sharpness of apprehension in carnal Things but dull slow and blind in spiritual and heavenly Things Thoughts are spent freely and unweariedly about the one but there is a tediousness and barrenness about the other a Will backward to what is good but a strange bent and urging to what is evil in that which is good we need a Spur in evil a Bridle these things persevere with us but how fickle and changable in any holy Resolution the Memory slippery in what is good but firm and strong in what is evil the Affections quick easily stirred like Tinder catch fire at every spark but as to that which is good they are like fire in green Wood hardly kept in with much blowing Again our delight is soon moved by things pleasing to Sense a carnal gust and savour is very natural to us and rise with us Rom. 8. 5. but averse from the chiefest good and every thing that leadeth to it Surely then we have need to goe to God and complain of Corruption sometimes under the notion of a blind and dark Mind begging the illumination of the Spirit sometimes under the notion of a dead hard Heart or an unperswadable Will begging his inclining as well as inlightning Grace Surely they are strangely hardened that do not see a need of a spiritual Understanding Nay God's Children after Grace received though sanctified betimes yet halt of the old Maim dull in Spirituals alive and active in carnal Matters Carnal and worldly Men act more uniformly and suitably to their Principles than the Children of God to theirs Luke 16. 8. The Children of this world are wiser in their generation than the Children of light that is more dexterous in the course of their Affairs Grace for the present worketh but a partial Cure we have the advantage in matter of Motive we have better and higher things to mind but they have the advantage in matter of Principle their Principles are unbroken but the Principles of the best are mixed we cannot doe what we would in heavenly things there is the back-bias of Corruption that turns us away and therefore they need to be instant with God to heal their Souls sometimes a blind Mind and sometimes a distempered Heart 5. We must be new made and born again before we can be apt or able to know or doe the Will of God as Christ inferreth the necessity of Regeneration from the corruption of Nature he had been discoursing with Nicodemus You cannot enter into the Kingdome of God For that which is born of the flesh is flesh John 3. 5 6. Our Souls naturally accommodate themselves to the Flesh and seek the good of the Flesh and all our Thoughts and Care and Life and Love runs that way now what was lost in Adam can onely be recovered in Christ 't is not enough that God's hands have once made us and fashioned us but there is a necessity of being made and fashioned anew of becoming his workmanship in Christ Iesus Eph. 2. 10. and so the words of the Text may be interpreted in this sense Thou hast made me once Lord new make me thy hands made me O Lord give me a new Heart that I may obey thee In the first Birth God gave us a natural Understanding in the second a spiritual Understanding that we may learn his Commandments First that we may be good and then doe good The first Birth gave us the natural Faculty the second the Grace or those divine Qualities which were lost by Adam's Sin better never been born unless born again better be a Beast than a Man if the Lord give us not the knowledge of himself in Christ. The Beasts when they die their Misery and Happiness dieth with them Death puts an end to their Pain and Pleasure but we that have Reason and Conscience to foresee the end and know the way enter into perfect Happiness or Misery at death unless the Lord sanctify this Reason and give us an heart to know him in Christ and choose that which is good Man is but a higher kind of Beast a wiser sort of Beast Psalm 49. 12. for his Soul is onely employed to cater for the Body and his Reason is prostituted to Sense the Beast rides the Man We are not distinguished from the Bruits by our Senses but our Understanding and our Reason but in a carnal Man the Soul is a kind of Sense 't is wholly imployed about the animal Life There is not a more brutish Creature in the World than a worldly wicked Man Well then David had need to pray Lord thou hast given me Reason give me the knowledge of thy self and thy blessed Will 6. When we seek this Grace or any degree of it 't is a proper Argument to urge that we are God's Creatures so doth David here I am now come to my very Business and therefore I shall a little shew how far Creation is pleadable and may any way incourage us to ask spiritual Understanding and renewing Grace 1. In the general I shall lay down this 'T is a good way of reasoning with God to ask another Gift because we have received one already 'T is not a good way of reasoning with Man because he wastes by giving but a good way with God and that upon a double account Partly because in some cases Deus donando debet God by giving doth in effect bind himself to give more as by giving Life to give Food by giving a Body to give Rayment Matth. 6. 25. God by sending such a Creature into the World chargeth his Providence to maintain him as long as he will use him for his glory God loveth to crown his own Gifts Zech. 3. 2. Is not this a brand plucked out of the burnings The thing pleaded there is was not this a Brand plucked out of the fire one Mercy is pleaded to obtain another Mercy So God bindeth himself to give perseverance 2 Cor. 1. 10. but this is not the case here for by giving common Benefits he doth not bind himself to give saving Graces And partly too because he doth not waste by giving his mercy endureth for ever The same reason is given for all those Mercies Psalm 136. Why the Lord chose a Church maintaineth his Church giveth daily bread his mercy endureth for ever God is where he was at first he giveth liberally and upbraideth not James 1. 5. he doth not say I have given already Now a former common Mercy sheweth God's readiness and freeness to give the Inclination to doe good still abideth with him he is as ready and as free to give still daily Bread his mercy endureth for ever spiritual Wisdome his mercy endureth for ever indeed the giving of daily Bread doth not necessarily bind God to give spiritual Wisdome but that which is not a sure ground to expect may be a probable incouragement to ask and learn this that though nothing can satisfy Unbelief yet Faith can pick Arguments out of any thing and make use of
by the Scriptures which apparently are acknowledged by them to be the Word without running to unwritten traditions and the authority of men Again all this is recommended with the special presence of God as to gifts and graces blessing these Churches continually more and more Therefore if ever a man will find rest for his soul and be soundly quiet within himself here he must fix and chuse and take up the way of truth Popery is but Heathenism disguised with a Christian name their penal satisfactions are like the gashing and launcing of Baal's Priests their Mediators of Intercession are like the doctrines of Demons among the Gentiles for they had their middle Powers glorified Heroes their Holy water suits with the Heathen Lustrations their costly offerings to their Images answer to the Sacrifices and Oblations to appease their gods which the Idolaters would give for the sin of their souls adoring their Reliques is like the respects the heathens had to their departed Heroes And as they had their Tutelar gods for every City so these their Saints for every City and Nation their S. Sebastian for the Pestilence their Apollonia for their Tooth-ach and the like It is easie to rake in this dirt It was not for the Devil's interest when the Ensign of the Gospel was lifted up to draw men to downright Heathenism therefore he did more secretly mingle the Customs and Superstitions of the Gentiles with the food of life like poyson conveyed in perfume that the souls of men might be more infected alienated and drawn from God Popery doth not only add to the true Religion but destroys it and is contrary to it Let any considering man that is not prejudiced compare the face of the Roman Synagogue with the beauty of the Reformed Churches and they will see where Christianity lyes there you will find another Sacrifice for expiation of sin than the death of Christ the Communion of the Cup so expresly commanded in the word of God taken away from the people reading the Scriptures forbidden to Laicks as if the word of God were a dangerous book Prayers in an unknown language Images set up and so they are guilty if not of primitive Idolatry which all the water in the Sea cannot wash them clear of yet certainly of secondary Idolatry which is the setting up an Idol in God's Worship contrary to the Second Commandment the Image of the Invisible God represented by stones and pictures Invocation of Saints and Angels allowed the doctrine of Transubstantiation contrary to the end of the Sacrament works of Supererogation Popes pardons Purgatory for faults already committed as if Christ had not already satisfied Papal Infallibility not only contrary to faith but sense and reason their ridiculous Mass and Ceremonies and many such human inventions besides the word and against it But the Protestants are contented with the simplicity of the Scriptures the word of God and the true Sacraments of Christ. Therefore you see what is the way of truth we should stick to Prop. 8. That in the private differences among the professors of the Reformed Protestant Religion a man is to chuse the best way but to hold charity towards Dissenters In the true Church in matters of lesser moment there may be sundry differences For until men have the same degree of light it cannot be expected they should be all of a mind Babes will think one thing grown persons will have other apprehensions sick persons will have their frenzies and doubtings which the sound cannot like The Apostle's rule is Phil. 3. 15 16. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you c. There are two parts of that Rule the perfect must be thus minded they that are fully instructed in the mind of God they must practise as they believe strings in tune must not be brought down to those that are out of tune But if others tainted with error do not give a through assent to all divine truth yet let us walk together saith the Apostle so far as we are agreed God that hath begun to enlighten them in other things will in time discover their mistakes Thus far the true Christian Charity takes place This should be our Rule Here we are agreed in the Christian Reformed Religion and in all the points of it let us walk together so far and in lesser differences let us bear with and forbear one another in love I speak now of Christian toleration for the Magistrates toleration and forbearance how far he is to interpose that 's another case Eph. 4. 