to this may that speech of our Saviour be applied Matth. 9.29 According to thy faith so be it unto thee Fiftly and lastly That soule that can seeke to Christ for helpe against any corruption and confidently expect to receive it and wait upon him for it shall be sure not to be overcome of it Esa. 40.31 They that waite upon the Lord shall renew their strength And 30.18 Blessed are all they that waite for him Lecture LXVIII On Psalme 51.5 Septemb 11. 1627. THe fourth and last use that the third and last Doctrine that we have learned out of these words touching the heinousnesse and danger of originall sinne serveth unto is To breed thankfullnesse in us and so to comfort us in the acknowledgement and admiration of the goodnesse and mercy of God For the Doctrine of originall sinne and the true consideration of this how vile and corrupt we are even by nature doth notably set forth the goodnesse of God towards us and hath great force to make us thankfull for it and cause us to admire and take comfort in it This use we find the Apostle made of this Doctrine Rom. 7. For having meditated seriously of the strength of corruption that was still in his nature and being deepely affected and humbled with it as appeareth by that exclamation of his verse 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Presently hee bursteth forth into this voice of joy and thanksgiving verse 25. I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord. As if he should say O how much am I bound to God for his mercy towards me in Iesus Christ. Certainely we can never be truly thankfull to God for his mercies we cannot value them aright nor relish the sweetnesse of them till we do apprehend and can feelingly acknowledge how unworthy we are that God should shew any respect unto us and can say with Iacob Gen. 32.10 I am unworthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant The blessed Virgin in her song Luk. 1.48 giveth this for the reason why her soule did magnifie the Lord and her spirit did rejoyce in God her Saviour because the Lord had regarded the low estate of his handmaid had so farre regarded one that was in so low and base an estate as shee was And surely if we knew our owne vilenesse well as it hath beene discovered to us by this Doctrine of originall sinne and could also have grace seriously to thinke of it our soules would also magnifie the Lord and our spirits would rejoyce in God our Saviour Gods mercies would be sweeter to us then they are we could not choose but wonder that the Lord should be so gracious and good to us that are even by nature so alienated from him and enemies in our minds unto him as the Apostle speaketh Col. 1.21 Every imagination of the thoughts of whose hearts are onely evill continually Gen. 6.5 That he I say should neverthelesse be so good and gracious unto us as he is It would make every one of us say oft unto the Lord as Mephibosheth once did to David 2 Sam. 9.8 What is thy servant that thou shouldst looke upon such a dead dog as I am But to speake more distinctly of this point there be foure things especially wherein the knowledge of the vilenesse and corruption of our nature may cause us to admire the mercy and goodnesse of God 1. That there being such a world of wickednesse in every mans nature as there is the Lord is pleased so farre forth to keepe it under by his restraining grace that it breaketh forth no more then it doth 2. That the nature of man being in all the parts of it so extreamely corrupted any of Gods people should have any goodnesse at all in them 3. That there being so strong corruptions remaining in the very best of us any of us should be able to hold out in a Christian course 4 and lastly That the corruption of our nature being so great as it is it should do us no more hart but that we should bee so fully and perfectly freed from the danger of it And for the first of these Certainely when we rightly consider what the nature of man is we shall see just cause to admire the mercy of God towards us even in his restraining grace and to blame our selves that we have not taken better notice of it and beene more thankfull unto God for it hitherto Let us consider the worke and power of it first in others secondly in our selves and wee shall see that wee receive great benefit by it both waies And first for the worke of it in other men It must needs be acknowledged as a great favour of God that any of us live in such safety and peace as we doe when we go abroad when we are at home by night or by day if we did rightly consider what times these are what kind of people they be that wee live by even such as are by nature strongly inclined not to malice onely but to all kind of mischiefe besides Such as whose naturall disposition the Apostle describeth Rom. 3.14 17. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse their feet are swift to shed bloud destruction and misery are in their waies that is to say a desire to bring others to misery and destruction and the way of peace how to live peaceably they have not knowne This being so how commeth it to passe that wee receive no hurt at all by such kind of persons as these are Sanctifying grace they have none to change their natures For as the Apostle saith of them in the next words verse 18. There is no feare of God before their eyes Besides wee heare daily of other lewd men that in such and such places have committed strange outrages upon men in the high waies as they have beene travelling and in their houses while they have beene asleepe on their beds How falleth it out then that wee have lived in such safety hitherto You will say because the Lord hath beene our keeper Psal. 121.5 he hath kept watch and ward about us He hath made a hedge about us and our houses as Satan said of Iob 1.10 This is true indeed but a principall meanes whereby the Lord hath so kept us is this restraining grace of his in the hearts even of the most wicked men Observe I pray you the worke of it and the benefit we receive by it in three degrees First Whereas there is no corruption that a naturall man is more strongly inclined unto then to hate all such as feare God according to that of Pro. 29.27 He that is upright in his waies be he otherwise never so harmelesse or peaceable is an abomination to the wicked How commeth it to passe that in many naturall yea otherwise lewd men wee live by we could never yet discerne the least malice against us
be said which the Prophet speaketh of Israel Hos. 10.1 Israel is as an empty vine he bringeth forth fruit to himselfe As if hee had said In all good things he doth as he doth them out of selfe-love so he seeketh himselfe onely in them The meanest worke we doe in our calling if we doe it to the Lord and serve him in it will yeeld us assured comfort and reward also the best Sermon we can preach or heare if we do it not to the Lord but to our selves will yeeld us no comfort or reward from God Verily I say unto you saith our Saviour Mat. 6.2 they have their reward And so much for the first property that is required to the right manner of performing of all good duties they must be done to the right end In the other two I will be very briefe The second property required to the right manner of performing good duties is this they must be performed not with the outward man onely but with the heart See this 1 in the generall and 2 in some particular and speciall duties No obedience or service pleaseth God unlesse it be done feelingly and with the affection of the heart That is the thing God calleth for principally My sonne give me thy heart saith he Pro. 2â— 26 Fervâ—nt in spirit serving the Lord saith the Apostle Rom. 12.11 As if he had said No service pleaseth God unlesse it be done with fervencie of spirit This was the thing that God so much commendeth in the obedience of Iehoshaphat 2 Chron. 17.6 that his heart was lift up in the waies of the Lord. As though he should say Hee stirred up himselfe to walke in Gods waies with zeale and affection This also the Lord praiseth Hezekiah for 2 Chron. 31 21. In every worke that he began in the service of the house of God and in the law and in the commandements to seeke his God he did it with all his heart and prospered See this also in sundry speciall parts of our obedience and service unto God First No mans preaching pleaseth God unlesse hee preach with affection and zeale I serve God saith Paul Rom. 1.9 with my spirit in the Gospell of his sonne Secondly No mans hearing pleaseth God or will doe him any good unlesse he heare with affection If God open not your hearts as he did Lydias Act. 16.14 and make you able to heare with affection though you had as good preachers as Paul was your hearing would be to no purpose Thirdly No mans praying pleaseth God or will doe himselfe any good though his words be never so many or so good unlesse he pray with his heart with feeling and affection of heart The effectuall â—ervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much saith the Apostle Iames 5.16 As if he should have said The most righteous mans prayer that is will not be effectuall nor availe much with God unlesse it be fervent Fourthly Our singing of Psalmes pleaseth not God unlesse it be done with affection and feeling Our singing saith the Apostle Eph. 5.19 must be a making of melody in our hearts to the Lord. As if he had said The Lord regardeth no melody but that Fiftly The duties we performe to men in our callings please not God unlesse we doe them with affection of heart Whatsoever ye doe saith the Apostle to the servant Col 3.23 doe it heartily as to the Lord. As if hee had said Els you serve not God in any thing you do nor must looke for any acceptance or reward from him Sixtly and lastly The workes of mercy that wee doe though wee should give all wee have to the poore please not God unlesse they be done with affection and with a compassionat heart Whosoever hath ability and seeth his brother hath need saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 3.17 and shutteth up his bowells of compassion from him though he open his purse and give him never so much how dwelleth the love of God in him Let every one of us apply this to our selves for the time will not permit me to doe it The third and last property required in the manner of that obedience and service wee doe to God is this if we desire to doe it in the right manner we must doe it in humility In the best duties wee doe wee must find cause of humbling in our selves because wee have done them so poorely and so corruptly When yee have done all those things that are commanded you saith our Saviour Luke 17.10 say wee are unprofitable servants As if hee had said Say this is nothing to that that I should have done Whatsoever ye doe in word or deed saith the Apostle Col 3 17. doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus As though he should say Acknowledge and feele the need you have of Christ to make the best things that you doe acceptable unto God Thus did Nehemiah when he had done a better worke and service to God then any of us are ever like to doe while we live yet see how he was humbled in himselfe Neh. 13.22 Remember me ô my God concerning this also and spare me pardon me according to the greatnesse of thy mercy Without this there can be no uprightnesse of heart in us how good duties soever we performe Behold saith the Prophet Hab. 2.4 his soule which is listed up is not upright in him Lecture LXXXIX On Psalme 51.6 May 13. 1628. IT followeth now that we proceed to the third and last signe and note whereby uprightnesse of heart and truth of saving grace may bee discerned and judged of namely The bent of a mans mind and will the purpose and desire of his heart towards God We must therefore know that one of the surest notes of uprightnesse of heart and truth of grace is this when howsoever wee faile in our practise and obedience yet God hath our heart Yea that is such a signe as a poore Christian may find comfort in when he cannot in the most of them that you heard of before In the handling of this signe I will for the helpe of your understanding and memory observe this order 1. I will shew you what I meane by it 2. I will confirme it unto you 3. I will answer that which may bee objected against it 4. I will make some application of it First therefore the Lord is then said to have our heart when the two principall faculties of our soule that is to say our mind and our will are for God 1. When in our mind we allow and consent to the will of God in all things and can say as David doth Psal. 119.128 I esteeme all thy precepts concerning all things to be right And even in those things wherein through our corruption and weaknesse we do offend against the law yet we can say of the law with the Apostle Rom. 7.12 The law is holy and the commandement is holy and just good 2. When our will is to please God in all things we desire nothing
experience 1 of Gods marvellous providence in sundry extreamities as Abraham had 2 of Gods gracious presence revealed to us in his house and in the use of his ordinances as Iacob had 3 of the comfortable answer that God hath given to our prayers as hee did to Hannah 4 specially of the fruit happy successe we have found in our fasts the great deliverances we have received by them as Gods people in the daies of Iehosaphat and Mordecai did that we should likewise take heed of forgetting these experiments use all the meanes we can to keepe them in remembrance for ever And that for this very cause because as the Apostle saith Rom. 5.4 Experience worketh hope And that upon this ground because though we be variable the Lord is constant in his love Whom he loveth he loveth to the end Iohn 13.1 In him is no uariablenesse or shadow of turning Iames 1.17 The fourth and last meanes that they must use who desire to obtaine assurance of Gods favour in Christ to preserve it when they have it and to recover it when it is lost is this They must renounce themselves and looke for it onely through the free grace and mercy of God in Iesus Christ. When a man can neither 1 by diligent examination find any goodnesse in himselfe for the present 2 nor call to mind any goodnesse that hath beene in him formerly 3 nor can remember any such speciall mercy or fruit of Gods love that he hath received in times past upon which he can ground any assurance yet if he can then with an humbled soule despairing to get it any other way cast himselfe upon the free grace and mercy of God in Christ and cry with Gods people 2 Chron. 20.12 We know not what to doe but our eyes are upon thee he may obtaine assurance and comfort by this meanes when he cannot doe it by any other By this means David looked to receive his comfort and assurance as you may find by that speech he useth to his owne soule Psalme 42.5 which he repeateth againe verse 12. Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him for the helpe of his countenance He looked verily to recover the comfortable assurance of Gods favour How looked he to recover it Surely by hoping in God and resting in his mercy So by this meanes the faithfull professe they looked to obtaine the comfortable assurance of Gods love Psal. 33.20 22. Our soule waiteth for the Lord for our heart shall rejoyce in him because we have trusted in his holy name Let thy mercy O Lord be upon us according as we hope in thee Why but you will say can any man hope for mercy from God that can find no goodnesse in himselfe at all The righteous God loveth righteousnesse as we have heard out of Psal. 11.7 Ye that feare the Lord trust in the Lord saith David Psal. 115.11 The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting saith David Psal. 103.17 upon them that feare him But on the other side Such as have no goodnesse in them but are wicked men his soule hateth as David teacheth us Psal. 11.5 To this I answer That though no impenitent sinner can expect mercy from God neither would I have any such snatch at any thing that I shall say they have nothing to do with it yet the humbled and penitent sinner may as may appeare by examples Sundry that could find no goodnesse in themselves at all and therefore judged themselves utterly unworthy of mercy have yet relyed upon God trusted and looked to receive mercy from him neverthelesse for that Such a one was the Centurion Matth. 8.8 who though he judged himselfe unworthy that Christ should come under his roofe yet did trust to receive mercy from Christ for all that And the woman of Canaan who though she knew no goodnesse in her selfe but counted her selfe no better than a dog Mat. 15.27 yet trusted confidently in Christ for all that And two plain reasons there be for this First because they knew Gods mercy is free and not grounded upon any goodnesse that is in us I will love them freely saith the Lord Hos. 14.4 I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious saith the Lord Exod. 33.19 and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy Secondly Because they have trusted to receive mercy from God onely through Christ. In him they knew there was goodnesse enough though there were none in them Looke upon the face of thine annointed saith David Psal. 84.9 As if he should have said Though thou canst see no goodnesse in me for which thou shouldst shew me mercy yet thou maist see enough in him to content thee Cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary that is desolate saith Daniel 9.57 for the Lords sake Christ hath deserued that God should be mercifull to all the belieue in him And whatsoever goodnesse is in him is theirs He is made to us of God saith the Apostle 1 Corinth 1.30 wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption So that an humbled sinner may rely upon and expect mercy of God through Christ though he can discerne no goodnesse at all in himselfe Nay I say more that because thou findest in thy selfe no goodnesse at all therefore art thou of all men the fittest to receive mercy from God through Christ. Hâ—e every one that thirsteth saith the Lord Esa. 55.1 come ye to the waters and he that hath no money As if he had said He that hath no goodnesse in him nothing whereby he may hope to purchase and deserve mercy is neverthelesse capable of mercy for that nay he is the more capable of it because of that that he finds himselfe so As the emptier a glasse is the fitter it is to receive any precious liquor that should be put into it Blessed are the poore in spirit saith our Saviour Matth. 5.3 And To him that worketh not but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly saith the Apostle Rom. 4.5 To him that hath not any goodnesse not one good work to trust unto but can do God that honour as to believe in him expect and rest upon him for mercy though he know himselfe to be an ungodly man and void of all goodnesse to him his faith is imputed for righteousnesse As if he should say O that is a justifying that is an excellent faith indeed But though a man that feeleth no goodnesse in himselfe may yet expect to receive mercy and assurance of favour from God if he can rest himselfe upon the free grace and mercy of God in Christ and trust to receive it that way and that way alone yet how can such a one as I that am so full of feares and doubts and infidelity ever be able to do that my infidelity barreth me from all hope of mercy If Christ could do no mighty worke in Nazareth because of their infidelity
many good workes Suffered great wrongs from Saul with wonderfull patience and freedome from desire of revenge 1 Sam. 24.5 6. Shewed marvellous zeale for God in fighting his battells 1 Sam. 25.28 Shewed marvellous love to the Word and worship of God Psal. 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord and that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life and 84.1 How amiable are thy tabernacles O Lord of hosts And even at this instant when he maketh this prayer to God there was a great deale of goodnesse and grace in him 1. He confesseth freely his sinne unto God verse 3 4. 2. He was wonderfully humbled for it and grieved and broken hearted verse 8.17 3. His heart was quite changed and turned from his sinne unto God he loved him unfainedly and desired his glory verse 13 14. 4 And all this he did in uprightnesse of heart verse 6. Yet now comming to beg pardon of his sins he groundeth his hope to obtaine it upon none of his former good workes upon none of the goodnesse that he found now in himselfe but onely upon the mercy of God Now from these three points thus observed in the Text this Doctrine ariseth for our instruction That the best of Gods servants have no other ground of hope to find favour with God for the pardon of their sins but onely in the mercy of the Lord. Vpon this Gods choicest Saints have builded alwaies and in seeking pardon of their sins have pleaded nothing but this So doth David heere and so doth he in many other Psalmes Psal. 6 2 4. Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am weake returne ô Lord deliver my soule ô save me for thy mercies sake and 25.6 7. Remember ô Lord thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses for they have beene ever of old according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodnesse sake ô Lord. So doth Daniel in his prayer Dan. 9.9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses All pardons are mercies and are obtained by mercy onely Yea in all their prayers wherein they have sued to him for any blessing this hath ever beene in their eye and that which they have built all their confidence upon Psal. 5.7 As for me I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy This shall ever draw me and incourage me to come unto thee And 69.13 O God in the multitude of thy mercy heare me And 115.1 Not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy name give glory for thy mercy and for thy truths sake But what should I heape up testimonies in so plaine a case And yet because it is so usefull and comfortable a point I will not passe over it too sleightly but insist a while upon it so farre as I shall judge necessary for your edification And before I come to the reasons and grounds of the Doctrine I will answer two maine objections that the heart of man wil be apt to make against this Doctrine First How can our hope to finde favour with God be grounded onely upon the mercy of God How can the pardon of our sins bee ascribed to the meere mercy of God and to his free grace when wee obtaine not this favour of God till it was dearely bought and purchased 1 Cor. 6.20 Ye are bought with a price Yea sucha price as was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fully answerable in worth to the soules of all Gods elect and to that which God hath given us 1 Tim. 2.6 He gave himselfe a ransome for all The Lord forgave not one farthing of that summe wherein we stood indebted to him till he was fully satisfied for it First hee exacted and received by Christs passive obedience the whole forfeiture of our obligation hee had against us and so came wee to the pardon of our sins In which respect it may be said as Esa. 40.2 Wee have in our surety received at the Lords hand double for all our sinnes Secondly hee exacted and received also in Christs active obedience the whole debt of obedience to his Law that wee did owe unto him For Christ our surety not for himselfe but for us fulfilled all righteousnesse Matth. 3.15 And so came we to the title and right wee have to the Kingdome of Heaven So that it may seeme not the meere mercy and free grace of God but Christ is the only ground of our hope as he is called 1. Tim. 1.1 The Lord Iesus Christ is our hope And 1. Iohn 2.2 He is the propitiation for our sins To this I answer That the foundation of all our hope and comfort we have in Christ is in the mercy and free grace of God only For although the pardon of our sins and salvation of our soules in respect of Christ our surety was no free gift but a deare purchase and the Lord shewed no mercy at all to him but justice only yea rigour of justice Rom. 8.32 He spared not his owne sonne but delivered him up for us all Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Looke upon him when he was in his agony and passion paying our forfeiture and there was nothing to bee seene from top to toe soule and body but the curse of God he was all curse made a curse Yet do we obtaine this pardon and the salvation of our soules not by purchase but by the free gift of God Esa 9. ◠Vnto us a Sonne is given Ioh. 4.10 If thou knewest the gift of God And the mercy and free grace of God never appeared so much to us-ward in all the works that ever he did as in this worke of redeeming us from our sins by the bloud of Christ. For thus speaketh the Apostle Ephes. 1 7. In whom we have redemption through his bloud the forgivenesse of sins according to the riches of his grace the riches of Gods grace appeared in this Observe this I pray you in five points First It was the wonderfull mercy of God to us and nothing else that moved him to find out and appoint the meanes to satisfie his owne justice by It was the Lord himselfe that did fore-ordaine his owne Son to be our propitiation Rom. 3 27. He purposed this in himselfe Ephes. 1.9 And so the Lord indeed made satisfaction unto himselfe 2. Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe His love and mercy appeared more unto us in this then if by his absolute prerogative he had forgiven us without exacting any satisfaction at all Iohn 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne And Iohn 4.10 Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins Secondly It was the wonderfull mercy of God to us and nothing else that moved him to give any of us to Christ and to appoint
