Sauiour meaneth by his Day to wit his comming in the flesh for the redemption of mankind This day of Christ Abraham x Heb. 11.13 saw a farre off and as he reioyced to be assured of it so we may resolue that it was the principall desire of his soule to be interressed into the saluation which was procured by it in due time The more Abraham reioyced in it the more he longed for it and with the greater desire he expected it with the greater gladnes of spirit he entertained it Come downe a litle lower from him to Iacob that one voice of his vttered by him in greate vehemencie vpon his death-bed while he was telling the future estate of his progenie shall witnes the disposition of his Heart in this case y Gen. 49.19 O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation He saw by the spirit of prophecie many troubles and miseries like to come vpon his children therefore as a man weaned from outward things by this meanes and taught to rely only vpon the Lord he crieth out O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation Was it not the longing after Christ which made z Heb. 11.26 Moses esteeme the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egipt was not Hezekiah his heart full of longing and was he not euen readie to faint in his desires after the mercy of God when he cried out in the Anguish of his soule a Is 38.14 O Lord it hath oppressed me Comfort me Was not Iobs desire earnest when feeling himselfe to be euen ouercome of sorow he brast out into these words b Iob. 10.20 Let the Lord cease and leaue of from me that I may take a litle comfort In a word let our sauiour testimonie be sufficient for the longing of all the prophets and righteous men that liued in those elder times c Math. 13.17 I say vnto you that many Prophets and righteous men haue desired to see those things which you see c. If wee consider the times of Christs visible being on earth and after we shall see the spirit of God like himselfe and bringing forth the same fruites in others of Gods children Old Simeon a holy man here is his stile d Luc. 2.25 He waited for the consolation of Israel and he desired life but onely to satisfie this longing Ioseph an honourable counseller yet here was his glory e Luc. 23.51 He waited or longed for the kingdome of God Paul may stand insteede of many examples what thinke we did he long for when he vttered those words f Rom 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death adde to this his g Rom. 8.23 sighing in himselfe his h Phil. 1.23 desiring to be with Christ. The Iewes that heard Peter preach and were pricked by his stinging sermon called to them i Act. 2.37 Men and brethren what shall wee doe was not there longing The poore perplexed Iaylor which came to Paul and Silas with a crie Sirs k Act. 10.30 what must I doe to be saued was not his desire feruent I might bring in a cloud of witnesses but these may suffice to shew the generall disposition and affection of all Gods Children All their soules be hungry soules all their hearts be longing hearts the maine thing affected by them is saluation If you will haue a reason for it it is no heard matter to yeeld a very sufficient one There are three things required of a christian 1. By a feeling of sinne to seeke Christ 2. By a holy faith to finde Christ 3. By newnes of life to dwell with Christ The first of those three is this same longing for saluation which I intreat of and therefore as in a ladder there is no comming to the vpper steppe but by the nethermost so there is no dwelling with Christ which is the height of happines in this life but by finding him found he cannot be but by seeking to seeke him and to long for him are all one no man seekes him but he which longs for him and no man longs for him but he will care to seeke him Taking this point therefore for granted because I see no reason why it should be denied I will apply my selfe to the applying of it I pray you in the feare of God obserue it There is nothing which concerneth a Christian more The vse if either we respect the strait charge giuen for it or the great comfort rising out of it then to seeke to assure his soule that he is in the number of those that shall be saued What true comfort can a man take in any thing who is vnresolued in a matter of this consequence he may haue a kind of slight and deceitfull gladnes but as Iob saith of the Ioy of Hipocrites l Iob. 20.7 it is but for a moment and m Pro. 11.7 when he dieth his hope perisheth and n Iob. 18.6 his candle shal be put out with him Well then it being a matter of that behoofe to euery man to make his future estate sure vnto his soule know this of a truth I speake it not as desiring to deceiue but as labouring to resolue that there