter infelices infeliciter felices himself and glory hereafter How many are happy in being seemingly miserable while others are miserable in being seemingly happy because their seeming happiness hinders their real for having Psal 55. 19. no changes therefore they fear not God so that to live still in prosperity as is said of Nabal and not to experience those 1 Sam. 25. 6. changes as others do nor be in those troubles as others are as is said of the foolish Psal 75. 5. and the wicked is no such desireable state as many deem but dangerous It is said of our Edward the fourth Never lived Prince whom adversity more hardened Difficile est in honore esse sine tumore in praelatione sine elatione in dignitate sine vanitate Bern. to action nor prosperity softened to voluptuousness Edward the sixth was wont to say No danger to the godly unless by wealth prosperity And we see David himself though a man after God's own Psal 30. 5. heart yet in his prosperity he grew secure It is said of Moab He hath been Jer. 48. 11. at ease from his youth and he hath settled on his lees and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel neither hath he gone into captivity that is he hath not been hurried up and down from place to place Non immutavit habitationem non suit â—edibus suis pulsus c. nullam adversitatem expertus est Theodoret. iâ—s locum as Israel was c. and what follows therefore his tast remained in him and his sent is not changed his pride impiety and impurity still continued for it is said he magnified himself against the Lord and we have heard of the pride of â— 26. 29. Moab c. Even as Wines not being drawn off their lees and put into other vessels are not meliorated but retain their first tast and sent So we read of others who being settled on their lees Zeph. 1. 12. and not being emptied from vessel to vessel they say in their hearts The Lord will not do good neither will he do evill that is they grew stark Atheists boldly scorn God and men deny God's providence and make as if he was a very Idol and regarded not nor took notice of the affairs of men and others because God kept silence and did not punish them Ps 50. 21. they thought God such a one as themselves Now certainly it was better our lives were made up of nothing but changes than to come to such a pass and not to have our souls blest and enrich'd with so great a good as the fear of God which is said to be the treasure of Kings and Is 33. 6. which the Lord hath declar'd to man from heaven to be his wisdom and which Job 28. 28. issuing forth into obedience to God's commandements Solomon the wisest King that ever was and one inspir'd by God hath concluded and left upon record Eccles 12. 13. to be the whole and all of man Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quia hoc omnis homo vel hoc omne homo est Fear God and keep his commandements for this is the whole duty of man It is in the Hebrew onely this all man that is as it may be rendered this is all
the joy and comfort of them more than countervail the other there being no comparison between them but the one exceedingly transcending the other As the sufferings of this present Rom. 8. 18. time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to be revealed hereafter so neither are they to be compared with spiritual mercies here as for God to turn us again to himself to pardon our sins to cause his face to shine to vouchsafe us his favour and his comforts and consolations What sufferings or afflictions will not these comfort and support under or what other wants will they not more than countervail what are the world's frowns to God's smiles the world's troubles to God's peace the world's sorrows to God's joyes the world's afflictions to God's consolations the world's pressures to the pleasures of God's presence or its burdens to the rest which that affords what are its Bitters to God's Sweets its Gall and Wormwood to the Wine of his Love Cant. 1. 2. Let him kiss me with the Kisses of his mouth for thy love is better than wine and v. 4. we will remember thy love more than wine yea 't is better than life and in it even in death it self there is life And hence is it that the Apostle speaks what is a Paradox to the men of the world troubled but not distressed as sorrowful yet always rejoycing as having nothing and yet possessing all things as dying and yet behold we live live in the light of God's countenance in his sight as Hosea 6. 2. and we shall live in his sight where indeed only the Soul truly lives and there it may live even in death and have light arise to it even in darkness and see light in the greatest obscurity and this light I mean the light of God's countenance it giveth Songs even in the night as it did to Paul and Silas when thrust into the inner prison and their feet made fast in the Stocks yet God's gracious presence did so cheer their spirits and put such joy into their hearts that even at midnight they brake forth in praises to God Acts 16. 25. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God and the prisoners heard them they did not onely pray but sing prayses and sung so loud that others heard them the prisoners heard them they were awaken'd by them And what did they think of them surely they thought they were not well in their wits to sing at such a time and in such a place and in such a condition who having been beaten and many stripes laid upon them were cast into prison yea thrust into the inner prison and their feet made fast in the stocks and yet now to sing O if God cause but his face to shine if he lift but up the light of his countenance it will make a man sing at any time in any place in any condition it will turn a prison into a Pallace and a dungeon into a Paradise This made David to have his Psalms yea Michtams i. his golden Psalms or as the Dutch render it his golden Jewels Aureum ornamentum aut insigne exputissimo auro factum it signifies what is made of the best and finest gold so called because of their singular preciousness and excellency in the saddest places and in the saddest outward condition as when the Philistins took him in Gath when he fled from Saul in the Cave when Saul sent and they watcht the house to kill him c. See Psalm 56 57 59 the Titles Moses Psalm 90. 14. prays O satisfie us early with thy mercy i. e. with thy loving kindness vouchsafe us thy favour that we may rejoyce and be glad all our dayes This is enough to make the people of God rejoice and be glad all their dayes be they never so dark and gloomy evil and perillous As we have received mercy sayes the Apostle we faint not 2 Cor. 4. 1. The Lord tels Moses Exod. 33. 14. My presence shall go with thee and I will give thee rest Though Moses was to go through a wearisome wilderness and amidst a wearisom people yet the Lord's presence should give him rest We may go any where with him he will be an hiding place from the wind and a covert from the tempest as rivers of water in a dry place as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land Isa 32. 2. Vse 1. Of Reproof to those who when miseries and calamities are upon themselves or the Nation look after the removal of them but not after Spiritual mereies they are very earnest and sollicitous that God would take away their ourward plagues remove his judgments but not that God would take away their sins and turn them again to himself and cause his face to shine But so God will but do the other free them of their miseries let the latter do what they will Psalm 4. 