professors who are turned out the right ways of God The claâ—â—â— of an ill-tongu'd world are so lovâ— that I am so charitable as to many 〈◊〉 to believe that in the midst of theâ— rage they are thus far justifiable 〈◊〉 lieving that they ought to do many this against those whom they hear so â—â—ported of These are nearer pardon great deal than the Apostate is He hâ—â— known the way of righteousness he haâ— walked in it his conscience tells hâ—â— that those whom he thus deserteâ— and possibly persecuteth are more riâ—â—teous than he that they are such as desire nothing but herein to exercise himself to keep a good conscience void of offence both towards God and towards men That there is nothing to be found against them but in the matters of God That their ways are more â—oly more righteous than the ways of â—thers and that nothing but the lust 〈◊〉 his own heart hath enticed him out of them or can intice any from them who hath any thing of the reason of a man or Religion of a Christian yet he â—bideth not in them but embraceth a present world in defiance of his known duty What shall the end of this man be 3. Consider how tenacious others are of their sinful and vain courses Jer. 2.10 11. Pass you over saith God by the Prophet the Isles of Chittim and send unto Kedar and consider diligently and see if there be such a thing Hath a nation changed their gods which yet are no gods but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit Give me leave to allude to it Pass ye over to the Mahumetans whose Idol is a sordid person whose course and soâ—â— of Religion is a bundle of nonsense anâ— blasphemy yet will not they forsaâ—â— their profession Send to the blind â—â—pists who have nothing to say for they superstitions but They believe as 〈◊〉 Church believeth yet how rarely is oâ—â— of them proselyted Look up among the blinder sort of Proteltants wâ— have got some forms of Religion 〈◊〉 they can neither give themselves 〈◊〉 others a rational account of what they believe or practise yet how true is the generality of them to their blind devotion Shall the knowing Protestant only be the reed which every wiâ—â— will shake Did not the very foundation of your Religion allow you 〈◊〉 judgment of discretion a liberty to provâ— all things requiring you only to hoâ—â— fast that which was good Were you like others forced into your practice or did you upon deliberation and weighing of principles and practices chuse the way wherein you chose to walk as that which was most conformable to the will of God Have you a better evidence for the contrary now Bring forth your strong arguments Have you one but what is drawn from your impatience of suffering your ambition our covetousness of filthy lucrè c See amongst the Heathen there be such thing to be found Oh let it not be 〈◊〉 that those who worship they know 〈◊〉 what are yet more sure to their â—osession than you who know what 〈◊〉 do and that salvation is in that â—â—y wherein you have walked Fourthly Consider what it is that you 〈◊〉 done The Prophet tells you 〈◊〉 2.13 You forsake the fountain of â—ing waters and dig up to your selves â—ken cisterns that will hold no water â—od is the Fountain of living waters the creatures are cisterns that will â—â—d no water The pure Ordinances God are fountains of living water â—â—d is the Spring Ordinances are the â—â—ntains which this Spring filleth â—he waters are the Graces of Gods â—irit communicated to the souls of â—s people in and by his Ordinances â—he Ordinances are the wells of salâ—â—tion out of which our souls draw â—â—e water of life If these wells be kept pure the souls of Gods people are treshed by them and grow fat in 〈◊〉 use of them Going on from strength strength till they appear before God Sion If they be corrupted according the tincture they have received the are more or less dangerous There is fountain you know that is kept clear how pleasant how wholsome are streams of it There are fountains 〈◊〉 which men have thrown mire and 〈◊〉 how unwholesome are their water how unpleasant are they to the 〈◊〉 how unsavoury to the taste Have you forsaken God to embrace the woâ—â— in the credit honours profits of 〈◊〉 You have forsaken the fountain of â—â—â—ing waters He must needs be so 〈◊〉 the fountain of all good he in whom live move and have our being have digged up to your selves cisterns â—â—ken cisterns that will hold no water You will find it so when ever the providence of God brings you to be a third if ever your conscience akes if ever you have a thought rise up in arms againâ—â— you if eyer you come to be within view of the grave and that you 〈◊〉 do one day if ever you come to have a prospect of hell you will find all the treature but a cistern a broken cistern that will hold no water I have heard of an Emperour brought to that digress that he cried out A Kingdom for â—â— cup of water O take heed that you â—e not another day heard crying out will give all my credit all my honours all my places of trust and profit 〈◊〉 an hours peace of conscience for â—ne smile from my angry God for one â—rop of water to cool my tongue You â—aye forsaken the pure Ordinances of â—â—od for the inventions of men you have forsaken the fountain of living waâ—â—s you have digged up cisterns that â—ill hold no water Here 's the name â—â— the means of grace but where 's the â—ung What presence of God do you â—â—d in them What strength do you trive from them What sweetness do â—â—a taste in them Where 's your forâ—er spiritual joy peace satisfaction 〈◊〉 it not an Image in your bed inâ—â—ad of an Husband a dream in your â—â—uls from which when you rise up â—ou are still an hungry in stead of a feast fat things Fifthly O that you would consider 〈◊〉 it hath been with your souls since you 〈◊〉 your defection To this God calleth 〈◊〉 back-sliding people Jer. 2.14 〈◊〉 16 17. Is Israel a servant Is he 〈◊〉 home-born stave Why is he spoiled 〈◊〉 young Lions roared upon him and yelled they laid his land waste his cities 〈◊〉 burnth without an inhabitant Also 〈◊〉 children of Noph and Tahapanes 〈◊〉 broken thy head Hast thou not procâ—â—â— this unto thy self in that thou hast 〈◊〉 saken the Lord thy God when he led the by thee way It may be worth the 〈◊〉 flection for you to consider how Gâ—â— hath dealt with you as to what you have most proposed to your self mean the getting of the world whether in the profits or honours or 〈◊〉 dit and reputation of it If the baâ—slider gets not this he gets nothing and let me tell you it is not ordinary 〈◊〉 the providence of God to