2. With all lowliness and meekness with long-suffering forbearing one another in love What is bearing with one another not conniving at their sin or neglecting ways to reclaim them or forbear our profession when God calls us to it they are great cases how far profession may be suspended and how far it may be carried on but to restore them with meekness to own them in those things wherein they are owned by God not to practise that Antichristian humor which is now gotten into Protestantism of unchurching unministring unchristianing one another but to own one another in all those things wherein we are agreed without imposing or censuring not rending into factions not endeavouring to destroy all that we may promote the particular interest of one party to the prejudice of the whole but walking under one common Rule and if others shall prove peevish and if angry brethren shall call us bastards and disclaim us as not belonging to the same Father we ought not to reject them but still call them brethren if they will not joyn with us we cannot help it yet they are brethren notwithstanding that disclaim and how pettishly and frowardly soever they carry themselves in their differences a good Christian should take up this resolution their tongue is not Christs fan to purge his floor though they may condemn things which Christ will own to bear their reproofs and love them still for the iniquity of their carriage doth not take away our obligation to them As in the relation of Inferiors we are bound to be obedient to the froward as well as to the gentle Parents and Masters so in the duties that are to pass between equals we are to bear with the froward and to overcome their inclinations For though we have corruptions that are apt to alienate us and will put us upon furious passions uncomely heats and divisions yet God forbid we should omit any part of our duty to them for uncharitable brethren are brethren still SERMON XXXII PSALM CXIX 30. I have chosen the way of Truth thy judgments have I laid before me I Come now to answer an Objection which may be made Obj. But if you be so earnest to maintain unity among your own Sects why do you separate from the Papists who are Christians as well as you and own many things of Christianity wherein
it is for worldly ends they make a market of their devotion as the Sechemites would be Circumcised for then their substance and their Cattel will be ours USE 1. It informs us of the evil of Covetousness Most will stroke it with a gentle censure and say such an one is a good man but a little worldly as if it were no great matter to be so Nay they are apt to applaud those that are tainted with it Psal. 10. 3. He blesseth the covetous whom the Lord abhorreth He that getteth honour and riches by hook and crook is the only prudent and serious man in their account It is a foul sin though the men of the world will not believe it Surely we have too mild thoughts of it therefore do not watch and strive against it The Sensualist shames himself before others but covetousness is worse than Prodigality in many respects as being not occasioned by the distemper of the body as excess of drinking and lust is but by the depravation of the mind and when other sins decay this grows with them it is an incurable dropsie Luk. 12. 15. The words are doubled for the more vehemency Christ doth not only say Take heed but take heed and beware of covetousness Sins that are more gross and sensual are more easily discovered and a sinner sooner reclaimed but this is a secret sin that turns away the heart from God and is uncessantly working in the soul. Look as the Scripture tells you to make you careful against rash anger that it is murder 1 Joh. 3. 15. so to make you careful to avoid covetousness the Scripture tells you 'tis Idolatry and is that a small crime What to set up another God Who are you that dare to harbour so great an evil in your bosom and make no great matter of it Will you dethrone that God which made you and set up another in his stead How can you hope he will be good to you any longer when you offer him so vile an abuse It is Adultery 't is a breach of your conjugal vow You promised to renounce the world in your Baptism and gave up your selves to his service and will you cherish your whorish and disloyal affection that will carry you to the world in Gods stead We cannot think badly enough of such a sin USE 2. If Covetousness be the great lett and hindrance from keeping Gods Testimonies then let us examine our selves are we guilty of it Doting upon the Creature and an inordinate affection to sensible things is a natural an hereditary disease more general than we are aware of Ier. 6. 13. From the least to the greatest every one is given to covetousness It is a relique of Original sin and it is in part in the godly man though it do not bear sway in him there is too much of this worldly wretched inclination in a godly mans heart Nay those that seem most remote from it may be tainted with it A Prodigal that is lavish enough upon his lusts yet he may be sparing to good uses so he is covetous as the rich man that fared deliciously every day yet denied a crum to Lazarus Luk. 16. 19 21. Those that aim at no great matter for themselves that have not ravenous impatient desires yet may be full of envy at the increase of others and vexed to see them flourish it may be they have no ability or opportunity to do any thing for themselves but have an evil eye at the increase of others Most men are more industrious for the world whereas they are overly and slight in Heavenly matters and that 's evidence enough Some are not greedy but they are too sparing They seek not it may be a higher estate but they are too much delighted with present comforts The Gallant that pampers himself and wasts freely upon his pride and lusts may laugh in his sleeve and say I am free from this evil yet his heart desires wherewith to feed his excess and bravery and pride Covetousness may be entertained as a servant where it is not entertained as a master entertained as a servant to provide oil and fuel to make other sins burn Therefore let us see indeed whether we be not guilty of this sin It may be discovered 1 by frequent thoughts which are the genuine issue of the soul and discover the temper of the mind Thoughts either by way of contemplation or contrivance By way of contemplation when our minds only run upon earthly things and that with a savour and sweetness Philip. 3. 19. Minding earthly things What a man doth muse upon most think of when he is alone and speak of in company that will shew him the temper of his heart When men think of the world and speak of the world their heart is where their treasure is Mat. 6. 21. Nay when they cannot disingage themselves from these thoughts in Gods Worship their hearts go away in covetousness Ezek. 33. 31. Or else thoughts by way of contrivance Isa. 32. 7 8. The liberal man deviseth liberal things and the wicked man deviseth wicked devices The deliberations and debates of the soul discover the temper of it A carnal heart is altogether exercised in carnal projects as the rich fool discoursed and dialogized with himself When men are framing endless projects carking and caring not how to grow good and gracious but great and high in the world they discover the spirit of the world And as by thoughts so 2. by burning and urgent desires they are the pulses of the soul as Physicians judg by appetite so may you by desires A spiritual dropsie or an unsatisfied thirst argues a distempered soul when like the Horsleaches daughter you still cry give give and you are never contented but must have more 3. By the course of your lives and actions and the uniformity of your endeavours How shall we know who is the covetous man whom the Lord abhors Luk. 12. 21. So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God A man that is always growing in estate and never looks to his soul and to be rich in grace spiritual experiences and rich in good works which is chiefly meant there by being rich towards God A man that seeks not the Kingdom of God in the first place for that which you love best you will seek for you will be most careful and diligent to obtain Well then when you mind Heavenly things by the by and are very slight in seeking and enquiring after God furnishing your souls with grace and getting assured hopes of Heaven and do not spy out advantages for the inward man this evil disposition of the soul hath mightily invaded you and then you can never do God any service USE 3. To press you to take heed of this great sin and if you would mortifie it mortifie the roots of it which are distrust and discontent 1. Distrust of Gods Providence you that think you cannot do well unless you have
Service you must not walk as you list but as your Master pleaseth Aristotle makes it the property of a Servant to be one that cannot live as he would that hath no will of his own but hath given up himself to be commanded and directed by another and sometimes contrary to his own inclination They are Rebels and not Servants that said our tongues are our own Psal. 12. 3. Your tongues are not your own to speak what you please not your hearts your own to think what you please not your hands your own to do what you please You are Gods servants therefore must be wholly at his will The Angels that are Gods Ministers when they are described they do his pleasure Psal. 103. 21. So your business is to do the will of God not to please your self Men or the flesh but to please God to do the will of God without any respect to your own inclinations and worldly interests and therefore your hearts will rise against sin upon this account when you are tempted to do any thing that is contrary to the will of God O I am not my own these members are Christs You look upon every thing as Gods to be employed to his Service Secondly Those that would have the Word to be established why must they be Servants of the Lord 1. God doth not look to the work but to the qualification of the Person God will not accept a man for one good work one Prayer but he looks to the qualification of his Person The Prayer of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord Prov. 28. 9. How is that not only when it is managed in a careless fashion when a wicked man prays wickedly no let him do his best for 't is said Prov. 21. 27. The Sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination How much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind at best it is an abomination God will not accept of a Sacrifice at his hands and therefore the qualification of the person is to be regarded when we pray for a blessing promised Iames 5. 