that he was in the time of his banishment like a broken vessell that none could make any use of And certainely the poorest servant and drudge that is may have more comfort in his estate then the greatest Gentleman that doth nothing but eat and drink and play nay then the greatest Scholler or Divine in the world that doth no good to others with the knowledge and learning that God hath given him 1 Cor. 12.7 The manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit with all And that is the reason why the Apostle preferreth prophesying before all other gifts because it tendeth most to the benefit and profit of others 1 Cor. 14.4 Fiftly Such as are all for themselves and have no care of the common good This is the common sinne of our times 1. In any businesse that concerneth the good of a whole towne how hardly are men drawne to yeeld their helping hand any way 2. In bearing the common burden and charge of a towne how ready are all men to withdraw and exempt themselves 3. Such as are put in trust to deale in businesses of the country or towne they live in are a great deale more carelesse and more lavish in expences then they are wont to be in their owne businesses These men I would have to remember 1. The expresse commandement of God 1 Cor. 10.24 Let no man seeke his owne but every man anothers wealth 2. That the good men have done to others and the care they have had that way will yeeld more comfort to their conscience and give them more assurance that they are now in the state of grace and shall hereafter come to the state of glory then the care they have had and paines they have taken to gather to themselves 1 Tim. 6.18 19. Charge rich men that they do good that they be rich in good workes ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on etrnall life For the more good we doe to others the liker we are to our heavenly father as we have heard now 3. This will get us a good name and esteeme both while we live and when we are gone For this was Iehojada so honoured at his death 2 Chron. 24.16 because he had done good in Israel And a good name is more worth then all our wealth Pro. 22.1 A good name is rather to be chosen then great riches 4. This is the best way to assure us of Gods blessing even in these outward things Ps. 37.3 Trust in the Lord and doe good so shalt thou dwell in the land and verily thou shalt be fed Lecture XXIIII on Psalme 51.1 2. May 2. 1626. NOw it followeth that we proceed unto the second sort of duties that we are to be exhorted unto from the consideration of the infinitenesse of Gods mercy and those are such as we owe unto the Lord himselfe There be then two other duties that from this Doctrine wee are to bee exhorted unto The first of them doth most properly respect our selves and I will propound it unto every one of you in the words that Eliphaz in another case useth unto Iob 5.27 Lo this we have searched it so it is heare thou it and know it for thy selfe Observe this well that you have heard of the marvellous mercy of God towards poore sinners it is a most certaine truth as by diligent searching of the holy Scriptures we have made it evident unto you heare thou it whosoever thou art and know it for thy selfe beleeve it and apply it to thine owne soule Seeing the Lord is abundant in loving kindnesse so plenteous in mercy labour thou to know that he is so unto thee that thou maist be able to say as David doth twice in one Psalme Psal. 59.10.17 He is the God of my mercy As if he had said his mercy is mine it belongeth unto me Rest nor content till thou find that his mercifull kindnesse is for thy comfort as David prayeth Psal. 119.76 I speake not of the common mercy of the Lord. I know you can all even the most wretched creature of you all say you have and doe daily tast of that Acts 17.28 In him we live and move and have our being Lam. 3.22 23 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions faâ—lâ— not they are renewed every morning And so doth every creature the Lord hath made Psal. 145.9 The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his workes and 147.9 He giveth to the beast his food and to thâ— yong ravens that cry And this common mercy of God is that which most men content themselves with that they may live and live long and live in health and quietnesse and pleasure though this be no other mercy then the bruit beasts enjoy as well as they But the mercy that I exhort you to make your owne to get assurance that it belongeth to your selves is the speciall mercy of God the mercy of David as Solomon speaketh 2 Chron. 6 4â— Remember the mercies of David thy servant The mercy that David obtained the mercy that David beggeth heere Psal. 51.1 According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions That mercy that reacheth unto the pardon of thy sinnes and salvation of thy soule that is the mercy that thou shouldst labour to know it belongeth unto thee Rest not in nor satisfie thy selfe with any other mercy that thou hast received but seeke carefully to make this thine owne Five notable differences there be betweene this mercy of the Lord and the other which may serve for so many motives to provoke us not to rest in the other but to seeke for this First those are such mercies as God casteth upon his enemies and such as he maketh no reckoning of yea more abundantly then upon his owne As it is said of royalty and kingly state one of the chiefe of them Gen. 36.31 Many Kings reigned in the land of Edom before there reigned any king over the children of Israel But these are peculiar to Gods Elect his dearly beloved ones In which respect Christ calleth those not ours but others goods but these mercies he calleth our owne peculiar unto us Luk. 16.12 If ye have not beene faithfull in that which is another mans who shall give you that which is your owne And wilt thou content thy selfe with these mercies rest in them dote upon them which Cain and Iudas and sundry others that thou art perswaded were abhorred of God and fry now in hell had as great a portion of as thy selfe O do not so but cry as Psal. 106.4 Remember me O Lord with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people ô visit me with thy salvation Secondly Those mercies though God bestow them on his elect also and we could not live without them yet they are in his account but trifles and such
as in comparison of these he maketh no reckoning of like a little over-measure that is given you when you have bought any thing like to the browne paper and pack-thrid that the mercers give you for nothing Mat. 6.33 these things shall be added to you But theâ—e mercies he maketh precious account of these are his jewells wherein he setteth forth the riches and glory of his mercy and bounty As Ahashuerus the King of the Medes and Persians shewed the riches of his glorious kingdome and the honour of his excellent majesty in that feast he made to his princes and servants Est. 1.4 so doth God much more set forth the riches and glory of his mercy in bestowing these precious mercies upon any For as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 14.17 The kingdome of God is not meat and drink but righteousnesse and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost These mercies therefore are called Ephes. 1.7 8. the riches of his grace wherein he hath abounded towards us Therefore when Paul speaketh of the mercy of God toward him in the pardon of his sinne he saith 1 Tim. 1.14 that the grace of God was exceeding abundant towards him This is a marvellous mercy of God that he should pardon any of us our sinnes and give us eternall life such a mercy as we can never sufficiently admire and wonder at Shew thy marvellous loving kindnesse ô thou that savest by thy right hand them that put their trust in thâ—e saith David Psal. 17.7 And Paul 2 Thess. 1.10 God shall be admired in all them that beleeve in that day Thirdly Those mercies are but of a short continuance they last no longer then this short and momentany life they are called therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things of this life 1 Cor. 6.4 But these are everlasting mercies and will out-last this life and endure unto eternity Psal. 103.17 The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that feare him Fourthly Those mercies are uncertaine even in this life 1 Tim. 6 17. Trust not in uncertaine riches But these are sure mercies not flitting or uncertaine if they be once gotten they can never be lost and are therefore called Esa. 55.3 the sure mercies of David Davids mercies the mercies he begged heere the mercies he made such reckoning of the mercies peculiar to him and the elect of God are sure mercies and can never be lost Fiftly and lastly Those mercies a man may have and have them in abundance and be made never a whit the better man never a whit more acceptable to God never a whit the neerer unto eternall happinesse Nay for the most part they make men that enjoy them most abundantly the worse men a great deale they estrange their hearts from God and deprive them of his kingdome There is a sore evill which I have seene under the sunne saith Solomon Eccl. 5.13 namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt Luke 18.24 How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdome of God vers 25. It is easier for a Camell to go through a needles eye then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God But these mercies of David never did any man receive but they made him a better man then he was before No man ever obtained this mercy to have his sinnes pardoned but his heart was changed and he became a new man presently Acts 5 3â— Christ giveth repentance unto Israel and forgivenesse of sinnes So Ezek. 36.25 26. I will sprinkle cleane water upon you and ye shall be cleane a new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you Labour therefore to make this thine owne to get assurance that these mercies of David do belong to thee that in the time of thy need thou maist have the benefit and comfort of these mercies Els will this one daylie heavie upon thy heart that there being so much mercy in the Lord such a fountaine yea such a sea of mercy yea thou knowing so much and having seene in the ministery of the Gospell this fountaine opened unto thee as the Prophet speaketh Zach. 13.1 yet thou art not washed in it thou art not cleansed from thy sinnes thou art never the better for it That there is mercy enough in the Lord to pardon Davids sinnes and Manasses sinnes and Peters sinnes and Mary Magdalens sinnes yea all manner of sinne and blasphemy as our Saviour speaketh Mat. 12.31 yet thy sin remaineth still unpardoned And all because thou hast despised these riches of the goodnesse of God as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 2.4 Thou hast esteemed much more of those common mercies of God then of these like the Prodigall who so long as he could get enough to fill his belly though it were but hogs-meate never thought of returning to his father and seeking for his favour Luk. 15.16 17. O this is it this despising of the Lords speciall mercies is that that will treasure and heape up wrath to a man against the day of wrath as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 2.5 Now if any man shall say I would faine know that this mercy of God belongeth to me but how may I come to be assured of it To that man I answer there be five things which may be both as signes and notes whereby thou mayst know it belongeth to thee and as meanes also to bring thee unto this assurance that thou desirest First If thou canst seeke and sue to him for this mercy with all thine heart that is more then for any other things prizing this mercy above all other mercies thou needest not doubt but it belongeth to thee thou shalt be sure to have thy part in it Marke the promises made to such as are in this case Ieremy 29.13 Ye shall seeke me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart Psalme 69.32 Your heart shall live that seeke God Other mercies thou mayst long for and sue earnestly for and never obtaine them but these spirituall mercies without which thou canst not be saved thou maist bee sure to obtaine if thou canst thus desire and seeke for them Luke 11.13 How much more shall your heavenly father give the holy spirit to them that aske him Psal. 105.3 Let the heart of them rejoyce that seeke the Lord. So that if thou want these the fault is in thy selfe Ye have not saith the Apostle Iam 4.2 because ye aske not Secondly If thou canst be miserable and dejected enough in thine owne eyes thou shalt not need to doubt but this mercy belongeth unto thee Misery we know is the object of mercy and chiefe motive to compassion If thou canst therfore unfainedly lay open unto God thy misery thy spirituall misery I meane the wounds sores of thy soule as poore creeples do their sores to meÌ„ whom they would move to pity them thou needest not doubt to find mercy with the Lord. Thus doth David seeke for mercy heere as you
may see verse 3 4 5. I acknowledge my transgression and my sin is ever before me Against thee thee onely have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me So doth he likewise Psal. 25.16 Turne thee unto me and have mercy upon me for I am desolate and afflicted They that seeke to God for mercy must judge themselves unworthy to find mercy as Benhadads servants did when they sued to Ahab for mercy they went with ropes on their heads and sackcloth about their loines 1 King 20.32 The Lord is plentifull in promising his mercy to such miserable humble and dejected soules Psal. 9.12 He forgetteth not the cry of the humble and 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble Therefore is this title given to the Lord he is called a God that comforteth the abject 2 Cor. 7.6 Thirdly If thou be one that fearest to offend God in any thing thou needst not doubt of his mercy for thou hast his promise Luke 1.50 His mercy is on them that feare him from generation to generation Fourthly If thou canst trust in his mercy and rely and rest upon it certainly it belongeth to thee That maketh David pray thus Psal. 33.22 Let thy mercy ô Lord be upon us according as we do hope in thee and 147.11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that hope in his mercy Fiftly If Christ be the onely ground of thy hope and confidence to find mercy with God if thou trust to obtaine it onely through the merit of his bloud There is no comming before the mercy-seat of God but through him This was notably figured unto Gods people in the ceremoniall law 1. None might goe into the holy of holies where the mercy-seat stood to obtaine mercy for Gods people but the High-priest onely who was a figure of Christ Heb. 9.7 2. He might not upon paine of death presume to come before the mercy-seat to obtaine mercy for Gods people without incense which signifyed the intercession of Christ. Levit. 16.13 The cloud of the incense must cover the mercy-seat that he die not 3. He must not come before the mercy-seat without the bloud of the sacrifice which signified the bloud of Christ Heb. 9.7 Into the second Tabernacle went the High-priest alone not without bloud which he offered for himselfe and for the errours of the people Levit. 16.14 He shall take of the bloud of the bullocke and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy-seat No hope of comfort at Gods mercy-seat but onely through the merit of Christs bloud who is therefore called our hope 1 Tim. 1.1 But having him for our High-priest we may goe boldly to the throne of grace and may obtaine mercy and find grace to helpe in time of need as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 4.16 And so much shall serve to be spoken of the first dutie which concerneth the Lord himselfe Seeing the Lord is so infinite in mercy labour thou to know that hee is so unto thee Lecture XXV On Psal. 51.1 2. May 16. 1626. NOw for the second duty which concerneth the Lord himselfe it is that which the Prophet exhorteth us unto Psal. 29.2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name that is carry your selves toward him accordingly give him his due If we know and beleeve indeed that God is so gracious and mercifull specially if we know and beleeve he is so unto us how can we choose but love him and feare to offend him and cry shame upon our selves that we are no more willing and desirous to serve and please him Therefore doth the Apostle pray for the Ephesians Ephes. 3.18 19. that God would make them able to comprehend with all Saints what is the length and breadth and deapth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that they might be filled with all the fullnesse of God as if he should say If once you fully knew this love that God hath borne to you in Christ it would even fill you with all the fullnesse of God that is with all the sanctifying and saving grace of God Many deceive themselves miserably in this point and challenge to themselves an interest in Gods speciall mercy without any ground at all I will therefore shew you five notable effects that the true knowledge of this marvellous mercy and goodnesse of the Lord must needs worke upon them that have it Whereby as by certaine notes you may try your selves whether you do indeed beleeve and know that this speciall mercy of the Lord doth belong unto you First It will make men afraid to offend him Nothing hath that force to work in a man the true feare of God as this hath Psal. 130.4 There is mercy with thee that thou maist be feared and Hos. 3.5 They shall feare the Lord and his goodnesse in those daies And that is the right feare of God which the knowledge of Gods mercy doth breed in us Secondly He must needs grieve and be troubled when he hath offended him Nothing hath that force to melt and breake the heart with godly sorrow for sinne as the true knowledge of the Lords marvellous mercy and loving kindnesse towards us Zach. 12.10 I will poure upon them the spirit of grace that is the spirit of adoption which shall perswade them of my fatherly love towards them as it is called Rom. 8.15 and they shall looke on him whom they have pierced and then they shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his onely son And what was it that made Mary Magdalen weepe so abundantly for her sinnes Luk 7.38 Our Saviour telleth us verse 47. it was her love that grew from the consideration of Gods marvellous mercy in pardoning her so many foule sinnes Thirdly He must needs take delight in the service and worship of God Nothing hath that force to make the worship of God sweet unto us as the true knowledge and consideration of the mercy and goodnesse of God As for me saith David Psal. 5.7 I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy That is that that shall draw me to thy house and make me love it and Ier. 31.12 They shall come and sing in the height of Zion and shall flow together to the goodnesse of the Lord. So David giveth this for the cause why he begged so earnestly of God that he might dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of his life Psal. 27.4 to behold the beauty of the Lord that is how amiable and gracious the Lord is As if he should say I can no where behold and see that so well as in his house and that is the thing that maketh me so farre in love with the house of God O if men knew the sweetnesse and infinitenesse of Gods mercy they would love his house and delight more in it then they doe Fourthly He must needs desire earnestly to know the will of God
of the bodies of wicked men is it possible hee should delight in the destruction and damnation of their soules No no hearken how deepely he protesteth against this Ezekiel 33.11 Say unto them as I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked Yea he protesteth this so deepely even for this very purpose that hee might encourage every poore sinner to turne unto him I have no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth saith the Lord God Ezekiel 18.32 wherefore turne your selves and live yee Secondly God hath reveiled in his Word that he doth earnestly desire the repentance and salvation of the most wicked man and taketh great pleasure in it and therefore earnestly seeketh to reclaime them Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in his death but that he turne from his way and live turne yee turne yee from your evill wayes for why will yee dye ô house of Israel And this thou hadst heretofore and hast this day experience of in thy selfe How earnestly and how mightily hath God laboured with thee this way Yea he beseecheth thee and prayeth thee to be reconciled to him 2. Cor. 5.20 Yea there is nothing would so much delight him as to see thee repent as is set forth in the father of the prodigall ô what mirth and joy made he when he returned to him Luke 15.23 24. Thirdly God hath reveiled in his Word that Christ with all his merits should be in the ministery of the Gospell offered unto all that feele themselves to be sinners as the brazen serpent was listed up for all to looke upon that were stung Num. 21.9 unto thee as well as unto any other is he offered and thou art commanded to beleeve he dyed for thee Mar. 16.15 Preach the Gospel to every creature And what is it to preach the Gospel to him Surely to say to him as Lu. 2.11 Vnto you is borne this day in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. So Christ inviteth all Ioh. 7.37 Iesus cryed saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drinke And of his invitation of sinners in this sort the Lord saith Esa. 45.19 I said not in vaine seek ye me I the Lord speake righteousnesse If a poore sinner being thus invited should come to Christ for grace would he reject him No in no wise Ioh. 6.37 All that the father giveth mee shall come unto me and him that commeth unto me I will in no wise cast out Fourthly God hath not in words only but really given thee cause to feele by manifold experiments that he loveth thee and wisheth thee well Even this is an argument of his love that he hath preserved thee from so many dangers Ps. 41.11 By this I know that thou favourest me because mine enemy doth not triumph over me that he feedeth and cloatheth thee Deut. 10.18 He loveth the stranger in giving him food and raiment that thou sleepest so safely and quietly on nights Psal. 127.2 He giveth his beloved sleep Thou wilt say these are but common mercies I answer True yet concerning them observe foure things 1. That to the faithfull these are pledges of his speciall love as these places have proved 2. That they are arguments of his goodnesse even towards all men that enjoy them For so saith the Apostle Rom. 2.4 And if any man should have done this for thee saved thy life but once when thou wert in danger to have lost it delivered thee out of debt and danger maintained thee with food and raiment all thy life thou wouldest not doubt but he loved thee unfainedly Thou wouldest count it a foule sin to suspect or doubt of his love or to entertaine such a thought ô but for all that he hath done this for me I doubt I have not his heart I doubt hee hath purposed in himselfe to be my destroyer in the end And is it nothing for thee to suspect this of God 3. Though these be but common mercies yet it is a great sin to despise or set light by them Rom. 2.4 Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long suffering 4. Thou depisest them if thou be not by them led and encouraged to repent and turne unto God Rom. ◠4 Lecture XXVI on Psalme 51.1 ◠May 23. 1626. NOw it followeth that we proceed to the second sort of those to whom the consideration of the loving kindnesse tender mercies and the multitude of tender mercies that are in the Lord doth minister cause of comfort and encouragement and those are such as are regenerate and in the state of Grace and have truly repented yet are subject oft to inward feares and trouble by doubting of the mercy and love of God For it is evident by the Word and by daily experience also that many of Gods dearest and choicest servants such as above all other have most title to these speciall mercies of God that wee have heard of are yet much subject to trouble of mind much given to inward heavinesse and feare yea many of them are in that case that David complaineth he was in Psalme 88.15 While I suffer thy terrours I am distracted Yea 2. many of them continue a long time in this case as David complaineth Psal 38.6 I am troubled I am bowed downe greatly I goe mourning all the day long and Heman Psal. 88.15 I am afflicted and ready to dye from my youth up while I suffer thy terrours And upon this ground groweth all this trouble of mind and terrour that they are subject unto that they cannot be perswaded that they are in the favour of God and that his speciall mercy and loving kindnesse belongeth unto them This Heman expresseth to have beene the cause of all his trouble Psalme 88.14 Lord why castest thou off my soule why hidest thou thy face from mee Now before I speake any thing to the comfort of these poore soules I thinke it necessary to give you some reasons why I insist upon this use For I know well that many of you will thinke this a needlesse labour and be little or not at all affected with this Sermon Pro. 27.7 The full soule loatheth the honie combe 1. I know well the most of you stand in no need of comfort you have much more need of humbling then of comfort a great deale The secure sinner that never felt yet what it was to bee troubled in mind for sin hath more need to heare of the terrors of the Law then of the comforts of the Gospell The Law was made saith the Apostle 1. Tim. 1.9 that is appointed and ordained of God for the lawlesse and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners These comforts that I am to speake of are the childrens bread and it is not meete to take the childrens bread and to cast it to doggs as our Saviour speaketh Matthew 15.26 I know well that such kind of men will bee likely to take hurt by
