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THE

WORKS OF THOMAS MANTON, D.D.

VOL. XVIII.

COUNCIL OF PUBLICATION.

W. LINDSAY ALEXANDER, D.D., Professor of Theology, Congregational Union, Edinburgh.

JAMES BEGG, D.D., Minister of Newington Free Church, Edinburgh.

THOMAS J. CRAWFORD, D.D., S.T.P., Professor of Divinity, University, Edinburgh.

D. T. K. DRUMMOND, M.A., Minister of St Thomas's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh.

WILLIAM H. GOOLD, D.D., Professor of Biblical Literature and Church History, Reformed Presbyterian Church, Edinburgh.

ANDREW THOMSON, D.D., Minister of Broughton Place United Presby- terian Church, Edinburgh.

tfitor. REV. THOMAS SMITH, D.D., EDINBURGH.

THE COMPLETE WORKS

OF

THOMAS MANTON, D.D.

VOLUME XVIII

CONTAINING

SERMONS ON SEVERAL TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE.

LONDON: JAMES NISBET & CO., 21 BERNERS STREET.

1874.

PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE AND COMPANY EDINBURGH AND LONDON

CONTENTS.

SERMONS ON SEVERAL TEXTS or SCRIPTURE — PAGE

SERMON UPON MARK ii. 17, . . . . . 3

„ „ PSALM viii. 2, . , , , .13

„ „ JOSHUA vi. 26, . , . .29

„ „ MICAH vi. 5, , , . . 40

„ „ ISAIAH 1. 10, . . . .51

„ „ 2 SAMUEL vii. 27, . , . . . 62

„ „ PSALM 1. 5, . , , . .74

„ ,. PSALM cxxvii. 3, . . . . . 85

„ „ PHILIPPIANS iv. 8, . . . . 96

„ „ LUKE xix. 14, . . . . . 104

„ „ LUKE ii. 52, . . . .116

„ „ PHILIPPIANS ii. 7, . . . .124

„ „ 1 CORINTHIANS viii. 3, . ,. . .134

„ „ PSALM Ixxxiv. 10, , . . .146

SERMONS UPON LUKE xix. 10, . . . .155

„ „ PSALM xc. 1, . . , . 171

SERMON UPON 1 TIMOTHY vi. 9, . . , . .189

„ „ 1 PETER i. 12, , , . . 202

„ „ GALATIANS v. 5, . . . . .216

„ „ 2 PETER iii. 9, . . .226

„ „ ROMANS x. 5-9, . . . . 236

„ „ ROMANS x. 10, . , . . 249

„ „ 1 CORINTHIANS viii. 6, . . . 259

„ 2 CORINTHIANS iv. 18, . 274

Viii CONTENTS.

PAOS

SERMON UPON LUKE xvi. 25, . . , . 295

„ „ 1 CORINTHIANS xiii. 4-8, .... 306

„ „ PSALM Ixxxiv. 7, . . . . . . 314

„ „ 1 CORINTHIANS xi. 26, . . . 326

. „ „ MALACHI iii. 17, . . . . ^ 337

„ ,,2 TIMOTHY ii. 19, . . . . . 348

„ „ ACTS xxiv. 25, . . . . 357

„ „ PROVERBS iiL 17, . . . . . 367

„ „ PROVERBS iii. 31, 32, . . . .376

SERMONS UPON PROVERBS x. 20, . . ., . . 387

SERMON UPON ACTS x. 34, 35, . . . . . . 405

„ „ MARK iv. 24, . . . . . 420

„ „ HEBREWsii.il, . . ,. . . 430

„ „ HEBREWS xiii. 5, . v . . , 443

„ „ 1 THESSALONIANS v. 8, . . r~L . 453

„ „ PROVERBS xiv. 14, • . . . . 464

SERMONS UPON JOHN i. 29, . . . . . . 475

SERMONS

ON

SEVERAL TEITS OF SCRIPTURE.

VOL. XVIII.

SERMON UPON MARK II. 17.

When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick : I come not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. — MAKE ii. 17.