6. There be many that say who will shew us any good i. e. any outward good how to compasse any earthly worldly gain or advantage O that we might have peace and plenty or how shall we once get out of these troubles and afflictions but few say with David lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us and then all shall be well if thou do but this Many when they are in pain and sick and weak they cry out indeed but for what for ease and health and recovery not that they may be turned from their sins and recover God's favour as Pharaoh he calls to have other plagues taken away but never begs to have the plague of his own heart taken away which was the greatest of all and far worse than all the other but this is the voice onely of nature and argues a graceless heart and that which the Lord as I said complains of Hos 6. 14. Vse 2. Of Exhortation Then when miseries and calamities do abide us let this be our Prayer let us with the Church and people of God here more especially and most earnestly beg and implore spiritual mercies that God would turn us again and cause his face to shine lift up upon us the light of his countenance vouchsafe us his grace and favour bless us in turning us from our iniquities let us be importunate for these ask them again and again and whatever outward evils or distresses may abide us these as you have heard will not only comfort and support us under them but more than countervail them When he giveth quietness who then can make trouble c if God be for us who can be against us Rom. 8. 31. You know what Philip said to our Saviour John 14. 8. Lord shew us the father and it sufficeth us So let but the Father shew us himself shine on us with his face vouchsafe us his favour and it sufficeth As the Lord said unto Paul and says to all his people 2 Corinth 12. 9. my grace is sufficient for thee though then Paul was in
Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and return and I will heal your back-slidings So Turn to the Lord your Joel 2. 13 14. God for he is gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and who knoweth if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behind him c. And Let the wicked forsake his way Isaiah 55. 7 8. and the unrighteous his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy on Nemo se curandum praebeat qui contemptui non compassioni se medico suo putat futurum him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon for my thoughts are not your thoughts c. And so in many places besides and also in the New Testament the promise of grace and pardon and salvation is propounded as the great motive and means and cause of Repentance i. e. as apprehended and received and how can that be but by faith Repent ye for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand and Repent ye and be converted Matth. 3. 2. 4. 17. that your sins may be blotted out c. And hence true repentance may be thus described that it is An Evangelical or Gospel-saving grace whereby a believing sinner or a sinner upon the apprehension and perswasion of the mercy of Acts 3. 19. God in Christ to such as are penitent so grieves and humbles himself for his sins as that he turns from them to the Lord for where there are nothing but apprehensions of wrath and displeasure there can be no true saving Evangelical conversion 4. It must be such a turning as hath joyn'd with it shame and even confusion of face for what the sinner turns from for what he hath been and done for the sins he hath committed And thus it was with Ephraim when he repented and turn'd to God indeed as himself acknowledges Surely after that I was turned I repented that Jer. 31. 19. is God working in me by a spirit of conversion I also cooperated by and with his grace having a lively sorrow for my sin and a striving after newness of life and now my heart was in another frame and my life in another way then before And after I was instructed saw and understood and consider'd how it was with me what I had been and what I had done I smote upon my thigh I was much moov'd troubled and griev'd and not onely so but I was ashamed yea confounded Thus it was when he was turn'd and repented indeed because says he I did bear the reproach of my youth of those sins and excesses and miscarriages of my youth these much dear'd me and exceedingly sham'd me as they will do others when they come to repent indeed O that sin and Satan and the world and vanity should have the prime and flower of their age and the best and first of their days and that in their very strength and vigour when they were best able to do him service they should do him least nay be unserviceable and serve the Devil and their lusts And what a shameful thing is this and how can the sinner but blush when he comes to be sensible of it Pudor est affectus qui nascitur ob aliquam turpitudinem c. P. Martyr Shame and confusion of face is that which arises from doing shameful things from doing what is unworthy unseemly vile even against common principles so from doing that of which comes no fruit or benefit but hurt rather as also from having hopes frustrated c. and all these fall in with sin What a vile and unworthy thing is it that God should be left for the creature the fountain of living waters for broken cisterns that can hold no water that happiness it self should be forsaken for misery all sufficiency for indigency and vanity and the Lord of life and glory for vile lusts and leasing c. There is a natural affection of shame which appears in the countenance by blushing when any thing is done amiss and is to be cherisht especially in young ones so as to be as a bridle to keep off from what is matter of shame so it grow not to excess but then there is a holy and gracious shame which is a concomitant of Repentance and conversion causing trouble and grief and debasing of the soul before God and this hath been still found among true Converts Thus Ezra 9. 6. Ezra I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God c. So the Lord tells Jerusalem Then shalt thou remember thy wayes and be ashamed Ezek. 16. 61. 36. 31. c. And ye shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities c. And this Sancti viri semper dolent erubescunt de admissis peccatis Pet. Martyr hath such an affinity with repentance that it is sometimes put for Repentance What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed that is whereof ye now repent and from which ye are converted for the end of those things is death and therefore well might they be ashamed of such things in which not onely there was no profit but which tended to so much hurt even to their own ruine and destruction And thus it is with all true converts however before they bore themselves up and set a good face on their sins yet now being enlightned and come to themselves and their right minds they are ashamed And if this be to repent and be converted how few Converts are there in these days and how far are such from it who go on in their sins without shame which is an heavy aggravation of them It is best not to do what is matter of shame but having done it not to be ashamed doubles it and it is that the Lord much complains of Thou had'st a whores forehead thou refusedst to he ashamed And Jerem. 3. 3. 6. 15. were they ashamed when they had committed abominatoon nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush they would not blush and at length they were so hardened they could not blush This the Lord complains of again Jer. 8. 12. and again in Isaiah 3. 9. The shew of their countenance doth witness against them and they declare their sin as Sodom they hide it not they are bold brazen-fac'd impudent Illum ego periisse dico cui periit pudor Salust they care not who sees or knows their sin they glory even in their shame And this is too too much the guise of England this day which does so much aggravate our sin and augment our guilt and is exceeding sad and bodes exceeding ill Our filthiness as was said of Jerusalem Lament 1. 9. is in our skirts it is not hid but open obvious apparent and I have not found it says the Jerem. 2. 34. Lord by secret search or by digging