is no more certaine course then this to try thy selfe to examine thy selfe by this worthy paterne compounded of so many worthy examples assure thy selfe the liker thou art to them in this Affection the neerer art thou to life and happines and the lesse thou art transformed into this Image the more of the corrupt old man abideth in thee and if thou hold on so when the day commeth in which eternall life shall be shared out vnto those for whome it is prepared Christ shall dismisse thee with that comfortlesse speech which was sometime vsed to Simon Magus o Act. 8.21 thou hast no part nor fellowship in this busines Let it not be greiuous vnto thee that I aske thee a fewe Questions and be thou perswaded that it is a matter that behoueth thee much well to answere them what is the principall desire of thy soule what is the thing which thou most affectest what is that which thou dost truly think thy selfe most happy if thou mightest once obtaine what is it which hath most exercised thy thoughts and for the procuring whereof thou hast bene most pensiue what is it the discourses and discoueries whereof haue bene with the greatest appetite receiued by thee what is it for the thinking whereon thy soule hath euen languished within thee speake the truth in the presence of God who cannot be deluded Is it the Saluation of thy soule is it the forgiuenes of thy sinnes is it the fauour of God in Christ Iesus is it to be assured in thy soule that the Hand-writing which was against thee is cancelled and that there is peace in heauen for thee and a place prouided in that Kingdome which cannot be shaken is it that when this
earthly house of this Tabernacle shall be destroyed thou maist be receiued into euerlasting habitations How saist thou Are these things strangers to thy thoughts or doe they take vp a cheife roome in thy Affections Are they deepely apprehended or are they but slightly and cursorily entertained Are thy meditations touching these setled and such as hold thee long or are they but like flying motions which are as soone vanished as perceiued Though thy tongue if thou shouldst nowe speake for thy selfe happily would dissemble yet I am sure that if thou talke earnestly with thy conscience that will not fllatter thee Howsoeuer it be this I must tell thee that such as thy desires are herein such is thy estate dost thou long with Dauid thou shalt be saued with Dauid Is saluation If thou wilt speake the Truth lest in thy longing then stand forth and heare thy Iudgment thou shalt be called the lost in the Kingdome of God The longing soule shal be filled the carelesse and full gorged spirits shal be sent empty away This is the true vse of this doctrine Howbeit this be the generall vse of this point yet because p Ier. 17.9 the heart of man is deceitfull aboue all things and there is a q Ps 32.2 spirituall Guile which cleaueth close vnto vs so that thou mayest both make me beleeue by protestations and thy selfe thinke by idle perswasions that thou truly longest for saluation when there is no such matter therefore I pray thee to pardon my feare and suffer me to be iealous euer with a godly iealousie and to tell thee which art so readie vpon the first hearing of this point to answer for thy selfe to tell thee I say that I do much doubt it is not so well with thee as thou dost suppose If thou askest a reason of me why I should be so hard of beleefe as not to credit thee when thou sayest and protestest that thou longest for saluation I aunswer thee that I am suspicious that the ground of true longing is altogether wanting in thee I will tell thee what that is and so leaue thee to be thine owne iudge It is this a liuely feeling of thine owne wretchednesse and miserie through sinne This is the thing which will make a man long to be saued which wil make the message of the Gospell to be glad tidings the feeling of sinne cannot chuse but bring forth a desire to haue the pardon of sinne And indeed in reason it must needes be so For as a man which hath offended the law and is appointed to death ordinarily except he be a man desperate would rather haue a pardon then any thing in the world besides because without it he knowes he can haue ioy in nothing so he which hath offended God and findeth himselfe in the rigour of Gods iustice to be the child of death cannot chuse but more highly prize the fauour of God in the remission of his sinnes then all the treasures and riches vnder heauen When men are secure and without feeling of sin though the grace of God in Christ be neuer so plentifully offered vnto them yet they esteeme it not it seemeth to them as a base thing they regard it not but if once a man feele the sting of sinne then he would giue the world for one