see in the same chapter Exod. 21.18.22 this is that that maketh all sin so hainous as it is and worthy of infinite eternall punishment because it is committed against and is a contempt done unto a person that is of infinite and eternall majesty That any of us poore mortall wretches wormes rather then men of whom the Prophet saith Ps. 39.5 Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity and who are counted to him lesse then nothing and vanity as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 40.17 should be so desperatly mad as to provoke despise this glorious God to make light account of any of his commandments in whose hand is our breath and all our wayes as Daniel telleth a great King Dan 5.23 whose glorious greatnes is such as the Angels cover their faces before him Esa. 6.2 In whose sight no creature can stand when he is angry Ps. 76.7 This this is that that doth greatly aggravate our sins Wo unto him that striveth with his maker let the potsheard strive with the potsheards of the earth saith the Lord. Esa. 45.9 Do we provoke the Lord unto wrath saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.22 are we stronger then he And yet thus have we done every one of us the consideration of this ought to lye heavy upon our hearts as it did upon Davids when he cryed against thee thee only have I sinned Lecture XLV On Psalme 51.4 Ianuary 9. 1626. FOlloweth now the fourth and last attribute of God that setteth forth the hainousnes of our sins and that is the infinite goodnes and bounty of the Lord. This the Lord expresseth dayly towards all his creatures and we can looke no way but we must needs behold evident proofes and demonstrations of it Psal. 145 9. The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works And the consideration even of this bounty of the Lord toward all his creatures though it did not extend it selfe towards us more particularly should much affect us So it did David Psal. 119.68 Thou art good and dost good teach me thy statutes If wee know or heare of a man that is a good house-keeper a bountifull man ready to doe all men good we all esteeme highly of such a one and speake well of him and would be ready to doe him any kindnesse or service though we never drunke of his cup our selves nor received any benefit by him nay though we never saw his face so amiable a thing is this property of goodnes and bounty in our eyes wheresoever we behold it For a good man saith the Apostle Rom. 5.7 peradventure some would even dare to die But alas such is the vile corruption of our nature that the common mercies of the Lord whereby he doth expresse the goodnes and bountifulnes of his nature do little affect us Let therfore every one of us consider how he hath expressed his goodnes and bounty to our selves in particular And of this before I begin to set it before your eyes and put you in mind of it I may say with the Prophet Ps. 40.5 Many ô Lord my God are the wonderfull works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us-ward they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee if I would declare and speake of them they are moe then can be numbred Yet let us consider I pray you as we are able the marvellous goodnesse and bounty the Lord hath shewed towards every one of us in particular 1. In the things that concerne our bodies and this mortall life 2. In the things that concerne our soules and our everlasting happinesse For the first 1. It is the Lord from whom we have our life and being and without whom we could not consist one moment Act. 17.28 In him we live move and have our being In his hand is our breath and all our wayes Dan. 5.23 2. It is he alone that maintaineth us in this health strength and vigor of body and mind that we do enjoy in that soundnes of limbs and senses and keepeth us from those weaknesses and pains and diseases of body and from that impotency of mind that we see many others subject unto The Lord is the strength of my life saith David Psal. 27.1 Exo. 23.25 He shall blesse thy bread and thy water and I will take sicknes away from the midst of thee 3. It is he alone that while we see many others to beg their bread to feed upon scraps provideth so plentifully for us maketh us to be able to be helpfull unto others to entertaine at this time our friends neighbors maketh us able to make merry together and furnisheth our table with such variety plenty of all good things Thou preparest a table before me saith David Ps. 23.5 in the presence of mine enemies thou anointest my head with oyle my cup runneth over Act. 14.17 He left not himselfe without witnes in that he did good gave us raine and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food gladnes And it is our extreame blindnes and sottishnes if we ascribe this our plenty and prosperity unto any thing els but the Lords goodnes alone Hos. 2.8 She did not know that I gave her corne and wine and oile multiplied her silver and gold 4. Wheras we see and heare of many others that are undone some by fire and some by theeves and some by witchcraft how commeth it to passe that we and our children and our cattell goods are kept in such safety by day by night at home and abroad Surely the Lord hath made an hedge about us and about our houses and about all that we have as Satan confesseth of Iob 1.10 The Lord is thy keeper saith David Psal. 121.5 If he did not continually watch over us it could not bee with us as it is 5. Whereas wee have every one of us oft times beene in sundry great adversities and dangers aswell as other men what hath beene the cause that we have comen off so well when others by the very same diseases by the same afflictions have beene swallowed up and destroyed Surely this is to bee ascribed to the goodnesse and mercy of the Lord alone And wee have all cause to say with David Psal. 18.2 The Lord is my deliverer and verse 16. He sent from above he tooke me he drew me out of many waters And 68.20 Hee that is our God is the God of salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death 6. and lastly Whereas we must all looke for a change and expect trouble and affliction Iob 5.7 Man is borne unto trouble what refuge have any of us to flye unto in any distresse for helpe and comfort but to the Lord only Psal. 20.7 Some trust in charets and some in horses but wee will remember the name of the Lord our God And 62.8 Trust in him at all times yee people powre out your hearts before him God is a
refuge for us Gods people have no other refuge to flye unto in all their distresses but him alone Yea nature hath taught this to all men as wee may see both in Scripture Ion. 1.5 and in dayly experience how the worst will looke towards God in their extreame sicknesse and send for the minister then to pray for them For that which Solomon saith of riches Prov. 11.4 may bee said of pleasures and friends and all other things wee have most set our hearts on they will not availe us in the day of wrath Loe thus good and gracious the Lord hath beene to every one of us even in the things that concerne this mortall life but 2. he hath shewed much more goodnesse to our soules then all this commeth to For as our soules are farre more excellent then our bodies so the Lord hath much more care of them then of our bodies Hee is in a speciall manner called the father of spirits Heb. 12.9 and hath doubtlesse a fatherly care of them in a speciall manner Let me therefore say to you as the Prophet doth Ps. 6â— â—6 Come and heare all ye that feare God I will declare what hee hath done not for my soule onely but for every one of your soules Neither will I speake of those bounties of the Lord that are peculiar to some choice servants of his but of those that are common to all that doe unfeinedly feare him even to the meanest of them Nor of all them neither but of three of them only which may sufficiently serve to demonstrate this point First When wee had lost our selves by the voluntary transgression of our first parents and made our selves the children of his wrath and slaves of the Devill hee bought us againe with no meaner a ransome then the bloud of his only Sonne Iohn 3.16 So God loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him might not perish but have life everlasting And how did he give him The Apostle telleth us Rom. 8.32 Hee spared not his owne sonne but delivered him up for us all He did not remit unto him the least jot of those torments that were due in his justice to our sins but made him a curse for us as the Apostle speaketh Gal. 3.13 Hee dranke at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury as the Prophet speaketh in another case Esa. 51.17 He drunke the dregs of the cup of trembling and wrung them out This amplifyeth greatly the goodnesse and bounty of the Lord to his people that this ransome was paid for them in a speciall manner Esa. 53.5 Hee was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities and verse 12. He hare the sins of many He prayed not for the world Iohn 17.9 Oh what a goodnesse of God was this to us that passing by and neglecting the greatest part of the world he should thinke upon us in a speciall manner to pay such a ransome for us Oh what cause have every one of us to admire this mercy of the Lord and to say with Iob 7.17 What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him What was I that thou shouldest make so precious account of me that thou shouldest pay such a ransome to redeeme my soule Secondly when we lay snorting in our sins without all regard either to our owne wretched condition or to the ransome that was paid for us he awakened us and called us to the knowledge of our selves and of Christ. Hee cryed to us as Cantic 6.13 Returne returne ô Shulamite returne returne that wee may looke upon thee He besought us to bee reconciled to him as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 5.20 stood long at our doore and knocked Rev. 3.20 waited long and endured many a repulse from us as he saith Rom. 10.21 All the day I have stretched out my hands unto a rebellious and a gaine saying people and at last overcame us with his kindnesse changed and converted our hearts and made us new creatures When the Apostle had said Ephes. 2.5 Even when wee were dead in sins he quickned us he addeth by grace yee are saved Nothing but grace nothing but the goodnesse of God was the cause of it He wrought such a change in us as is mentioned Esay 11.6 The wolfe shall dwell with the lambe and the leopard shall lye downe with the kid and the calfe and the young lyon and the fatling together and a little child shall leade them And this also doth greatly amplifie the goodnesse of God towards us in our conversion if we shall consider how rare a mercie it is 1. How the Lord vouchsafeth not so much as the outward calling in particular to the greatest part of the world by farre He sheweth his word unto Iacob saith the Psalmist Psal. 147.19 20. his statutes and his judgements unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his judgements they have not knowne them 2. How few of those that the Lord vouchsafeth the outward calling unto receive grace to believe and obey the truth as our Saviour speaketh Mat. 22.14 Many are called but few are chosen How many our selves may observe of our owne kindred of our owne neighbours of them that have as long as we obtained the same meanes of our betters every way of them whose lives have beene far more civill and unblameable then ours whom yet God vouchsafeth no such grace unto So that I may say to you as the Apostle doth 1 Cor. 1.26 You see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called This consideration was the thing that bred such zealous love in Davids heart toward the Lord 2 Sam. 6.21 It was before the Lord saith he to scoffing Michall which chose me before thy father and before all his house to appoint mee ruler over the people of the Lord over Israel therefore will I play before the Lord. This was that that moved our blessed Saviour to rejoyce so in his spirit in the behalfe of the faithfull in his time and ascribe it all meerely to the free grace and goodnesse of the Lord. Luke 10.21 Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Thirdly When after he had thus converted and called us wee have beene apt through our frailty and corruption ever and anon to fall away from him againe we are kept by the power of God unto salvation as the Apostle speaketh 1 Pet. 1.5 he will not suffer his to take such falls as shall breake their neckes or to fall into such pits as we should never get out of againe Hee will keepe the feet of his Saints from such falls as Hannah speaketh 1 Sam 2.9 Hee hath beat us for falling and haply for our carelesnesse left us to take such falls as have bruised us fore or broken an arme or a leg of us but he
thy God to wrath in the wildernesse And to this end Moses spendeth a whole chapter Deut. 9. in calling to the peoples minds and bringing into their remembrance their old sins which he would never have done if he had not knowne this profitable and needfull for them that their repentance for them might bee oft renewed But further then the knowledge of our sins serveth for one of these foure ends it is no benefit it is a judgement and correction of God upon us Therefore it is threatned as a judgement to wicked men Psal. 50.21 I will reproove thee and set thy sins in order before thee Therefore Iob complaineth of it as of a judgement Iob 13.26 Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possesse the sins of my youth And Paul prayeth against it 2 Cor. 12.8 I grant indeed it is such a judgement and correction as God useth most to exercise them by that are dearest to him and seeth it to bee most necessary for them as is plaine by the example of Iob 13.26 and of Paul 2 Cor. 12.7 But herein his mercy appeareth that as it is said of all other corrections upon his Church Esa 27.8 In measure thou wilt debate with it so it is in this 1. The Lord doth not let any of us see all our sins but so many of them as he seeth will be sufficicient for us to see for our saving humiliation and repentance Dealing with us in this case as Balak did with Balaam Num. 23.13 Thou shalt see but the utmost part of them thou shalt not see them all And 2. those that he is pleased to discover to us he doth not let us feele the full weight of them nor let us fully see the loathsomnesse of them Oh if the Lord should breake up the sinke that is in every one of our hearts and let us fully discerne and feele how much filth is in them we were never able to abide our selves but should every one of us become a Magormissahib as Ieremy calleth Pashur Ier. 20.3 4. a terrour to our selves If the Lord should let us feele the full weight of our sins certainely we were never able to beare it but should be overwhelmed by it See this not only in the sin of Cain and Iudas that were castawayes Gen. 4.13 Mat. 27.5 but in the sins also of Gods own people Heare what David saith of his sin Ps. 38.4 It is a heavy burden too heavy for me to beare And heare what Paul saith of the incestuous person 2 Cor 2.7 he was in danger to bee swallowed up with overmuch sorrow 1. Thinke of this thou wretched man to whom many foule sins seeme as light as a feather drunkennesse swearing whoring c. when the Lord shall but let thee throughly to see what thou hast done when he shall lay but any one of these sins unto thy charge and cause thee to feele the full weight of it hee shall need to inflict no other punishment upon thee but even to let thee see feele what thou hast done Ier. 2 19. Thine owne wickednes shall correct thee and thy back-slidings shall reprove thee Wickednes will burne like the fire Esa. 9.18 Hell it selfe hath no greater torment then that And this thou hast cause to looke for and knowest not how soone Num. 32.23 Thou hast sinned against the Lord and be thou sure thy sin will find thee out 2. Let us therfore beloved acknowledge it for a mercy of God that he doth give us the sight and sense of our sins so farre forth as is necessary to our saving humiliation and repentance but let us acknowledge it for as great a mercy that hee doth not let us see and feele our sins to the full so as we should be overwhelmed by it Lecture LXIX On Psalme 51.5 Septemb 18. 1627. THe second thing wherein the admirable goodnes of God appeareth unto us is this If we could rightly weigh what we were by nature we would see just cause to wonder at the power and goodnesse of God in this that there should bee any truth of grace in any of us Let us consider this first in generall in the whole worke of our conversion and of that change that is wrought in our hearts by the grace and spirit of God Secondly In every particular act of grace that we do discerne in our selves And for the first wee shall find the Apostle maketh this use of the Doctrine of originall sinne Ephes. 2.4 5. God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith hee loved us even when wee were dead in sinnes hath quickened us together with Christ by grace yee are saved As if hee had said this was nothing but meere grace this argued the riches of Gods mercy the greatnesse of his love to doe this When the people beheld the mighty workes that Christ wrought in giving sight to the blind and hearing to the deafe and speech to the dumbe and life to the dead it is said they were all amazed at the mighty power of God Luke 9.43 and as it is said Matth. 9.8 they marvelled and glorified God And the party himselfe whom Christ had restored to sight admired the worke of God upon himselfe and said Iohn 9.32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was borne blind But the worke that God hath wrought upon our hearts whom he hath converted and begun saving grace in is though not so sensible yet a farre greater demonstration of his power and goodnesse then any of those was and such as wee have much more cause to admire and glorifie God for Certainely it is as possible for a blackmore to change his skinne or a leopard his spots as the Prophet speaketh Ieremy 13.23 for a Camell to goe through the eye of a needle as our Saviour saith Luke 18.25 as for us to have a change wrought in our hearts But blessed bee God that the thing which is impossible with men hath beene possible with God as our Saviour there speaketh Luke 18.27 This admirable power of God is sensible and apparant in the conversion of some men of such I meane as have beene prepared for their conversion with legall terrours such as having beene notorious sinners before have beene by some strong hand of God changed suddenly In the conversion of such as Paul was that of a bloudy persecutour was of a sudden made not onely a disciple but a zealous preacher also Where hee that was even now a Wolfe and a Leopard was so chaunged that hee dwelt with the Lambes and lay downe with the Kids as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 11.6 All men will bee apt to take notice of and to admire the power of God in the conversion of such a man as Paul saith of himselfe Galathians 1.24 that the Churches glorified God in him But the worke of Gods power in the conversion of most men of such as have beene bred in the Church and
of faith as he wept for the want of it But the naturall man so desireth Gods favour and grace as the want of it never troubleth him Wo unto you that are full saith our Saviour of such Luk. 6.25 for ye shall hunger Wo unto you that laugh now for ye shall mourne and weepe Lecture XC On Psalme 51.6 May 27. 1628. IT followeth now that we proceed unto the application of the point which is the fourth thing I propounded in the method And surely there is no Doctrine hath more force to encourage us to the service and obedience of God then this hath The application I will make of it shall be 1 unto them thar refuse to serve God and to be religious 2 unto such as doe serve God and are religious indeed And in my speech to the former I will shew you 1. That there be in the world yea in the Church of God very many that doe so doe refuse to bee Gods servants 2. Why and upon what pretence they doe so their folly in it and that they have no just cause so to doe 3. The dangerous estate that they are in that do so For the first I know well that all men in the Church especially and among us will say they are Gods servants Are we not all Christians Doe we not all professe the true religion Doe they not come to Church and say their prayers and receive the Sacrament Alas many that doe so have as heathenish hearts as any are to be found among the Turks or savage Indians I grant the Lord hath in his Church a great number that serve him as retemers and will be content for their owne advantage to weare his cloth and to wait on him now and then But they will not live in his house nor bee his meniall servants There belongeth more to the proving of one to be the servant of God then this to say hee is his servant and to weare his livery Hee that is Gods servant indeed must 1 Depend upon him and put his trust in him As the eyes of servants looke to the hands of their masters saith the Psalmist Psal. 123.2 so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God untill hee have mercy upon us 2. He must doe him service and daily service he must doe what he commandeth him Thus doth the Apostle describe a Christian servant even to an earthly master 1 Tim. 6.1 Servants as under the yoke Every servant is under a yoke he may not doe what he listethâ— And so is Gods servant described he must not onely professe but practise religion This is the protestation of Gods servants Iosh. 24.24 The Lord our God will we serve and his voice will wee obey And certainely God hath but a few such servants even in his Church He hath many reteiners but very few houshold servants many professours at large but few that will endure his yoke the power and practise of religion They professe they know God saith the Apostle Tit. 1.16 but in their workes they denie him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good reprobate When it commeth to matter of practise and obedience then they renounce him and say with those Luk. 19 14. We will not have this man to reigne over us As if they had said any rather then him A strange and fearefull thing it is to be spoken and yet not so strange and fearefull as true as bad a master as the Divell is men had much rather serve him then the Lord. See the truth of this in three points First The Divell we know hath many more followers and servants then the Lord hath and may in that respect boast against the Lord as Papists doe against us that universality and multitude is on his side He is the prince of this world as our Saviour calleth him Iohn 14.30 And the way that leadeth to destrution is abroad way Matth. 7.13 and many there be that walke in it he can want no servants Whereas on the other side and Lord hath but a few to serve him He is faine to take one of a city and two of a tribe as he speaketh Ier. 3.14 His way the way that leadeth unto life Matth. 7.14 is narrow and but a few goe that way Secondly All the services that Satan imployeth his servants in all the worke that hee hath for them to doe besides the hard reckoning that hee will make with them for it when the day of payment shall come is for the present full of vexation of spirit the worke and service it selfe is no better then most toilsome and base drudgery That covetousnesse is so you may see in Ahab 1 King 21.4 5. and that filthy lust is so you may see in Ammon 2 Sam. 13.2 and that beastly drunkennesse is so you may see Pro. 23.29 And the like I might shew you of many other of the workes that this master imployeth his servants in O what paines men are content to take in his service How they toile and moile in it They weary themselves to commit iniquity as the Prophet speaketh Ier. 9.5 And yet though this be so Satan can have servants enough On the other side the places and workes wherein the Lord imployeth all his servants are honorable services and full of freedome and liberty That as it is said of Solomon 1 King 9 2â— Of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen So may it more truly be said of the Lord he useth none of his servants as bond-men they are all his freemen as the Apostle calleth them 1 Cor. 7.22 He imployeth them in no drudgery not base services but taketh them neare unto himselfe to wait upon his owne person In which respect they are called Psal. 148.14 A people neare unto him Nay he useth them as friends rather then as servants Henceforth saith our Saviour Iohn 15.15 I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what the Lord doth but I have called you friends Though this be so I say yet can the Lord get nothing so many servants no not in his Church and among those that call themselves Christians as Satan hath Nay surely most men doe with all their endeavour shunne his service and blesse themselves from it they abhore it as if it were the greatest bondage in the world to be truly religious to bee the servant of God Israel would none of mee saith the Lord Psalme 81.11 Of all masters they would none of him Men had rather doe any drudgery in the service of Satan and serve him as bondslaves then to be the Lords freemen and serve him in the most honourable place he can imploy them in Thirdly and lastly The service that men doe to Satan though it be never so toilesome a drudgery yet they doe it willingly and cheerefully it is no trouble to them The lusts of your father ye will doe saith our Saviour Iohn 8.44 But the service that most men doe unto God is most irksome unto them they had rather