cure If I shut up heaven says the Lord that there be no rain or if I command the Locusts to 2 Chron. 7. 13. devour the Land or if I send pestilence among my people that is whatever judgments I inflict on a people for under these are comprised all other if v. 14. my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves c. So if they shall confess their iniquity c. and their uncircumcised hearts be humbled c. At what instant I shall Levit. 26. 40. Jer. 18. 7 8. speak concerning a nation and concerning a Kingdom to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy it If that Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil I will repent of the evil I thought to do unto them Is there says the Prophet no balm in Gilead is there no Physician Jer. 8. 22. there Gilead was a place where there was plenty of Balm and it was famous for the soveraignest Balsams for from thence they were wont to be transported into other countreys and there were also store of skilful Physicians and therefore it was strange and matter of wonder indeed that Balm and Physicians should fail and not be had there But admit there should be no Balm no not in Gilead yet is there Balm with God and that all Physicians fail on earth yet is there a Physician in heaven who whatever are a peoples maladies if he do but undertake the cure will be sure to bring remedy Psalm 60. 11. 68. 20. who gives help from trouble when vain is the help of man and unto whom belong the issues from death For we have no might against this great 2 Chr. 20. 12. company that cometh against us neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee who yet canst help us and save us from above though no help nor way of salvation appears from beneath Thus there is a way for a people to be saved whatever is their case and truly this is a great mercy and that the Lord is pleased also to point a people to it when their case hath been exceeding deplorable and seem'd almost desperate as Joel 2. in the first chapter and the former part of the second what sore and terrible judgments had God threatned and yet v. 12. Therefore also now saith the Lord turn ye even to me c. So Return thou back-sliding Israel saith Hos 14. 1. the Lord c. Who says the Lord would set the briars and thorns against me in battel I would Jer. 3. 12. go through them I would burn them together Or let him take hold of my strength that he may Isa 27. 4 5. make peace with me and he shall make peace with me How desperate seemed Ninivehs condition Jonah 3. 4. yet forty days and Niniveh shall be destroyed and yet there was a remedy and they betaking themselves to it are saved And as it is with people so with a particular person and as in regard of their miseries so their iniquities as Shechaniah said We have trespassed against our God and have taken strange wives of the people of the Land directly against God's express Law Dent. 7. 3. yet now there is hope in Israel Ezra 102. concerning this thing our case is not desperate but we may yet be brought to repentance and pardoned Behold thou art wroth for we have sinned in these is continuance that is in those Isa 64. 5. ways of grace and mercy thou art still the same and if thou pleasest thus still to shew and manifest thy self we shall be saved So wash ye make you clean put away the evil of your doings c. Isai 1. 16 18. and then Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow though they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wool These were the deepest Dies implying whatever their sins were though never so great yet upon their repentance they should be graciously and fully pardoned Let Israel hope in the Lord for with Ps 130. 7. the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities There is a way for the wicked and most unrighteous man to be saved which the Lord calls and invites him to Let the wicked Isaiah 55. 7. forsake his way and the unrighteous man his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et vir iniquitatis thoughts Hebr. The man of iniquity or made up as it were of iniquity or the man of wrong or vexation as some render it one word signifies both that hath so much wrong'd not onely his own soul but God vexed his holy and good Spirit yet there is a way for such a one to be saved Let him but forsake his way and his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Hebr. he will multiply to pardon So that his pardons shall infinitely exceed his sins there shall be pardons and to spare as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 superabundavit plus quà m abundavit supermultiplicata est Paul expresses it 1 Tim. 1. 14. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant or redundant superabundant more than enough or as it were overfull enough and to spare it abounded to flowing over as the Sea doth above Mole-hills And because we are ready to be measuring God by our selves and to think this cannot be done because we cannot do it we cannot our selves pass by so many and great provocations and therefore how should God hence God foreseeing our low conceits of him he answers v. 8. For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord v. 9. For as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts 2. If this be the onely way for a people to be saved this lets us see in what an unlikely way and posture we of this Nation are at this day to be saved And O that we had hearts to bewail it I am sure we have cause even to have rivers of waters to run down our eyes as they did Ps 119. 136. Jer. 9. 1. Davids and to wish with the Prophet Jeremy Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night c. and to say as the Prophet Isaiah Isa 22. 4. Look away from me I will weep bitterly labour not to comfort me c. For are we turned again to the Lord or do we turn from our sins Surely as to the generality of people amongst us nothing less no nor yet though God hath inflicted upon us so many sore and heavy judgments such as scarce have been heard of nor have been in our days nor in our fathers days before us