THE words are Christ's apology for eating with publicans and sinners. They thought no Jew was to eat or drink or converse with publicans, whom they looked upon as the vilest sort of men. Publicans are often joined with sinners in the Jewish scorn; thereby is intended 'sinners of the gentiles/ Gal. ii. 15, ' publicans and heathens,' Mat. xviii. 17 ; because by reason of their calling they conversed often with gentiles. Their calling was counted sordid ; hiring or farming the tributes. It is an Hebrew proverb, Take not a wife out of a family in which is a publican, because they are all thieves. They were wicked sinners in common repute. Now for Christ to be entertained in the house of a publican, and to converse so familiarly with publicans, this the phari- saical strictness and rigorous institution could not endure. The cavil was brought to his disciples and followers. They muttered and whis pered about them words that tended to disprove this familiar converse, as not becoming the person which Christ took upon himself. The oM hypocrites deal not directly with the master himself, but the young converts. Christ, when he heard it, vindicates his practice —

1. By representing the agreeableness of this converse to his office ; represented in a proverb, ' The whole have no need of the physician, but the sick.' Two things are herein represented —

[1.] That sin is a sore sickness; a disease not of the body, but the soul. A mortal disease it will at length prove, unless it be in time cured ; and the disease is the more grievous because we are so insensible of it.

[2.] That Christ alone is the true physician of souls. He knoweth our malady and our remedy, and is ready, and offereth his help to cure, if we will but submit to his prescriptions. Now both make up his argument : Where doth the physician's work lie but among the sick ?

2. From the end of his commission. ' I came not to call the right eous, but sinners to repentance.' Where observe —

[1.] The persons with whom he hath to do, ' Not the righteous, but sinners.'

[2.] The way that he taketh, ' He calleth.'

[3.] The end, or means of cure on their parts, ' Kepentance.'

SERMON UPON MARK II. 17.

fl.l The persons concerned.

(1) Negatively, 'Not the righteous.' A man may be righteous really or putatively. Eeally there are none such before the tribunal of God of the sons -of Adam. Either men must disclaim their stock or own their guilt Putatively there are many such ; they have a con ceit that they are righteous. The pharisees ' trusted in themselves that they were righteous/ Luke xviii. 9. Now men puffed up with a spiritual pride, and a vain opinion of their own goodness and right eousness are altogether unfit to yield obedience to Christ s call, whereby he calleth them out of their sins. They are so good and holy already, they need no repentance. The heart-whole need not the physician ; he hath no work to do among them. They have no need of his skill; they do not value him, they care not for him.

(2.) Positively and affirmatively, ' But sinners. Those that are really so, and so in their own opinion and estimation ; these Christ calleth for ; these have work for him to do.

[2.] The way which he taketh for their cure, ' He calleth ; as a teacher from heaven he thus acquainteth them with the way of their recovery. Christ hath a double relation, for the discharge of which he came into the world — as an high priest and apostle, Heb. iii. 1. Both agree in this, that they concern our recovery, or the remedying -of our lapsed estate ; and that for the discharge of both these offices he came into the world. Both are the highest officer in both -churches : Luke xix. 10, ' The Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost ; ' 1 Tim. i. 15, ' This is a true -and faithful saying, that Jesus Christ came to save sinners, of whom I am chief.' But they differ that the work of the one office lieth with God, the other with man. The one respects the reconciling God to us ; -so as an high priest he made our peace with God by the merit of his sacrifice: Col. i. 20, 'By the blood of his cross making peace.' The other concerneth the reconciling us to God by the change of our hearts. This he manageth by a call and invitation ; partly by himself in person, as a teacher from heaven dis covering the way how we may get again into the favour of God, and be restored to his service ; partly by his ministers, whom he employeth in his stead: 2 Cor. v. 18-20, 'And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given unto us the ministry of reconciliation ; to wit, that God was in Christ, re conciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be reconciled to God.' The function and office, *X^cre&>? ei9 fterdvouiv, of calling men to repent ance, belonged to his apostolical office, as a messenger sent from the bosom of God to acquaint us with his heart, how he standeth affected to our recovery. This latter is here spoken of. This he doth by calling.

[3.] The work, or means of cure which he prescribeth, is ' Eepent- ance. Our misery lay in sin, and we begin our happiness by repent ance. Christ did not come to give liberty to any to live in sin ; this is to turn the grace of God into lasciviousness, Jude 4. As he came to die for sinners and to save sinners, so he came to call sinners to

SERMON UPON MARK II. 17. 5

repentance; the one as a priest, the other as a king, the last as a prophet.

' Doct. That the special business for which Christ was sent into the world as the great teacher of the church, was to remedy the collapsed state of sinners by calling them to repentance.

I shall prove three things — (1.) That we are all sinners in a lapsed estate ; (2.) That he recovereth us out of this lapsed estate by calling us ; (3.) The way or means is by repentance.