which it brought forth leaves and was green and flourishing being thus withered Husbandmen use to appoint their Servants to gather them up and burn them 1. He that hath made a profession to Religion a purer way of worshipping God and a stricter conversation before him if he maketh a defection from it he is cast forth Cast forth by the Church if that be in a calm and Pacate State and not in such a crowd of disturbances from the world that it cannot draw out its spiritual Sword and â—et me tell you Christians that is a dreadful thing to be orderly excommunicated by a Gospel Church The Apostle calls it a delivering up to Satan â—he separation of the Israelites from the Tents of Corah Dathan and Abiram was 〈◊〉 forerunner of Gods dreadful Vengeâ—nce on them the Churches separation from an apostatized Professor for his Apostacy is not to be flighted Proâ—ided this be done by a true Church â—nd for a just cause it is formidable enough for other Bruta fulmina they signifie little according to that of Job How forcible are right words but your â—rguings what do they reprove But this â—s not alwayes I told you the Church â—s not alwayes in a condition to execute this Vengeance upon Traitors However they are cast out by the Providence of God A notorious sinner may be cast out in the sight of God when hâ— is not so in foro Ecclesâ—ae in the view 〈◊〉 men and there is no branch not abiding in Christ but in this sense is cast forth God casts him forth he never had any true union with Christ he shall noâ— now have any appearing relation God will not own him his Saints shall notâ— he shall be none of them that God will care for with that special care which God extendeth to all those that are visible members of his visible Church hâ— hath made a defection from the City of God and hath removed himself into the suburbs of Hell he shall noâ— now have the priviledges of common Citizens Thus men use to do Tuâ—â— saith it was never known that those who made defection and proved false to the City of Rome jura civium tenuerunt enjoyed the priviledges of Citizens God will let it be seen that those who are false to his City shall not retain the priviledges of the City of God Secondly As the branch casts out with thereth So it ordinarily is with professors they lose their beauty and glory whether it lay in their quick and excellent parts these oft times abate their gifts dwindle and come to nothing or whether it lay in the repute and credit they had in the Church of God they are lookt upon as Fugitives and Renegadoes by the sincerer professors of Religion Nay for the most part this is not all they lose also their hopes for repute and credit with the world Who regard them as little as the Pharisee did Judas when he had betrayed his Master The wise God so ordereth it that the world shall not trust those that his Church cannot trust A fugitive from his Profession sheweth too little of a Christian to be valued by the Church and too little of a man to be much valued by the world who ordinarily love the Treason but hate the Traytor they like it well enough to see one professing to Christ spitting in his face to hear him jear and mock at the wayes of God in which he once walked but in the mean time they hate the traytor abhorring the levity and inconstancy of this weather-cock in Religion that turns in obsequiousness to every wind Thus he withers every way That which he hath is taken from him his gifts and parts his credit and reputation he becomes a man of no value to every one But there is worse yet that follows Thirdly Saith our Saviour Men gather them and they are cast into the fire and burned Thus men deal with the withered branches of Vines once separated from the Vine Thus will God do with Professors that abide not in him They shall be gathered up it the great day of Judgement Our Saviour tells us who shall gather them the Angels Mat. 13. They shall be burned with unquenchable fire The Apostle saith There remaineth nothing for them Heb. 12. but a certain dreadful looking for of fiery indignation Now our abiding in Christ in the truths of Christ which we have formerly owned in the wayes of Christ to which we have formerly professed and in which we have formerly walked is by our Saviour himself prescribed as the only means to avoid this unspeakable evil otherwise hanging over our heads Thirdly Our abode with Christ is the excellent means to keep his presence with us Joh. 15 4. Abide in me saith our Saour and I in you So John 14.23 If any man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him What is this for Christ to abide with the soul I answer as it is one thing for a soul to be in Christ another thing for a soul to abide in Christ So it is one thing for Christ to be in the soul another thing for him to abide in the soul The abiding of Christ with a soul I think implieth 1. His manifestation of himself to the soul John 14.21 He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and be that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self unto him The Lord may be in the soul and yet be hid so as the soul may go about trying Where is my God become The soul may walk in the dark and see no sight Christ is then said to abide in the soul when he appeareth to it and that in some constancy that he is not to use the Prophets expression Jer. 14.8 as a wayfaring man who tarrieth but for a night And 2. Gods sensible manifestations to a soul may be in the influences of comforting quickning or strengthening Grace Take a soul under the greatest desertion and cloud of Divine light there is yet as an Vnion so some communion betwixt God and it as the soul doth in some degree communicate it self unto God under the greatest apostacy it can be guilty of if it truly belongs to him its backsliding is but gradual so God doth in some degrees communicate himself to the soul under the greatest desertion the Union abiding some communion is necessary But now the Lords abiding with the soul argueth more than this it argues thus much that the soul who thus abides in Christ shall be under some sensible influences of Divine Love and that not only for its consolation chearing and refreshing it under dark issues of Providence but for its strength and liveliness in the way of God it shall grow stronger and stronger every day more fresh and lively and active in the wayes of God Without this how heavily doth a soul