goes and though God does then as it were hedg up sinners ways with thorns yet they break through This was that which set such a brand and Emphasis of disgrace upon Ahaz that all might observe and take notice of And in the times of his distress yet did he trespass more against the Lord this is 2 Chr. 28. 22. that King Ahaz And so will the Lord say another day of others this is that man that woman that family that people that person who when God afflicted yet trespass'd more and more and this does so incense God's wrath as to blow it up into a consuming flame and such a flame as shall not be quencht And therefore Jer. 4. 4. what now remains but that with all seriousness and earnestness we forthwith set our selves to and about this great work and concern both of our selves and the Nation that with all vehemency we implore it with our utmost endeavours prosecute it making use of all ways and means whereby we may attain it and not stand it out still 'till inevitable destruction overtake us else we must take what follows we must either remove our sins or God will for ever remove himself and his mercies CHAP. XIV To incourage one another to turn to God AND this work now being so blessed a work and of such infinite importance let us encourage one another unto it let us say as those in Hosea come and let us return unto the Hos 6. 1 2. Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us c. as if they had said And this it is the wisest course we can take it being our own happiness and good and not God's who is all-sufficient as if a man be warm'd and refresh'd by the Sun he is benefited himself but not the Sun and if a man drinks of the fountain he profits himself not the fountain so God needs not our conversion if we turn what does it advantage him not at all the profit and advantage is our own and upon this account he desires it not for any need he hath of us but for the need we have of him And shall we not then incourage one another to this and say as those in the Lamentations Wherefore doth a living man complain a Lam. 3. 39 40 man for the punishment of his sins Let us search and try our ways and turn again to the Lord c. As if they had said What do we complaining who are yet living it is sad indeed with us but it is a mercy it is no worse that our Bodies are not in the Grave and our Souls in Hell for whatever is on this side Hell is Mercy and alive and complain and when for the punishment of Sin the evil of punishment being little to the evil of sin the bitterness for sin to the bitterness in sin one strikes at us the other at God one at the Creature the other at the Creatour the one at what is finite the other at what is infinite and the worst that punishment does or can do to us is little to what Sin does to or against God the Sinner gives worse gall and wormwood to God to drink than he does to the Sinner hence the Church resolves to bear the indignation of the Lord because she had sinned against him and hence says the Micah 7. 9. Lord to a people who would plead with him about his proceedings as if he had been rigorous towards them Wherefore saies he will ye plead with me plead with me Come then Jer. 2. 29. saies God and I will plead with you and stop your mouths with one word I will say but this and it is enough for ever to silence you for ever opening your mouths more against me Ye all have transgressed against me saith the Lord and do but sit down and seriously weigh what you have done in doing that and against whom you have done it and there 's enough to silence you As to what ever I have done to you it 's little to what you do against me and O! that Sinners would but consider this Ye have transgressed against me and Is 43. 24. thereby what have ye done even broken my law crossed and contradicted my will darken'd my glory griv'd and embitter'd my Spirit turned the back to me and not the face and wearied me and made me even to serve though a God of such infinite majesty and shall we now complain or plead with the Lord no let us rather incourage one another to return come and let us return We read indeed of other comes incouraging comes to that which is evil and destructive and these have been too too much the Comes of England which hath made things come to that pass as they are Come ye Is 56 12. say they I will fetch wine and we will fill our selves with strong drink and to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundantly Come and Jer. 18. 18. let us devise devices against Jeremiah c. come and let us smite him with the tongue and let us not give heed to any of his words c. Come and let us lay wait for bloud let us lurk privily for Prov. 1. 11. the innocent without cause c. But these are hellish pernicious comes and have occasioned so many great and heavy judgments to come upon us one on the neck of another let us therefore now at length change our comes and let them be come and let us repent come and let us turn again unto the Lord come and let us amend our ways and our doings and get our hearts and ways right with God that so things may be right with us come and let all our other strifes end now in this who should be first herein in turning to God and so in promoting our own and the Nations weal. Others are striving for worldly precedency but let us for spiritual and it is no pride here to go one before another but he is humblest that goes first And these are blessed comes and calls indeed to call one another to the most high to incourage one another to turn to God the chief good and to come off from sin so exceeding evil yea the greatest and chiefest and indeed onely true evil and the cause of all other evils which is it self a punishment yea the worst of punishments the work of the Devil and worse than hell and Devils and all other evils whatsoever which threw down Angels to hell and has more evil in it than all the Angels in heaven have good which was Christ's great work in coming into the world to save from and which nothing but his bloud can make Matth. 1. 21. Hebr. 9. 22. expiation of which not onely offends and dishonours and offers the greatest injury to the blessed God but exceedingly wrongs our selves our own souls which debases distresses defiles befools hardens destroys spoyls our good things is the sting of our evil things
an ill case there was given to him a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet him c. v. 7. yet says the Lord to him my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness Let our condition be what it will let it seem never so sad let our tryals and afflictions be never so many and great yet God's grace i. e. his favour his accepting grace is sufficient to comfort us yea and his sanctifying strengthning and supporting grace to uphold us When says David I said my foot slippeth thy mercy O Lord held me up In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my Soul Psalm 94. 18 19. The Lord alone and his favour is a full compleat and more than sufficient counter-comfort to all troubles and calamities whatsoever and the light of his countenance does not onely put more joy and gladness into their hearts upon whom it is lift up than in the time when others Corn and Wine increases but it puts more joy than the greatest decrease of them can occasion sorrow Habuk. 3. 17 18. Although the Fig-tree shall not blossom neither shall fruit be in the Vines c. yet I will rejoyce in the Lord c. yea it alters the very nature of the evils themselves that they are not what they were that sickness is not sickness as it were hence it is said Is 33. 24. And the Inhabitants shall not say I am sick the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity And hence Matth. 9. 2. our Saviour there bids the man sick of the Palsie be of good cheer his sins being forgiven though his sickness was not yet cured and so had he cause had it never been cured In six yea in seven troubles this keeps all evil from touching us Job 5. 