litle drop of Gods mercie The prodigall sonne when he liued at home with his father and had meate and drinke enough and knew no want then he was weary of his abundance and would needes aduenture further to try a better fortune but when he had felt the smart of hunger he would haue bene in the state of one of his fathers hired seruants r Luc. 15.19 Make me as one of thy hired seruants Dauid being well humbled would take it in good worth to be a Å¿ Psal 84.10 doore keeper in the house of the Lord and the poore Canaanitish woman when our Sauiour had well schooled her was content euen with t mat 15.27 Crummes of mercie u Pro. 27.7 The person that is full despiseth an hony combe saith Salomon but vnto the hungry soule euery bitter thing is sweet Though a man haue formerly bene obstinate and stubborne and * Psa 50.17 hating to be reformed hauing x Is 48.4 a necke as an iron sinew and a brow as brasse yet if he be once brought to see himselfe as it were at the brinke and hell gaping to receiue him and the eternall waight of Gods displeasure readie to ceaze vpon him then you shall find him tractable mourning like Ephraim y Ier. 31.18 O Lord conuert me and I shall be conuerted yeelding meekely with Paule z Act. 9.6 Lord what wilt thou that I do running to the Minister like the people to Samuel a 1. Sam. 12.19 O pray to the Lord thy God that I dye not And they which now count euery Sermon to be the burden of the Lord and are readie to say to the Seers See not and to Prophets prophecy not vnto vs would then run about vs and hang vpon vs as they did of old vpon Moses when they saw the glory of Gods maiesty talke b Exod. 20.10 thou with vs and we will heare they would importune vs and call vpon vs as the rulers of the Sinagogue did vpon Paul and Barnabas c Act. 13.15 that if we haue any word of exhortation we would say on These would be the fruites of this feeling and all shewes of longing are but shewes which fetch not their first beginning from this deepe apprehension of the wofull and distressed estate of a mans own soule So then now thou seest there is some cause that I should be suspicious of thy pretended longing For if when I looke into thee if when I conferre with thee if when I obserue thy course I see thee to be such an one as the greatest part a man d Zeph. 1.12 Frozen in the dregs one that e Deu. 29.19 blessest thy selfe in thy heart one that knowest not how thou art poore and f Roâ— 3.17 wretched and miserable blind and naked one who standest in no awe of Gods iustice one whose g Ps 119.120 flesh trembleth not for feare of God neither art afraid of his iudgement one that yet vnderstandest not what it is to be a sinner and how h Heb. 10.31 â— fearefull a thing it is to fall into the hands of the liuing God one that i Mal. 3.14 deemest it vaine to serue God and a meere folly to be so religious as some would be in a word one k 2. Tim. 3.5 who contentest thy selfe with a shew of godlinesse without any power of religion How should I suppose it possible for thee to long to be saued when thou canst not tell out of thine owne feeling what it is to need saluation Shall I thinke he longeth to be cured who though it may be he is sicke yet feeleth it not Shall I
imagine he desireth to be rich who though he be in want yet perceiueth it not Reason it selfe is cleane against it I pray thee therefore learne this lesson which though perhaps it may now be learned yet it will find thee worke for thy life though thou shouldest liue yet many yeares All Gods children long vnfainedly for saluation if thou haue not the same affection with them thou canst not haue the same saluation with them thou wilt say I know if thou be asked O God forbid I were a wretch if I did not long to be saued I pray thee be not deceiued A slight wish to l Num. 2â— 10 dye the death of the righteous as Balaam had thou maist haue and yet no longing It is a matter longer in comming then thou which feelest it not art yet aware of Thy heart must first be softened before saluation can be longed for and I tell thee it is a hard thing to circumcise the heart and to make it bleed it hath a skinne growne ouer it which is not easily remoued Therefore pray the Lord m Num. 20. which made waters flow out of the rocke to smite thy flintie heart to n Eze. 11.19 take the stony heart out of thy bodie to open thy heart as he did o Act. 16.14 Lydiaes to put a new spirit within thy bowels to p Reu. 3.18 annoynt thine eyes with eye-salue that so thou mayest see and feele thy owne wretchednesse and mayest feelingly acknowledge with Paul that in thy q Rom. 7.18 Flesh there dwelleth no goodnesse with Dauid r Ps 38.4 that thine iniquities are as a waightie burden too heauie for thee with Iacob Å¿ Gen. 