enjoy the blessings of this life specially that we enjoy them with any comfort as those that have just title and right unto them Every man to whom God hath given riches and wealth saith Solomon Eccl. 5.19 and hath given him power a mind to eat thereof and to take his portion and to rejoyce in his labour this is the gift of God But this mercy also the faithfull obtaine onely though Christ. Worthy is the lamb that was staine say the holy Angels Revel 5.12 to receive power and riches and wisedome As if they had said All riches as well as all power and wisedome are his and his onely Him God hath made heire of all things as the Apostle saith Heb. 1.2 All things are yours and ye are Christs saith he 1 Cor. 3.22 23. As though hee had said Nothing is ours wee have not a spirituall and comfortable title to any thing till we be Christs Fiftly The love and good will of God towards us which is the onely root and fountaine of all blessings and good things we receive from him is woon and procured to us onely by Christ. God cannot love or beare good will to any of us but onely through him and for his sake And therefore the Angels sing thus at his comming into the world Luke 2.14 Glory be to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men As if they should have said God could beare no good will towards men but only through Christ. Sixtly and lastly No man can have any true boldnesse to goe to God or to looke for any good or mercy from him but onely through Christ. No man commeth unto the father but by me saith our Saviour Ioh. 14 6. In him wee have boldnesse and accesse with confidence saith the Apostle Ephes 3.12 and in him onely Whatsoever good thing we want and would beg of God by prayer we must aske it in his name and looke to obtaine it onely through him and and for his sake Whatsoever ye shall aske the father in my name hee will give it unto you saith our Saviour Iohn 16.23 And whatsoever good thing we have received from God and would be truly thankfull to God for we must ascribe it onely to Christ and acknowledge we have received it for his sake alone Giving thankes to God and the father by him as the Apostle teacheth us Col. 3.17 And thus we have seene the first proofe of the Doctrine No mercy can be expected from God but through Christ alone The second followeth No mercy can bee expected from God by Christ but onely through his bloud if hee had not suffered and endured that for us which hee did both in his soule and body wee could never have found any mercy from God at all See the proofe of this also in three particulars First All the mercies of God that concerne our justification the acquitting us of our sinnes and setting us in Gods favour are obtained to us by the passions and sufferings of Christ. Being justified by his bloud saith the Apostle Rom. 5.9 wee shall bee saved from wrath through him In Christ we have redemption though his bloud saith he Ephes. 1.7 the forgivenesse of sinnes according to the riches of his grace As if he had said It is of the riches of Gods free grace that any of us obtaine the forgivenesse of our sins but the riches of Gods grace are procured to us by the bloud of Christ and by no other meanes Him hath God set forth saith he Rom. 3.25 to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud Three things are to be observed in these words 1. God hath made Christ the mercy-seat The mercy-seat under the law was but a type and figure of him They that would obtaine any mercy from God must seeke it in and through him onely 2. Whereas the mercy-seat under the law stood in the holy of holyes within the vaile and was hiden not onely from the people but from the priests also the High-Priest onely had accesse unto it and that but once a yeare the Lord hath now by the ministery of the Gospell set forth this mercy-seat openly to the view of all men all men may have accesse unto it 3. As the Hhigh-Priest who was a type of Christ came not to the mercy-seat could find no mercy with God nor make atonement betweene him and his people without the bloud of a sacrifice Levit. 16.14 so may no man come to the true mercy-seat nor hope to find mercy with God through Christ but onely by faith in his bloud Secondly All the mercies of God that concerne our sanctification the subduing of our corruptions and the renewing of our hearts are obtained to us by the passion and sufferings of Christ. Therefore doth the Apostle Rom. 6.6 ascribe our mortification to the death of Christ. Our old man saith he is crucified with him that the body of sinne might bee destroyed that hence forth wee should not serve sinne So that ability that is given us of God to lead a new life and to walke in his wayes is ascribed to the passion and sufferings of Christ. It is the bloud of Christ saith the Apostle Heb. 9.14 who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot unto God that purgeth our conscience from dead workes to serve the living God And that strength that any child of God hath to resist tentation is to bee ascribed to the passion and sufferings of Christ. By Christ crucified saith the Apostle Gal. 6.14 the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world Thirdly and lastly All the mercies of God that concerne our glorification and the consummation of our happinesse in the kingdome of heaven are obtained to us by the passion and sufferings of Christ. We have boldnesse saith the Apostle Heb. 10.19 to enter into the Holyest into heaven whereof the holy of holyes in the temple was a figure by the bloud of Iesus As if hee should say There is nothing that can make a man die and goe to God with true boldnesse and expectation of a better life but onely faith in the bloud of Christ. And in this respect it is that the Apostle calleth his whole ministery the preaching of the crosse of Christ 1 Cor. 1.18 and we preach Christ crucified saith he verse 23. that was the whole matter and scope of his ministery to teach men to looke for all mercy and comfort from God onely through the passion and sufferings of Iesus Christ. Yea he telleth the Corinthians 1 Cor 2.2 that when he was among them where learning and eloquence did abound hee determined not to know any thing save Iesus Christ and him crucified he resolved with himselfe to shew no other learning but this to set forth to them in the best manner he could the sufferings of Christ and the benefit and fruit that commeth to Gods people by them Nay he professeth of himselfe Gal. 6.14 that the crosse of Christ his passion and sufferings
was the onely ground of all his comfort he rejoiced and gloryed in nothing els God forbid saith he that I should glory save in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ. And thus we have heard the Doctrine confirmed unto us sufficiently Let us now proceed to the reasons and grounds of it and they are two principally according to the two severall branches of the Doctrine First No man can expect any mercy from God but onely through Christ Because he knoweth that he is by nature the child of wrath Wee all saith the Apostle Ephes. 2.3 were by nature the children of wrath even as others the elect as well as the reprobate the blessed Apostle as much as any other man was by nature the child of wrath And as he knoweth hee is in this estate by nature so by falling into and living in knowne sinnes he knoweth likewise that he provoketh the Lord afresh oftentimes and maketh him his enemie Thou hatest all workers of iniquity saith David Psal. 5.5 They rebelled and vexed his holy spirit saith the Prophet Esa. 63.10 speaking of Gods owne people therefore he was turned to be their enemy And who can expect mercy and kindnesse from him whom he knoweth to be his enemy No no no mercy no comfort can be looked for at Gods hands nothing but terrour nothing but indignation and wrath while God is our adversary till we be reconciled unto him Till then if a mans conscience be not senslesse there can be nothing in him but a certaine fearefull looking for of judgement as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 10.27 and of fiery indignation which shall devoure the adversaries Now Christ is the onely mediator between God and us to go betweene us and make reconciliation There is but one Mediator betweene God and man saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 2.5 the man Christ Iesus And Col. 1.19 20. It pleased the Father by him to reconcile all things unto himselfe Secondly No man can expect any mercy from God till he know first that the justice of God is satisfied for him As the Lord hath set this law unto all men to looke first to justice and then to mercy not to shew mercy unto any wiâ—h neglect of justice What doth the Lord require of thee saith he Mic. 6.8 but to do justly and to love mercy Thou shalt not respect the person of the poore in judgement saith the Lord Levit. 19.15 As if he had said Thou shalt not out of compassion to his distressed estate neglect to do justice So hath he set this law unto himselfe to looke first to justice and then to mercy not to have compassion upon any mans misery or to shew mercy on him with neglect of his justice For God is infinite in justice and will have his Law satisfied to the full It is easier for heaven and earth to passe saith our Saviour Luc. 16.17 than for one title of the law to faile As though he should say The Lord had rather heaven and earth and all the creatures therein should come to nought and perish everlastingly than that one word or title of his Law should faile and be unfulfilled And this is the irrecoverable sentence of his Law which the Apostle mentioneth Galat. 3.10 Cursed iâ— every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the Law to do them Till therefore a man know that this sentence of the law be fulfilled till a man know that this curse is borne for him he cannot expect to find any mercy with God See how the Lord hath expressed himselfe in this point even in that place where he hath amplified his mercy most and set it forth to the full I meane Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord is mercifull and gracious long sâ—ffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sinne What can be said more for the amplifying of Gods mercy than is said here And yet mark what followeth in the very next words and that will by no meanes cleare the guilty As if he had said As infinite as the Lord is in mercy yet will he by no meanes cleare any man that is guilty of the transgression of his law without satisfaction be made to his justice for him And who is able to make satisfaction to the justice of God for the sinne of man Who is able to satisfie the law and to beare this penalty and curse that is due unto him for the least transgression of it Who can stand before his indignation saith the Prophet Nah. 1.6 and who can abide in the fiercenesse of his anger Surely all the Angels and Saints in heaven and earth could not do it Onely Christ Iesus who was more than a man was able to doe it and did it for his elect to the utmost The Lord hath laid upon him saith the Prophet Esa. 53.6 the iniquity of us all that is the full punishment of all our iniquities Christ hath redeemed us saith the Apostle Gal. 3.13 from the curse of the law being made a curse for us He trod the winepresse of the fiercenesse and wrath of almighty God saith Iohn Rev. 19.15 There was not one jot of the fiercenesse and wrath of God that was due to the sinnes of any of the elect but he trod it out it came all upon him Christ himselfe our blessed Mediator could not make our peace with God nor get him to pardon our sinne and shew us mercy by intreaty or intercession or by any other meanes till he had satisfied the law for us till he had paid every farthing of our debt till he had borne the curse and punishment that was due to us for our sinnes even to the uttermost When we were enemies saith the Apostle Rom. 5.10 we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne nothing but the death of his Sonne would do it This truth the Lord taught his people even under the Law Without a sacrifice without shedding of blood there was no remission of any sinne saith the Apostle Heb. 9.22 It is the bloud saith the Lord Levit. 17.11 that maketh attonement for the soule And these are the reasons and grounds of the Doctrine Now before we come to the uses of it a question must be resolved to prevent the misunderstanding of this that hath beene delivered and to make way for the uses that are to be made of it How can it be said that no mercy can be obtained of God for us by any other way but by the bloudy passion of Iesus Christ seeing the Scripture so oft ascribeth our whole salvation to the meere grace and goodnesse of God onely By grace ye are saved saith the Apostle Eph. 2.5 And for the undoubted certainty of this truth he repeateth it againe Verse 8. in the very same words and teacheth us that our whole salvation commeth most freely unto us I will love them freely saith the Lord Hos. 14.4 We are justified freely by his grace saith the Apostle
4.16 17. and those of whom the Apostle speaketh Heb. 6.4 6. But if thy heart be sound be the measure of grace thou hast received little or much 1 Thou maist be of good comfort For such shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation as the Apostle speaketh 1 Pet. 1.5 Though God visit their transgressions with the rod their iniquities with stripes neverthelesse his loving kindnes he will not utterly take from the nor suffer his faithfulnes to faile his covenant he will not break as he promiseth Ps. 89.32 34. 2. Thou hast great cause to hope thou shalt never fall into scandalous and foule crimes For concerning such falls the faithfull may confidently expostulate with the Lord as David doth Psal. 56.13 Thou hast delivered my soule from death wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling that I may walke before God in the light of the living Thou wilt say But how may a man be sure of this considering that the heart of man is so deceitfull that none can know it as the Prophet speaketh Ier. 17.9 I answer Thou maist be assured of it if the fault be not in thy selfe A man by proving and examining himselfe may know that Christ Iesus is in him except he be one whom God rejecteth and disalloweth as unsound and false hearted as is plaine by that which the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 13.5 And thou maist know this First by making conscience to practise what thou hearest and learnest out of Gods Word He that heareth the Word and practiseth what hee heareth is like to him that buildeth upon a rocke whom no raine nor flouds nor windes can overthrow as our Saviour teacheth us Matth. 7.25 26. Secondly If thou make conscience to do the will of God in one thing aswell as in another If yee do these things saith the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.10 that is seeke for one grace as well as another ye shall never fall Then shall I not be ashamed nor disappointed of my hope saith David Psal. 119.6 when I have respect to all thy commandements The fourth use is to comfort Gods people against their slips and falls This is the childrens bread and belongs not to dogs Mat. 15.26 Say not it is pitty these examples were written for many have stumbled at them I answer that it is better reprobates should stumble at them and perish through presumption then that one of the elect that is dejected in the sense of his sins should have lost the comfort of them and so have perished in despaire When our Saviour was told Matth. 15.12 that the Pharisees were offended at his Doctrine he answereth verse 14. Let them alone as if he should say It is no matter what offence such as they are doe take no truth of God that tends to the edification of his children must bee concealed for their sakes For thy sake that art an humbled sinner were these things written And of these things we may say as the Apostle doth 1 Cor. 9.10 He saith it altogether for our sakes for our sakes no doubt this is written And Rom. 51.4 Whatsoever is written is written for us That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace saith hee Ephes. 2.7 in his kindnesse towards us in Christ Iesus Thy sinnes cannot bee greater then thou hast examples of in Gods elect that found mercy with him Were they before thy calling then hast thou Manasses 2 Chron. 33.9 10. and Mary Magdalen Mar. 16.9 Were they committed after thy calling then hast thou David and Peter So that I may say to every humbled soule as Eliphaz doth unto Iob 15.11 Are the consolations of God small with thee Is it not thy great sin that thou stirrest not up thy heart to take comfort in these examples and presidents of Gods wonderfull mercy that are recorded in the Scripture for thy sake Lecture II. On the Title Psalme 51. October 5. 1625. FOlloweth now to be considered in the Title of this Psalme that David made not this Psalme and repented not of his foule sins but continued in them till Nathan came unto him And when came Nathan unto him It was about a yeare or more after the sin was committed for he came not before David had a childe by Bathsheba 2 Sam. 12.14 and how old the childe then was is not expressed So long he lay like a swine sleeping and snorting in that filthy puddle whereinto he was fallen and could not rise nor recover himselfe by repentance And the Doctrine that we have here to learne is this That no man no not the child of God when he hath sinned is able of himselfe to repent when he is fallen he cannot rise up againe The proofe of this Doctrine you shall see in foure points all to bee observed in this example of David First he continued a great while in his sin and could not leave it till Nathan came to him he repented not When Vriah was dead and his wife had mourned for him did he give over his sin No 2 Sam. 11.27 When a man is once fallen into sinne he can no more rise againe then the least child that is till some body come to helpe him up but is apt to lie still where he fell to continue in his sin he cannot leave it When he is once in he is like the gamster or pot companion he cannot give over nor get out againe It is an easie matter to fall into any sin but to rise againe by repentance and to leave it that is difficult nay impossible for any man by his own strength to do it It is said of Iehu 2 King 10.29 From the sins of Ieroboam that made Israel to sin Iehu departed not And of Menahem another King of Israel 2 King 15.18 He departed not all his dayes from the sins of Ieroboam But these were hypocrites you will say and such as never had any truth of grace in them The case sure is not so hard with Gods child if he through infirmity fall into a sin he will easily recover himself againe No no ye have here in David an example of the contrary And so have ye in Iacobs sons When they had first conspired the death of their brother and then cast him into a pit and then sold him for a slave to the Islamaelites they lay twenty yeares in that sin before we can read any thing of their repentance when they were apprehended for spies in Egipt then came their sin effectually to their remembrance Gen. 42.21 and not before See also the proofe of this in that speech of the Apostle Gal 6.1 Brethren if any man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spirituall restore such a one As if he should say help him up againe he cannot recover himselfe Secondly David after he had fallen into this foule sinne fell in love with it sought to hide and nourish it He would faine have had Vriah to be thought the father of his
in him I will go no further for the setting of this forth unto you then to those three things which David heere in my Text speaketh of and which he observed in the Lords gracious disposition and on which he grounded his hope 1. There is in the Lord loving kindnesse 2. There are in the Lord tender mercies 3. There is in the Lord a multitude of tender mercies For the first The Lord is of a gracious and kind and liberall disposition Ioel 2.13 The Lord is gracious and of great kindnesse The love he sheweth the good he doth to any of his people is most free and hath no cause no ground at all but in himselfe alone The love we beare to any useth to have some ground in the party that we do love we see somewhat in the party that moveth us to it at first But the love the Lord beareth to us had no ground at all in us but in his owne goodnesse and loving kindnesse alone The Apostle therefore calleth it 2 Thess. 1.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The good pleasure of his goodnesse He set his love upon us as Moses saith Deut 7 7 8 because he loved us He even resteth in his owne love as the Prophet speaketh Zeph. 3.1 and seeketh no further So speaketh the Lord Exod. 3 â—â— I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and I will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy Nothing moved him to be gracious and mercifull unto us but onely his owne good will and pleasure So Esa. 43.25 I even I am he that blâ—â—â—eth ouâ— thy transgressions for mine owne sake So 2 Sam. 7. â—1 For thy words sake and according to thine owne heart thou hast done all these great things True it is that after the Lord hath set his love upon us he worketh that in us by his grace that maketh us amiable and beautifull in his sight and so causeth him to love us the more This is excellently set forth Ezek. 16.9 14. He anointed his beloved one with oyle cloathed her with broidered work covered her with silke deâ—ked her with ornaments put bracelets upon her hands and a chaine about her necke decked her with gold and silver made her exceeding beautifull marke how grace and piety doth beautifie the soule in Gods eye But when he first set his love upon us he saw nothing in us that did move him to love us as is also notably set forth in that 16. of Ezek. When the Lord first passed by his beloved as it is said verse 8 and looked upon her and her time was the time of love when he first loved her what was there in her to move him to it See that verse 6. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine owne bloud I said unto thee when thou wast in thy bloud live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy bloud live Marke how earnest the Lord is to perswade us of the freenesse of his love to us and how it grew not at all from any respect he had to any goodnesse was or should be in us but from his owne loving kindnesse and goodnesse alone And this is the first thing that Daviâ— here considered in the mercy and goodnesse of the Lord that made him to hope he should find mercy with him for the pardon of his sin Secondly In the Lord there are tender mercies bowels of mercy as the word racham which is heere used doth properly signifie For thus it hath pleased the Lord to condescend unto our capacity and to make knowne unto us in his Word his gracious disposition by comparing himselfe unto a most tender hearted man or woman and attributing bowells unto himselfe Esay 63.15 Where is the multitude of thy bowells and of thy mercies towards me are they restrained Luke 1.78 Through the bowells of the mercies of our God whereby the day spring from an high hath visited us And this comparison standeth in two points 1. As a tender-hearted man or woman when they see any to bee in misery cannot choose but pitty them and grieve for them and feele their bowells within moved and pained with it and this is the very nature of man humanity and not the corruption of nature As it is sayd of our Saviour Mat. 9.36 When he saw the multitude fainting and scattered abroad as shâ—epe having no shepheard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his bowells yearned or were moved towards them ô that the beholding of men in that misery could move us so and Hebr. 4.15 that hee is touched with the feeling of all our infirmities hee doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condole and grieve and suffer with us when we do grieve and suffer So the Lord when hee seeth any of his people to bee in misery hee cannot but pitty them and be moved with it and grieve with them Iam. 5.11 He is pitifull and of tender mercy Exod. 22.27 When he cryeth unto me I will heare for I am gracious So it is said Iudg. 10.16 His soule was grieved for the misery of Israel And Esa. 63.9 In all their affliction he was afflicted How can that bee will you say seing himselfe was the author of all their affliction Amos 3.6 Shall there be evill in a City and the Lord hath not done it How is it possible that the Lord would so sharpely correct his people and bring them to that misery if it did so grieve him to see them in misery I answer 1. that this is possible enough Did you never heare of a Iudge that did shed teares even in giving of sentence of death upon a malefactor and shewed a fatherly affection towards the poore wretch even at that time like Ioshua to Achan Iosh. 7.19 My sonne I pray thee give glory to the Lord God of Israel Did you never know any father so tender-hearted as when he hath whipped his child hee hath done it with teares in his eyes yea he could not containe but must needs let his teares fall hee hath smitten and wept and beene as apt to cry even as the child it selfe Surely so it is with the Lord. Psalm 103.13 As a father pitieth his children so doth the Lord pitie them that feare him Even when he correcteth us he pitieth and his bowells yearne towards us 2. He never afflicteth us nor bringeth us unto misery but when his love constraineth him to doe it hee must needs doe it unlesse he would see us perish and that his love to us will not suffer him to doe The Lords love to his children is not fondnesse like the love of many foolish parents his pitie is not like the pitty that is in many men of which wee have a proverb foolish pitty marrs the City that may be called well Crudelis misericordia But the Lords love is guided by his infinite wisedome and judgement hee will correct the dearest of his children and that sharply too rather then hee will see them spoiled 1. Cor. 11.32 When wee are judged
such as love their sins Psal. 11.5 The wicked and him that loveth violence doth his soule hate Of such as goe on in their sins Psal. 68.21 God will wound the head of his enemies Who are these He answereth in the next words which are an exegesis or interpretation of the former such as goe on in their trespasses To such doe all the curses of the law all those sentences of the holy Scripture that set forth the severity of God belong not to such as feele their sins to be a burden to them and desire to turne unto God 1. Tim. 1.9 10. Know this that the Law is made the curses of the Law are written and appointed for the lawlesse and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for the unholy and profane c. The second objection is this Though God be infinite in mercy and his common mercies be over all his workes yet his speciall mercy belongeth to none but to his elect and they are but a few Mat. 20.16 Many are called but few are chosen The greatest part of men are vessels of wrath as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 9.22 predestinated and ordained unto damnation Iude 4. And I have so lived as I see cause to feare I am of that number at least I cannot be sure that I shall find mercy with God though I should turne unto him I answer That though 1. the Lord did indeed in his eternall counsell predestinate some unto life and some unto perdition 2. and that the number of the Elect bee small in comparison of the reprobate yet hath no poore sinner that desireth to turne to God any just cause given him to be discouraged from it by this Doctrine This I will prove to you by three reasons First Because no man ought no man can say and conclude that he is a reprobate because of the life he hath lead That he is in the way that leadeth unto destruction he may know but that he is one of those that God did in his eternall decree appoint unto destruction he cannot know 1. Because God hath not by his word or spirit reveiled this to any particular man that he is a reprobate excepting only him that hath sinned against the holy Ghost which sin thou art farre enough from that desirest to repent and to turne to God Concerning the election of particular men God hath indeed given testimony both by his word 1 Thess. 1.4 5. and by his spirit also Rom. 8.16 The spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our spirit that wee are the children of God 1. Iohn 5.10 He that beleeveth in the Sonne of God hath the witnesse in himselfe But Gods spirit never testified unto any man that he is a reprobate So that to every man that is so conceited we may say as Paul in another case doth Galat. 5.8 This perswasion commeth not of him that calleth you It commeth not of God And as our Saviour saith Matth. 5.37 Whatsoever is more then this commeth of the evill one Besides 2. God hath hertofore and may still call most wicked men at the very last houre of their lives and so declare them to be his elect who of all men in the world were most unlikely to be of his Elect as wee see in the example of the thiefe Luke 23.40 Secondly As no man can justly say he is a reprobate because God neither by his word nor spirit hath testified any such thing of him so such sinners as I now speake of have just cause to judge that they are not reprobates that God hath not appointed them to wrath but to obtaine salvation by our Lord Iesus Christ as the Apostle speaketh 1 Thes. 5.9 For those whom God hath made vessels of wrath are fitted unto destruction as the Apostle saith Rom. 9.22 They goe on still in the way that leadeth unto destruction and are hardened in their sins Though the greatest part of men shall not find mercy with God yet the cause of this is not in the Lord it is in themselves only because they seeke it not Hos. 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe God sheweth himselfe ready enough to receive even such unto mercy but they care not for it So speaketh Christ even of Ierusalem though she had killed and stoned his Prophets Matth. 23.37 How often would I have gathered thy children together even as a Henne gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not That sinner therefore that findeth God hath wrought in him a desire to get under Gods wings a desire to repent and to turne unto God is in the way that leadeth unto life God is preparing and fitting him for glory and therefore he hath just cause to judge that he is no reprobate but a vessell of mercy Rom. 9.23 Thirdly and lastly No man is to judge of his present or future estate nor of Gods purpose towards him by the secret will of God but by his reveiled will Deut. 29.29 The secret things belong unto the Lord our God but those things that are reveiled belong to us and to our children for ever We may not in this case pry curiously nor enquire into the secret counsell of God but reverently admire it and cry with the Apostle Rom 11.33 ô altitudo ô the depth Remember what befell the men of Bethshemesh 1. Sam. 6.19 God smote aboue fifty thousand of them for looking into the Arke of God Looke thou enquire thou into the reveiled will of God and there thou shalt find enough to encourage thee to turne unto him and to assure thee that thou needest not doubt to find mercy and grace with him if thou canst now seeke it First God hath reveiled in his Word that he doth not desire nor take pleasure in the destruction of any wicked man no not in his temporall destruction Hee gave the old World warning of the Floud an hundred and twenty yeares before it came that by their repentance they might have prevented it as you shall see by comparing 1 Peter 3.20 with Gene. 6.3 He gave Pharaoh and the Aegyptians warning of the plagues they enforced him to bring upon them that by their repentance they might prevent them And in giving them warning of the fiery haile he expressely saith he did it to that end that they might save their servants and their cattell from that destruction Exod. 9.19 Send therefore now and gather thy cattell and all that thou hast in the field c. When his people had so deeply provoked him to bring them into miserable captivity and he had assured them by his Prophets that he would do it yet how oft was his heart turned within him and his repentings kindled together as the Prophet speaketh Hosea 11.8 How oft and how earnestly doth he warne them of it How many meanes doth hee use to perswade them that by their repentance they would prevent it See for proofe of this Ieremy 26.2 3. And 36.2 3 6 7. And if hee take no pleasure in the destruction