19. And therefore how earnestly how importunately at all times but more especially in evil times should we implore these mercies CHAP. IV. The second Doctrine observable as more general LOoking upon these words as being the burden of the Psalm and that which the Church and people of God do so often and earnestly beg and intreat again and again no less than three times v. 3 7 19 in this one Psalm thence we observe Doct. 2. Spiritual blessings special Ter repetitur haec precatio ut fieri solet quando animus in invocatione ardet Strigelius peculiar mercies are to be prayed for with all earnestness not onely simply to be asked to be sought but in such a way and after such a manner viz. frequently and fervently often and earnestly again and again with ardency and ut most importunity For thus the Church and people of God seek them here for God to turn them again and cause his face to shine these were Spiritual blessings choice special and peculiar mercies Soul-benefits and they are earnest and importunate for them they beg them once and again and again as if they would not be denied them and as if they were resolv'd not to be put off without them But what are we to understand by Spiritual blessings by special peculiar mercies By these we are to understand in a word such as these here specified and such like as for God to turn us from our sins to himself to take away our iniquities and receive us graciously for him to be our God and for us to be his people and vouchsafe us his favour Spirit grace his accepting grace and his sanctifying and renewing grace pardon of sin and power against sin the blessings of the Covenant the sure mercies of David such as we find recorded in these and the like places Jer. 31. 33 34. 32. 38 39 40. Ezek. 36. 25 26 27 c. Micah 7. 19. c. And such blessings such mercies are thus to be prayed for thus to be sought R. 1. Because God thus commands us to seek them and unless we thus seek them we do not seek them as he enjoyns Psal 105. 4. Seek the Lord and his strength seek his face evermore Math. 6. 33. But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness c. first not onely in regard of order of time but earnestness of endevours we are commanded to seek these not onely before other things but more than other things As these must be first so chief and most in our pursuits So Joh 6. 27. Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for the meat which endureth to everlasting life which the son of man shall give unto you for him hath God the father sealed not that we are forbidden to labour for things necessary to this life for that we are and ought to do but the meaning is that we must mainly and chiefly labour for that meat that endures to everlasting life that is for Christ and his benefits those things appointed by God for refreshing and sustaining the soul to eternity So that this is to be understood comparatively rather for the meat c. preferring the one before the other as when it 's said Matth. 9. 13. I will have mercy and not sacrifice he excludes not sacrifice but preferreth mercy So Luke 11. 9. And I say unto you ask and it shall be given you seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you By these expressions Christ enjoyns earnestness and perseverance in prayer for it is not a bare simple repetition of the same thing but a gradation and it is meant of things necessary to salvation and the whole scope of the place is to stir up to earnestness Ask and Scopus est oportere nos constanter orare cum ardore do not onely ask but seek yea and not onely seek but knock Thus when the Lord prescribes unto Aaron and his Sons to bless the children of Israel which was by supplicating his face and favour this they were to implore again and again as in that form Numbers 6. 25. The Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious to thee v. 26. The Lord lift up his Countenance upon thee and give thee peace R. 2. Because others have thus sought them even with all earnestness as the Church and people of God here and so others elsewhere The Prophet David tels us Psalm 119. 58. he intreated the favour of God but how with his whole heart I intreated thy favour with my whole heart So how often in the same Psalm does he beg of God to quicken him and to teach him his statutes nine or ten times the one and seven or eight times the other So how importunate is he for pardon Psalm 51. 6. according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my trnsgressions v. 2. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity clense me from my sin v. 7. Purge me with hysop and I shall be clean wash me c. v. 9. Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities c. And how importunate was Jacob for the
have lost or spare to be left to ruine 3. For others but more especially for Sion for Jerusalem for the Church and people of God we should for such mercies be very importunate as these here and the Prophets and people of God elsewhere as the Prophet Isaiah 62. 1. For Sions sake will I not hold my peace and for Jerusalem's sake will I not rest untill the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness and the salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth Here the Prophet professeth his serious purpose of an unwearied constant sollicitation of God for his Church of which Sion was a type and it is till its righteousness go forth c. And thus earnest zealous and importunate should we be for the Church and people of God we should not onely propound our desires but press and enforce them as it is said afterward of the watchmen upon the walls of Jerusalem v. 6. I have set watchmen upon thy walls O Jerusalem which shall never hold their peace day nor night and then it follows ye that make mention of the Lord or nearer the Hebrew Rememorantes Dominum vel qui reminiscimini Domini Ye that are the Lord's remembrancers or ye that mind the Lord to wit of his Church whose office it is to be still minding and solliciting him in its behalf it is a term borrowed from the manner of Princes who have certain Officers called their Remembrancers to mind them of such matters as concern the publick weal and welfare and what an honour and priviledg is it to be remembrancers to the King of Heaven and this honour have not onely his Ministers but all his people not that God is subject to forgetfulness or can forget his Church and the things that concern its weal but for his own glory and his peoples greater comfort God will have it be thus viz. that he be earnestly sollicited and sought to and these now are bid to give him no rest till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the Earth i. e. they must continue instant and constant in prayer be urgent and importunate with God untill he hear and put his Church into such a condition that all may praise her or for which she may become famous throughout the whole world And thus let us both Ministers and people resolve to do not to hold our peace day nor night nor keep silence nor give the Lord rest till he establish and till he make our Jerusalem a praise to the Earth Let us not onely call upon his name but stir up our selves to take hold of him let us put forth all our strength put out our selves to the utmost yet to stay him with us for wo to us if he depart from us Want of this the Prophet Isaiah complains of and acknowledges as a great sin Is 64. 