32.10 that thou art lesse then the least of all Gods mercies with Daniel t Dan 9.7 that open shame belongeth to thee with u Iob. â— 3 Iob that thou canst not answer him one thing of a thousand that so thou mayest haue if it be possible but euen a glimpse of that wofull score which the Lord hath against thee against the day of reckoning and a tast of the horror of hell then and neuer till then wilt thou long to be saued then and neuer till then will the mercie of God be sweet vnto thee when thou feelest the intolerable burthen of a * Pro. 18 14. wounded spirit thy soule will x Math. 5.6 thirst after righteousnesse and all things will be but y Phil. 3.8 dung vnto thee that thou mayest winne Christ the tiâ—…ngs of him will make thy very hâ—art z Luc. 1.41 to leap with in thee as the greeting of Mary did the babe in the wombe of Elizabeth they will come downe vpon thy perplexed soule a Ps 72.6 like the raine vpon the mowne grasse and as the showers that water the earth So much for the first part Dauids longing The second parte Now followeth the second part Dauids loue Thy law is my delight Many words of like effect Dauid vseth in this Psalme yet we may not account them any idle repetitions but rather repute them as testimonies of abundance of zeale the heart of a religious man being like the fire which in the strength thereof breaketh forth into many sparcles so that also out of the inward abundance bursteth out into many speaches Touching the thing it selfe the matter you see of Dauids loue it is the lawe By which word he doth not here vnderstand that part of Gods reuealed will which with a respect and reference had vnto the Gospell is called the lawe the vse whereof is as Paul teacheth to b Rom. 4.15 cause wrath to c Rom. 3.19 stop euery mouth that all may be culpable before God but here it is taken in a larger sense for the whole word of God and for the entire body of the holy doctrine which is d 2. Tim. 3.16.17 giuen by inspiration of God to make vs perfect vnto all good workes This was that which was Dauids delight the ioy of his heart and gladding of his soule the very quickning and enliuing of his spirits And it is by the way worthy to be obserued in Dauid that still looke what affection he professeth to carie to God himselfe the same he also professeth to cary to his word as he saith he e Ps 116.1 loueth God so he saith also f Ps 116.97 he loueth his lawe g ver 120. as he feareth God h ver 161. so his heart stood in awe of the word as he said i ver 57. O Lord that art my portion so he said k ver 111. thy testimonies haue I taken as an heritage for euer which is meet to be noted both for the better illustration and manefestation of Dauids heart and for the discouery of the idle protestations which many make who if they be dealt with concerning the true knowledge of God and the way of saluation will answer what tell you me of these things say what you can I am sure you can tell no more but this that I must loue God aboue all things c. And I trust I shall alwaies loue God as well as you or the best learned But now here is their hipocrisie descried in that they haue so small loue vnto the word This by the way though not vnprofitably Doctrine To come neerer to the point the thing which we learne hence out of Dauids ioyning these two together I long for saluation and thy lawe is my delight is this that it is not inough for a man to say he longes and desires to be saued vnlesse he make conscience to vse the appointed meanes to bring him thereunto It had bene but hipocrisie in Dauid to say he longed for saluation if his conscience had not bene able to witnes with him that the lawe was his delight It is meere mockery for a man to say he longeth for bread and prayeth to God euery day to giue him his dayly bread if he yet either walke in no calling or els seeke to get by fraud and rapine not staying himselfe at all vpon Gods prouidence Who will imagine that a man wisheth for health who either despiseth or neglecteth the meanes of his recouery God hath in his wisedome appointed a lawfull meanes for euery lawfull thing this meanes being obediently vsed the comfortable obtaining of the end may be boldly looked for the means being not obserued to thinke to attaine to the end is meere presumption God would deliuer Noah from the floud but Noah l Heb. 11.7 must be moued with reuerence and prepare the Arke or els he could not haue escaped He would saue Lot from Sodom but yet Lot m Gen. 19. must hye him out quickly and not looke behinde him till he haue recouered Zoan n Is 38.21 He was pleased to cure Hezekiah of the plague but yet Hezekiah must take a lumpe of drye figs and lay it vpoÌ„ his boile He vouchsafed to preserue Paul and his company at