suffer him the far to prosper Hath God since that tiâ—â— blest you in your estate in your children in your trade c Or hath he blasâ—â— you If the latter Have you not 〈◊〉 cured this unto your selves in that ye 〈◊〉 forsaken the Lord your God when he led you by the way But it may be you cannot yet see divine vengeance thus pursuing you there is a time when poenalis nutritur impunitas God fatteth up some with the Maist of the world to the great day of slaughter though ordinarily these be such as never made any profession Judas that had been a Disciple quickly disgorged his thirty pleces you know That which I would have you principally enquire is how it hath been with your inward man as to your spiritual concerns St. John in his Epistle to his Host Gaius wisheth above all things that he might prosper and be in health even as his soul prospereth If there should be a Doeg that hath got anything by his treachery to Christ and the interest of his Gospel I would â—eg of him to consider whether his â—oul also prospereth and be in health as his outward man is You have pretended formerly to know what belongs to an inward serenity of mind to peace of conscience c. Have you at any time since your change found leisure to speak â—o your own souls and say Is it peace If you have not you have been very careless of Eternity If you have what hath it answered Have you gone to bed with as much satisfaction in your spirit after a day spent at a play or aprofane meeting as you did heretofore after a day spent in a religious meeting or at a fast Have you had no more melancholick thoughts no more sad reflections no more terrours than before Hath not the evil spirit sometimes so troubled you that you have been forced to send for a Minstrel to play it off Have not the images of those righteous servants of God whom you have been reviling whom you have been accusers of and instruments to hale into prisons ruine and as much as in you lay to make an end of sometimes appeared to you in your dreams and disquieted you in your sleep Have you not heard though not a voice from heaven God will not so much honour you who have so much spit in his face yet a voice from your own conscience Soul soul why persecutest thou Christ What evil hast thou formerly seen in that way wherein thy self did walk worthy of this death or these barbarous bonds Do you see what servants what home-born slaves you have made your selves How the children of Noph and Tahapanes have broken your head O return into the right wayes of the Lord return to your first Husband speak sincerely Was it not then every way better with you than now 6. Consider seriously with yourselves if a day of trouble should come as certainly thou art not the only person exempted from the incurnt ances and accidents to which mortality is exposed and subjected would any of those things or persons help you to which you are turned and whom you have gratified in your departing from the right ways of God The Professor not abiding in Christ usually makes choice 1. Of New Principles 2. New Practices in his conversation 3. New Friends and a New Society 1. New Principles he must have a seared conscience that upon strict Principles can build a loose practice and retain the truths of God in unrighteousness Therefore the Backslider hath ordinarily an Almanack faith calculated for the Meridian of his present practice For example it was the old faith of Professors that all men and Women are by nature children of wrath Ephes 2.3 That they remain in this state of wrath till by the hearing of the word the holy Spirit working with it faith be wrought in them and they be brought to Receive the Lord Jesus Christ and to believe in him John 3.18.36 Till they be regenerated and born again by the Spirit of God John 3.3 5. that is till old things be passed away and all things become nâ—w with them for he that is in Christ is a new creature That true faith where ever it is purifieth the heart worketh by love to God to his people in a strict universal obedience to all the commandments of God As to which they must have a presence to will though they may in many things want stength to perform That who so thus believeth and is thus regenerated is justified by the imputed righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ alone and being justified sinneth not wilfully and presumptuously or doth not lye and abide in sin but though he sometimes falleth by sin yet he by and by purifieth himself and riseth again by repentance And it is the business of his life in all things to make the word of God a light to his feet and a lanthorn to his paths Thou hast possibly collected another system of practical principles That every one who is baptized is justified and regenerated That to believe is nothing else but to be perswaded of the truth of the Scriptures That indeed a man may fall away from his justified estate in Baptism by actual sins but a slighty acknowledgement of his sins in a formal confession or when he comes to dye will make up all again And if a man lives in Obedience to what he calls the Church making the dictates of men the rule of his practice without any particular enquiry whether they be according to the Scriptures or no he shall not need fear salvation I confess this sheweth an easie way to Heaven if it were as sure But suppose a day of trouble now to thy soul suppose now thy conscience awakened either whiles thou art in thy full career in thy prosperity or when thou comest to dye and some such Texts as these fall into thy thoughts at that day John 3.18 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and be that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed on the Name of the only begotten Son of God Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ whâ— walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit v. 5. They that are after the flesh 〈◊〉 mind the things of the flesh they that 〈◊〉 after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit ver 6. To be carnally minded iâ— death ver 8. They that are in the flesh cannot please God ver 13. If you live after the flesh you shall dye Neither â—â—cumcision availeth any thing â—â—uncircumcision but a new creature Suppose these or other such like Scriptures should stick fast to thy thoughts in an evil day what should relieve thee Will it relieve thee when thoâ— comest to dye to remember thoâ— wer 't baptized in thy infancy Will noâ— thy thoughts reflect There are thousands that were baptized will be damoned Simon Magus was baptized yeâ—â— the gall of bitterness and in the bands of