your selves are precious in Gods sight and of high account with him above all the princes in the world Psal. 147.11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that feare him He hath appointed the glorious Angels to be your servants Mat. 18.10 Take heed you despise not one of these little ones for I say unto you that in heaven their Angels do alway behold the face of my father You are more gracious with him and may prevaile more with him in prayer and a wise Christian had rather to have one of you to pray for him then all the learned and eloquent men in the world Psal. 145.19 He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him and 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble Your prayers and services how poore and unperfit soever they seeme to your selves he will take in good part Mal. 3.17 I will spare them as a man spareth his owne sonne that serveth him He will not be rigorous to observe what is amisse in your services Mic. 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage And in this respect you have just cause to be comfortable Rom. 8.31 If God be for us who can be against us at least to hurt us 4. You are the people whom Christ as I told you before hath more care of then of all the world nay then of all his Church besides whom he graciously and earnestly inviteth to come unto him and promiseth ease unto Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest And therefore you have cause to rejoyce And I may say to you as they did to Bartimeus Mar. 10.49 Be of good comfort arise he calleth thee 5. And lastly you are the people that have speciall interest in all Gods mercies If there be any goodnesse any mercy in the Lord as you have heard from this Text there is an infinite multitude of them they are all yours Luke 1.50 His mercy is on them that feare him from generation to generation You therefore that feare God know 1 that you ought to be comfortable that it is your sin that you are not learne to check your selves for it and say as Psal. 42.11 Why art thou cast downe ô my soule and why art thou disquieted within me 2 Pray to God that he would make thee cheerefull as David doth Ps. 51.8 Make me to heare joy and gladnesse that the bones that thou hast broken may rejoyce and 86.4 Rejoyce the soule of thy servant For he and he onely is able to comfort them that are cast down Esa. 51.12 I even I am he that comforteth you Lecture XXVII On Psalme 51.1 2. May 30. 1626. THe fourth and last thing that I am to say to these poore servants of God that are afflicted in Conscience is That the objections they make against themselves and the reasons whereby they use to conclude against themselves that they have just cause to be thus heavy and uncomfortable are weake and insufficient to inferre any such thing upon The first and chiefe objection they make against themselves is this Alas I cannot be assured of the favour of God or that I have any part in Christ or in his speciall mercy but am rather perswaded God hath rejected me and maketh no other reckoning of me then of an enemy and a castaway and how can I then be comfortable and cheerefull Now my answer unto this so dangerous an objection shall consist of two parts For I will shew you 1 how they that are in this case must stay and comfort themselves while they continue in this tentation that they may not faint and sinke under it and 2 how and by what meanes they may recover themselves out of it and get the victory over it For the first There be five considerations that are of great force to support Gods poore servants that are in this case First Thou must consider that thou hast no cause to give credit unto this perswasion For it is but a tentation of Satan as thou maist know by this because it is so directly opposite to the Word of God The spirit of God saith 1 Tim. 1.15 that this is a true saying and by all meanes worthy to be received that Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners That above all others such as thou art that are heavy laden are invited by Christ to come to him and promiseth that he will give them rest Mat. 11.28 That this is Gods commandement that wee should beleeve on the name of his son 1 Ioh. 3.23 That Gods mercy belongeth to them that feare him throughout all generations Luk. 1.50 And what spirit then must that needs be that would perswade thee that thou hast no part in Christ nor in the mercy of God Certainely it must needs be the spirit of Satan who is called our adversary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 5.8 an enemy and a slanderer a lyer and the father of lies â—oh 8 44. And wilt thou beleeve him 2. But thou sayst thine owne heart perswadeth thee so I answer thy estate is not to be judged of as thou speakest and thinkest of thy selfe For as there is that maketh himselfe rich Pro. 13.7 full of peace and joy from assurance of his salvation and of Gods favour to him that hath nothing not one jot of true peace and joy no favour at all with God so there is that maketh himselfe poore perswadeth himselfe to be in a most wretched estate and hath great riches is highly in Gods favour and hath great store of saving grace It is not therefore safe for a man to judge of his owne estate according to the perswasion he hath of himselfe specially for a Christian that is in this tentation that is in the case of spirituall desertion to judge of his estate towards God according to the perswasion he hath of himselfe As in time past there was much infidelity malice covetousnesse in thee and yet thou didst not thinke so nor couldst be induced to beleeve it so there may be now much grace in thee and yet in this astonishment of thy soule thou canst not see it to be so Thy estate is not to be judged of according to that that thou speakest and thinkest of thy selfe being in this case For thou art now sicke and sicke of such a disease as deadneth and distempereth thine understanding Matth. 9.12 Have yee not knowne many that in burning feavers and such like diseases have had such thoughts and speaches as in their health they would have abhorred And of such a one we are apt to say alas it is not he but his disease that maketh him speake and think so and so shouldst thou say of thy selfe now as Asaph did being in this very case Psal. 77.10 I said this is mine infirmity God forbid he should judge of thee as thou dost of thy selfe in this case No no
sin even without words is a more effectuall confession in the sight of God then all the most excellent words in the world without an humble heart Such as was Mary Magdalens of whom it is plaine by Christs answer to her Luke 7.48 He said unto her thy sins are forgiven that she had confessed and complained of her sins yet spake she never a word but wept and sobbed aboundantly verse 38 And on the other side this is that that maketh the confessions the hypocrite doth make of his sins odious unto God yea that maketh the confessions most of us make utterly fruitlesse and uncomfortable unto us that they are verball onely and from the teeth outward our hearts are not at all affected with that we say We declare our iniquities often unto God as David said he would doe Psal. 38.18 but wee leave out the other and I will bee sorry for my sin And what man would not thinke himselfe mocked and scorned by him that had done him wrong and will pretend a desire of reconciliation and confesse the wrong he had done him but without all shew of sorrow for it Fourthly The sincere confession is holy and honest joyned alwayes with an unfeigned hatred of sin and resolution to forsake it The true confessour doth as heartily desire to be disburdened and delivered from the power and dominion of his sins as from the sting and punishment of them Marke this in the confession that good Shecaniah maketh Ezra 10.2 3. Wee have trespassed against our God and taken strange wives now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these strange wives See this also noted by Elihu in the description that he maketh of a true confessour that humbleth himselfe before God Iob 34.31 32. Surely it is meet to bee said unto God I have borne chastisement I will not offend any more that which I see not teach thou mee if I have done iniquity I will doe no more This is also very observable in that antithesis that Solomon maketh Pro. 28.13 The covering of sin and not confessing it is enough he saith to bring Gods curse upon a man he that covereth his sin shall not prosper but the confessing of sin is not enough to obtaine mercy from God hee that confesseth and forsaketh them shall finde mercy And on the other side this doth greatly discover the hypocrisie of most men in the confessions they make of their sins to God 1. They confesse them but they forsake them not they returne with the dog as the Apostle speaketh 2 Pet. 2.22 greedily to those very sins which they seemed to loath and cast up Thus did Saul he confesseth his sin against David sundry times and that with teares 1 Sam. 24.16 17. and yet Chap. 26.2 he pursueth him againe as eagerly as ever he did 2. Yea many a man emboldneth himselfe to sin the more freely even by this because he is perswaded that by confessing his sin as the drunkard by his vomiting he shall be eased of all and freed from the burden of his sin This is the confidence that the dissolute Papist putteth in his confession and I would that none did so but they Surely the Lord in his justice doth use to punish an hypocriticall confession of sin this way even by giving men up to sin with more greedinesse after it then they did before See an example of this in Pharaoh Ye read of an ample confession he made of his sin Exod. 9.27 but verse 34. of the same Chapter you shall finde he became worse after that confession then ever he was before he sinned yet more saith the text and hardened his heart he and his servants Fiftly and lastly The sincere confession is filiall and groweth not from slavish feare but from love to God and hope of his mercy He goeth to God in confession of his sin not as the felon to the Iustice who knoweth if he confesse he shall die for it but as the sicke man to the Physitian who by laying open his griefe unto him looketh for health and comfort by it Thus did Daniel in that large confession he maketh Dan. 9.9 To thee O God belongeth mercy and forgivenesse though we have rebelled against thee Thus did Shecaniah Ezr. 10.2 We have transgressed against our God and have taken strange wives yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing So the prodigall though he had so despised and provoked and forsaken his father as he had done yet goeth in this manner and with this affection of heart unto him Luke 15.18 I will arise and goe to my father and will say to him Father I have sinned And indeed it is the spirit of grace onely that maketh us able to supplicate and confesse and humble our selves in a right and kindly manner As you may see Zach. 12.10 I will powre upon them the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall looke upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourne On the other side If a man never confesseth his sins but when it is extorted from him by some judgement of God by feare of death and damnation like the traitor that will confesse nothing but upon the racke though he crye never so much out of his sin then as you shall heare some on their death beds doe it is a shrewd signe that it is but counterfeit Thus did Pharaoh as wee have heard Thus did cursed Baalam when he saw the Angell stand before him with a drawne sword Num. 22.34 cry out I have sinned 2. If a man confesse never so much against himselfe and aggravate his sin yet if hee conceive not of God as of his father if he have not hope of mercy his confession is counterfeit So was Cains Gen. 4.13 And so was that of Iudas Mat. 27.4 Lecture XLI On Psalme 51.3 Novemb. 28. 1626. NOw followeth the second part of the verse the thing that moved David thus to confesse his sin to make supplication to God for the pardon of it My sin saith he is ever before me Where we must observe 1. That his sin was ever in his eye hee could not avoid the thinking of it nor put it out of his mind night and day at home and abroad at all times and in all places it was ever before him 2. That it represented it selfe unto him now not as it had done before but in the true proportion in that shape as it troubled disquieted his heart and gave him no rest till he had got further assurance of the pardon of it This he expresseth thus in another place Psal. 38.17 My sorrow is continually before me It was before him as a matter of sorrow And Ps. 38.3 There is no rest in my bones because of my sin And as a thorne in a mans joynt will force him to seeke to some that may get it on t so did his sin here by vexing and disquieting his heart drive him to God to
or for any of his judgements then must our originall sin this fountaine of corruption that wee have within us come into our remembrance to further us in our humiliation before God The keeping of fasts is no better then grosse hypocrisie and will but provoke the Lord further against our selves and all wee pray for if our soules bee not humbled and afflicted in us when we fast You know the fearefull sentence of God against such keepers of fasts Levit. 23.29 Whatsoever soule it bee that shall not bee afflicted in that same day hee shall bee cut off from among his people And the more wee can bee humbled in our fasts certainly the more hope we may have to prevaile with God in them He putteth his mouth in the dust saith the Church of an humbled sinner Lam. 3.29 if so bee there may bee hope As if hee had said if any thing will give him hope of mercy that will doe it And because so few keepe fasts with humbled soules even when they make so solemne profession of their humiliation before God and his people therefore see we so little fruit of our fasts now adayes But Gods people have now cause if ever to complaine unto God as they did Psal. 80.4 O Lord God of hosts how long wilt thou be angry against the prayers of thy people Certainely God seemeth even to bee angry with the prayers of his people Yet must wee not give over our fasts and dayes of humiliation for God calleth us to fasting and prayer now if ever hee did Esay 22.12 But our care must bee to keepe our fasts with more humbled soules then wee have beene heretofore First Wee must be humbled for the tokens of Gods anger that are upon all the Churches and upon our owne land If ones father have spit in his face saith God to Moses Numb 12.14 should he not be ashamed Certainely our heavenly father hath spit upon our faces and disgraced us in the sight of all nations The Lion hath roared saith the Prophet Amos 3.8 who will not feare The Lord threatneth terrible things against this nation such as if we would give our selves leave seriously to think of would make the stoutest heart among us to quake and tremble And surely such as will seeme to keepe fasts and are not in their fasts affected with nor humbled for the judgements of God upon all the Churches especially upon our owne land are no better then gracelesse hipocrites Ier. 5.3 Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder then a a rock These are they that the Prophet speaketh of Esa. 29 15 18. Secondly We must be humbled in our fasts for the outragious sinnes that are committed every where specially such as our selves heare and know of When blasphemy was supposed to have beene spoken by Naboth against God and the King a fast was proclaimed in Iezreel for that 1 King 21.9 10. which doubtlesse Iezabel had learned from the example of Gods owne people that had beene wont to do so in such cases And the Apostle blameth the whole Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 5.2 because they had not at all mourned for that foule incest that had beene committed among them What would he have done if so desperate a murder had beene committed there as was here the last weeke Certainely we should all mourne and be humbled for it and be glad we have opportunity to do it with fasting and prayer It is made a note of Gods people whom he will marke for himselfe and take care to provide for in times of common calamity Ezek. 9.4 that they are such as sigh and cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst of the place they live in If we cannot be humbled for the sins of the land of the place we live in certainely we can never be humbled aright for any judgements of God that are either presently upon us or threatned against us We read of Nehemiah that when he heard of the great affliction and reproach Gods people were in at Ierusalem Neh. 1.4 He wept and mourned certaine daies and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven But what was the thing that most humbled him in that fast Surely not so much the judgements whereby God shewed himselfe to be angry against Ierusalem as the sins of Ierusalem whereby it had provoked God unto this anger as you may perceive by the confession he maketh of their sins in the sixt and seaventh verses of that Chapter Thirdly We must in our fasts be humbled for our owne sinnes especially Thus is the humiliation of Gods people for sin set forth Ezek 7.16 They shall be on the mountaines as the doves of the valleyes all of them mourning every man for his iniquity And therefore also we ought in our fasts to call back into our remembrance the foulest and grosest of all the sins that ever we committed in our lives though they were done long ago Because the heart will sooner be brought unto remorse and sorrow by the remembrance of these then of smaller sins Remember and forget not saith Moses unto Israel Deut. 9.7 how thou provokest the Lord thy God in the wildernesse He that bringeth not to the fast an heart humbled for his owne sins that hath no sense of the beames that are or have beene in his owne eye as our Saviour speaketh Mat. 7.5 is but an hypocrite in pretending that he is humbled for the sins of the land Fourthly and lastly We must in our fasts be humbled for our originall sinne for the foule corruption of our nature So was David we see heere in this his solemne profession of repentance and humiliation he was humbled not onely for his adultery and murder but for the corruption of his nature also wherein he was conceived and borne yea more for that then for the other for he ascendeth in his confession as we have heard as to an higher step and degree of sin and setteth an Ecce before this Behold I was borne in iniquity c. Thus was Paul humbled even after his regeneration for this corruption of his nature It was no actuall sin no corruption that reigned in him or that he did obey in the lusts thereof that he complaineth so of and prayeth so against 2 Cor. 12.7 8. It was nothing els certainely but the corruption of his nature the motions and strong inclinations he found in himselfe unto some foule evill and this he said put his heart to that paine and anguish as a thorne in the flesh would put a mans body to This was that that made him cry out so of himselfe Rom. 7.24 Owretched man that I am this was that that he calleth his death who shall deliver me from the body of this death And why were David and Paul being in the state of grace and having no actuall sin in them that they had not repented of in whom
in the history of the Gospel of sundry that came to Christ for helpe in their bodily diseases and infirmities and had wonderfull cures done upon them And concerning these cures three things are to bee observed 1. That there were none that came to Christ whatsoever their disease or infirmity was but he cured them all Matth. 12.15 Great multitudes followed him and he healed them all 2. That the cure that was done upon them and the helpe they received from Christ is still ascribed to nothing else but to their faith They did pray and cry to Christ for helpe but the helpe they received is ascribed to their faith and nothing else They came to Christ in full affiance and confidence of heart that they should receive helpe from him in these particular infirmities that troubled them and that was it that drew vertue from him to cure them This you shall see in the poore woman that had the issue of bloud Matth. 9.21 Shee said within her selfe if I may but touch his garment I shall bee whole And to this our Saviour ascribeth the cure that was done upon her verse â—2 Daughter bee of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole and she was made whole from that houre So saith hee likewise to blind Bartimeus Marke 10.52 Goe thy way thy faith hath made thee whole And to the Leper Luk. 17.19 Arise go thy way thy faith hath made thee whole 3. That our Saviour requireth nothing else of any of them that came to him to be cured of any infirmity but only this that they would beleeve and rest confident in this that they should certainely receive helpe from him When the poore man came to him for his son that had been possessed with a divill from his childhood this is all that Christ saith to him Marke 9.23 If thou canst beleeve all things are possible to him that beleeveth So saith he to Iarius when his daughter was dead and all men counted it folly in him to seeke to Christ for any helpe then Marke 5.36 Be not afraid onely beleeve Where this faith was the cure was alwayes made where this was wanting no good could be done Acts 14.9 10. When Paul the servant of Christ stedfastly beholding the creeple perceived that he had â—aith to be healed he cured him presently Whereas of our blessed Saviour himselfe it is said Mar. 6.5 6. He could do no mighty worke at Nazareth because of their unbeliefe But to what purpose will you say are these cures that men received from Christ in all their bodily infirmities alleaged in this case that we have now in hand Surely to teach us to take the same course for the healing of our soules that they did take for the curing of their bodies Thou complainest of the blindnesse and ignorance of thy soule doe as blind Bartimeus did Marke 10.47 Thou feelest many foule issues and fountaines of sin in thy soule of blasphemy pride hypocrisie wrathfulnesse uncleannesse worldlinesse c. Wouldest thou bee cured of them Doe as that poore woman did that had the issue of blood twelve yeares and had spent all that shee had to get helpe and was never the neerer Mar. 5.25.27 Thou hast a spirit of infirmity in thee that maketh thee unable to doe anything that is good or to lift up thy heart to God doe as that poore woman did Luke 13.11 that had a spirit of infirmitie eighteene yeares and was bowed together and could in no wise lift up her selfe Goe thou to Christ for helpe as they did and goe in the same manner as they did in in faith with full assurance of heart to receive helpe from him and thou shalt be sure to receive as much help from him for thy spirituall infirmities as they did for their corporall Foure reasons and grounds of faith I will give you for this First Christ is as able to heale our soules as our bodies When the two blind men came to Christ for helpe Matth. 9.27 28. before hee would helpe them he asketh them this question Beleeve yee that I am able to doe this This perswasion of the power of Christ is necessary also in all them that would receive helpe of him for their soules We must bee confident in this that hee is able to heale our soules of all their diseases how great soever they bee Hee is full of grace and truth Iohn 1.14 In him saith the Apostle Col. 2.9 dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily And as in respect of this all-sufficiency that was in him â—all bodily diseases were alike to him hee could as easily cure a leper Luke 17.14 or one that was lunaticke Matth. 4 24. or one that was borne blind Iohn 9.32 as one that had but an ague Matth. 8.14 15. So is hee as easily able as to pardon the greatest sinnes as well as the smallest so to heale the greatest of our corruptions as the smallest and to give us strength against these sinnes that wee have the strongest tentations unto as against any other Greater is hee that is in you saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 4.4 then he that is in the world Secondly Christ is as willing to yeeld helpe to his people in their spirituall diseases as ever hee was in their corporall Nay hee is more affected with compassion and commiseration towards us in the one then in the other For hee knoweth they make us much more miserable then any bodily disease can doe and misery being the proper object of mercy and compassion when hee seeth most misery hee must needs have most compassion When hee saw the multitudes like sheepe having no shepheard to take care for their soules it is said Matth. 9.36 hee was moved with compassion on them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his bowells even yearned with griefe and compassion towards them As a father pitieth his children saith the Prophet Psal. 103.13 14. so the Lord pitieth them that feare him for hee knoweth our frame hee remembreth that wee are dust So the Apostle saith Hebr. 4.15 that hee is touched with the feeling of our infirmimities Hee knoweth what our nature is and hee knoweth what the tentations are we are subject unto and pitieth our case for this more then ever hee did any man for his bodily diseases And he will therefore be more ready to yeeld us helpe in this case then he was then And so saith the Prophet Mic. 7.19 He will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities Thirdly This was the speciall work that he came into the world for even to heale our soules All the cures he did upon the bodies of men when he was upon the earth were done of purpose to teach men to seeke to him for the cure of their soules that hee was the person by whom only their soules were to bee healed Therefore the Evangelist when he had spoken of the miraculous cures Christ had wrought Matth. 8.16 he addeth verse 17. that all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was
The promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are a farre off even as many as the Lord our God shall call Yea that Christ is offered so unto me as I am commanded to beleeve that he belongeth unto me Come unto me saith our Saviour Matth. 11.28 that is beleeve in mee for so is that phrase expounded by himselfe Iohn 6 35. all ye that labour and are heavie laden and I will give you rest 3. I must know how and upon what termes and conditions Christ is offered unto me in the Gospell that is to say If I will receive him as in a matrimoniall covenant For so is the covenant of the Gospell oft called in the holy Scripture Hos. 2.19 20. I wish betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betrâ—th thee unto me in righteousnesse and in judgement and in loving kindnesse and in mercies I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfullnesse In this respect also the preachers of the Gospell are called the friends of the Bridegroome Iohn 3.29 such as woo for him and whose whole endeavour is to make this match betweene Christ and his people I have espoused you saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 11.2 to one husband that I may present you as a chast virgin to Christ. Now in the matrimoniall covenant we know the spouse 1. Taketh her husband so as she bindeth her selfe to forsake all others and to keepe her selfe onely to him so long as they both shall live and so must we take and receive Christ Psal. 45.10 Matth. 10.37 Luke 14 2â— 2. She taketh him not onely to receive protection and wealth and credit by him but as her head and guide to be governed and ruled by him and he bindeth her selfe to serve honour and obey him Gen. 3.16 1 Cor. 11.3 Ephes. 5.22 23. And so must Christ be taken and received by us not onely for our Saviour but our Prophet yea our Lord and King Psal. 45.11 Iohn 20.28 and 3.35 Heb. 5.9 3. She taketh him for better for worse for richer for poorer in sicknesse and in health and bindeth her selfe to cleave to him in every estate Gen. 2.24 1 Cor. 7.10 And so must Christ be taken and received by us Luke 9 23. This knowledge of the Gospell is as I told you the first thing wherein the nature and essence of true faith consisteth In which respect faith is called the knowledge of Christ Esa. 53.11 Iohn 17.3 Ephes. 4.13 The second act of the soule wherein the nature of true faith consisteth is the assent and credit that the mind giveth unto all this that the Gospell hath revealed concerning Christ as to an undoubted truth that Christ is indeed an all sufficient Saviour and that God offereth him uâ—to me and commandeth me to receive him and that in this his gracious offer he meaneth as he saith and that he and all his merits do certainely belong to me if I will receive him upon those termes that the Lord offereth him on When I can say with Paul 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithfull saying So is the faith of the old fathers described Heb. 11.13 They saw the promises a farre off and were perswaded of them In respect of this second property faith is called a beleeving of Christ Iohn 3.36 And a beleeving of God 1 Ioh. 5.10 Rom 4.3 Till Naaman could thus beleeve he could not be healed 2 King 5.11 12. The third act of the soule wherein the essence of a true and justifying faith consisteth is the consent that the will giveth to this blessed offer of Christ in the Gospell not onely for the undoubted truth but for the incomparable goodnesse and excellencie of it When the heart accepteth of and embraceth it and saith with Paul 1 Tim. 1.15 this is not onely a faithfull saying but worthy of all acceptation So is the faith of the fathers described Heb 11.13 At the least though the beleever find in respect of the sense he hath of his owne unworthinesse much reluctancy and doubting which hindreth this act of faith yet his soule unfeignedly desireth and longeth to receive and take Christ in this matrimoniall covenant and saith with the blessed Virgin Luke 1.38 Behold the handmaid of the Lord be it unto me according to thy word In respect of this property faith is called sometimes a receiving of Christ Ioh. 1.12 somtimes a tâ—â—isting after him Rev. 21.6 Where that promise is made to him that thirsteth which none can possibly be partakers of but hee onely that truly beleeveth The fourth and last act of the soule wherein the nature of true faith consisteth is a resting and relying upon Christ and him alone for the obtaining of the favour of God and of eternall life And indeed this is of all other the chiefe act of the soule in true faith and that wherein the being and essence of it doth chiefly consist In respect of this property it is so oft called a beleeving in or on Christ and his name Iohn 3.16.18 36. 1 Iohn 5.10 a trusting in Christ Ephes. 1.12 a resting upon God 2 Chron. 14.11 a resting upon his promise 2 Chron. 32.8 a relying upon God 2 Chron 16 8. a staying our selves upon him Esa. 50.10 a cleaving and sticking close unto him Acts 11.23 beleeving in him and trusting in him are made all one Psalme 78.22 He that findeth these properties of faith in him hath certainely true faith though he want yet the assurance of Gods favour Followeth now the third and last point which I propounded That though there may be true faith where there is not this assurance yet certainely true faith if it be exercised and put forth will breed this comfortable assurance of Gods savour in the end That man that with an humbled and penitent soule can cast himselfe upon Christ trust unto him alone and rely upon him for favour with God for pardon of his sins and for eternall salvation shall certainely obtaine assurance and comfort in the end Alas may some man say how can I thus trust in Christ and relie upon him when I have no assurance but so much doubting in mee of the favour of God To such I answer Yes this is very possible Iob did so Though he slay me saith he Iob 13.15 yet will I trust in him David did so Psal 13. For though he thought God had long forgotten him and hid his face from him verse 1. yet saith he verse 5. But I have trusted in thy mercy So Psal. 143. when he cryeth thus verse 7. My spirit faileth hide not thy face from me he addeth verse 8. Cause me to heare thy loving kindnesse in the morning for in thee doe I trust He trusted in God and looked for comfort even then So did the woman of Canaan Matth. 15.22 28. For though she had received three fearefull repulses from Christ and therefore could have no assurance of his favour yet trusted she still in him for mercy and would not give over importuning him for it So
must every one of us learne to doe in the like case though wee have no assurance of Gods favour yet let us trust confidently in Christ through him to obtaine it For this is a thing highly pleasing unto God The Lord taketh pleasure saith David Psal. 147.11 in them that hope in his mercy And 1 Chron. 5.20 God was intreated of them because they put their trust in him And they that can do so need not doubt but that God will certainely lift up the light of his countenance upon them and give them comfort in the assurance of his favour For First Thou hast true faith and consequently thou hast Christ he is thine owne though thou perceive it not They that beleeve on the name of Christ trust to him rely upon him have received him hee is their owne as the Holy Ghost speaketh Iohn 1.12 Secondly Having received Christ certainely thou hast Gods favour all thy sinnes are pardoned thou hast just title to eternall life though thou perceive it not yea thou hast in thee the root of comfortable assurance of all this Ye are all the children of God saith the Apostle Gal. 3.26 By faith in Christ Iesus He that beleeveth on the sonne of God saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 5.10 hath the witnesse in himselfe He hath that in himselfe that will witnesse for him that hee is in Gods favour And Iohn 3.36 Thirdly and lastly If thou canst wait upon God for assurance and looke for it it will certainely come Doe as David did when he had lost his assurance of Gods favour Psal. 13.1 How long wilt thou forget me ô Lord for ever I how long wilt thou bide thy face from me What did he then to recover his assurance That you shall see verse 5. But I have trusted in thy mercy my heart shall rejoyce in thy salvation As if he had said My comfortable assurance of thy savour and of my salvation will returne againe And Psal. 42.5 Why art thou cast downe ô my soule and why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him for the helpe of his countenance As if hee had said I shall for all this see the light of his countenance againe and rejoyce in it So that to conclude I may say to every soule here 1 that desireth assurance of Gods favour and 2 seeketh it in a diligent and conscionable use of Gods ordinance and 3 with an humbled heart and 4 by a conscionable care to please God in all his waies and 5 by faith hath received Christ and resteth upon him concerning this promise of restoring a comfortable assurance as the Prophet doth of his vision Hab. 2.2 The vision is yet for an appointed time God hath set the time in his own counsell when he will give thee the comfort of this promise but in the end it shall speake and not lie though it â—aâ—ry wait for iâ— because it will surely come and not â—arry one moment longer then God shall see it to be for thy good and advantage And whereas thou doubtest thine owne strength and fearest thou shalt never be able to hold out and endure resting and waiting upon God till comfort doe come and cryest with David Psalme 69.3 Mine eyes faile while I wait for my God Let me say to thee as David doth Psal. 27 14. Wait on the Lord â—e of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart he will keepe thee from fainting and make thee able to hold out waite I say on the Lord. Lecture LXXXIV On Psalme 51.6 March 18. 1627. THe third note to try our goodnesse and righteousnesse by is the extent of it True goodnesse and grace is of a large extent 1. In respect of the subject of it it reacheth unto and goeth thorow the whole man 2. In respect of the object of it it sheweth it selfe in a conscionable respect unto all the commandements of God 3. In respect of the time it sheweth this conscionable care to please God in all things at one time as well as at another For the first If that grace and goodnesse that seemeth to be in any man be true and unseigned it worketh a totall change a reformation in the whole man in the inward man and in the outward man too in the minde and understanding in the conscience in the memory in the will in the affections in the outward senses and parts of the body in the words and in the actions of a man This was typified by the burnt offerings under the law The whole sacrifice as you may read Levit. 1.8 9 13. not the foure quarters onely but the head and the fat and the inwards and the legs must be offered unto God and burnt upon the altar Which was not onely a type of Christ who as a propitiatory sacrifice was wholly offered up and endured the fiery wrath of God for us not in his body onely but in his soule too and in every power and faculty of it but it was also a type of the obedience of the faithfull which are the members of Christ as appeareth plainely by the allusion that is made unto it both by the Apostle Rom. 12.1 and by our Saviour himselfe Mar. 12.33 And thus you see a totall obedience and sanctification of the whole man is required of us but I say more then so this totall change not onely ought to be in every Christian but it is wrought in every one that hath any truth of grace in him In this respect our Saviour compareth it Matth. 13.33 unto leaven which will leaven the whole lumpe of dough that it is put into Thus the Apostle describeth true sanctifying grace in that prayer he maketh for the Thessalonians 1 Thes 5.23 The very God of peace sanctifie you wholly that is true may you say this is to be desired and prayed for yea this is to be aimed at and we should endeavour to attaine unto it but this is not possible to bee attained unto in this life marke therefore what followeth in the next words and I pray God saith hee that your whole spirit and soule and body may bee preserved blamelesse unto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. As if hee had said Now your whole spirit and soule and body is sanctified you are sanctified throughout and my prayer is that this good worke that is begunne may bee increased and that you may bee preserved in this estate unto the end Of the soule and spirit men will easily grant that they are capable of grace yea that the whole spirit and soule of the regenerate man may bee sanctified but marke that the Apostle aâ—firmeth this of the body also yea of the whole body that it is capable of sanctifying grace And therfore also hee calleth the very bodies of the faithfull the members of Christ. 1 Cor. 6.15 And verse 19. the temples of the holy Ghost And saith of himselfe the rest of his brethren 2 Corinth 4.10 11. that the life
he that doth not heartily desire this did never yet know how to pray aright Now if any of us doe indeed pity the estate of wicked men and desire that they may bee saved let us then pray and procure for them so farre as in us lyeth that they may have the meanes of knowledge For this is the way yea this is the onely way to bring them unto salvation God will have all men saith the Apostle 1 Timothy 2.4 that is some of all sorts of men for that phrase cannot bee properly meant of any that shall perish God will have all men to bee saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth As if hee had said Looke whom God will have to bee saved them hee will bring to the knowledge of the truth So when the Church maketh so fervent a prayer unto God for the conversion of all nations Psalm 67 3 5. shee prefixeth this as the meanes whereby that was to be effected and brought to passe verse 1 2. God be mercifull unto us to the whole catholique Church to the whole number and company of his Elect for so that prayer is to bee understood God bee mercifull unto us and blesse us and cause his face to shine upon us that thy way may bee knowne upon earth and thy saving health among all nations As if shee had said This is the greatest mercy and blessing the greatest fruit of Gods speciall favour unto a people when hee giveth them the meanes whereby they may know his wayes how to serve and please him and his saving health how to attaine unto the eternall salvation of their owne soules and till this mercy bee vouchsafed to them as appeareth by the coherence of the third verse with these two men can never praise God nor worship him aright This is the greatest outward fruit of Gods mercy and goodnesse towards men of all others when hee giveth them able and faithfull teachers to bring them unto knowledge As the Apostle also teacheth us Ephes. 4.8 When Christ ascended up on high and led captivitie captive went up in his triumph after he had conquered Satan upon the crosse he gave gifts unto men And what were those gifts which that great King and conqerour at such a time when hee would expresse his bounty to the full did bestow upon men Surely they are expressed verse 11. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and teachers As if he had said He gave able ministers unto his Church as the greatest outward gift that he had to bestow upon them And as this is the greatest outward worke of mercy and love in God towards man so is it certainly the greatest worke of mercy and charity in man towards man to provide for them the meanes of sound knowledge and instruction The Papists glory much of their good workes and thinke they have therein a great advantage against us And if their religion were indeed more fruitfull in good works then ours is they had a just and great advantage against us for you shall know them by their fruits saith our Saviour Mat. 7.16 But what are the workes whereby they teach men they may merit most at Gods hands Surely to give largely to the Church To what end Was it to provide thereby that the people might bee taught and instructed how to know God and to worship him aright No no the whole endeavour of their Church hath beene to take from men the key of knowledge as our Saviour speaketh Luk. 11.5 2. that is the meanes of knowledge whereby as by a key men are to have their entrance into the kingdome of heaven all that was given to their Church wherein as their fore-fathers the Pharisees did they teach men to put such confidence was to maintaine a sort of idle fellowes to say masses and sing dirges for their soules And what goodnesse I pray you was there in these workes No no blessed bee the Lord our God the Papists have no just cause of glorying against the Gospell in this behalfe For though we have too many amongst us whom the Lord hath greatly blessed with worldly wealth that neither in their life nor at their death doe honour God with their substance as the holy Ghost telleth us Prov. 3.9 they are bound to doe and that even with the first fruits of all their increase As if hee had said God should have the first part of all Though wee have many I say that are too strait-handed and hearted this way that being of great ability give nothing to God or at least nothing proportionable unto their estates that when they make their wills and find they have hundreds and thousands to dispose of yet never thinke of God give nothing to speake of unto pious uses all is too little they thinke for their children and kindred And shall their children and kindred prosper the better for this thinke you when God is robbed of his part No no the sentence of God shall stand which hee pronounceth of the man that is bountifull in the workes of charity Psalm 37.26 Hee is ever mercifull and lendeth and his seed is blessed his children shall bee never the poorer for that Though wee have I say too many such of our profession yet is not this the fault of our religion our religion teacheth the necessity of such good workes as much as Popery doth this is onely the fault of these carnall and worldly minded professours of our religion having a shew of godlinesse but denying the power of it as the Apostle speaketh 2 Tim. 3.5 these are spots in our Church as the Apostle speaketh Iude 12. they blemish and shame our religion But though wee have too many such yet is it thanks bee to God notorious to the world that the Gospell hath beene more fruitfull in all sorts of good workes that have beene good workes indeed then ever popery was More hath bin given in this land within these threescore yeeres to the building and increase of hospitals of Colledges and other schooles of good learning and to such like works as are truly charitable then were in any one hundred yeeres during all the time and reigne of popery But this is a good worke passing all other wherein the Gospell glorieth and triumpheth against popery that the Gospell hath made men carefull and liberall to provide for the soules of Gods people to provide meanes of knowledge and sound instruction for them That there have beene so many good Lectures founded of late That there hath bin such care taken and cost bestowed for the redeeming of Impropriations restoring of them to the Church That even in this last Session of Parliament there was so earnest endeavour used by the state and God be mercifull unto them that were the hinderers of so honourable and pious a worke that out of every impropriation in the land there should bee so much taken as might make a competent maintenance for an able teacher These these
Lords garner and who are chaffe that shall be cast into the unquenchable fire Oh consider this I pray you and lay it to heart ye that doe enjoy the ministery of the word And if you have beene unprofitable hearers hitherto thinke seriously of the danger of your estate and use your utmost endeavour to come out of it which is the second thing that I told you I must exhort you unto And if you desire this you must doe these three things First Neglect not the meanes though you have beene hearers thus long and got no good by it God hath not beene pleased to worke with his word in your hearts yet you must bee hearers still If ever God purpose to worke grace in thy heart he will worke it by this meanes Doe therefore as those poore impotent persons did Iohn 5.3 Come to the poole of Bethesda and lye there waiting for the moving of the water Vse the meanes and wait for the good houre when God shall be pleased to worke with his word in thy heart That which Solomon saith of the workes of mercy Eccle. 11.6 In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening with-hold not thy hand for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that As if hee had said Whether shall do most good that may be fitly applyed to this case Heare the word in the morning in thy youth and with-hold not thy selfe from it in the evening in thine age for what knowest thou which is the time God hath determined to convert thee in or which is the sermon that hee will doe it by Though hee have shewed no signe of his eternall love toward thee all this while but of his wrath rather yet I may say to thee as the Prophet doth in another case Ioel 2.14 Who knoweth whether he will returne and repent and leave a blessing behind him for as he saith ver â—3 he is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the evill Secondly Seeing it is so dangerous a signe to remaine blockish and senselesse and a non-proficient under the meanes of grace therefore content not thy selfe to heare but as our Saviour saith to his hearers Luke 8.18 so say I to you Take heed how you heare Hearken diligently unto mee saith the Lord Esay 55.2 Prepare thy selfe before keepe thine eye and eare and mind attentive when thou hearest meditate conferre use all the meanes thou canst to make thy hearing profitable unto thee Thirdly and lastly Rest not in nor ascribe too much to the meanes nor to any thing thy selfe can doe to make them profitable to thee It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy saith the Apostle Rom. 9.16 Thinke not thou canst receive and profit by the Word when thou listest thou canst repent when thou listest Say not ô if I lived under such a mans ministery how should I profit No no remember who it is that saith Esa. 48.17 Thus saith the Lord thy redeemer the holy one of Israel I am the Lord thy God that teacheth thee to profit I have planted saith Paul 1 Cor. 3.6 and Apollo watered but God gave the increase And therefore thou must joyne prayer with thy hearing and beg earnestly of God that he would worke with his word in thy heart If thou cryest after knowledge saith Solomon Prov. 2.3.5 and listest up thy voyce cryest heartily and earnestly for understanding then shalt thou understand the feare of the Lord and find the knowledge of God The third and last sort of people which I told you this use of exhortation doth concerne are such as have obtained of God not onely the meanes of grace the ministery of his Word but grace also to profit by them Such of you for I doubt not but many of you are such must know that you can never bee sufficiently thankefull unto God for this singular mercy First It is a great mercy a great signe of his speciall and eternall love that hee giveth thee the sound ministery of his Word And I may say to thee as they did to blind Markeâ—0 â—0 49 Bee of good comfort arise hâ—e calleth thee Even this outward calling on thee by his Word is a great signe hee loveth thee and would have thee to bee saved it is a just cause of hope and comfort unto thee Looke abroad in the world and thou shalt find it is no common mercy hee hath not dealt so with every nation Psal. 147. â—0 That the place where thou livest should bee as Goshen enjoy the light Exod. 10.21 23. when as so many other places remaine in palpable darkenesse as all the rest of Egypt did this is surely to be acknowledged as a singular mercy of God unto thee Surely I may say unto you as our Saviour doth to his disciples Matth. 13.17 Many righteous men many good people desire to heare that that you heare would count it their happinesse to enjoy the meanes that you do where you dwell and cannot This is a great mercy that you enjoy the meanes But secondly it is yet a farre greater mercy if you have felt the power of God in them to your conversion if God have given you hearts to savour them and profit by them If God have done this for thee beloved know thou hast cause to doe as that poore convert did when he had felt this power of God in his ordinance 1 Cor 14.25 even to fall downe upon thy face and to worship and praise God for it From hence thou mayest conclude infallibly and so canst thou noâ— from al the outward blessings that ever thou receivest from him that God loveth thee with an everlasting love and hath chosen thee to life before the world was I have loved thee saith the Lord Iere. 31.3 with an everlasting love therefore in loving kindnesse have I drawne thee If God have shewed thee that mercy that loving kindnesse as to draw thee by his word and spirit certainly he hath loved thee with an everlasting love Admit God hath done no more for thee but this admit he exercise thee with never so many afflictions outward or inward admit thou find thy selfe to be so much the more subject to scorne and contempt in the world yet art thou an happy soule We know saith the Apostle Rom. 8.28 that all things worke together for good to them that love God to them that are called according to his purpose If thou find thy selfe to be thus effectually and inwardly called certainly every thing that befalleth thee shall tend to the increase of thy happinesse O looke about thee I beseech thee looke upon many of thy neighbours yea looke upon sundry that are neerer unto thee who all enjoy the same meanes that thou dost and yet never felt any sweetnesse never felt any power in them Let the hardnesse of heart and profanenesse that thou seest in others draw thee to an admiration of this goodnesse and