16. There is the qualification of the Prayer it must be fervent effectual a Prayer driven with Life and Motion that hath Spirit and Life I but it must be of a Righteous Person As Naturallists speak of a Jewel which if put into a dead mans mouth loseth all its vertue and efficacy So Prayer in the mouth of a wicked carnal man loseth its efficacy with God When one that had revolted from the Romans sent gifts to the Roman General he made him this Answer he should first return to his obedience to the State of Rome So God saith to wicked men first let them be Gods Servants and then they shall have the blessing of his Promises 2. It is agreeable to the Covenant for the Covenant is mutual I will be your God and you shall be my People All Promises relate to a Covenant Now in every Covenant there is ratio dati accepti something required as well as something given for it binds mutually therefore if we would have God give us Grace we must yield Obedience Precepts and Promises go hand in hand and therefore they that would have Promises performed they must observe Precepts And mingle resolutions of Duty with Expectations of mercy That 's the Covenant way of Dealing with God There must be a sincere Purpose and endeavour to serve God I am thy Servant therefore stablish thy Word to me Use. To press you to become Gods servants I might bring Motives both from the time past present and to come 1. From the time Past You are obliged to be so You are his Creatures you have Life Being and all things from him We cannot receive a small kindness from man but it doth produce respect I am your Servant Shall a kindness from God less affect us who made us and gives us Life Breath and all things We take no notice of what comes from an invisible Hand Here 's the wonder that the great God who hath no need of us so often provoked by us that is of such Excellent Majesty so far above us should take notice of us Therefore if God made us keeps us and maintains us from Day to Day and that he abaseth himself to behold us to look after us this should engage us And then from what is Present the honour that is put upon you it is a great advancement to be Gods servant The meanest Offices about Princes are accounted honourable Jesus Christ himself as Mediator he hath this Title put upon him my righteous Servant 53. Isa. 11. and the Angels they are your fellow Servants Psal. 103. 2. they are called Ministers of God Likewise for the present you have free access to God Gods servants may stand in his Presence and they have Liberty to ask any thing they need of The Queen of Sheba said concerning Solomon in the 1 Kings 10. 8. Happy are these thy Servants which stand continually before thee and hear thy Wisdom Much more may it be said concerning Gods servants Blessed are those that stand in his Presence that have such free leave to hold Communion with God To come and have assurance of welcome when ever they come And for the time to Come Gods service will issue it self into everlasting Blessedness Gods servants have Excellent wages Iohn 12. 26. If any man serve me he shall be there where I am and my Father will honour him Christ and his Father will study what honour they can put upon him Therefore be Gods servants that you may please him for the present and comfortably wait for his everlasting Blessing Thus I have gone over the first thing namely the request Stablish thy Word unto thy Servant Secondly The Motive and Argument who is devoted to thy fear The word may be rendred either Which or Who as relating either to thy Word or thy Servant 1. Thy word for in the Original Heb. the posture of the verse is thus Stablish to thy Servant thy word which is to the fearing of thee That is given that thou mayest be feared There being in the word of God the greatest Arguments and Inducements to fear and reverence and obey him The word of God was appointed to this use to plant the fear of God in our Hearts and to increase our reverence of God Not that we may play the wantons with Promises and feed our Lusts with them I rather take our own Translation as more accommodate and it hath such a Sence as that 109. Psal. 4. But I give my self unto Prayer In the Original 'T is But I prayer And 2. Stablish thy word to thy Servant Who is to thy fear Our Translators add to make the Sence more full addicted devoted to thy fear that is that makes it his Business Care and Desire to stand in fear of God Now this is added as a true note and Description of Gods servants as being a main thing in Religion Psal. 111. 10. The fear of
Deceivers by some yet owned by others as Faithfull Dispensers of the Truth of God not esteemed and looked on by some by others owned and valued thus God dispenseth the lot of his Servants 8. A Christian should be satisfied in the Approbation of God and the Honour He puts upon him Iohn 5. 44. How can ye believe that receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that cometh from God onely If God hath taken him into his Family and hath put his Image upon him and admitted him into present Communion with him and giveth him the Testimony of his Spirit to assure him of his Adoption here and will hereafter receive him into Eternal Glory this is enough and more then enough to counterballance all the Scorn of the World and the disgrace they would put upon us If God approve us should we be dejected at the Scorn of a Fool is the Approbation of the Eternal God so small in our Eyes that every thing can weigh it down and cast the ballance with us Alas their scorning and dishonouring is nothing to the honour which God puts upon us 9. There is a time when the promised Crown shall be set upon our Heads and who will be ashamed then the Scoffer or the Serious Worshipper of Christ God is resolved to honour Christ's Faithfull Servants Iohn 12. 26. He that honoureth me him shall my Father honour He will honour us at Death that is our private entrance into Heaven but he will much more honour us more publickly at the day of Judgment when we shall be owned Rev. 3. 5. I will confess his name before my Father and before his Angels and Christ shall be admired for the glory he puts upon a poor Worm 2 Thess. 1. 10. when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe The Wicked shall be reckoned with called to an account by Christ Iude 14 15. The Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute Iudgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodlily committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against them yea judged by the Saints 1 Cor. 6. 2. Do ye not know that the Saints shall judge the world Psal. 49. 14. The upright shall have Dominion over them in the morning That is in the Morning of the Resurrection the Saints shall be assumed by God to assist in Judicature and shall arise in a glorious manner when the Earth shall give up her dead If this be not enough for us to counterballance the Scorn of the World we are not Christians Use. It is to perswade us to hold on our Course notwithstanding all the Scorns and Reproaches which are cast upon the despised wayes of God Now to this end I shall give you some Directions 1. Be sure that you are in God's Way and that you have his Law to justify your Practice and that you do not make his Religion ridiculous by putting his glorious Name upon any foolish Fancies of your own A man that differs from the rest of Christians had need of a very clear Light that he may honour so much of Christianity as is owned and may be able to vindicate his own particular way wherein he is ingaged The World is loth to own any thing of God and needless dissents justify their Prejudice I know a Christian is not infallible besides his general godly Course he may have his particular Slips and Errours yet because the World is apt to take Prejudice we should not but upon the constraining evidence of Conscience enter upon any wayes of Dissent or Contest lest we justify their general hatred of Godliness by our particular Errour 2. Take up the Ways of God without a Bias and look straight forward in a Course of Godliness Prov. 4. 25. Let thine eyes look right on and thine eye-lids straight before thee That is look not asquint upon any Secular incouragements but have thine Eye to the end of the Journey make God as thy Witness so thy Master and Judge 3. Take heed of the first Declinings God's Saints may decline somewhat in an hour of Temptation and yet be sincere in the main Now Evil is best stopped in the beginning Heb. 12. 3. Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners lest ye be weary and faint in your mind Weariness is a lesser and Fainting an higher degree of Deficiency I am weary before I faint before the vital power retireth and leaveth the outward part senseless 4. Since the Proud scoff encounter Pride with Humility Mocking is far more grievous to the Proud who stand upon their Honour then to the Lowly and Humble Therefore be not too desirous of the applause of Men especially of the blind and ungodly World make no great matter of their Contempt and Scorn or Slander SERMON LVIII PSAL. CXIX 52. I have remembred thy Iudgments of old O Lord and have comforted my self THE Man of God had complained in the former Verse that the Proud had him greatly in Derision his help against that Temptation is recorded in this Verse where observe 1. David 's Practice I have remembred thy Iudgments of old 2. The Effect of that Meditation and have comforted my self The Explication will be by answering two Questions 1. What is meant by Mishphatim Iudgments The word is used in Scripture either for Laws enacted or Judgments executed according to those Laws The one may be called the Judgments of his Mouth as Psam 105. 5. Remember the marvellous works that he hath done his wonders and the Iudgments of his Mouth the other the Judgments of his Hand As both will bear the name of Judgments so both may be said to be of old His Decrees and Statutes which have an eternal equity in them and were graven upon the heart of Man in Innocency may well be said to be of old and because from the beginning of the World God hath been punishing the Wicked and delivering the Godly in due time his Judiciary Dispensations may be said to be so also The matter is not much whether we interpret it of either his Statutes or Decrees for they both contain matter of Comfort and we may see the ruine of the Wicked in the Word if we see it not in Providence Yet I rather interpret it of those Righteous Acts recorded in Scripture which God as a just Judge hath executed in all Ages according to the Promises and Threatnings annexed to his Laws Onely in that sense I must note to you Judgments imply his Mercies in the Deliverance of his Righteous Servants as well as his Punishments on the Wicked The seasonable interpositions of his Relief for the one in their greatest Distresses as well as his just Vengeance on the other notwithstanding their highest Prosperities 2. What is meant by Comfort Comfort is the strengthening the Heart against Evil when either 1. Faith is