Worship is a great sin but something lower than this Now God comparing the case betwixt him and them to the case betwixt a Man and his Wife that had dealt falsly with him tells him that in case of a â—ivorce a man doth not use to be reâ—onciled to his Wife yet Jerem 3.1 Return again unto me saith the Lord ver 5. Will he reserve his anger for ever Will he keep it to the end Again v. 12. Go and proclaim these words to the North and say Return thou back sliding Israel â—ith the Lord and I will not cause mine â—nger to fall on you for I am merciful â—aith the Lord and I will not keep anger for ever Only acknowledge thine iniquiâ—y that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God and hast scattered thy wayes to strangers under every green trâ—â— and you have not obeyed my Voice saith tâ—â— Lord Turn O back sliding children saâ—â—â— the Lord for I am married unto you aâ—â— I will take you one of a City and two 〈◊〉 a Tribe and bring you to Zion Anâ— again ver 22. Return you backslidiâ—â— children and I will heal your back sliding Oh that I could hear you saying as iâ— the next words of that Text Behâ—â—â— we come unto thee for thou art the Lâ—â—â— our God Truly in vain is Salvatin hoped for from the hills and from 〈◊〉 multitude of Mountains truly in the Lâ—â—â— our God is the salvation of Israel 〈◊〉 vain is salvation hoped for from course of profaneness formality or superstitiâ— or from any righteousness of your own In vain is peace of conscience in vaâ—â— is any good thing hoped for from them in vain is any blessing of Goâ— in this life hoped for from them 〈◊〉 the Lord is the salvation of people 〈◊〉 the faith of Christ In the Love 〈◊〉 Christ In a strict obedience to thâ— Gospel of Christ In a close walkiâ—â— with God In these things is the hopâ— the salvation of people the true peaâ—â— and tranquility of conscience Return â—hen with the Prophets words in your â—outh with which I shall conclude We lye down in our shame Jer. 3.25 and our conâ—sion covereth us for we have sinned gainst the Lord our God and have not â—eyed the voice of the Lord our God FINIS Psalm 42.1 2. As the Hart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God for the 〈◊〉 ving God when shall I come and appear before God THE Title of this Psalm is To the chief Musitiâ— for the Sons of Corah 〈◊〉 remember Justine Maâ—tyr answering the Jewish Question Why wâ— use not Musick in our Gospel Service as the Jewes did sayes it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Church in her infantil estate Just Mart. Quest Resp. 107. though singing be not so anâ— therefore still continued However that Musick was in David's time though since ceased a Divine Institution not meerly introduced by the discretion of the chief Magistrate we are assured by 1 Chron. 28.11.19 which speaks it no president for Humane Inventions in Acts or Modes of Divine Worship Korah was a Levite he perished in his gainsaying against Moses as you read Num. 16. But his children died not Nu. 16.1 To these it seems by holy David according to the Pattern he had from the Spirit of God 1 Chron. 28.12.13 The charge of the Musick was committed 1 Chron. 6.37 Who was the Author of this Psalm some question judging it one of the Sons of Corah and so interpreting it by the Genitive Case V. de Muci ad loc a Psalm of Instruction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thinking it composed in the time of the Captivity of Babylon But the Spirit that breatheth in it is so like the Spirit breathing â—salm 63. and Psalm 84. That I rather judge holy David the Author of it V. Mollerum ad loc c. and that it was composed by him in the time when Saul hunted him out of Judea so as he could not as formerly enjoy the Institutions of God which is the great business he lamenteth in this Psalm expressing his earnest longings for them and raising up hiâ— soul to an hope and confidence iâ— God that he would one day change his estate It is termed Maschil a Psalm of Instruction and may generally serve to instruct us in the frame of a gracious Spirit what it will be and our duty what we ought to doe under such a dispensation when either by any natural or moral causes we are hindered from a communion with God in hiâ— publick Institutions for Worship for of such it is apparent David speaketh both from ver 2. When shall I come and appear before God and ver 4. where with sadness he remembers how he 〈◊〉 wont to go to the House of God with thâ— multitude The Proposition I shall insist on iâ— this Prop. Vnder the severest dispensation of God to gracious souls Doctrine there will 〈◊〉 found in them a singular thirst after Gâ—â— in his Institutions of publick Worship Who ever was the Author of this Psalm the Language of it speaks a godly gracious heart if it was not the man it was certainly a man according to Gods heart The dispensation he was under was sad enough if he were in the captivity of Babylon as de Muci and others think or if it was David separated from the Tabernacle by the Violence of Saul The dispensation was every way sad enough Yet under these circumstances see the temper of this gracious person he cannot enjoy publick Institutions but he can look after them and long he can with Daniel open his window towards Jerusalem and pray He cannot drink but of the Wells of Salvation but he can thirst for the waters of them he cannot appear before God but he can say unto God When shall I come and appear In fine his Enemies have taken away his food but they have not taken away his stomach In the prosecution of this point I shall 1. Open the Metaphor of thirsting panting breathing 2. Shew you the singularity of the gracious souls thirst 3. Thirdly give you the causes of if and prove the point 4. Lastly Make some short appliction 1. Thirst is a natural affection caused through the want of some liquâ—â— thing to cool and refresh our naturâ—â— parts alwayes attended with a deâ—â—â— of the thing thirsted for so it implieth 1. An apprehended suitableness 〈◊〉 some object to the creaturâ— wants that is thus affected to iâ— 2. A sensible want of it we thiâ—â— not for drink when our 〈◊〉 mach and mouth is filleâ— with it 3. A desire and endeavour after iâ— 1. Every gracious soul apprehendeth 〈◊〉 suitableness in Gods Institutions to 〈◊〉 wants That there is such a suitableness I shall demonstrate anon this 〈◊〉 not apprehended by every soul but 〈◊〉 every gracious soul it is which preceedeth from his spiritual illumination and sense of his condition to which 〈◊〉 unregenerate soul is