I. That his work lieth with sinners, when he interposed as a mediator between God and men. This I shall discover in three considerations —

1. That man is now in a lapsed or fallen estate from his primitive integrity, and none are righteous till Christ calleth them. That men are fallen from their primitive integrity, and become sinners, is a truth evidenced by scripture and experience. Scripture : Kom. iii. 23, ' We have all sinned, and are come short of the glory of God ; ' that is, his glorious image : 1 Cor. xi. 8, ' He is the image and glory of God, as the woman is the glory of the man;' 2 Cor. iiL 18, 'But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord ; ' that for the term glory. So Eccles. vii. 29, ' God made man upright, but he sought out many inventions.' Man, as he came out of God's hands, was an holy and happy creature, created with a disposition which did enable and incline him to love, please, and obey God; but Adam had his inventions, and his posterity theirs. They would not be at God's finding, but their own, and so plunged themselves in all manner of sin and misery. Thus the sun that shone in the dawning of our creation was soon eclipsed. But experience showeth us this as well as scripture : there is a greater proneness in us to evil than to good, and a mani fest disproportion in our faculties to things carnal and spiritual, and this both universal and very early, which is a plain evidence of the degeneration of mankind ; and from thence results, as all disorders in conversation, so misery and death. Certainly if we did often and seriously consider what a sinful womb we came from, how deformed and ugly in the sight of God we came from it, how we began our life with crying and weeping, and are all our days obnoxious to wrath and condemnation, and, whatever hath been our portion in the world, yet shortly we must die, and sink into the pit eternally, it would more awaken us. In the general, this is enough to our purpose, that man is in. a lapsed estate, under the guilt of sin and desert of punishment.

2. That out of this misery man is unable to deliver and recover himself. Not able to reconcile or propitiate God to himself, or himself to God ; not able to redeem himself, or give a sufficient ransom or recompense to God's provoked justice : Ps. xlix. 8, ' For the redemp tion of the soul is precious, and ceaseth for ever.' There is but one way of coming to this, which is by the death of the Messiah. Not able to change his own heart : Job xiv. 4, ' Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean ? not one.' All that we do savoureth of our unclean original. We cannot cure and remedy this evil; otherwise Christ needed not to have died for us. If man had been by other means cured, the heavenly physician needed not come to save them. It is denied to all the living.

6 SERMON UPON MARK II. 17.

3. Those who are sensible of this are nextly called ; not sinners as sinners, but sensible sinners. Those that know themselves to be so ; sensible sinners, who are willing to return to their obedience to God, expecting their help and discharge from God's grace in Christ. It is opposed to such as are righteous in their own eyes; such as do in some measure feel their sins, are humbled for them, desirous to be freed from them; lost sinners, broken-hearted, and grieved, and wounded for their transgressions, these are respected in Christ's com mission: Isa. Ixi. 1, 2, 'The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek ; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening the prison doors to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.' Here is Christ's calling to his ministry, and the exercise of his prophetical office de scribed : Sent to preach the spiritual deliverance from sin and Satan. But to whom? To such as are humbled,and thoroughly touched with a lively sense of their sin ; for which purpose God maketh use of legal sorrow to awaken sinners and prepare them before conversion.

II. That Christ recovereth us out of this lapsed estate by calling. There is a twofold calling of Christ by which he calleth men — (1.) Outward; (2.) Inward.

1. Outwardly, by the ministry of the word, by which he inviteth men to come out of their sins, offering grace and salvation in the out ward means. Thus John preached repentance : Mat. iii. 20, ' Kepent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.' When the kingdom of grace was about to be set up by the gospel, the great duty called for was repent ance ; for the gospel findeth men involved in an evil way, like mad men out of their wits, and they must return to their wits again if they would be capable of it. Now they must change their course if they will receive benefit by it. Thus John preached, and Jesus Christ came with the same form of proclamation : Mark i. 15, ' The kingdom of God is at hand ; repent and believe the gospel.' The great business to which he called was to be willing to own the benefit offered by Christ, and to return to the duty which they owed to their creator. So his apostles, when sent abroad by him, spake to men in the same note : Acts ii. 38, ' Eepent and be baptized every one of you, for the remis sion of sins ; ' and Acts iii. 19, ' Repent, that your sins may be blotted out.' They offered pardon and life upon these terms.