them under sadness and horror Iudas threw away his 30 pieces of Silver when his guilt star'd him in the face I have sinned in betraying innocent blood Mat. 27. 4. When God is angry the creatures cannot pacifie him and make you Friends as when a man is going to Execution with a drooping and heavy heart bring him a Posie of Flowers bid him smell of them and comfort himself with them he will think you upbraid his misery so in troubles of Conscience what good will it be to tell a man of Riches and Honours the remedy must be according to the grief so that if outward things could satisfie the heart they cannot satisfie the Conscience our sore will run among all the creatures and there 's no salve for it Secondly They will not stead us at the hour of Death when a Man must launch out into Eternity and set Sail for an unknown World Can a Man comfort himself then with outward things that a Man is great rich and honourable beautiful or strong or that he hath wallowed in all manner of sensualities If Men would look to the end of things they would sooner discern their mistake Deut. 32. 29. Oh that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end So Ier. 17. 9. At his latter end he shall be a fool He was a Fool before all his life-long but now he is so in the account of his own heart So Iob 27. 8. What hope hath the hypocrite though he hath gained when God cometh to take away his soul The poor Man would fain keep his soul a little longer no but God will take it now and he doth not resign it but God takes it by force And 1 Cor. 15. 56. The sting of death is sin The dolors and horrors of a guilty Conscience are revived by death and then the weakness of worldly things doth best appear our wealth and honour and pleasure will leave us in the dirt when the soul is to be turned out of doors our vain conceits are blown away and we begin to be sensible of our ill choice if Conscience did not do its office before death will undeceive them When a man dyeth he shall carry nothing away with him his glory shall not descend after him Psal. 49. 17. He shall be eaten out by Worms as others are when he cometh to go the way of all the Earth then for one Evidence for Heaven one dram of the favor of God as Severus the Emperor cryed out I have been all things but now it profits me nothing 4. 'T is of no use to you in the world to come Gold and Silver the great Instruments of Commerce in this world are of no value there all civil distinctions last but to the Grave some are high and others low some are rich and others poor these distinctions will last but awhile but the distinction of good and bad lasts for ever their works follow them but not their wealth outward things cannot save your souls or bring you to Heaven 5. In this World it will not prevent a Sickness or remove it The honorable and the rich have their diseases as well as the poor yea more they are bred upon them by their intemperance All your Houses and Lands and Honors and Estates cannot ease you of a Fit of the Gout or Stone nor an aking Tooth nor keep off Judgments when they are Epidemical There were Frogs in Pharaoh's Bed chamber as well as among the meaner Egyptians and all the King's Guard could not keep them out Well then all these things shew 't is of a limited use indeed they serve to make our Pilgrimage comfortable and to support us during our service that 's the best use we can put them to but the use the most put them to is to satisfie a sensual appetite or please a fleshly mind Psal. 17. 14. The utmost that these things can procure is a back well cloathed and a belly well filled This is but a sorry happiness to feed a little better than others to provide a richer Feast for the Worms yea a Prey for Hell Take all created perfections not as subordinate to grace but separate from it it serveth but to please the appetite or the fancy make the most or best of it Secondly By their time and period as to continuance All these things perish in the using like Flowers they wither in our hands while we smell to them The fashion of this world passeth away 1 Cor. 7. 31. And whosoever liveth here for awhile must look for changes and reckon to act several parts in the World Whatsoever was wonderful in former Ages 't is lost and past with age things that now are are not what they once were Psal. 102. 26 28. They shall perish but thou shalt endure for ever saith the Psalmist speaking to God Yea all of them shall wax old like a garment as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy years have no end Christ he hath no end but Men will soon see the end of all perfection The World and all things were made ea lege ut aliquando pereant that they might at length fail and come to an end That which you now have you cannot say it shall be yours this time twelve month or it may be a month hence we hold all things by an uncertain tenure God may take away these things from us for Man is compared to Grass and the glory of Man to the flower of Grass 1 Pet. 1. 24. What is the glory of Man Riches Wisdom Strength Beauty Credit all these things are called the Flower now the Flower fadeth before the Grass and withers the neglected stalk remaineth when the leaves of the Flower are shed you may be gone and they gone if they continue with you till death then you must take your final farewell of all your comforts Thus you see all perfection will have an end Fourthly Here is the confirmation from Sense I have seen Consider it 1. As 't is matter of sense or experience 2. As 't is an observation upon experience First The vanity of the Creature is matter of sense and plain experience We have seen and others have seen all outward things come to their final period goodly Cities levied with the Earth mighty Empires destroyed worldly Glory blasted Honours vanished Credit and Esteem shrunk into nothing Beauty shrivelled with Age or defaced by Sickness yea all manner of greatness laid in the dust We trample upon the Graves of others and within a little while others will do the same over ours All things have their times and turns their rise and ruine there 's no man that converseth with the world but he will soon see the vanity of it David found it not only by clear reason but by his own experience I have seen saith he and so will you say too within awhile these things will fail when you have most need
sin to them Paul saith Rom. 7. 12. The Law is holy and the Commandment holy and just and good What 's the meaning of this disjunctive the Law and the Commandment By the commandment he means that particular Law which had so strangely affect-ed him that had wrought such tragical effects upon his heart made sin revive disturbed him discovered himself to himself he loves that law which broke in upon his heart with so much power and evidence and stir'd up his affections Carnal men love the comfortable part of the word to be feasted with priviledges but that part which urgeth them to unpleasing duties or discovers their sins they love not 1 Kings 22. 8. He doth not prophesie good concerning me but evil therefore I will not hear him Though he was a Prophet of the Lord and came with the word of the Lord yet he never prophesied good to me that is such things as did please him Do you think that was the temper of that wicked King alone no it is the temper of every wicked man's heart Amos 5. 10. They hate him that rebuketh in the gate and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly All wicked men have such a disposition they hate that part of the Word which doth stir up their fears revive their doubts and is contrary to their lusts Iohn 3. 20. It 's their general disposition Every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved They shun that part of the Word whereby they might come to know themselves either they could wish such things were not sins or that they did not know them to be sins 2 Pet. 3. 5. For this they willingly are ignorant of A guilty soul hath a secret enmity to the word of God being loth to read his own doom there and be much occupied and employed in that which condemns and accuseth him as a man that hath light ware is loth to come to the ballance or a man that hath counterfeit coin is loth to come to the touchstone so they are loth to come too close and near the word of God that their whole course may be discovered to themselves None but a pure sincere heart can have such an universal Love to God's Law 4. If you love the word you will ever love the Word for the same reasons that drew your heart at first continues still Psal. 119. 20. My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times By Judgments is meant the word of God which is the rule of God's proceeding with sinners It was not for a pang only that he had that strong and vehement affection but it was a constant thing at all times it was the ordinary frame of his heart Many men have good affections for a while but they abide not with them For some have an adulterous affection only they may love the word of God while it is new for novelty sake Iohn 5. 35. Ye rejoyced for a season in his Light And Act. 17. 20. They flocked about Paul because he seemed to be a setter forth of new Doctrine This is but carnal love that is soon altered or else it may be they have some love to the Word during some qualme of Conscience and they may find some savour in it when they have a little trouble upon them as we desire strong water in a pang not as a constant dyet When they are under some working of Conscience then they run to the word but as soon as they can lick themselves whole again they slight it and their love to the word is gone As their trouble wears off so their affection is worn off These are driven by fearing the word and not by the love of it For a great while men are carryed on pleasingly in their love to the word but when it grates hard bears hard upon Conscience and meets with their lusts then they go away in discontent As Herod heard Iohn gladly for a while Mark 6. 20. until his Herodias was touched and then follows his darling sin again Their Love is to the word if carnal credit accompany it as Iohn was welcome to the Jews until he fell under Herod's displeasure The stony-ground received the word with much joy until the Sun arose with a burning heat Matth. 13. There are certain times when it is a credit to be religious and when the Gospel is befriended in the world then men will have some seeming affection but it dies away God's Children love the word for its own sake therefore they ever love it They which love the truth for foreign reasons because of novelty merely out of present necessity publick Countenance because it is in fashion and repute or because they thought the word would flatter them more in their sins than it doth these do not love the word Thus David's affection is asserted Secondly VVe have David's assertion demonstrated It is my meditation all the day Doct. 2. They that love the Word will be meditating therein continually There are two Grounds for this Love causeth it and Love is encreased by it 1. Love causeth it We are continually thinking of whatsoever we love Rich men that affect worldly things are always thinking of gathering substance and encreasing their worldly portion as that man Luk. 12. 17 18. was dialoguising and discoursing with himself Carnal Lovers are thinking of that they love and ambitious men are feasting their souls with imaginations and suppositions of worldly greatness pleasing themselves by framing Images in their minds and Warriers are thinking of battels and wars and Voluptuaries are thinking of sports and pastimes and a Child of God is thinking of holy things Love causes the soul to be more where it loves than where it lives it 's the best entertainment they can find for themselves to frame Images of things loved in their minds 2. As Love begets meditation so meditation cherishes love Meditation is the life of all the means of grace and that which makes them fruitful to our souls What 's the reason there is so much preaching and so little practice for want of meditation Constant thoughts are operative If a Hen straggleth out from he nest she brings forth nothing her Eggs chill so when we do not set a brood upon holy thoughts if we content our selves with some few transient thoughts and glances about divine things and do not dwell upon them the truth is suddenly put off and doth no good All actions require time and space for their operation if hastily slubber'd over they cool if we give them time and space we shall feel their effects So if we hold truths in our mind and dwell upon them there will be an answerable impression but when they come like a flash of lightning then they are gone and we run them over cursorily That truth may work there is required three things sound belief serious consideration and close application Iob 5. 27. Lo this we have searched