6. And we all says he do fade as a leaf and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away and yet there is none v. 7. that calleth upon thy name that addresseth himself unto thee at least aright or but very few so few as that they were not as it were seen nor did appear but were hid in the multitude or if more did call upon his name yet they did not stir up themselves to take hold of God to stay him with them though he threatened Emphasis est in verbo tenendi sumptâ metaphorâ á patre irato manum ad ferulam expediente cujus manum apprehensam alius teneat conhibeátque nè feriat filium Arular in locum and was upon his departure from them or they took not hold of his hand to stay him from striking them in his anger for thou hast hid thy face from us and hast consumed us because of our iniquities And so the particle is used elsewhere or as some when thou didst hide thy face from us c. and so it is an heavy aggravation of their stupidity sluggishness and security thà t though the Lord did manifest his displeasure against them by the withdrawing the light of his countenance from them and consumed them because of their iniquities as he hath done us yet such was their stupor and sluggishness that notwithstanding they did not stir up themselves to take hold of him though he seem'd to be a going and truely not to stir up our selves at such a time does stir up the Lord the more against us such neglects do much provoke for at such times we should be more than ordinary zealous earnest and importunate sollicitors for Sion not onely proposing our desires but enforcing and pressing the same with all fervency And such let us be O let every prayer be a pleading a wrestling with strong resolution not to let him go till he return in mercy unto Sion and with a smiling and favourable countenance look upon it How earnest and sollicitous was Daniel for Jerusalem in that prayer of his Dan. 9. 3. And I set my face to the Lord God this shews his earnestness setting all other things aside to seek by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes and v. 17. Now therefore O our God hear the prayer of thy servant and his supplications Supplication differs from prayer as being a further degree of enforcing our petitions either by redoubling our suits or pressing them with arguments And cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary for the Lord's sake i. e. shew thy grace and favour by the effects thereof in restoring thy publick worship to the people and v. 19. O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and defer not for thine own sake O my God for thy city and thy people are called by thy name here is further fervency earnestness and holy zeal in prayer uttering strong cryes So David Psal 14. 7. O that the salvation of Israel were come out of Sion or who will give the salvation of Israel c. or O that some would give it is a Non tam privatim de se cogitat quam de communi Ecclesiae salute sollicitus form and phrase of earnest wishing usual with the Hebrews and often used in Scripture elsewhere and it gives us to see how sollicitous David was for Israel's salvation he forgot himself as it were for to remember that and so should we CHAP. V. The several points of Doctrine observable from the words as more particular and as being implied Doctr. 1. We are all by nature turn'd aside and gone away from God Else what needed this being turn'd again and this is observable from the words as they respect those who were never yet turn'd and therefore are here prayed for that they may be turn'd or converted Indeed as God at first made us he was with us and we with him and our faces were unto him but now having sinned our backs are upon him and we are gone away from him and by going on in sin we go away still further from him and this the Scripture every
Zach. 1. 3. the Lord of Hosts turn ye unto me and I will turn unto you For them to turn to him repentingly and for him to turn to them graciously these two do the work as to their weale they turn all evil away from them and set all good a coming towards them the sanctifying grace of God renewing and his accepting grace graciously receiving the sincerity of a peoples repentance and the serenity of God's countenance the effectual working of God's grace and the favourable shining of his face this is the very way for a people to be saved and this I shall illustrate in several particulars 1. This is the right way the true and proper way for a people to be sav'd It is said of Ezra 8. 21. Ezra that he proclaimed a fast c. to seek of the Lord a right way for them and their little ones and all their substance and here 's that right way indeed for us and ours and others for all for our little ones and all our substance for all we have or enjoy and if the Lord delight in us as Joshua and Caleb said of the Land of Numb 14. 8. Canaan he will bring us into this way which he who is just and right yea the most upright prescribes and surely were we our selves and in our right minds we would betake our selves to this as the onely right way of all our weal and happiness 2. It is a sure soveraign way a prevalent way an effectual way it never fails nor falls short and that let a peoples present state and condition be what it will seem it never so sad and desperate yet if the Lord do but turn them again and cause his face to shine they shall be saved yea they cannot but be saved as these undoubtedly here do promise to themselves 3. It is an experienc'd way a well prov'd and tried way a way that hath many probatum est's upon it for never was there people or person that God did indeed turn to himself and cause his face to shine upon but they were saved Niniveh that great city was within 40 days to have been destroyed But God seeing their works Jonah 3. 3. â—â— that they turn'd from their evil way he repented of the evil that he had said he would do unto them and he did it not and although the children of Israel forsaking the Lord and serving other Gods the Lord tels them that he would deliver them no more but bids them go and cry unto the Gods that they had chosen c. yet they Judg. 10. 13 14 15 16. putting away the strange Gods from among them and serving the Lord his soul was grieved for their misery And what an ill case do we find Israel to be in 2 Chron. 15. 3. it is said that for a long season they had been without the true God and without a teaching Priest and without Law and yet v. 4. when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord and sought him he was found of them So God hearing Ephraim to bemoan himself Jer. 31. 18 19 20. 21. and to repent his bowels are troubled for him or earns towards him as the mothers towards her child and now I will surely says the Lord have mercy on him and now he must think of and prepare for his return Set thee up way-marks c. So in Hosea 14. the Lord there bids Israel take with them words and turn Hosea 14. 1 2 to the Lord and say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us graciously and then they resolve so will we render the calves of our lips that is the spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving and such indeed shall have cause for it cannot but be well with them Thus whatever proofs whatever assays have been made in this kind whether formerly or lately they have done they have been found effectual as to a peoples being saved and never was it yet known that ever a people or a person truly turning again unto God and being graciously received of him did miscarry let any produce an instance if they can Look as he being wise in heart and mighty in strength none ever hardned Job 9. 4. themselves against him and prosper'd so he being great in kindness and rich in mercy none ever turn'd to him but were saved 4. This is the way to be saved in mercy so to be saved as to be blest with Salvation as the Lord promises to his people as concerning peace Psalm 29. 