a stranger 2. It may possibly be that a gracious 〈◊〉 may want thissuitable spiritual food â—e may be hindered by natural causes â—â—kness c. by moral causes he may be â—s David in the Land of the Philistins â—s the children of Israel in Babylon He may be at home but the wells may be â—â—pped through the violence of men â—e pits may be dry through the heat â—f persecution they may be so poisoned with Idolatry and Superstition as 〈◊〉 the Popish Countreys so fouled with the dust of humane inventions â—nwholsomely mixt with some little â—f Divine Institutions that he may â—ant the Institutions of God and he will be sensible of the want 3. His soul will be enlarged in desires after what he doth not or it may be cannot at present enjoy This I shall sufficiently evidence in shewing you 2. What singularity there is in the thirst of a gracious soul after Divine Institutions 1. Observe the Metaphor in the Text. â—s the Hart panteth or brayeth The word translated Hart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifieth the Female The word translateâ— brayeth or panteth properly signifietâ— the sound that those creatures make The Hart of all other creatures is observed by Naturalists to be more exceeding thirsty than others for which I find three Reasons assigned 1. They for the most part feed iâ— montanous V. De Mâ—ci Mollerium ad loc dry desert places which more want moisture 2. They say they ordinarily swallow Serpents whose heat of poison inwadly more inflameth them 3. When they have been hunted they 〈◊〉 they cannot rest till they have found oâ— some waters in which to refresh themselves The Metaphor you see import some singularity in thirst Now thâ— singularity of a gracious souls thiâ—â— will appear in three things 1. In the object and end of it Thâ— you have in the Text. So panteth 〈◊〉 soul for thee O God My soul thirsteth for God for the living God 1. In the ultimate object The ultimate object of a gracious souls thiâ—â— is not the Institution or Ordinance bâ— the God of that Ordinance Thus here in the Text. So Psalm 63.1 My soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee ver 2. To see thy power and thy glory An institution of God is like another thing to a gracious soul if God be not in it As Absolom said What should I do at Jerusalem if I may not see the Kings face So saith a spiritual heart what shall I do at a Prayer at a Sermon at a Sacrament if I meet with nothing of God there A gracious soul desires an Ordinance not as a man desires a picture to please his sense but as he desires a perspective that by the means of it he may see a Star or the Moon or an object a far off And this is a singularity an hypocrite if he desires to see the Vail yet he desires not to look through the Vail what communion with God in a prayer in hearing the Word in a Sacrament means he understands not and Ignoti nulla cupido He may desire an Ordinance as thinking his attendance there the road to Heaven or the way to repute in the world or a bit to stop the mouth of his Natural conscience barking for some shew of Religion or as a pleasant Song according to those in Ezechiel Chap. 33.32 But what the presence of God in the Ordinance meaneth this he understandeth not nor doth he thirst after it Hence a Formalist if he hath been at Church is satisfied let the Prayer and Preaching be what it will provided it hath tickled his sense yet his stomack is stayed and he wonders every one is not as content as he The ultimate object of a gracious souls thirst is not his Fathers House but his Fathers face in his House If he hath not seen that he comes away a-thirst from the best wells 2. In the mediate object The mediate object is the performance An Hypocrite if he hath any desire to an Ordinance yet he is very careless as to the rites and manner of the performance It is not thus with a gracious soul The reason lyes partly in what I said before that the ultimate object of his thirst is God the presence of God in an Ordinance he knows nothing of this can be expected where God is not sanctified in the duty by a regular performance of it and a strict observation of the rule as to it which God himself hath prescribed he knows that in matters of Worship God is more eminently jealous that of all sins none so provoke God none so soon separate him from a people as errors in matter of Worship This makes his regulare appetite languid and weak as to religious performances where God hath indeed appointed the thing in the general but man only hath presumed to direct the manner for which also was sufficient direction in Gods word His thirst is after peace and unmixed Ordinances 3. As to the End The gracious heart desires the sincere milk of the word that he may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 1 Pet. 2.2 that he may profit by it he thirsts after publick prayer that he might pour out his soul before God and receive an answer of peace he thirsts after a Sacrament that in it he may have a communion with Christ that he might in it receive the communications of the vertue of the blood of Christ to his soul further strengthning quickning or comforting him The hypocritical formalist thirsts after these things only that he might stop the mouth of natural conscience or that he might appear to men to have something of Religion or for some such low and unworthy end Thus the thirst of a gracious heart hath a singularity in it as to the object and end Secondly It is singular as to the degree and strength of it As the hart panteth after the water-brooks saith the Psalmist A formalist thus never thirsteth he hath never such an appetite to an Ordinance but he can either attend it or let it alone When he is hottest tell him of a Play or a Market and he can turn aside out of the Church-path thither if he be seen at a Sermon or a Prayer 't is rather out of wantonness than appetite hence a little thing turns him aside and a little serves his turn four hours at a Comedy is too little one at a Sermon half of one in a Prayer is too much If he hath not a Sermon at his door he is not thirsty enough to go a mile to hear one The gracious soul goes from City to City from strength to strength passeth through Cities and streets and broad places Psal 119.20 Psal 119.20 My soul breaketh with the longings it hath to thy judgments Psal 84.2 My soul longeth yea Psal 84.2 even fainteth for the courts of the Lord my flesh crieth out for the living God 3. The thirst of a gracious soul is singular in the constancy of it and its