for such a time Heb. 4 16. when need comes then it 's a time to improve our interest to put promises in suit when God seems to be an Enemy to us when to appearance he executes the curse of the Old Covenant O then we should work through all discouragements then we should hold God to his second Grant and Charter and come to his Throne of Grace and keep him there For the Reasons 1 God is the Party with whom we have to do whence soever the trouble doth arise there 's his hand and his counsel in it therefore it is best dealing with him about it in all afflictions publick or private Amos 3. 16. Is there evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it Let Men but awaken their Reason and Conscience who is it that is at the upper end of Causes that casts our lot upon such troublesom and distracted times So in private afflictions David owned God's hand Shimei had mocked him but he looks higher the â—…ord hath bid him curse So Iob he doth not say the Caldean and Sabean hath taken away but the Lord hath taken Iob 1. 21. Afflictions have a higher cause than Men ordinarily look at they do not come out of the dust but come from God See what inference Eliphaz draws from this principle Iob 5. 8. I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause That is I would go and deal with him about it 't was Eliphaz's advice to Iob and it is seasonable to us all 2 It is God onely that can help us and relieve us either by giving support under the trouble or removing it from us so saith David Psal. 57. 2. I will cry unto God most high unto God that performeth all things for me A Believer looks for all things from God when all things go well with him God is his best Friend when all things go ill with him God is his onely Friend he runs to none so often as to God Now upon these Principles we go to God but for what end let us see what we go to God for 1. That we may know his mind in all his Providences The affliction hath some errand and message to us something to deliver us from God now we need to ask of God to know his mind Micah 6. 9. Hear the rod and who hath appointed it We should not only be sensible of the smart but look to the cause therefore if we would know the cause let us go and expostulate with God about it As Ioab when Absalom set his Corn field on fire he sent for him once and twice but he comes not until he sets his Corn-field on fire and then he comes and expostulates with him Who hath done this 2 Sam. 14. 30 31. So when we make bold and will not come to God nor take notice of his messages God comes and lets out his wrath upon our comforts and conveniences now let us deal with God about it Wherefore is all this 2. That we may have strength to bear it Alas we can bear or do little of our selves for that doing refers to bearing Phil. 4. 13. I can do all things through Christ that strengthneth me That is I can suffer want need hunger thirst nakedness and run through all conditions through Christ that strengthneth me Now you must ask it of God Iam. 1. 5 If any man lack wisdom let him ask it of God It is wisdom to bear affliction if he would wisely carry himself under the Rod that he may not discover his folly he must ask this strength and grace of God 3. Wisdom to improve our chastisement that we may have the benefit and fruit of them Isa. 48. 17. I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit That is to profit by afflictions to reap the fruit of them So Iob 33. 16. He openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction God by a powerful work upon the heart impresseth their duty upon them that they may see wherefore it is that he hath afflicted them 4. We go to God for deliverance and freedom from the trouble Psal. 34. 19. Many are the troubles of the righteous but out of them all the Lord will deliver them It is God's Prerogative to set us free We break Prison when we attempt to escape meerly by our own means therefore either we shall have no deliverance or no kindly one God hath deliver'd doth deliver and we trust will deliver This must be sought out of God God helping together with your prayers 2 Cor. 1. 10 11. Prayer must fetch it out from God or it is no kindly deliverance Well then in our affliction we need to be often with God SERMON CXVII PSAL. CXIX VER 107. Quicken me O Lord according to thy Word Use 1. TO reprove the stupidness and carelesness of them that neglect God in their troubles Dan. 9. 13. All this evil is come upon us yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God A very sensless slight spirit that when they are under the blows of God's heavy hand they will not be much in calling upon God this is contrary to God's injunction who expects now with earnestness they will seek him God reckons upon it he could not hear from them before but now they 'll pray hard and will make up their former negligence when God sends a Tempest after you as on Ionah yet will you keep off from him It is contrary to the practice of the Saints in their chastisements troubles and afflictions they are much with God opening their hearts to him Nay it is worse than Hypocrites for they will have their pangs of devotion at such a time Iob 27. 10 11. In short you lose the comfort of your affliction Seasons of affliction are happy seasons if they prove praying seasons when they bring you nearer to God it is a sign God is not wholly gone but hath left somewhat behind him when the heart is drawn into him This is the blessing of every condition when it brings God nearer to you and you are more acquainted with him than before Use 2. Then it takes off the discouragements of poor disconsolate ones who misexpound his Providence when they think afflictions put us from God rather than call us to him O no! it is not to drive you from him but to draw you to him Do not think God hath no mercy for thee because he leaves thee to such pressures wants and crosses This is the way to acquaint your selves with God yea though you have been hitherto strangers to him he hath invited you to call upon him in time of trouble he is willing to have you upon any terms A Man will say you come to me in your necessities God delights to hear from you and is glad any occasion will bring you into his presence and therefore be much with God Secondly I observe when this affliction was sore and pressing yet then he hath a heart to pray
Morning Gen. 22. So for bad things if a man be Worldly his Worldly Desires and Affections compel him to rise early for their satisfaction Psalm 127. 3. The Drunkard is thinking early of his morning draught to be filled with Wine Isa. 15. 11. Wo to them that rise up early to follow strong drink The People when they were mad upon the Calf Exod. 36. 6. They rose up early in the morning and offered burnt-offerings to it Whatsoever hath secured its Interest in the Soul will first urge us so if Prayer be our chief pleasure it will urge us to be up betimes with God our Delights and Affections sollicit us in the Morning 3. 'T is the choicest time of the day and therefore should be allotted to the most serious and necessary imployment 'T is the choicest time partly with respect to the Body because the Body is then best refreshed and our Vigour repaired which is lessened and spent with the business of the day Our Memories quickest Senses readiest natural Faculties most acute And partly with respect to the Mind our Morning thoughts are our Virgin thoughts more pure sublime and defecate usually free from Worldly Cares which would distract us in prayer and will more incroach upon us by our Worldly business and the baser Objects which the necessity of our life ingages us to converse with and be imployed about Certainly the best time should be taken up about the best business not in recreations to be sure for this is to knit pleasure to pleasure and to wear away the sithe in whetting not in working They are brutish Epicures that rise up from sleep not to service but to their sensual Delights and Vanities as the Scripture brandeth them that eat in the Morning not for strength but Excess Eccl. 10. 16 17. The Morning is the fittest time for business now what business should we do but the most weighty and that which requireth the greatest heedfulness of Soul which is our communion with God 4. Consider 'T is profitable to begin the day with God and to season the heart with some gracious exercise as David Psal. 139. 18. When I awake I am still with thee It sanctifieth all our other business as the offering the first fruits did sanctifie the whole lump and to whom should the first fruits of our Reason and Sense restored be consecrated but to him that gave us all and is the Author and preserver of them When the World gets the start of Religion it can hardly overtake it all the day the first thoughts leave a powerful Impression upon it Mich. 2. 1. They devise evil upon their beds and when the morning is come they practise it With carnal men sin beginneth in the morning stayeth in the Heart all day playeth in the fancy all night but if you begin with God in the Morning you take God along with you all the day to your business and imployment 5. This will be some recompence for the time lost in sleeping half our lives are consumed in it our time is parted between work and sleep 'T is the misery and necessity we are subject unto whilest we are in the body that so much of our time should be spent without doing any thing for God or shewing any act of Love and thankfulness to him None of the other Creatures ever stand still but are alwayes executing and accomplishing the end for which they were made And in heaven the blessed Spirits are alwaies beholding the face of God and Lauding and Blessing his Name and need not those intermissions which we bodily Creatures do Now though this be our Necessity and so no sin to need the refreshings of sleep yet because so much of our time is lost by way of recompence the least that we should do is to take the next season and if health and bodily constitution will permit to prevent the dawning of the Morning and to be as early with God as we can All the time we can well spare should be given to God do but consider since thou wentest to bed the Sun hath Travailed many thousand miles to give thee light this Morning and therefore what a shame it is that the Sun being continually in so swift motion should return and find him turning and tossing in his Bed like a door upon the hinges Prov. 20. 14. after Nature is satisfied with sleep And that we should not rise and own Gods Mercy in the Rest of the Night and sanctifie the Labours of the day by some serious address to him This Meditation is enforced by Augustine Indecus est Christiano si radius solis eum inveniat in lecto posset enim dicere sol si potestatem loquendi haberet amplius laboravi heri quam tu tamen cum jam surrexerim tu adhuc dormis So Ambrose on this Text Grave est si te otiosum radius solis orientis in verecundo pudore conveniat lux clara inveniat occulos somnolento adhuc corpore depressos III. 'T was a Vehement and Earnest Prayer for saith David I cryed Observe Doctrine 'T was earnest though private and 't was earnest though he could get no satisfactory Answer 1. Earnest though Private in all our Addresses to God we must be serious whether men see or hear or no God seeth and heareth An Hypocrite hath a great flash of gifts in Company but is streight when alone but Gods Children are most earnest in private when they do more particularly open their hearts to God without taking in the necessities of others Christ when he was withdrawn from his Disciples then he prayed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more earnestly Luk. 22. 44. Iacob sent away his Company to deal with God in good earnest and then wrestled with him ille dolet vere qui sine teste dolet Peter went out and wept bitterly so a Christian trieth it out between God and him when he hath a mind to plead for his own Soul or for the Church therefore hath no outward reason to move him but Conscience and spiritual Affection The Pharisees would pray in the Synagogues and corners of the streets but Christ saith go into thy closet and shut the door and pray to thy father in secret Matth. 6. 7. This is the love and confidence we express to our Father in secret A man may put forth himself with great Warmth and Vigour before others that is slight and careless in secret Addresses to God In these secret intercourses we most taste our spirits and discern the pure workings of Affection towards God A Woman that only bemoaneth the loss of her Husband in Company but banisheth all thoughts of him when alone might justly be suspected to act a Tragical part and to pretend sorrow rather than feel it Some will pray in secret but customarily utter a few cold words but David saith I cried Remember there is one seeth in secret as Christ saith I am not alone Iohn 16. 32. And Mal. 1. 14. He is a God of