11. that he will bless them therewith It is one thing to have peace and salvation and deliverance and mercies and another thing to be blest with them and to have them in mercy and as mercies and this latter is the greater many have these but few are blest with these but when God so saves a people as to turn them again and cause his face to shine then they are sav'd in mercy so as to be blest with their being saved I speak now of temporal salvation then in love to their souls God delivers them as it is said of Hezekiah Is 38. 17. And they are not so saved as afterward to be destroyed as it is said of the people that the Jude 4. Lord sav'd out of the land of Egypt that afterward he destroyed them that believed not 5. This is the way to be sav'd universally and that in a threesold respect 1. which way soever we take or understand being saved For this word saved is very comprehensive and of large extent denoting not onely the privative part of happiness though that most properly as freedom from enemies and evils of all sorts but the positive also as the fruition of all good and hence is it here variously read and rendred we read it we shall be saved others blessed happy or it shall be well with us and all things Servabimur salvi erimus beati verè felices omnia nobis feliciter cedent vivemus regnabimus nec ullo bono destitueemur shall happily succeed to us or we shall be safe and secure and in a good case and condition we shall live and raign and want no good thing And now which way soever we take or understand it or which way soever we read or render it this here reaches and takes in all and all follow upon this God's turning us again and causing his face to shine and when he is pleas'd to do this to vouchsafe these we may write under it what ever we will that tends indeed to our weal and makes for our good 2. This is the way to have all saved Kingdom saved Nation saved Church saved Court saved City saved Countrey saved Towns Families persons our selves ours others our relations our little ones to have bodies saved souls religion lives liberties estates gospel or whatever else is neer or dear to us 3. This is the way to be saved with all manner and kinds of salvation and from all
deem them why because Singulare beneficium cruce quasi spinis occludi viam peccandi God makes use of them many times to further and help forward this blessed turn and this being the onely way for sinners to be saved and to have it well with them this speaks well of afflictions Thus Manasseh who was so grievous a 2 Chron. 33. 12. sinner yet being in affliction he sought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly c. and Luk. 15. â—7 18. when the prodigal suffered hardship and was ready to perish with hunger then he resolv'd to arise and go to his father and when God hedged up Israel's way with thorns sent troubles and Hosea 2. 6 7. distresses upon them then she resolves to go and return to her first husband not as if they effected this of themselves but by the Spirits working in them and by them But whiles sinners live in jollity and prosperity and have no troubles nor changes they never think of changing their way nor returning to God and thus the prosperity of fools destroys them whereas adversity might be Prov. 1. 32. a means to save them but by the other they are hardened and encouraged to go on still in a course of sin without returning Because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed Eccles 8. 11. Psalm 73. 5 6. 50 21. therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil They are not in trouble as other men therefore pride compasses them about c. These things hast thou done and I kept silence Psal â—0 21. thou thoughtest I was such a one altogether as thy self So Thou art wearied in the Is 57. 10. See also Ps 55. 19. Jer. 5. 28. 22. 21. c. greatness of thy way yet saidst thou not there is no hope and why thou hast found the life of thine hand therefore thou wast not grieved that is thou hast found comfort by the Assyrians and they promise to strengthen thy hand with help and therefore thou art incouraged to go on still in thy way and therefore 't is a great mercy to such for God to afflict them and give them trouble and grief that so the ways of sin may be wearisome and troublesome and so they may think of returning from them when in some measure they feel the weight and burden of them and happy affliction that works to conversion happy troubles that further a sinner's peace by furthering his turning to God and putting a stop to him in his sins that cause sinners to seek the Lord whom before they forgot and lived without And how may this help to sweeten and alleviate the bitterness of afflictions and though bitter yet render them better than the sweetest pleasures of sin Blessed is the man whom thou châ—stenest O Lord and Ps 94. 12. teachest him out of thy Law c. Blessed blacks that are a means to turn us white and happy darks that are a means to turn us to light But 2 Chron. 15. 4 Is 26. 16. when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord c. Lord in trouble have they visited thee c. In their affliction they will seek â—e verly c. Hos 5. 15. But while sinners go in 〈◊〉 their greatest affliction and punishment is not to 〈◊〉 afflicted their greatest crosâ— and 〈…〉 crost for such are like to go on still in their sins And thus that which many sinners count their greatest felicity to prosper and be without trouble and affliction in their evil ways they go on in it is their greatest misery and that which they count their greatest priviledg is their greatest plague and proves their greatest detriment there being nothing sadder than a sinner prospering in an evil course and God not afflicting him and thus the Lord threatens it I will not punish your daughters when they commit Hos 4. 14. whoredom nor your spouses when they commit adultery c. And this is the greatest punishment the forest wrath the highest displeasure the furnace is heated here seven times hotter than ordinary for such are like to go on to commit whoredome and adultery still God withholding those punishments whereby they might be restrain'd and letting them go on without controule to their own utter confusion and destruction not taking any more pains with them by corrections to restrain their courses in sin but letting them go on still in the full career of their lusts and be as vile as they will and this is the heaviest judgment and argues the hottest displeasure it is next door to hell and such are within one step of being as miserable as they Vis indignantis Dèi terribilem vocem audire c. Orig. can be Wilt thou says one hear the terrible voice of a provoked God hear it here I will not punish c. So v. 17. and Matth. 15. 15. Bernard calls it a mercy more cruel than all Misericordia omni indignatione crudelior indignation a killing courtesie a cut-throat kindness yet how many are ready to bless themselves and think it a fine world to go on in their own ways without trouble whereas there cannot a greater plague befall them which made Luther cry strike Lord strike spare not and Feri Domine feri c. Jeremiah 10. 