2. Inwardly, by the effectual working of the blessed Spirit, inclin ing and moving their hearts to obey that outward calling in forsaking their sins; and turning to the Lord by true repentance. We have need of a Saviour to help us to repentance as well as to help us to par don, and God hath exalted him to such an end : Acts iii. 26, ' God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities ; ' Acts v. 31, ' Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.' He by the gospel giveth leave to repent : Acts xi. 18, ' And when they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, That then God also to the gentiles granted repentance to life,' which is a great mercy. The law doth not say, I will not the death of a sinner, but that he turn and

SERMON UPON MARK II. 17. 7

live ; but the Lord saith, Do and live, sin and die. This favour was not vouchsafed to angels : Heb. ii. 16, ' For verily he took not on him the nature of angels,' ov yap SrjTrov ayy&av 67n\ajji{3dveTai — he took not hold of angels. That he giveth us space to repent, as well as leave ; that by his providence he may do, and doth, to many that perish : Kev. ii. 21, ' I gave her space to repent, and she repented not/ God is not quick and severe upon every miscarriage. He might have cut us off betimes, as we crush serpents in the egg, and destroy venomous creatures when they are young. But this is not all ; he giveth grace to repent, yea, repentance itself, whereby man's heart is changed. This is by his Spirit : 2 Tim. ii. 25, ' If God peradventure will give them repentance, to the acknowledging of the truth.' The evangelical call carries its own blessing with it.

III. The means of application, or the duty on man's part, is repent ance ; for to that he calleth them here.

Here let me show you these four things — (1.) What repentance is ; (2.) The kinds of it ; (3.) That this is the way of our recovery ; (4.) The suitableness of this qualification to the grace of the new covenant.

1. What repentance is. It is turning of the whole heart from sin and Satan to serve God in newness of life ; or a turning from sin because God hath forbidden it, to that which is good because God hath commanded it. There are in it, as in every action, two terms, a quo and ad quern. We turn from something, and we turn to some thing.

[1.] The terminus a quo ; we turn from something. From sin : Acts viii. 22, ' Kepent of thy wickedness/ airo TT}? /ca/cta? ; from thy wickedness, and ' from dead works,' Heb. vi. 1 ; from Satan. Satan is sometimes made the term, because the sinner falleth to his share : Acts xxvi. 18, ' To turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.'

[2.] The terminus ad quern is to God, Acts xx. 21 ; to the truth : 2 Tim. ii. 25, et9 eTriyvaxriv a\f}deia<$, ' Kepentance to the acknow ledgment of the truth ; ' to holiness and newness of life, Kom. vi. 4 ; to life : Acts xi. 18, ' Then hath God also to the gentiles granted repentance unto life.'

2. The kinds of it. There is a general repentance, which consists in the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, Col. ii. 11, when a man renounceth all sin, and devoteth himself to God ; and there is a particular repentance for any provoking sin : Acts viii. 22, ' Repent and pray, that, if it be possible, the thought of thy heart may be for given thee.' Again, there is a repentance at our first conversion, which is our passing from death to life, or our entrance by the strait gate, Mat. vii. 14 ; and there is a repentance afterwards, which be- longeth to our walking in the narrow way; for after conversion we need it still, and not in our natural estate only. It is not only necessary for a sinner yet unregenerate, yet unreconciled to God, without which he cannot expect any peace with God or benefit by the new covenant, but also for a believer till his full and final recovery. This repentance after conversion is either occasional or constant.

[1.] Occasional, after any offence given, or breach between us and

8 SERMON UPON MARK II. 17.

God, repentance is necessary to obtain pardon of sins after justifica tion, as well as before it. God saith to the church of Ephesus, Eev. ii. 5, ' Repent, and do thy first works.' So ver. 19, ' Whom I love I rebuke and chasten ; be zealous therefore, and repent ; ' where repent ance is put for a necessary means of removing God's rebuke and quarrel from them whom he loveth. The promise is made to believers : 1 John i. 9, ' If we confess and forsake our sins, he is just and faithful to forgive us our sins.' When he wrote to believers, he put himself in the roll : * If we confess.' Experience of the saints confirmeth the same : Ps. xxxii. 5, ' I acknowledged my sin unto thee.' God was angry with Job's friends till they humbled themselves : Job xlii. 8. Solomon beggeth pardon for the people of God on these terms : 1 Kings viii. 47, 48, ' Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned and done perversely, we have committed wickedness ; and so return unto thee with all their heart and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies which led them away captive, and pray unto thee towards their land which thou gavest their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name.' The Lord assenteth to the articles : 2 Chron. vii. 13, 14, ' If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, if my people shall humble themselves, and pray, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven,' &c. God's children may fall into miscarriages whereby they may displease God, though their persons be justified.