foure principally First The regenerate sinne against greater meanes of knowledge and obedience then other men doe and therefore their sinnes are greater more heinous and odious unto God then the sinnes of other men True it is that all wicked men doe sin against the meanes and that is that that doth aggravate the sinne of every man and will make him inexcusable as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 1.20 that he sinneth against the meanes God hath given him to keepe him from sinne But Gods people that live in his Church in the valley of vision as the Prophet calleth it Esa. 22.1 under the ministery of the Gospell enjoy farre greater and stronger meanes then all other men do For that is the power of God unto salvation as the Apostle calleth it Rom. 1.16 And proportionable to the greatnesse and excellency of the meanes that God vouchsafeth to any to keepe him from sinne is the greatnesse and heinousnesse of his sinne in the sight of God All men shall find one day that even the having of a sound ministery of the Word whether they profit by it or profit not even the having of such meanes will greatly increase the heinousnesse of their sinnes Whether they will heare or whether they will forbeare saith the Lord Ezek. 2.5 yet they shall know that there hath beene a Prophet among them As if he should say They shall know what it is to have had excellent meanes and not to be bettered by them So saith our Saviour of the Iewes that enjoyed his ministery Iohn 15.22 If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sinne that is their sinne had beene nothing in comparison of that that now it is but now they have no cloke no excuse for their sinne And for this cause he saith Mat. 11.24 that it should be more tolerable for Sodom in the day of judgement then for Capernaum The sinnes of Capernaum were more heinous and odious unto God then the sinnes of Sodom because they were committed against greater and stronger meanes then the other were Secondly The regenerate sinne against greater knowledge then other men doe and therefore their sinnes are greater and more heinous then other mens are True it is that all wicked men doe sinne against their knowledge and conscience for by the light of nature they know many things that they doe to be evill Iohn 1.9 Rom. 2.15 And this sinning against their knowledge and conscience is that that greatly increaseth the sinne of every naturall man Because knowing the judgement of God that they that commit such things are worthy of death saith the Apostle Rom. 1.32 yet they not onely doe the same but have pleasure in them that doe them This shall stop the mouth of all iniquity as the Psalmist speaketh Psal. 107.42 at the day of Iudgement when the bookes of conscience shall bee opened and men shall be judged according to that that is written therein Revel 20.12 But all that live in the Church sinne more against knowledge sinne against a farre greater light then any other man doth The light men have by nature is but a dimme light they that seeke God by that light do but grope after him as the Apostle speaketh Acts 17.27 The word is a farre clearer light and they that are instructed by it have a farre clearer knowledge then by any other meanes a man can have The commandement is a lamp saith Solomon Pro. 6.23 and the law is light And yet they that are inwardly inlightned by the spirit of God as all the regenerate are have a farre clearer light and knowledge of God then any man can have that enjoyeth the outward light of the word onely when in the hidden part the Lord hath made a man to know wisedome as David speaketh here For though the word be a most cleare light yet every naturall man hath such a vaile over his heart as he cannot cleerely discerne it but when the heart is once turned to the Lord and converted as the Apostle teacheth 2 Cor. 3.15 16. that evill is taken away The regenerate mans knowledge is farre greater and clearer then any other mans can bee and consequently his sin must needs be also greater then any other mans For the greater measure and degree of knowledge that any man hath the greater is his sin To him that knoweth to do well and doth it not saith the Apostle Iam. 4.17 to him it is sin What and to no body els yes but not so much to any other sin shall not be imputed and laid so heavy to the charge of any man as to him that hath sinned against his owne knowledge and conscience If you were blind saith our Saviour Iohn 9.41 ye should have no sinne that is nothing so much sin so hainous sin as now ye have The servant that knoweth his Lords will saith our Saviour Luke 12.47 and prepared not himselfe nor did according to his will shall bee beaten with many stripes And no marvell for all sins against knowledge are in some degree presumptuous sins and are committed with an higher hand and in more direct contempt of God then other sins are as appeareth by that opposition that is made betweene sins of ignorance and presumptuous sins both in Numb 15.27.30 and Psal. 19.12 13. Thirdly The regenerate sin against greater mercy and kindnesse they have received from God then other men do and therefore their sins are greater and more hainous then the sins of other men True it is there is no wicked man but he hath received much mercy and kindnesse from God The Lord is good to all saith the Psalmist Psalme 145.9 and his tender mercies are above all his workes And his sinning against this goodnesse and mercy of God is that that greatly increaseth the sin of every wicked man and will much aggravate his condemnation This is that that treasureth up wrath unto them against the day of wrath as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 2.4 5. But the mercies and kindnesses that God hath shewed to any wicked man are nothing if they be compared with that which he hath shewed to every regenerate soule They are but common mercies they are but as the crummes that fall from their masters table as that poore woman speaketh Matth 15.27 Remember mee ô Lord saith David Psalme 106 4 with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people The Lord hath shewed another manner of favour and love to his owne people he hath done more for the poorest wretch that is regenerate he hath given him more then all the world besides Hee hath given them his owne sonne To us a sonne is given Esa. 9.6 He hath given them a full and free pardon of all their sinnes Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all their sinne saith David Psalme 85.2 Hee hath given them his holy spirit Because yee are sonnes saith the Apostle Gal. 4.6 God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts He will give them the
of his ordinances and resolve never to leave him nor give him over till hee have blessed them Secondly I have foure things to say for the comfort of these poore soules that thus complaine of themselves First It is a blessed signe that thou canst thus desire to find Gods gracious presence in his ordinances blessing them unto thee and mourne for the want of it When the Spouse mourned and kept such adoe because Christ had withdrawne himselfe from her it was nothing but love that made her doe so Tell him saith she Cant. 5.8 that I am sicke of love And you know who it was that said Matth. 5.3 4. Blessed are the poore in spirit blessed are they that mourne thus Secondly They that can thus desire to profit by Gods ordinances shall certainely find good by them in Gods due time He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him saith the Prophet Psal 145.19 And this is the happinesse saith our Saviour Mat. 5.6 of them that hunger and thirst after grace that they shall certainely be satisfied Thirdly It may be God hath already beene graciously present with thee in his ordinance and met thee there and done thee much good by them though thou do not feele and perceive it God speaketh once yea twice saith Elihu Iob 33.14 yet man perceiveth it not He teacheth many a good thing to some of his servants and they learne it too and yet cannot perceive that they have learned any thing that they have profited at all Surely God is in this place saith Iacob Gen. 28.16 he perceived it then and I knew it not Fourthly and lastly Even this is a certaine signe they have already profited by the meanes of grace and God hath made them effectuall in their hearts because they do so well discerne their own unprofitablenes because they mourne so for it because they do so much desire to receive good by them The time was when thou discernedst no ignorance or other corruption till thou became a constant hearer thou wert never troubled with such matters Thou canst say with Paul Rom. 7.9 I was alive without the law once What is it then that hath wrought this change in thee Is it not the Word and Gods working with it Whatsoever doth make manifest is light saith the Apostle Ephes. 5.13 It is not corruption but grace that discovereth to a man his own wants and corruptions And this was a certaine signe that that poore man Mar. 9.24 had true faith in him because he mourned so for his unbeleefe and did so desire to beleeve Lecture CXVIII On Psalme 51.6 May 12. 1629. NOw we are to come unto the severall parts of this verse and to observe in the words these two things 1. What he craveth here and beggeth of God 2. The Reason he giveth wherby he was moved to beg these things of God His petition is that God would purge and wash him from his sins The reason he giveth for this his so earnest a suit is taken from the benefit and fruit he should receive by it he knew if God would be pleased thus to purge him and wash him he should then be cleane from all the filthinesse of his sin yea he should be whiter in Gods eye and account then any snow is in the eye of man In the petition two things must bee observed 1. What it was whereby he did desire to be purged and washed from his sinnes 2. In what manner hee did desire to be purged with it The thing which he desired to be purged and washed with was the bloud of Christ that was the thing which hee knew was signified and represented both by the water and bloud that was used under the law for the purifying of them that were uncleane So that the meaning of his petition is this Lord wash me from my sins in the bloud of Christ Lord sprinkle as with a bunch of hysope and effectually apply to my soule that bloud of thy sonne Then the first particular that is to bee observed in these words is this that though in the first verse when he begged so earnestly of God the pardon of his sins he sued for nothing but mercy he grounded his faith and hope to speed in that suit onely upon the infinite mercy of God yet here renewing the same suit and suing still for nothing els but the pardon of his sinne yet he mentioneth not mercy now but sheweth the way and meanes whereby hee hoped to obtaine this mercy from God for the pardon of his sinne by the bloud of Christ by being washed in that by having that sprinkled upon him and applyed to him hee looked to obtaine mercy with God for the pardon of his sinne and by no other meanes From hence then this Doctrine ariseth for our instruction That the onely meanes whereby men obtaine mercy with God for the pardon of their sins is the bloud of Christ. Two branches there be of this Doctrine which must be distinctly handled 1. No mercy can be expected from God but through Christ onely Hee is the conduit pipe whereby all mercy is conveyed from God unto us Of his fullnesse saith the Evangelist Iohn 1.16 have wee all received 2. Whatsoever mercy wee receive from God by Christ wee obtaine it by his bloud See the proofe of the first point in six particulars First Eternall life and the glory and happinesse wee looke for in heaven is indeed the free gift 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God and obtained meerely through his mercy but this free gift this mercy we have no hope to receive from God but onely through Christ The gift of God is eternall life saith the Apostle Rom. 6.23 through Iesus Christ our Lord. In which respect hee is called our hope 1 Tim. 1.1 Secondly All spirituall blessings whereby we are fitted for heaven faith and repentance and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 12.14 are the free gifts of God and obtained meerely through his mercy for he is the God of all grace as the Apostle calleth him 1 Pet. 5.10 But this mercy is obtained from God onely through Christ. Hee hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ saith the Apostle Ephes. 1.3 It is he that giveth repentance unto Israel and forgivenes of sins as the Apostle speaketh Acts 5.31 Thirdly Even those common gifts of Gods spirit which hypocrites and castawayes have enjoyed as well as Gods elect are the free gifts of God and fruits of his mercy yet are they also bestowed on the elect onely through Christ no man can have any comfort in them no man can have a sanctified use of them but onely in and through Christ. The Apostle speaking of that knowledge and utterance God had given the Corinthians for the service of his Church 1 Cor. 1.4 5. calleth them the grace of God which was given them in Iesus Christ. Fourthly It is of the mercy of God that any of us
as the Holy Ghost witnesseth Mar. 6 5. how can I ever hope to obtaine mercy and assurance of favour from God this way To this I answer First Thou maist notwithstanding thine infidelity so long as the infidelity that is in thee raigneth not but thou discernest bewailest and strivest against it David had doubting and feare and infidelity in him when he cryed Psal. 13.1 How long wilt thou forget me O Lord For ever How long wilt thou hide thy face from me And yet even then he trusted in Gods mercy and hoped to recover assurance of his favour that way as appeareth by his words in the fift verse And when I am afraid saith he Psal. 56 â— when I am disquieted with feares and doubts of any kind I will trust in thee So Psal. 143.7 8. he professeth that when his spirit faâ—led when his spirit was overwhelmed and his heart within him was desolate as he had said before Verse 4. and consequently when he had much infidelity in him yet even then he did trust in God anâ— lifted up his soule unto him And was not the poore woman that had the bloudy issue Luke 8.47 troubled much with doubts and feares and infidelity when yet notwithstanding she did trust and looke to receive mercy and helpe through the free goodnesse of God in Christ. Secondly Though thou feele thy selfe never so unable through thy infidelity to cast thy selfe upon the free grace and mercy of God in Christ yet if thou can bewaile and be soundly humbled for thy infidelity God will make thee able to do it For he hath promised to give grace even this as well as any other to the humble Iam. 4.6 He will keep thee from sinking under and being overcome of thy infidelity And Gods people have never found him readier to shew them mercy this way that when they have felt most weakenesse and infidelity in themselves When the Apostle had been pressed out of measure above his strength as he speaketh 2 Cor. 1.8 9 and had the sentence of death in himselfe God sustained and delivered him and that for this very cause as he saith to teach us that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead which causeth him to professe 2 Cor. 12.10 When I am weak then am I strong He never felt Gods strength more in supporting him and keeping him from sinking under the burden of any tentation than when he found his own weaknesse and readinesse to sink most of all Now to make some application of this we shall find that many of Gods people do greatly offend in this point For they make that inherent grace which they find in themselves the onely ground of all their comfort and assurance of Gods favour while they discerne that in themselves they are quiet and comfortable when they cannot they are utterly out of hope Two evills they commit in this one against themselves another against the Lord. First resting upon that grace they find in themselves and so trusting in their owne heart they leane upon a bruised reed that may and will deceive them Their owne spirit may faile them and be overwhelmed as we have heard David complained that it was with him Psal. 143.4 7. Though that grace that is in them if ever it were in them in truth do not utterly faile yet their heart and spirit the knowledge and feeling of that grace they have may quite faile them for a time This made David say as he doth Psal. 73.26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Make God himselfe thy rock and portion the onely ground of all thy hope and comfort and he will never faile though thine own flesh and heart do Secondly In doing thus we make an idoll of that inherent grace that is in us and putting that trust in it which we should repose in the Lord alone we commit idolatry we go a whoring after our owne hearts as the Lord speaketh Num. 15.39 For no inherent grace that is in us is God but the gift of God only and therefore cannot be fully trusted in without sinne Let us therefore learne to praise God for any grace he hath wrought in us by his holy Spirit yea let us take comfort in it as in a fruit of his eternall and unchangeable love but let us not so rest upon it as to make it the onely or chiefe ground of our hope and comfort but learne to renounce our selves and all confidence in any goodnesse that is in us and with humbled soules cast our selves wholly upon the free grace and mercy of God in Christ and say with the Apostle Phil. 3.3 We are the circumcision which rejoyce in the Lord Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh Lecture CXXVII On Psalme 51.7 Septem 1. 1629. NOw the third and last use that this Doctrine serveth unto is as I said for the comfort of such of Gods people as though they feare God unfainedly and are carefull in all their wayes to please him yet complaine greatly of this that they cannot feele that the bloud of Christ is by the Spirit of God sprinkled upon their hearts they cannot attaine unto this sensible assurance of the favour of God in Christ. And though 1 I know well that in this profane and loose age few have need of this use of comfort because most men are confident enough of their salvation they are not troubled at all with any doubts or feares his way and the whole have no need of a Physician Matth. 9.12 Doctrine of humiliation and terrour were fitter for most of our hearers than Doctrine of comfort The fat and strong among Gods sheepe should be fed with judgement as the Lord speaketh Ezek. 34.16 Yea 2 I know well that some will be more likely to receive hurt than good by that which you shall now heare For Christ and the Doctrine of Gods mercy in him is a stumbling stone and rock of offence to disobedient and wicked men as the Apostle teacheth us 1 Pet. 2.8 And 3. though in handling of the meanes whereby true assurance may be obtained I have spoken much already for the comfort of such persons Yet have I two reasons why I dare not omit this use of comfort First Because I doubt not but there are some of you that heare me have present need of it And if there were but two or three such among you all I am bound in my ministery to have more respect unto them then to all the rest For to such principally are we sent to preach Hee hath sent me saith our Saviour Esa. 61 1 2. and that which hee that is the great Shepheard of the sheepe said it becommeth us all that are under him tâ— say likewise hee hath sent mee saith he to bind up the broken hearted and to comfort all that mourne in Sion Secondly Because though there be many of you that have not present need of
saith the Prophet Habacuk 2.4 It is not our feeling but our faith that wee must live by Take two examples to perswade and encourage thee to this The one in David the other in Abraham What time I am afraid saith David Psalme 56.3.4 whensoever I am most disquieted with doubts and feares in my selfe I will trust in thee How could he doe so will you say That hee will tell you in the next words In God saith hee I will praise his word In God have I put my trust As if he had said What cause of feare soever I find in my selfe yet I thanke God I have the word and promise of God that hee will bee mercifull to mee and that I will trust unto Our other example is in Abraham recorded by the Apostle Romanes 4.19 10.21 Hee beleeved that hee should have a sonne by Sarah in whose seed himselfe and all the nations of the earth should be blessed though hee saw and â—elt in himselfe great cause to doubt that this could never possibly bee For his body was now dead that is the strength and vigour of it was quite gone and so was Saraâ—s too How could hee then beleeve this Why hee had Gods word and promise for it and that though it were contrary to his sense and reason he gave credit and trusted to He staggered not at the promise of God through unbeleefe saith the Apostle being fully perswaded that what hee had promised hee was able also to performe And in thus doing the Apostle saith hee gave glory to God By how much the more matter of doubting and feare and despaire wee feele in our selves by so much the more glory wee give unto God when notwithstanding this wee can give credite unto and rest upon the word and promise of God O but you will say Abraham was strong in saith he staggered not through unbeliefe as the Apostle saith of him there No marvell though his faith were imputed to him for righteousnesse though it justified him in Gods sight What speake you of his example to such a one as I am that am so weake in faith and am ever staggering through unbeliefe can such a faith as mine is justifie me in Gods sight and make Christ and all his merits mine I answer yes the weakest faith will do it if thou can receive Christ rest upon him even with the weakest faith it will serve thy turne The weake faith of the poore man that came to Christ for his child that was possessed Mar. 9.24 though he staggered much through unbeleefe which made him cry with teares Lord I beleeve helpe mine unbeliefe yet this weake faith of his served his turne and obtained mercy from Christ. Take heed thou thinke not that it is the strength of thy faith that justifieth thee no no It is Christ and his perfect righteousnesse which thy faith receiveth and resteth upon that doth it He that hath the feeblest and weakest hand may receive an almes and apply a soveraigne plaister to his wound as well as he that hath the strongest and receive as much good by it too Thy blessed Saviour that gave that charge concerning such as thou art Matth. 18.10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones will not despise or reject thee for the weaknesse of thy faith which thou mournest for and strivest to amend but will have tender respect to thee in it A bruised reed saith the Evangelist Mat. 12.20 shall he not breake and smoaking slax shall he not quench This is a comfortable speech indeed will you say for them that can beleeve and trust in Christ though but with a weake faith But alas I find my selfe to be â—ouâ—worthy a wreth so oppressed many times with the sense of my unworthinesse that I cannot beleeve I cannot rest upon Christ nor hope and look for mercy through him When thou art so yet lift up thy heart to God crave helpe of him in this case beg of him that he would make thee able to go to Christ and to rest upon him Do as David did When my heart is overwhelmed saith he Psal. 61.2 lead mee to the rocke that is higher then I. And what was that rocke I pray you Surely the Lord Iesus of whom himselfe saith Matth. 16.18 Vpon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it Was the rock that David desired God to lead him unto when thy heart is overwhelmed with feares and doubts and thou canst get no sensible assurance of Gods favour nor comfort in thy selfe nor hast power to goe unto Christ pray thou likewise to God with David that he would lead thee to this rocke that he would make thee able to stay and rest thy selfe upon Christ and then the gates of hell all the subtiltie and power of the divell shall never be able to prevaile against thee This is all true indeed If I could pray I were happy when I find my selfe able to pray then am I safe but alas my heart is so overwhelmed many times that I cannot pray To this I answer First That it may well bee so with thee for so it hath beene with many a good servant of God Thus David complained Psalme 77.4 I am so troubled that I cannot speake Thus good Hezekiah said of himselfe Esa. 38.14 Like a craâ—e or a swallow so did I chatter I did mourne as a dove And the Apostle telleth us Romanes 8.26 it is thus oft with Gods people in extreame affliction Wee know not hee putteth himselfe in the number what wee should pray for as wee ought But then I say secondly When thou findest thy selfe thus unable to pray yet doe what thou canst pray as well as thou canst chatter unto God as Hezekiah did sigh and grone unto God as the Apostle there saith the faithfull oft doe they pray with gronings which they cannot utter and even this will prevaile with God as much as any prayer which with the greatest liberty and freedome of spirit thou ever madest unto him in all thy life David found it to be so for hee saith Psalme 77.1 the Lord gave eare unto him even when he cryed to him in such a troubled manner And Hezekiah found it to be so for he saith that after that chattering prayer of his hee found abundance of comfort Thou hast saith hee Esa. 38.17 in love to my soule delivered it from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sinnes behind thy backe And the Apostle giveth us this reason why it must needs be so Romanes 8.27 Hee that searcheth the hearts saith hee knoweth what is the mind of the spirit because hee maketh intercession for the Saints acrording to the will of God As if hee should say Those prayers that are made with sighs and grones which wee cannot utter proceed from Gods spirit as well as any other that ever wee made and the Lord that searcheth the heart knoweth the meaning of his