point we defend against the Papists All Protestants grant it as to matters of Doctrine why they should not also agree that it is so as to matters of Worship and Discipline I can not tell As to acts of Worship they all yield it too as to circumstances of humane actions in Divine Worship viz. such as no humane actions as such can want none can deliberately contend for it The Question is concerning Ceremonies or if they will call them so circumstances of Worship In very deed it will be a nice distinction and such as can abide no test to distinguish betwixt an act of Worship and a circumstance of Worship I mean such a circumstance as is not appendant to the action from its nature and necessarily but affixed to it by men without any necessity But not to digress here into that dispute The more strictly a Gospel Institution is administred according to the letter and examples of Christ and his Apostles in Holy Writ the more there is of God in it the more of Divine presence and influence is to be expected in it and from it The more plain and Scriptural a Sermon is the more authority it comes down with upon the conscience The honest heart saith to the quaint and oratorial Preacher to the quoter of Fathers and Schoolmen to justifie what he saith Paul I know and Jesus I know The Old Testament I know and the New I know but for Augustine and Hierom and Aquinas who are they Possibly worthy persons in their Ages but it is the word of God not their dictates which command the conscience For your high phrased Preachers they signifie nothing to the conscience the hearers as Luther was wont to say intelligunt â—â—bum arte super se compositum ideo nauâ—â—nt they loath the word thus canâ—â—ied up in the language of men puffed 〈◊〉 in the conceit of their own parts and desirous to seem some thing when indeed they are nothing but folly and vanity There is abundance of â—reaching is good for nothing but to â—oil good Christians stomachs to heaâ—ing and to make them loath their food by reason of the fantastick sauce if you would keep your appetite to Ordinances keep the purest and most lively administrations of them 4. Fourthly Remember the dayes of old the years of former times I doubt not but many of you have heretofore tasted how good the Lord hath been you have tasted it in a Sermon convincing you of sin working faith in you bringing a word in season to your souls that hath even ravished your souls with the joy of it You have enjoyed much of God in a Sacrament in a few hours of prayer Oh let not the memory of those good dayes to your souls go out of your hearts and if you remember them you cannot but long for more of them It is almost impossible to imagine that a soul that ever in earnest tasted of God in Ordinances should not cry out Lord evermore give us that bread those that grow weary of Divine Institutions are such as never experienced the goodness and excellency of them 5. Watch against the prevailing of lusts and corruptions It is ordinarily experienced in the natural body A soul stomach hath no appetite or very little and teachy noxious humours in the stomach blunt the edge of it to its proper food It is as true to the soul suffer pride vanity of Spirit any spiritual or sensual lust to prevail upon you you will soon lose your appetite to spiritual things Keep your soul clean from these things and your appetite will be sharp 6. If you would keep your appetite to Divine Institutions improve them when you have them Indigested meat corrupts the stomach and takes off the edge of it The reason for this is This thirst after Ordinances as it is first caused from an apprehended suitableness in them to the souls needs so it is encreased by the souls experience of the truth of that apprehension This it never hath without an improvement of the Institution I mean such a ruminating upon it such a digestion and application of it as the soul may suck out the juice and vertue of it and find that a Sermon is not to his soul as a tale that is told nor a Sacrament as a meer morsel of bread and a draught of Wine Would you keep alive your thirst after Divine institutions when you have heard a Sermon go sit alone think of what you have heard what truth you have been instructed in and call to your souls to remember and believe it what sin you have been convinced of and call again to your souls to consider it and to avoid it What duty you have been admonished of and call to your souls to arise and do it 7. Lastly Beg this great blessing of God You beg or should beg an appetite to your bodily bread much more to your spiritual food Christians I doubt not but in these times of spiritual scarcity you beg Sermons of God you beg Preachers of him who is the Lord of the Harvest In this you do your duty but let not this be all Beg stomachs for your selves as well as mouths for us I am afraid it was too great a decay of this spiritual thirst that brought on Gods dreadful voider and brought the Wells of Salvation to so low a state as you see them If you could by begging of God recover your appetite again I doubt not but he who feedeth the young Ravens when they cry would also hear and feed you and in his Fatherly Providence so order it that you should not have Scorpions instead of Fish and Stones instead of Bread Nor as the Spouse be smitten and wounded Can. 5.7 and have your vail taken from you by pretended Watchmen whiles you are sick of love and ask them in your distress Saw ye him whom my soul loveth FINIS Jer. 14.19 Hast thou utterly rejected Judah Hath thy soul loathed Zion Why hast thou smitten us and there is no healing for us We looked for peace and there is no good and for the time of healing and behold trouble s THE words I have read are agreed by all to be the words of the Prophet Jeremiah he was one of those Prophets who prophesied last in Judah before their carrying away into the seventy years Captivity of Babylon chap. 1.2 He prophesied in the days of Josiah and in the days of Jehoiakim and so to the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah which was about forty years He began to prophesie in the thirteenth year of Josiah Jer. 1.2 and prophesied eighteen years during the reign of Josiah then three months during the â—â—ign of Joachaz or Jeconias and eleven years during the reign of Jeâ—iachim a second son of Josiah and three months more during the reign of â—â—hoiachin and eleven years during the â—â—ign of Zedekiah At what time he â—ophesied what we have in this chaâ—â—er recorded is not expressed probaâ—â—y before the death of