[2.] Constant. When we first begin with God, we bind ourselves to forsake all known sin, and to live to God. In grown persons this is confirmed by baptism. Our obligation continueth with our lives. And therefore we must spend our whole time in repentance. And our necessity inferreth it, as well as our obligation. Original corrup tion remaineth with the regenerate, and we frequently feel the rebel lions of the flesh : Rom. vii. 24, ' 0 wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me from this body of death ? ' So long as a man is a sinner, he is called to repentance, and must use this means till his full recovery. Besides, too, it is necessary with respect to our growth. We must grow daily in humiliation and self-abhorrence, and reform the errors of our ways more and more ; and therefore we must look upon Christ still calling us to repentance, that, walking in a constant mortifying of sin, he may still lead us to salvation. And by these calls he more and more killeth and weakeneth corruption in us. There fore as they said, because of the difficulties of the outward reformation, Ezra x. 13, ' This is not a work of one day or two,' so inward repent ance is not the work of one, but all our days.

3. That this is the way of our recovery, in order to the enjoyment of the privileges of the new covenant. God and Christ agreed that salvation should be dispensed upon these terms, and the whole frame of the gospel is to invite sinners to repentance. God sent him to heal the broken-hearted, Mat xi. 28. He interposed as mediator to make way fqr this.

[1.] This appeareth by the doctrine of the covenant. He hath made a covenant wherein he hath offered pardon and life to the penitent believer : Luke xxiv. 47, ' And that repentance and remission

SERMON UPON MARK II. 17. 9

of sins should be preached in his name to all nations ;' with Mark xvi. 6, ' He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.' Kepentance putteth us within the reach of the promise, which speaketh pardon to none but those which repent. Some dispute whether it be an equal condition with faith. It is as necessary ; but faith hath its special use for some respects. As repentance is a return to the love and obedience of our God, so faith is a thankful acceptance of the benefit of our Redeemer: Acts xx. 21, 'Repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.' The closing act is faith or acceptance of Christ, yet the person must be penitent. As in marriage, the hearing of the proposal, believing what is heard, the liking the party, living in con jugal society, are terms, but the solemn taking one another is the nuptial knot ; so here, consent to take Christ is the closing act of faith, and then there must be a living in obedience afterward.

[2.] The sacraments or seals of the covenant bind to it. Baptism implieth it : Mat. iii. 11, ' I baptize you with water unto repent ance ; ' that is, to seal up the covenant of repentance, whereby the party baptized is obliged to his duty, and hath the promise of God to supply us with grace to repent. The Lord's supper also binds to it. The main benefit there offered is remission of sins, Mat. xxvi. 28, which cannot be had without repentance. We are bound in baptism, but men forget that they were purged from their old sins. There fore earnest resolutions against sin need often to be renewed, lest we become cold and remiss in them ; therefore a special repentance is required before we come to the Lord's table.

4. The suitableness of the qualification.

[1.] It is much for the honour of God. Christ hath purchased the effects of his grace, to be communicated to us in a way becoming his wisdom as well as his justice. Now it would not be for the glory of God, nor preserve his law and government, if we should be pardoned without submissive confession of past sins, or a resolution of future obedience. Common reason will tell us that our case is not com- passionable without it. Who will pity those in misery that are unwilling to come out of it ? Repentance is called a giving glory to God : Mai. ii. 2, ' I will curse your blessings, because ye will not lay it to heart, and give glory to my name ; ' Josh. vii. 14, ' My son, give glory to the God of Israel, and make confession to him ; ' Rev. xvi. 9, ' They repented not to give glory to God.' Repentance repaireth God in point of honour, giveth him the glory of the justness of his laws and providence. The self-condemning sinner subscribeth to all this ; therefore it is suitable to the wisdom of God that a penitent sinner should have pardon rather than an impenitent, or one that con- tinueth securely in his sins, and despiseth both the curse of the law and the grace of the gospel.