24. O Lord correct me but with judgment c. And this makes afflictions a great priviledge a choice mercy when they further our repentance and make us change our purpose and resolve to turn to God CHAP. X. The second Vse of the point in general by way of Exhortation and first to seek this by Prayer THE onely way for a people to be saved Use 2. of Exhortation is it for God to turn them again and cause his face to shine O as ever then we would be saved saved our selves or have others saved ours saved the Kingdom saved Church saved City countrey towns families friends relations little ones bodies souls religion lives liberties estates Gospel or whatever else is near or dear to us and as ever we would be sav'd indeed sav'd to purpose sav'd in mercy so as to be blessed and happy in being sav'd and have it well with us and all happily succeed to us here and be everlastingly saved hereafter let us all in the name and fear of God be exhorted excited and stirred up to seek this beseech this earnestly to intreat and importune this O that the Lord God of hosts would turn us again and cause his face to shine let this be our frequent and our fervent our often and our earnest prayer unto him and let us continue thus praying asking seeking begging beseeching intreating importuning knocking 'till the Lord is pleased to give us a gracious answer let us resolve with Jacob not to let him go except he thus bless us for nothing can avail us as to our happiness as to our weal as to the having
none among them to call and invite them to better but suffer'd them to walk in their own ways and to go to hell in their Acts 14. 16. Idolatries God did not manifest his will to to them as he did to the Jews and thus the old Translation has it God regarded not Dutch reads it overlooked or disrespected lightly and slightly past them by his eye was not upon them for good so as to provide for them and send amongst them those that should call and invite them to repentance as he does now The word is the same that is used Acts 6. 1. and it signifies to despise neglect look over or besides because their widows were neglected So that to have an eye upon a place or person it being to manifest kindness and respect this winking seems to be Psal 33. 18. 34. 15. opposed to favour rather than justice viz. that God disregarded them overlooking them or besides them and not at them in mercy And de Dieu upon the place shews that it signifies God's anger and displeasure against them and therefore hid the means of salvation from them so that here not onely is God's command of repentance made known but the goodness of God in pressing the same c. And truly it is very sad in this sense for God to look over or look besides a place or people not so to regard times and shew that care of them and respect towards them as to send those among them that should call and invite them to repentance But England has nothing to charge God with as to this if this be to manifest respect to a people never had Nation clearer nor fuller demonstrations thereof then we have had And this sense and interpretation of the words does best agree with the sequel but now commandeth all men every where to repent and therein manifests more grace and favour he does not now leave nor let men alone to go on in their sins and walk in their own ways as formerly but many are now sent forth to call and invite them to repentance to reclaim sinners and to reduce wandering prodigals crying Turn ye turn ye and return return Repentance and remission of sins is now preached in Christ's name and many shew here and there and where ever they come that men should repent and turn to God c. So that now the great God does not onely command all men every where to repent but the holy Ghost specifies it here as a choice mercy and singular favour and priviledg that he does so and that beyond what he vouchsafed to former ages and the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men every where to repent and truly next to true repentance and saving conversion it self this is the choicest mercy and greatest and highest priviledg that God can betrust a place or people with and this is the clearest and amplest demonstration of God's regard and respect to times that he can give for God to send his messengers up and down here and there in his name to command and invite and call upon people to repent and turn to God to cry as those Prophets of old Thus saith the Lord of hosts turn ye now from your evil ways Zach 1. 4. and from your evil doings c. and Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye dy and as that blessed Martyr Repent O England repent repent this is the fruit of God's compassion 2 Chr. 36. 15. on a people and in this the tender mercy of Luk. 1. 77 78 79 God yea the very bowels of his mercy do break forth and display themselves and to despise and reject such mercy to kick against such bowels causes the wrath of the Lord to arise against a people till there is no remedy for if says 2 Chron. 36. 16 17. Christ I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin that is in comparison their sin Joh. 15. 22. had not been so grievous as now it is but they might have had some excuse because of their ignorance but now they have no cloak or pretence for their sin Thus that the great and most high God commands us to repent not only should his soveraign authority therein awe us and have a strong influence upon us to obey but the regard and respect also which therein he manifests to us and the care which he shews he has therein of our souls and this is here subjoyned as one reason why he now commands all men every where to repent v. 31. because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judg the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance to all men in that he hath raised him from the dead There is a day of judgment set a great and terrible day in which God will judg the world and he hath given assurance thereof to all men and now God would have it well with men at that day that they might be found then in peace and that it might be a day of refreshing to them and to that end he now commands them all every where to repent and to turn to him without which he knows it will be a sad day to them a day of perdition and destruction and therefore is he still long-suffering towards us not from slackness but from a willingness that none of us should perish but that we should all come to repentance and so be saved And what a great mercy and singular kindness is it that God has put us into a capacity of finding good by repentance by giving his Son to shed his bloud and to lay down his life for our sins without which all our repentance could have avail'd us nothing And shall not now God's authority nor clemency his soveraignty nor sweetness in commanding us to repent prevail with us but shall we despise both his greatness and his goodness his Majesty and his mercy what will this be but after our hardness and impenitent Rom. 2. 5. hearts to treasure up to our selves wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God 2. There is a necessity as a way and means of our happiness and 2. Necessitas medii Nisi agnitis peccatis seriâ cordis contritione pungamini verâ fide á deo irato ad eum propitium in filio placatum conversi fueritis vitamque emendáveritis omnes simul peribitis Winckel weal as that without which it cannot be but we must perish and this Jesus Christ himself who is the Amen the faithful and true witness yea truth it self hath twice averred Luk. 13. 3 5. I tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish And again I tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish I tell you who know full well who shall be saved and came to save that except you repent