Josiah The â—â—ticular judgment which God at his time had given him a prospect of â—as a Dearth as in verse 〈◊〉 dearth â—â—rough want of rain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Hebrew â—ord signifieth and so the Text makâ—â—h it plain verse 3. The Nobles sent their 〈◊〉 ones to the water they came to the 〈◊〉 and found no water verse 4. The 〈◊〉 was chapt there was no rain on 〈◊〉 earth ver 7 8 9. The Prophet â—on the prospect of this-dreadful â—â—dgment puts up a fervent prayer to God To which the Lord returns an angry answer verse 10 11 12. 〈◊〉 short he bids Jeremiah pray no more foâ— them for he would consume them by sword famine and pestilence As there is an acceptable day a day when the Lord will be found so there is a time when his Spirit shall no longer strive with man his patience shall no longer be tired though Noah Daniel and Job pray they shall but deliver their own souls the decree is gone forth Verse 13. Jerem tells the Lord that there were a breed of Prophets sang another tune to this sinful people and told them they should have peace and neither see sword noâ— famine Thus Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses Such wretches have been in all ages when the Devil gets 〈◊〉 commission to seduce a people to ruineâ— the instruments he useth to execute 〈◊〉 are profane ignorant lying Priests Thâ—â— was the way you know Satan toâ—â— God he would seduce Ahab to go an fall at Ramoth-Gilead I will go saitâ— he and be a lying spirit in the mouth 〈◊〉 his Prophets The Lord tells Jeremy Verse 14. these Prophets were not of his sending they prophesied lies in his Name false visions divinations things of naught the deceit of their own hearts yet without doubt these were the generality of the Jewish Ministers men brought up in the Schools of the Prophets and in the orders of their Church and cloathed with an external call to their works Even under the Law God allowed his people a judgment of discretion and did not oblige them to believe what their Priests said without any examination of it It is possible regular Priests and Prophets may not be sent by God nor â—ught people to look upon them so when they find them speaking contrary â—o the Word of God But Oh! it is a â—angerous thing for the Ministers of truth to become the messengers of lies for us to corrupt the Word of God Dangerous it is to our selves Verse 15. Tell these Prophets saith the Lord By sword and â—â—mine you shall be consumed It is danâ—â—rous for the people If the trumpet â—â—ve an uncertain sound who shall prepare himself to the battel If the Ministers try All is well God is well pleased do wickedly still you do God good service in it The interpretation be to the enemies of all good men How easily are people hardened and encouraged in vile courses Verse 16. But shall their Priests words save them No. The people saith God to whom they prophesie shall be cast out in the streets of Hierusalem because of the famine and the sword and there shall be none to bury them their wives their sons and their daughters for I will pour their wickedness upon them The lie of the Prophet never justifieth the credulity of the people God expecteth that his people should search the Scriptures and examine whether those things the Minister speaks be conformable to his Word or no and yield no further assent to what they say then what they find ground for there After this Verse 17.18 God directeth the Prophet to act the person of a mourner before the people upon a prospect of his judgments to come as if they already were come Oh! how loth the Lord is to destroy a people amongst whom he hath once had a Name How shall I give thee up O Ephraim how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboiim Jeremiah knowing he had to do with a gracious God that sometimes repenteth himself of the evil he hath threatned and brings it not upon a people sets himself to prayer as the proper means if any would do to avert the vengeance of God His prayer begins with the words of my Text and holds on to the end of the Chapter In which you have 1. A servent Expostulation Hast thou utterly rejected Judah hath thy soul loathed Zion Why c. 2. A sad representation of the state of the people 1. They were smitten and there was no healing for them 2. Their expectation was frustrated We looked for peace and there is no good and for the time of healing and behold trouble 3. Here is an humble though more general confession We acknowledge our iniquities and the iniquities of our fathers for we have sinned against thee 4. An earnest supplication express'd in several terms and back'd with several arguments closely couched The Terms are 1. Do not abhor us 2. Do not disgrace thâ— throne of thy glory 3. Remember Break noâ— thy Covenant with us The Arguments are 1. For thy Names sake 2. We are the throne of thy glory 3. Thou hast made a Covenant with us 4. Thou art he alone canâ—â— give showers the vanitieâ— of the Gentiles cannot cause rain 5. Lastly here is the Prophets declared resolution to trust in God and wait oâ— him verse 22. My Text as you see contains only the two first general parts of this excellent Prayer of the Prophet The first I called his fervent expostulation Hast thou utterly rejected Judah 〈◊〉 Hath thy soul loathed Zion Why haâ—â— thou smitten us and there is no healing for us Hast thou in rejecting rejected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in reprobating reprobated Judah Those that are critical in the Hebrew observe the word signifies to reject a thing with scorn and disdain as vile and contemptible it is used as in many other places Hos 4.6 Because thou hast reâ—ected knowledge I will also reject thee Hos 4.6 Lam. 5.22 But thou hast utterly rejected 〈◊〉 Lord saith the Prophet Lam. 5.22 hast thou â—â—terly rejected Judah what Judah the remainder of the people the seed of Abraham thy friend which was so â—â—ear to thee Judah of which it was â—aid In Judah is God known hast thou â—tterly rejected this Judah Hath thy 〈◊〉 loathed Zion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word used is much of the same signification with the other only it signifieth something more of the affection set against an object it is used Ezech. 16.45 Ezecth 16.45 to exâ—ress the alienation of a leud womans â—eart from her husband It is also used â—evit 26.44 Levit. 26.44 a place to which one would think the Prophet here hath home special respect And yet for all that when they be in the hand of their enemies I will not cast them away neither will I abhor them to destroy them utterly and to break my covenant with them for