like lost Sheep We have not alwaies so clear and so deep a sense of our duty as we ought and find not such lively Powerful and Effectual thoughts of God and Heavenly things and so clear a sense so that the directive part fails us Then for our Wills which should command us where the Imperial Power resides they are imperfect There is I confess in the Regenerate a sincere Will to please God in all things but it is not a perfect Will so that our Willing and Nilling our Consent and Dissent is not so powerful as it ought to be but the Will being tainted by the Neighbour-hood of a distempered sense it yields a little and bends to the Flesh and gives way to Evil and many times it opposeth that which is good at least we are often overtaken in a Fault being inconsiderately and suddainly surprized as the Apostle useth that expression Gal. 6. 1. If a man be overtaken in a fault Though a Regenerate man hath a new Light put into his mind he is renewed in the Spirit of his mind though he hath a new bent and biass put upon his heart yet the Imperial and Directive Power have Flesh in them still and the Wisdom of the Flesh is so ingrain'd and kneaded into our Natures that it cannot be totally dispossessed no more then we can sever the Leven and the Dough when once they are mingled together If there be a defect in the Governing and Leading part of the Soul there will be disorders in the Life and Conversation Come we now from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the leading faculties to the faculties which should be commanded and directed Alas they are by sin grown Obstinate and Masterly and are so eagerly set upon their objects carnal vanities that they will not be reclaimed but rebel against the Direction of Conscience and inclinations of the renewed Will The Apostle speaks of a Law of his Members warring against the Law of his Mind Rom. 7. 23. In the lower in the more sensitive faculties there is much head-strong opposition against the directions of the Will We have but a slender feeble Guide The leading part of the Will is defective and thereis much of the Wisdom of the Flesh there 'T is a trouble to the Flesh to be restrained from what it desires and inclines us to as a head-strong Horse is loath to be governed therefore we yield and suffer our selves to be transported and led away by our passions and carnal affections Now though the rebellious and disobedient disposition of the Appetite and Senses is in a great measure broken and subdued in us by the Power of Grace yet the best have somewhat of inordinate sensuality and weakness and being imperfect are tempted by the World and Sense as well as others Well then ever weigh in your mind for your direction these two grand Reasons of all the weakness that is in the Saints there is the debility and the weakness of the Leading and Commanding part and the rebelling of the inferiour faculties which should be Ruled and Commanded 1. The Debility and Weakness of the Leading and Commanding part of the Soul And thence is it that we are so inconsiderate so dull of apprehension have such dark and ineffectual thoughts of God and Heavenly things and thence is it that the Will doth not so potently and rulingly Command the directive faculties but is apt to yield to that it doth not stand upon its Authority as it was wont to do 2. The other part is the Rebellion of the Inferious faculties and stubbornness of our sensual and carnal inclinations Look as in a Kingdom and Common Wealth where are Rebellious Subjects and a Feeble Empire things must needs run into disorder so here the Reyns are managed very weak there 's a Feeble Empire in the Soul and here are strong Rebellioâ—…s desires not easily controul'd and so draw the Soul away To make this more evident a little I shall shew the order of all Humane Operations if rightly constituted Their actions are Governed in this manner The Understanding and the Conscience they are to guide and direct the Will the Will according to right Reason and Conscience moves the Affections the Affections according to the Councel and Command of the Understanding and Will move the Bodily spirits the Bodily spirits they move the Senses and Members of the Body but now by Corruption there is a manifest Inversion and Change for Bodily pleasure doth affect the Senses the Senses corrupt the Phantasy the Phantasy moves the Bodily spirits and by them the lighter part of the Affections the affections by their violence and inclination Captivate the Will and Blind the Mind and so the Man is carried head-long to his own destruction Now though this servitude be in a great measure broken in them that are called into the Liberty of Gods Children they are not Slaves to their Lusts and the vain pleasures of this Life Yet too too often the Senses are too Masterly and too too often transmit Objects into the soul in a Rebellious way against the command of Sanctified Reason and Conscience Affections are stirred by Thoughts and Thoughts by Objects thus represented I am the larger in this that you may more perfectly understand the Reason of the Weakness of the Saints 2. The violence of Temptations As Sheep may be driven out of the Pasture by the Wolfe so is a poor Soul hurried into Evil to commit known Sin or omit known Duty by the incursion and shock of Temptations though for the main he doth adhere to Christ by Faith Love and New Obedience Thus Peter was drawn to deny Christ and many are drawn in the violence of a passion to do things which their Hearts do utterly condemn and disallow In a storm it is hard for a skilful Pilot to stear aright and though it be dangerous to dash against the Rocks yet Christians come off without a total Shipwrack though they may be sore bruised and battered In such hurries Gods Children may go astray but God will not suffer them to be totally lost David wandred far as well as Saul but God sought David again he would not lose him so A strong Temptation may drive us out of the way as sheep when Thieves come are driven out of the Fold whither else they would not have gone 3. The Lord may withdraw himself for just and wise Reasons and then when the Shepherd is gone aside we have neither Wisdom to direct our selves nor Strength to defend our selves As when Moses went away for a while how soon did Israel corrupt their way So if God be gone we see how little we can keep our selves God left Hezekiah to try him 2 Chron. 32. 31. God will shew us what is in our hearts and that our standing is not of our selves We represent our selves to our selves in a feigned likeness and therefore God will truly shew our selves to our selves we do not know what pride and passion and carnality lies hid
lodged till they are laid up in the heart In giving out duty and service we begin with the heart we must go so deep or else all that we do is of no worth the heart is the spring of motion that sets all the wheels a working Psal. 45. 1. My heart inditeth a good matter my tongue is as the Pen of a ready Writer ready to praise God and serve him When the Prophet would cure the brackishness of the water he cast salt into the Spring Our heart is blind 1 Chron. 22. 19. Now set your heart to seek the Lord. There is a setting and fixing the heart which is the fruit of Grace and ground of obedience 1. 'T is the fruit of Grace by Nature the heart is averse from God desireth not to serve or enjoy him See what the Scripture saith of mans heart Prov. 10. 20. The heart of the wicked is nothing worth a Sty and Nest of unclean Birds Gen. 6. 5. Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart are only evil continually The Scripture doth much set out the heart of man 't is foolish vain deceitful Ier. 17. 9. vain earthly unclean proud There is a strange Beadroll Mark 7. 21 22 23. Out of the heart of man proceed evil thoughts Adulteries Fornications Murthers Thefts Covetousness Deceit Lasciviousness an evil eye Blasphemy Pride Foolishness 'T was in or else it would never come out If a man should vomit nothing but Knives Daggers Pistols and other instruments of destruction of what a monstrous complexion would you judge that man to be O no such Monster in the world as mans heart if let alone to its own bent it would grow worse every day as putrified flesh grows more noisome every day but now God by his Grace giveth a new heart that hath other dispositions and inclinations an heart that loveth God and delights in God tends to God a new heart is the great blessing of the Covenant Ezek. 36. 26. a new heart is a new placing of our desires and delights for by these the heart is known 2. 'T is the ground of obedience for the heart is the main wheel of the Soul that moveth other things a Bowl is made round before it runneth round Deut. 5. 20. O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me there must be somewhat to bear up our resolutions But more particularly What is this bent and inclination of heart And first negatively 1. 'T is not a simple approbation of the ways of God Many go so far as to approve what is good to condemn themselves for not doing it to praise others that are holy can be content that those that are under their power should take to the ways of God as dissolute Parents would have their Children soberly brought up video meliora probóque Act. 5. 13. The people magnified them yet durst not join themselves with the Disciples of Christ. Saul said unto David 1 Sam. 24. 17. Thou art more righteous than I yet David was fain to go to his hold as the Woman in Luke 11. 27 28. cried out Blessed is the Womb that bare thee and the Paps that gave thee suck but Christ said Rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it 2. 'T is not a bare desire or wish Many that live ill could wish to live well Balaam had his wishes but went on in his course Numb 23. 