right hand of my righteousnesse And Vers. 14. Feare not thou worme Iacob thou that art so base and contemptible in thine owne eye I will helpe thee saith the Lord. Yea of all the faithfull those that are now before-hand so fearfull and weake have most promises of God that he will give them strength sufficient when the time of tryall shall come Out of weakenesse they were made strong as you heard Hâ—b 11.34 My grace is sufficient for thee saith the Lord to Paul 2 Cor. 12.9 for my strength is made perfect in weaknesse He giveth power to the saint saith the Prophet Esa. â—0 29 and to them that have no might he increaseth strength Certainly if Gods people would make use of their faith in making claim to these promises of God and challenging of him in humble prayer the performance of them unto themselves they could not be so tormented with slavish feares as they are The fourth and last corruption that much troubleth the best of Gods people is the hardnesse of their hearts they cannot mourne they say nor weep for their sinnes they are not sensible either of the judgements or mercies of God they cannot pray nor heare nor read nor receive with any feeling or affection at all See how Gods people complaine and were afflicted with this Esa 63.17 Why hast thou hardened our heart from thy feâ—râ— Now the best way that any soule can take to cure this stoninesse of the heart to make it soft and tender able to mourne kindly for sinne and to serve God with feeling and affection is to get assurance by a lively faith of Gods love to him in Christ and of the forgivenesse of his sinnes Foure notable experiments we have for this two in the old Testament and two in the new The first is that of Gods people mentioned in Ezek. 36.28 31. after that they were become Gods people and God was become their God and he had saved them from all their uncleannesses as you read Vers. 28 29. that is after that they were entred into the covenant of grace assured of Gods favour and of the forgivenesse of their sinnes then shall ye remember saith the Lord of them Vers. 31. your owne evill wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your owne sight for your iniquity and for your abominations Nothing hath that force to make a man loath himselfe for his sinnes as the knowledge and consideration of Gods love in the pardoning of his sinnes and the receiving of him into a covenant of grace and mercy that hath beene so extreamely unworthy of it The second experiment of this force of faith to soften the heart is that of Gods people whom the Prophet speaketh of Zach. 12.10 that they should mourne as one mourneth for his onely sonne and be in bitternesse as one that is in bitternesse for his first borne And the Prophet alledgeth two causes of this 1. The Spirit of grace that God had powred upon them that is the Spirit of adoption whereby God had assured their hearts of his favour and love in Christ. 2. The looking upon Christ whom they had pierced that is the weighing with themselves seriously what Christ had done and suffred for them And therfore also it is said they mourned for him they were in bitternesse for him It is the Spirit of grace and adoption assuring us of Gods fatherly love to us in Christ it is the weighing with our selves seriously how dearely Christ hath loved us that will make us mourne for sinne more than for any thing in the world all the terrours of the law all the judgements of God are of no force to soften the heart in comparison of this The third experiment of this is in Mary Magdalen Luke 7. Of her we read Ver. 38. that she had a very soft heart she was able to weep abundantly for her sinnes so abundantly as she could wash Christs feet with her teares And what was it that made her heart so soft Surely the knowledge and assurance she had of Christs marvellous love to her in pardoning her sinnes her so many and so hainous sinnes was that that did it as our Saviour plainely telleth us Vers. 43 48. The fourth and last example is that of Peter of whom we read Luke 22.62 that he had a most soft heart he was able to weepe bitterly for his sinnes And what was it that wrought so upon his heart That the Holy Ghost telleth us Vers. 61. The Lord turned and looked upon Peter and Peter remembred the Word of the Lord how he had said unto him before the cocke crow thou shalt deny me thrice When he considered the marvellous love of Christ to him that though he had so shamefully denied and forsaken him yet he was pleased still in the midst of all his troubles to think upon him to have care of him to turn himself about and cast a gracious eye upon him this brought Peter to remember what he had done this even broke his heart and made him weep abundantly And surely look what force a true and lively faith had in all these examples the same it would have in us if we did stir it up and make use of it as they did The true cause why our hearts are so hard is this that either we have no faith no assurance of Gods love to us in Christ or if we have it we make not use of it unto this work of softning our hearts For all that are in the covenant of grace reconciled to God in Christ have this promise given them of God Ezek. 11.19 which is also repeated 36.26 I will take saith the Lord the stony heart out of their flesh and I will give them an heart of flesh And if any of the faithfull when they are most troubled with the hardnesse of their hearts could make claime unto this promise and presse the Lord with it as he loveth to be importuned as you may see Luke 18.1 7 certainely they might have helpe against it And so much for the force that faith hath in the first part of our sanctification for the mortifying of sinne The second part I must leave till the next day Lecture CXLI On Psalme 51.7 Febr. 23. 1629. IT followeth now that I shew you likewise the force of justifying faith in the second part of true sanctification in making us partakers of the divine nature and renewing the image of God in our hearts in producing the fruits of the Spirit in us in the breeding and working of every saving grace When a man is once justified by faith in Christ is reconciled unto God through his bloud then shall he bring forth fruit unto God and never till then This will make the heart of a man fruitfull in holinesse and righteousnesse and nothing but this will ever be able to doe it For the first that is to say that faith will make the heart fruitfull we have a plaine proofe in that speech of the
and wonders that they doe yet might they bee false Prophets for all that false Prophets saith our Saviour shall shew great signes and wonders in so much that if it were possible they shall deceive the very elâ—ct If it were possible saith hee It is not possible for any of Gods elect to bee so deceived by any false teachers as that they should fall into those errours that are fundamentall and persist in them The foundation of God saith the Apostle 2 Timothy 2.19 this decree of God which is the maine foundation of our whole salvation that standeth sure and can never bee mooved or altered And secondly wee are kept saith the Apostle 1 Peter 1.5 by the power of God through faith unto salvation And by our faith wee have in these things and in other the promises of God we stand as the Apostle saith 2 Corith 1.24 and not by any thing that is in our selves But though this bee so yet hath the Lord appointed some things for us to doe to preserve our selves from falling away from the truth And though he at the first made us without our selves not of our first creation only but of the first forming of the new creature principally is that to be understood which the Church speaketh Psalme 100.3 It is he that made us and not we our selves as appeares by the words that follow We are his people and the sheepe of his pasture we were meere patients in both those first workes of God yet will he not save us without our selves he will not preserve us in the state of grace nor bring us unto glory without our owne endeavour he will have us to be agents in this work our selves and co-workers with him Work out your own salvation saith the Apostle Phil. 2.12 and Iude 20 â—1 Build up your selves in your most holy faith and keep your selves in the love of God And whomsoever God hath elected and decreed to preserve so as they shall never bee deceived and drawne from the truth in them he will worke a care and endeavour to use all meanes to preserve themselves Yea he will make them to be diligent and painfull in working for themselves this way in doing their endeavour and using of the meanes whereby they may be kept from falling away from the truth The Apostle writing to the Hebrewes that had done much already to make sure to themselves their owne election and calling And wee desire saith hee Hebrewes 6.11 12. that every one of you doe shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end That yee bee not slothfull but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises No man can have full assurance of hope to bee preserved from falling away unlesse even to the end of his dayes hee bee diligent in using the meanes to preserve himselfe No man may looke to inherit Gods promises that is a sloathfull man that relyeth wholly upon Gods mercy and power and gracious promises and will use no endeavour take no paines to keepe himselfe from falling from God On the other side hee that will diligently endeavour himselfe to doe that that God hath directed him to doe and to use Gods meanes shall not need to doubt but that God will uphold him though the times were farre more dangerous than they are Hee that upheld Noah Genesis 6.9 and Obadiah 1 Kings 18.3 in such times as these were can certainely uphold us in these times God is able to make him stand saith the Apostle Romans 14.4 Yea and hee will cetainely doe it if wee bee not wanting to our selves Arise and bee doing saith David to Salomon 1 Chron. 22.16 and the Lord will bee with thee Do thy endeavour in the use of Gods meanes conscionably and thou shalt not need to doubt of successe In all labour there is profit saith the Holy Ghost Prov. 14.23 which is to bee understood as well of the paines wee are to take for our soules and for heaven as for that wee take for our bodies in our worldly callings Yea the Lord to shew the necessity of our own endeavour to encourage us unto this and to honour the use of his meanes is pleased to ascribe our preservation from falling and standing in the state of grace which is indeed his owne worke onely unto this our care of keeping of our selves Hee that is begotten of God keepeth himselfe and that wicked one toucheth him not saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 5.18 A regenerate man may by a conscionable use of the meanes yet not hee saith the Apostle 1 Corinthians 15.10 but the grace of God that is with him and with all others also that faithfully doe their endeavour keepe himselfe so as that Satan nor any of his agents shall ever bee able to touch him mortally to draw him to that sinne that is unto death Yea hee that will carefully doe what lyeth in him I speake still of the regenerate man may preserve himselfe though not from all sinne from all humane frailties and infirmities yet certainely from all grosse and scandalous sinnes even from such as hee hath beene by nature or custome most strongly inclined unto And I kept my selfe from mine iniquity saith David Psalme 18.23 You will aske me then what is it that God would have vs to doe to preserve our selves from falling into errour and to keepe our selves constant in his holy truth I answer they bee two things principally some things wee must avoid and some things wee must doe 1. We must carefully beware of and shun those things whereby we are in danger to be corrupted in our judgement and drawne away from the truth 2. Wee must diligently use the meanes whereby wee may bee established and preserved in it Of the first kind there are two wholsome and necessary directions given us in Gods Booke First Hee that would be constant in the truth of religion and not fall from it must shun and avoid them by whom he may be in danger to be seduced and drawne into errour Shun the hearing of them the conferring with them the reading of their bookes desire not to heare what they can say for their errours and against the truth This direction wee shall find often given unto Gods people Cease my sonne to heare saith the Holy Ghost Proverbes 19.27 the instruction that causeth to erre from the words of knowledge As if hee should have said Thou hast received the knowledge of the truth from the Word of God the writings of the Prophets and Apostles are the words of knowledge and these men would instruct thee and by great probability of reason perswade thee another way Give over hearing of such men saith the Holy Ghost This direction the Apostle gives Romanes 16.17 Now I beseech you brethren saith hee observe his earnestnesse in this matter marke them which cause divisions and offences are authors of new sects contrary to the doctrine which yee have learned and avoid them And this note our blessed Saviour
wicked men two wayes by the Examples of his severity towards his owne children 547 548 Iustification By Christ we are fully and perfectly delivered and freed from all our sinnes 315 316 All true believers are perfectly cleansed from their sinneâ— and pure in Gods eyes 655 The reasons of it 660 661 Foure maine differences betweene justification and sanctification 656 659 How perfectly a true believer is discharged of all his sinnes appeares in 5 points 659 We cannot be justified by inherent righteousnesse 669 670 Reasons of it 670 671 We are justified by Christs righteousnesse imputed to us 672 Objections answered 674 The knowledge of this that Christ hath purchased for us the pardon of our sinnes a sufficient ground of comfort 677. and so is the knowledge of this that Christs perfect obedience is imputed to us Ibid. K. Knowledge A Good signe to desire to know the whole will of God in all things that concerne us 423 786 794 Saving knowledge is the principall worke of Gods grace in the conversion of man 472 It is the foundation of other graces 473 It is the seed of other graces 475 All Gods people must seeke for saving knowledge 483 Signes of sanctified knowledge 485 c 1 The Word the onely object of it 2. Specially such parts of it as are most usefull and profitable for our selves 485. 3. It is cleare and certaine 4. There 's no fulnesse nor satiety in it 486 It works 1 humilitie 487. 2. Good affections 488. 3. Reformation of hearts and liâ—e 489 490. 4. Strengtheneth against tentations 491 Motives to seek knowledge 1. It concernes one as well as another to have knowledge in Religion and in the Scriptures 492 493. 2. It is a duty required of God Ibid. 494 3 It is a comfortable signe of Election and uprightnesse oâ— heart 495 4. It keepeth us constant in Religion and from danger of seducers 490 788 5. It makes us walke boldly and comfortably 497 Meanes 1. Be sensible of ignorance 2. Be truly humbled or sin 498. 3. Depend upon an ordinary and sound ministry 499. 4. Read the Word 5. Meditate 6. Conferre 7. Pray 501. Receive the Word with an honest heart 792 No man by naturall abilities can attaine saving knowledge without supernaturall grace 512 This cure not perfected in this life nor so perfectly in some as others but shall be perfected in heaven 514 Naturall mens knowledge not sufficient to salvation 515 The work of grace enlightning the understanding is extraordinarie and rare 516 This workes most free no reason of it but only Gods good pleasure Ibid. â—abour to understand every thing we do in Gods service 583 Danger of them that make light account of knowledge 598 L. Labour WE cannot performe any spirituall service unto God without labour 34 Love of God The love of God is the root of all true obedience 386 The true love of God a certaine signe of an upright heart 388 389 No wicked man doth indeed love God 390 c. There may bee true love of God in them that are much exercised with slavish feares 394 Love that is wrought in men towards God by his common savours is unsound 398 399 Faith the root of it 742 Every one that hath the Spirit of Christ loves God above all 798 Gods honour must be dearer unto us than any thing 809 M. Magistrates HAve great opportunity to honour God in their places 631 Maliciousnesse True faith will subdue it 733 734 Meanes God is the giver of all meanes and of the vertue in them to do us good 72 Meditation Meditate on that we heare 40 Memory We should be carefull to remember what we heare 39 And to keepe Gods favours in remembrance 646 Mercy of God The onely ground the best can have for hope of pardon is Gods mercy 102 c. Gods mercy most free 107 In him bowels of mercy 107 108 We must not rest in this to know that God is mercifull but labour to know that his mercy yea a speciall mercy belongs to us 126 Five differences between it and common mercies 126 127 Five notes to know whether it belong to us 127 128 Five notable effects that the assurance of Gods speciall mercy worketh in the conscience 129 130 The vilest sinner if he feele his sin and desire to turne to God need not doubt of finding mercy with him 130 c. Gods mercy to us in the things that concerne this life 224 225 In things that concerne our soules 225 c. Learne to be mercifull by example of Gods mercy 115 Ministers Why the faithfullest Ministers are so hated 46 47 What properties should be in the Minister that desires to do good specially in reproving sin 48 52 Ministers should not be given to suits and contentions 51 What manner of men Ministers had need to be 166.167 Ministers must chiefly labour to bring the people to knowledge to ground and stablish them in it 481 By what means he may do that 482 Ministers have great opportunity to honour God 631 Ministers teaching by warrant of Gods Word are to be obyed 724 A man that hath no truth of grace in himselfe may be a meanes to converâ— others 805 Ministry of the Word The means which God hath sanctified and by which he hath been wont to worke repentance and grace 18. and knowledge 499. and constancy in the truth 796 What mighty works it hath wrought and the reason it hath done so 18 21 We should resolve to live under it and why 23 24 48 To be accounted a chiefe blessing 25 478 800 804 That the best that applyeth the Word particularly and reproveth sin boldly 44 A principall work of mercy to procure or provide that for a people 479 It is Gods speciall and free favour that any of us enjoy the sound Ministry of the Word 503 507 That the Ministry of the Word is effectuall to conversion is to be ascribed onely to the Spirit 507 509 They are in a fearefull estate that enjoy not the Ministry of the Word 526 527 And also they that enjoy it and cannot profit by it 528 A great mercy to enjoy the Ministry of the Word but specially when we profit by it 531 532 We should rejoyce in this 802 803 Modesty The people of God dare not speake boldly nor immodestly of filthy actions 6 Mortification Seven meanes of it 317 c. We may with confidence go to Christ for helpe against our spirituall infirmities 331 Objections against that answered 335 Faith the onely means of mortification 732 Musicke Three things to be observed concerning the Musicke they had in the worship of God under the Law 3 N. Neighbours HOw we came to make our selves guilty of the sinnes of others 179 c. 219 We are bound to desire and procure so farre as in us lieth that all men may have the means of knowledge 477 478 O. Oath GReat care to be had in taking an oath and keeping it 183 The common sinne in taking an oath
mercy of God towards thy selfe That the dew of Gods grace should fall upon thy heart as the materiall dew did upon Gideons fleece Iudges 6.37 and the ground that is round about thee should be dry not one drop of this dew upon it is not this a wonderfull mercy O consider it and admire it and say with the Apostle Iude Iohn 14.22 Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy selfe to us and not to the world Lord how is it that thou shouldst give thy grace unto me and deny it unto so many that were every whit as good as I nay better farre then I better in state and calling better in capacity and understanding nay better in life more unblameable more civill free from sundry grosse sinnes that I was given unto Take notice of this mercy of God thou that hast received it and rejoyce in it and be thankefull for it But take heed thou be not puft up by it so to thinke better to thy selfe for it as to despise others to whom God hath not yet bin so mercifull this way as he hath bin to thee But say oft to thy soule as the Apostle doth to them 1 Cor. 4.7 Who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou hast not received And if thou hast received it why gloriest thou Remember what use David made of the difference God had made betweene him and Saul 2 Sam. 6.22 I will be more vile then thus and will be base in mine owne sight And we shall see great reason for it if we consider well what our Saviour saith Luke 12 48. Vnto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required Lecture CVII On Psalme 51.6 Ianuary 6. 1628. WEE have already heard that these words doe containe the fourth and last argument whereby David doth aggravate and set forth the hainousnesse of his foule sinnes taken from the consideration of that truth of grace and saving knowledge God had wrought in him before he fell thus fearefully And that there are three principall things to be observed in them 1. The description that David maketh here of his owne true conversion and regeneration In the hidden part hee had knowne wisedome 2. The author and worker of this his conversion that is to say The Lord himselfe In the hidden part thou hadst made me to know wisedome 3. Lastly The end and purpose that David had in mentioning here his conversion that truth of grace and saving knowledge that was in him before his fall that is to say To aggravate and increase his sin by the consideration of it The two former of these points wee have already finished it followeth now that we proceed unto the third and last of them From this then that David doth here aggravate his sins from this consideration that he was a reâ—enerate man he had truth of grace and saving knowledge in him before he fell into these sins we learne That the sinnes that a man committeth that is truly regenerate are in sundry respects much more hainous and dangerous then the same sinnes committed by another man In sundry respects I say but not in all respects This Caution I must needes give you for the opening and explaination of the Doctrine before I come to the confirmation of it And in handling this Caution I must bee something large both because it is a point that may bee of great use unto you and because I have not handled it before nor know when I may have hereafter so fit opportunity to speake of it as in the handling of this Doctrine that cannot be well understood without it You must therefore know that the sins of a regenerate man are not in all respects nor indeed can be either so hainous in themselves or so dangerous to him that committeth them as the sins of the unregenerate are or may be First They are not so hainous in themselves and that in these two respects First There is one hainous sin that no regenerate Elect child of God can possibly fall into He cannot commit the sin against the holy Ghost as hee that is unregenerate may doe There is a sin unto death saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 5.16 by which he meaneth not that there is a sin that deserveth death for so every sinne doth but a sin which whosoever falleth into and committeth he must needs dye and perish everlastingly and he addeth verse 18. We know that whosoever is borne of God sinneth not that is doth never commit that sin the sin unto death Secondly Those hainous sins that it is possible for a man that is truly regenerate to fall into yet even in them it is not possible for him to sin so hainously as many an unregenerate man doth and as every unregenerate man may doe He may indeed fall into such sins as are for the matter and substance of the fact every whit as hainous as any other mans sin can be Davids and Peters examples prove that to be too true But he cannot commit them so hainously that is in so hainous a manner as the other doth Their spot saith Moses speaking of the rebellious Iewes Deut. 32.5 is not the spot of his children As if he had said They may both have their spots yea and great and foule spots too but there is a great difference betweene the spots of the lewd and unregenerate men and the spots of Gods children And as the Lord gave to the Priest under the law direction how he might distinguish and put a difference betweene the spots of the leprous persons Levit. 13.24 27. and ver 38.39 So hath he also given him in his word direction how we may distinguish and discerne the spots of lewd and wicked men from the spots of his children Of the one it is said Iude 15. that their ungodly deeds are ungodly committed Of the other it is said Psal. 18.21 that they have not wickedly departed from their God As if he should say even then when they have forsaken and departed from their God yet they did iâ— not wickedly in that wicked manner with so wicked a mind and disposition of heart as the other doe The adultery that David committed was doubtlesse great filthinesse and yet there is certainly a great deale more wickednes in the whoredomes of many other men then there was in his In thy filthinesse is lewdnesse saith the Lord to the wicked Iew Eze. 24.13 Was there not so you will say in Davids in every other mans whoredome Surely the fact is most filthy and abominable whosoever committeth it but yet in the heart of many a man that committeth it there is much more lewdnes then there was in Davids So the Apostacy of Peter was out of doubt a most hainous sin yet was it not committed so hainously with so bad an heart as the Apostacy of many a one hath beene that yet did never deny Christ with such oathes and execrations as Peter did Bee not mercifull unto all that