I am the Lord their God But I will for their sake remember the covenant of their ancestors c. Very like the Prophet eyeing that promise in the Law cries out Hath thy soul loathed Zion Zion there 's a great argument couched in that word All the dwellings of Jacob were dear to the God of Jacob but the Psalmist saith God loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Zion was the name of a Mountain at the foot of which Hierusalem and in it the Temple stood thence it is called the habitation of Gods holiness his dwelling place and it is put for the Church of God Lord saith the Prophet this is Judah against which thine anger smokes hast thou utterly rejected Judah There are but two Tribes and an half left of that people whom thou chosest to draw nigh unto thee hast thou rejected them utterly rejected them In this Judah is Zion thy Temple the place which out of all the earth thou chosest for thy habitation and in which above all thou didst delight hath thy soul abhorred Zion She was as thy Spouse and thou lovedst her doth thy soul now loath her As to the form of the words you see they are by way of Interrogation Interrogations in Scripture sometimes adde force to Affirmations and Negations Hath the Lord as great a pleasure in sacrifices as in obeying his commandments that is he hath not And so some would have it here then the sense is this Lord I know thou hast not utterly rejected Judah thy soul hath not abhorred Zion which is true as to the spiritual part of his people Hath God cast off Israel saith the Apostle God forbid he hath not cast off the people whom he fore-knew But all are not Israel that are of Israel Then the words have in them the force of an argument Lord I know thou hast not utterly cast off thy people thy soul hath not abhorâ—â—â— them therefore spare them as to this judgment So he pleads from Gods certain spiritual love to a part of the people formerly for the whole But I must confess I think this not the sense Interrogations sometimes are the language of persons inquiring for further certainty and satisfaction so I take it here as if the Prophet had said Ah Lord is the decree gone forth is there no hope art thou not to be spoken to for this people hast thou utterly reprobated them If not c. It follows Why hast thou smitten us and there is no healing These words have in them an Interrogation and an Expostulation No soundness in the Hebrew Here the Prophet begins to represent unto God the state of the people 1. They were smitten already smitten with a dearth 2. And in Gods purpose smitten with an approaching sword and captivity He owns God as the primary efficient cause Thou hast smitten he addes and there is no healing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word used in the Hebrew signifies health or soundness and healing or cure And so the complaint denotes two things 1. 〈◊〉 universality of the judgment they had no part sound no foundness 2. The desperateness of their distemper they could find no cure no remedy no healing their State Physitians were of no value they had tried but they could no help no healing he Expostulates with God not enquiring the cause Jeremiah was not signorant of cause enough in this people to justifie God in the severity of this dispensation but he speaks like a troubled man who would gladly have had it otherwise with his people if God had pleased 2. He further represents the sadness of this peoples case in this that their expectations were frustrated We looked 〈◊〉 peace and there is no good and for the time of healing and behold trouble There is nothing difficult in the words they only signifie the disappointment which God had given them in their great expectations The words may â—e understood either of the generality of the people who might have presumptuous hopes or of Gods own people who upon that great reformation which Josiah had began look't for peace â—oth were deceived no peace no good came but more trouble more disturbance still I intend not to speak to every Proposition might be drawn from these words I shall only fix upon one and that founded upon the words in the latter part of the Verse We looked for peace and no good came for the time of healing and behold trouble Prop. It pleaseth God in the wisdom of his Providence oft times to give people great disappointments in their expectations of peace and healing as to their outward concerns You may if you will take it in these two branches 1. People are very prone in evil times and disturbed times to look for good to look for healing 2. It pleaseth God oft times to give them great disappointments in their expeciations Trouble instead of peaceâ— wounds instead of healing I say 1. It is natural to us in evil and disturbed times to look for good and to looâ— for an healing It is true this Proposition is not universally verified in the Sons of men and the thing depends though not wholly yet in a great measure upon the sutural disposition There is much truth in that Maxim of Physitians and Philosophers Mores sequuntur humores Where any persons are more enclined â—o melancholly and that humour more prevails persons so enclin'd are more disposed to fears and jealousies and suspicions Where some other humour prevails in the body the person is more enclined to hope and presume so as you shall generally find men and women thus divided Some are more naturally disposed to fear the worst to be suspicious and jealous of every thing others â—â—e naturally enclined to hope the best and to promise all good to themselves and the most of people either from this Natural cause or some Moral â—ouses for they also have some inscience on us are very prone to look â—or good for peace and healing and this â—s not only ordinary to the more ignorant and sinful sort of men but even â—o Gods own people The wicked cry â—â—ace Peace when there is no peace to â—â—e wicked saith the Lord. The Mother of Sisera looks out at the window when her Son was dead with agnail struck through his temples and cryes Why is his Chariot so long incoming Have they not sped Have they not divided the prey The false Prophets daub with untempered mortar Three hundred false Prophets spake good to Ahab and bid him go up to Ramoth-Gilead and prosper Nor are the better and wiser sort Gods own dear people exempted from this infirmity Even David saith in his prosperity I shall never be moved nor are we only vain in prosperity to promise our selves a stability in that state but in a time of adversity we are as ready to promise our selves a quick deliverance and freedom from it When the children of Israel were carried captives into Babylon they would needs believe