10. some flashes they have a spark is not enough to set the heart on fire in holy things in carnal things 't is enough many such languid motions carnal men have yea many cold prayers that God would make them better but the soul of the Sluggard desireth and hath nothing for his hands refuse to labour they do not set themselves in good earnest to get that Grace they wish for Would I were at such a place but never stir a foot would I had written such a task and never put Pen to Paper 3. 'T is not an hypocritical will or as one called it a copulative will we would but with such or such a condition I would if it did not cost me so dear if I were not to mortifie Lusts to deny friends interests relations they would come to the Supper Matth. 22. but one had marrried a Wife another had a Yoke of Oxen to prove another had found Merchandise this is no full and perfect will No doubt but the Chapman would have the Wares but he will not come to the price a Christian should say I will whatever it cost me I will whatever come of it Psal. 27. 4. One thing I have desired of the Lord and this I will seek after 2. Positively Then is the heart inclined 1. When the judgment determineth for God and comes to a full Decree about obedience to him Act. 11. 23. Paul exhorted them That with full purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord that 's the fruit of Conversion not a little liking or hovering or faint resolution but a full purpose an absolute positive decree in the will to owne God and his ways whatever it cost us a full consent to the duty of the Covenant 2. When the will is poized and swayed with love and delight and the heart is made suitable to obedience Thy Law is in my heart and I delight to do thy will O God Psal. 40. 8. Many times the Law of God is written in the mind many have good apprehensions but the will is not swayed bent this way Amor meus est pondus meum eò feror quocunque feror when there is a natural inclination 2. When this bent of will is seconded with constant endeavours to attain what we resolve upon and there is a continual striving to make good the Articles of our perfect resignation or first surrender of our selves to God Phil. 3. 12. I follow after that I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ. God taketh hold of us by his Grace and we carry on this Grace in the way of diligent pursuit or constant obedience 'T is not one endeavour or two but such as hath its constant force hath not its pangs of devotion but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to will is present with me Rom. 7. 18. 't is a daily habitual constant will not a volatile devotion that cometh upon us now and then but such a will as is present as constant as evil is Rom. 7. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereever you go or whatever you are about you carry a sinning nature about with you 't is urging the heart to vanity folly and lust so this will is present urging the heart to good and stirring up to holy motions 2. Let me now shew you the necessity of this inclined heart that we may yield to God chearful uniform and constant obedience 1. That we may yield to God chearful obedience in all our services God looketh for a ready mind God that accepts the Will for the Deed never accepts the Deed
without the Will The dreggs of things come out with squeezing and wringing Duty is best done when like life-honey it droppeth of its own accord chearful and hearty service only pleaseth the Lord. Now that is chearful service which cometh not from the influence of bye-ends and foreign motives or the compulsion of a natural Conscience or legal fears but from the native inclination and bent of the heart 1 Iohn 5. 3. This is love to keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous the work is not grievous but pleasant because suitable to the principles that are in us 't is not done against the hair Cain offered Sacrifice but with a grudging mind 'T is somewhere said They offered to the Lord whose hearts made them willing When the heart is in it 't is not constrained forced service but natural and genuine not like water out of a Still but like water out of a Fountain 2. For uniform obedience to serve God in the whole tenour of our lives that needs an heart inclined that may be as a constant Spring of holiness A man may force himself now and then to actions displeasing to himself but his constant course is according to his natural bent and inclination Haman could refrain himself from Murther but his heart still boiled with rancour and malice When men look only to the refraining of outward actions or the restraining the outward man it will never hold the bent of the heart will discover it self and so they will be off and on with God the compulsion of Conscience will sometimes urge them to God but the inclination of the heart will draw them to evil therefore God wisheth that his people had a heart to serve him Deut. 5. 29. 3. Constant obedience that can never be till the heart be inclined Iudas was a Disciple for a while but Satan entered into his heart Luke 22. 3. Ananias joined himself to the people of God but Satan filled his heart Simon Magus was baptized but his heart was not right with God Act. 8. 22. here is the great defect but now when God gets possession of the heart there he dwelleth Eph. 3. 17. there he abideth as in his strong Cittadel and from thence commandeth all the faculties of the Soul and the Members of the Body Use 1. To press you to get this bent of heart otherwise all your labour in Religion will be in vain every difficulty will put you out of the way and make you think of a revolt from God till this the work of Grace is not begun Gods first gift is a new heart Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart also will I give unto you and a new Spirit will I put within you without this you can never hold out but you will be uncertain and mutable in the profession of godliness whatever restraints are upon you for a time sin will be breaking out ever and anon with violence and at length men will return with the Dog to the vomit and with the Sow to her wallowing in the mire 2 Pet. 2. 20. Oh then go to God for it Ier. 17. 10. say Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed save me and I shall be saved 2. Carry forth the work of God so far as you receive it follow after to apprehend that for which we are apprehended of Christ Phil. 3. 12. Use 2. Have we such an heart an heart inclined to do the will of God First though there be such a bent and inclination there will be failings yea reluctancies and oppositions Rom. 7. 8. To will is present with me yet how to perform that which is good I find not There is a ready will asserted and a weak discharge complained of observe 't is a will not a wish a weak discharge not that nothing is done but not all that good that is required nor in that purity the work doth not perfectly answer the will nor the motions of the Spirit by which it is excited and mark this weakness is not rested in but complained of and not only complained of but resisted I find not that implieth he sought it for the word finding implieth a diligent search he laid about him on every side he did not expect it should come by chance or a lazy enquiry 2. If wrought 1. How was it wrought in you Did God turn thee and thou wast turned Were you ever brought to self-resignation By what steps was this work carried on Thy heart was naturally wedded to thy lusts and to carnal vanity did ever God make you see the odiousness of sin the vanity of the Creature the insufficiency of self Evil men seek contentment in the world as long as Conscience will let them hold out in that way you cannot cleave to God till you are rent off from the world and self was there ever such a separation such a rending work Conversion or the altering the bent of the heart lieth in three things in turning from the Creature to God from self to Christ from sin to holiness How to God by making us a willing people to yield up our selves to his service How drawn from self to Christ To seek all this good in him How from sin to holiness By seeing the beauty of Gods ways Paul found it a sensible work before he was brought to this self-resignation Act. 9. 6. Lord What wilt thou have me to do How did God draw you or drive you to this 2. How is this bent of heart kept up towards God Nature is apt to recoil and the heart to return to its own bent and biass again David beggeth verse 36. Incline my heart to thy testimonies 'T is an hard matter to keep up a bent of heart towards God it will cost us much watching striving praying to keep it fixed The frame of mans heart is changeable and various doth not always continue at the same pass and lust will waken and be pressing and importunate deadness will creep upon us the great business of the spiritual life is to keep the bent of the heart steady neglected Grace will suffer decay and worldly vanities and listlesness and deadness to holy things will incroach upon the Soul and a gracious heart is much discomposed As a Needle that bendeth towards the Pole may be jogged and put aside though it cannot rest there but turneth thither again so the bent of the Soul towards God may be much disordered and we may lose much of our free Spirit and ready mind and grow uncomfortable and unchearful in Gods service and it may cost us much sorrow and deep humiliation to get in frame again a cold profession is easily maintained but to keep up a spiritual inclination is the work of labour and cost 3. How doth it work in you This bent of heart is seen in two things First in pulling back the heart from those sins to which corrupt Nature doth incline us Nature carrieth us to carnal things There is something within that puts you on and
Lords Day but minds the Will for the Deed not the Deed for the Will whether Willingly or Unwillingly God dealeth with us as rational Creatures if your Ox draw your Plough and your Ass carry his Burden you care not much whether it be done willingly or unwillingly but God dealeth with us as obliged and looketh that love should constrain us and influence our actions and God dealeth with us as renewed Creatures that have a suitableness to their Work Heb. 8. 10. Psal. 40. 2. When rather from him than with him he delights greatly in Gods Commandments Psal. 112. 1. Delights to know believe and obey Gods Word and God expects it from us because of the pleasures that do accompany well-doing Prov. 3. 17. The speculation of a worthy Truth affects the Mind but Practice doth more as more intimately acquainted with it Use. II. It shews 1. How far they are from the Temper of Gods People that dispute away Duties rather than practise them Cavil at their Work rather than readily accept it 2. They do not love the law that are alwayes full of Excuses and pretend occasions to neglect the service of God excuses are always a sign of a naughty heart the sinners non vacat is indeed non placet Luk. 14. 18. They all began to make excuses If we did not want a heart we should not want an occasion to manifest our respects to God 3. It shews how far they are from the Temper of Gods People that are easily discouraged with difficulties love will make us break thorough all 2 Cor. 5. 14. Love hath a constraining force counts nothing too dear to be parted with for Gods sake they that are weary of well-doing they are out of their Element as they in Malachy enquired When will the Sabbath be over They that brought but a sorry Lamb cryed out Oh what a weariness Again they that love the law are not troubled about the strictness of the law but the unsuitableness of their own hearts Gods Children are grieved for that weariness and uncomfortableness they find in Gods service Glad of any inlargement of Heart Lust is grievous but not the Commandement Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me not from the law but from the body of this death But others when the Truth shineth round about them they receive it not in the love thereof Doctrine II. Those that love the law shall have great peace let me prove this First They shall have Peace Secondly Great Peace First They shall have Peace I. Because the God of Peace is their God they are assured of his love and favourable Acceptance tranquillus deus tranquillat omnia If God be with us who can be against us If he smileth on us 't is enough though all the World should be against us for 't is Gods Wrath that maketh us Miserable and Gods love that maketh us Happy II. Jesus Christ who is the Prince of Peace is their Saviour Isa. 9. 6. He hath made Articles of Peace between God the Father and Us and drawn them into a Covenant of Grace called the Covenant of his Peace Isa. 54. 10. And this founded upon his Bloud which is the price given to purchase our Peace and to set all things at rights between God and Us. Col. 1. 20. Isa. 53. 5. Having made Peace between God and Us No less would serve the turn compleatly to satisfie the Justice of God for our wrong and to purchase his Favour for us III. The Spirit who is a Spirit of Peace Gal. 5. 22. 't is one of his fruits he worketh it in us as a Sanctifier and as a Comforter 1. As a Spirit of Sanctification he doth dispossess Satan and subdueth that Rebellious Disposition that is naturally in us against God and maketh us accept the offer of Friendship and Reconciliation with God and to yield up our selves servants to righteousness unto holiness and then accordingly to walk as People that are at amity with God 1. Your first Resignation in Faith and Repentance is a ground of Peace and wrought in us by the Spirit Rom. 15. 13. Now the God of peace fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost Together with our Faith and in and by our Faith the Holy Ghost worketh this Joy and Peace When we come to sue out our Pardon in his Name to receive the Attonement and to resign up our selves to Gods use then is the Foundation laid Give the hand to the Lord 2 Chron. 30. 8. 2. This Peace is confirmed by holy walking in the Spirit or perfecting Holiness through the power of the Holy Ghost Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this rule peace and mercy be upon them Ier. 6. 16. Ask for the good old way and walk therein and you shall find peace to your souls Keep close to God and you will have peace otherwise not Peace with God and thine own Conscience is a very tender thing you had need be chary of it if you grieve the Spirit you will find it to your bitter Cost when sinful dispositions are indulged and nourished our peace is beclouded and hangeth on uncertain terms 2. As a Comforter whose office it is to give us a sense of Gods Love and to help Conscience to judge of our state and actions The Spirit representeth God as a Father and sheweth us what things are given us of God and dissipateth and scattereth all the black thoughts that are in the Soul Isa. 57. 19. I create the fruit of the lips to be peace Peace is a Sovereign Plaister God maketh it stick and then all the World cannot deprive them of this peace Creation and Annihilation belong to the same power the World can never give nor take 't is Gods work and he will maintain it Secondly It shall be great Peace as to the Nature and Degree of it as was before explained 1. For the Nature of it 't is not an ordinary peace but of an higher Nature Ioh. 14. 27. My peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you Let not your hearts be troubled Wherein doth it differ from the Worlds peace The Worlds peace is oftentimes in sin a concord in Evil a Lethargy portending sadder Troubles but this is an holy peace Prov. 3. 17. That 's a crasy peace that is soon broken and distorted depending on the uncertainty of present affaires and the mutable Affections of men the more secure they are the sadder trouble at hand but this is an everlasting peace which we have now in the way and shall have in death and then for ever The Worlds peace is outward 't is but at best a freedom from outward troubles when they are at enmity with God but this is a peace with God himself Prov. 16. 7. The Worlds peace pleaseth the outward man but this is a solid Soul-satisfying peace a
peace that guardeth Heart and Mind Phil. 4. 7. 2. For the degree 't is many times in a great Measure injoyed it may be more or less as our Interest in Gods favour is more or lessened in us and 't is not perfect in this Life There may be Clouds and Interruptions but as our holiness increaseth so doth our peacâ—… a little holiness a little peace but they that love thy law have great Peace Obj. How have Gods Children great Peace None seem more troubled and harrassed with outward Afflictions nor walk more Mournfully then they do Ans. 'T is true this Peace doth not exclude Trouble from carnal men in the World they may have little outward Peace yet they shall have as much of that as God seeth good for them Iob 5. 23 24. but inward peace which is peculiar to them They have God for their Friend are quieted with a true sense and apprehension of his love and favour to them 'T is true as to this inward peace Gods Children may sometimes be without it they that love the Law have a greater sense of sin than others Wicked men swallow sins without remorse but they are very apprehensive of displeasing God But we must distinguish between the time of settling this peace and when 't is settled for a Time they may walk sadly their peace is not grown up light is sown for the Righteous many times they sow in Tears but reap in Joy sometimes their love to the Law is intermitted so their peace may be interrupted But their worst condition is better then a carnal mans best as the darkest cloudy day is brighter then the brightest night there is some comfort and staying upon God in the worst Condition Use. I. Let us from hence see the sad condition of carnal Men this Clause love thy law is exclusive and confineth it to one sort of men The unjustified the unsanctified want this Peace God saith of them they should not enter into my Rest Psal. 95. 11. The Rest is begun in this Life in Reconciliation with God and Peace of Conscience and perfected in an Everlasting Refreshment in that to come Their sins are not pardoned and therefore continually Fear they have often refused Gods peace and therefore cannot injoy comfort with any security nor bear Troubles with any patience and quiet of Mind nor come into Gods presence with any cheerfulness nor wait for eternal Rest with any certain hope There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Isa. 48. 22. Psal. 57. 20 21. 'T is not allowed to wicked men nor vouchsafed to them 't is true they may have a peace but 't is either in sin or from sin they do not mind the condition of their Souls a blind presumption that meerly cometh from Gods forbearance or Worldly Happiness in Prosperity Carnal Men seem to be in as great quietness as the Children of God as the deep Sea in a Calm which seemeth to be as quiet as other waters until a storm and tempest doth arise then troubled and cannot rest Use. II. To perswade us to love the Law of God by this Argument because we shall have great peace for the Promise is made to this love But you will say How must we shew love to the Law of God that we may obtain this Effect I Answer Practice the Duties it calleth for in order to peace 1. Accept the Articles of peace that are proclaimed between God and Mankind in and through Christ. Eph. 2. 17. There is peace preached not only to them that are afar off but to them that are nigh there is not only a price paid but an offer made Imbrace it lay hold upon it by Faith God is in good earnest with you 2 Cor. 5. 20. Oh love this good Word 't is the gladest tydings that ever sounded in the ears of lost sinners Now is your time agree with your Adversary while he is in the way before you be cast into Prison Luk. 12. 58. If you lose this opportunity and do not imbrace the offered friendship God will be exceeding Angry Heb. 2. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation 2 Chron. 30. 8. Therefore give the hand to the Lord. 2. Perform the duty of Thankfulness which God requires Matth. 11. 29. Peace is the Fruit of Sanctification as well as Justification 't is not to be found elsewhere Isa. 32. 17. 3. Be much in Communion with God and trading with Heaven Acquaint thy self with God Iob 22. 21. 4. Be tender of your peace when 't is once settled of doing any thing that may cause War between God and the Soul Psal. 58. 8. Take heed of venturing your peace for the Vanities of the World those sinful and foolish Courses which will lay you open to Gods Wrath and Displeasure Psal. 37. 11. The meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of Peace SERMON CLXXX PSALM CXIX VER 165. Great Peace have they that love thy Law and nothing shall offend them I Now come to the effect nothing shall offend them the Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is no scandal in them the Apostle Iohn applyeth the same phrase or form of speech to him that loveth his Brother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is no occasion of stumbling in him the meaning is they shall not be in danger of those snares and temptations which the world is full of and which frequently bring other men to sin and ruine or nothing shall wound or hurt them or cause them to fall in their journey to Heaven Doctrine That the Love of Gods Law is a great means to carry a Believer streight on his way to Heaven what ever Temptations he hath to the Contrary Here I shall enquire First What scandals and offences are Secondly How a Believer is preserved First What scandals and offences are I answer Scandals literally signifieth Temptations or Inducements to sin any stumbling-block or hinderance laid in a mans way by which the passenger is detained or diverted Or at which if he be not careful he is apt to stumble or fall spiritually it signifyeth any thing that may discourage or divert us from our duty to God or may occasion us to fall to the great loss or ruine of our Souls Now concerning these scandals or offences I shall give you these distinctions with respect to the subject there are three sorts of scandals 1. Taken but not given 2. Given but not taken 3. Both given and taken 1. There is offence taken where none is given thus Christ himself in his Person Sufferings Doctrine may be an offence to the carnal and unbelieving World In his Person as he is said to be in the 1 Pet. 2. 8. A stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to them that stumbled at the Word being disobedient whereunto they were also appointed He that is to the Believer a Corner-stone Elect and Precious is to the obstinate prejudiced unbeliever with allusion to those that Travel