[2.] The duty of the creature is secured when he is so firmly bound unto future obedience. Therefore surely a converting repentance is the fittest condition, such as may induce a hatred of sin repented of, and a love to God and holiness. Now our first hearty consent for the future to live in the love, obedience, and service of our creator, with a detestation of our former ways, is most conducible to this end ; besides the obligation of the vow itself, or bond of the holy oath into

10 SERMON UPON MARK II. 17.

which they are entered, and the circumstances accompanying it, because this vow and promise is made partly in our anguish, when we feel the smart of sin, then for the soul to resign itself to God : Acts ix. 6, ' Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? ' And partly when we are in the deepest and freshest sense of his pardoning mercy, when we see at how dear a rate he is content to save us, and upon what free terms to pardon all our wrongs ; surely they that are brought back from the grave, and fetched up from the gates of hell, and from under a sentence of condemnation, will be engaged more to love God : Ps. cxxx. 4, 'But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou shouldst be feared.' The woman loved much who had much forgiven her, Luke vii. 47.

[3.] It is most for the comfort of the creature that a stated certain course or remedy should be appointed for our peace, which may leave the greatest evidence upon our consciences. Now what is likely to do so much as this first and apparent change, whereby we utterly renounce, and bitterly bewail, our former folly, and solemnly give up ourselves to God by Christ ? Things are evident to the feeling which are serious, advised, difficult, have a notable delight accompanying them ; all which concur here. This is the most important action of our lives, the settling of our pardon and eternal interest ; a sense of sin, if deep and thorough, will ever stick with us. The heart is hardly brought to this, to submit to God's appointed course : Kom. x. 3, ' For they being igno rant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.' And it is rewarded with some notable tastes of God's love ; for he ' reviveth the hearts of his contrite ones,' Isa. Ivii. 15, and ' restoreth comfort to his mourners/ ver. 17.

Use.^ Let us obey Christ, and continually carry on the work of repent ance with more seriousness. Sin is not hated enough, nor God loved enough, and therefore we have so small a taste of the comforts of Christianity. Groans unutterable make way for joys that are unspeak able.

Motives.

1. The unquestionable necessity of the duty should move us. Christ's authority is absolute. He telleth us, ' I came to call sinners to repent- tance.' If he saith so, contradiction must be silent, hesitation satisfied, all cavils laid aside, and we must address ourselves to his work, and never cease till we are past repentance, and that is only when we have no more sin in us, which will never be till we die.

2. The profit should move. It is a duty of great use. By repent ance we are put into a capacity to serve and please God; for new creatures are set in joint again, who were disordered by the fall Eph 11. 10; and Titus iii. 5; 2 Tim. ii. 2; and by it we are put into a capacity to enjoy God: Acts xxvi. 18, 'To open their eyes, and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.'

3. Nothing can be excepted against this course. (1.) The plea of unworthmess hath no place. It is not the applying a privilege, but the performance of a duty we invite you to. If we did directly call you to accept a pardon, you might question our doctrine. Perhaps you may think you are unworthy to be pardoned, but God is worthy to

SERMON UPON MARK II. 17. 11

be obeyed. Christ calleth you to repentance. (2.) You cannot object the greatness of your sins. Did Christ come from heaven only to cure a cut finger, and not a deadly wound ? He calleth sinners, and sinners without exception ; sinners of all sorts and sizes. This thought often cometh into our mind, that Christ is a saviour, but not of those who are fallen into such heinous and enormous offences as we have done ; as if any disease were beyond the skill of the spiritual physician ; as if he could cure a cold or a slight ague, but not the leprosy and the plague. All sinners are called.

4. The plea of weakness doth not lie against the duty neither ; for ' he calleth the things that are not as though they were,' Eom. iv. 17 ; 1 Lazarus, come forth,' John xi. 47. Why doth he speak to a dead man ? So to the man with the withered hand, ' Stretch forth thy hand,' Mat. xii. 13. Do not say, Lord, this I cannot do. No ; go forth in the strength of Christ's call. He calleth not only by the ministry of the word, but the inward operation of his Spirit.

Now for means,

1. Examine thiae own heart to find out thy particular sins : Ps. cxix. 59, ' I thought on my ways, and turned my feet into thy testi monies ; ' Lam. iii. 40, ' Search and try your ways, and turn to the Lord.' Kepentance usually beginneth with serious soul-searching; otherwise we spend our indignation upon a notion. Particulars are most affecting. Sin is the common packhorse to bear every man's burden ; but sin must be particularly confessed, forsaken, and morti fied, that it may be pardoned.

2. Labour to work thy heart to godly sorrow for them : Lam. iii. 20, ' My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled within me.' We should humble ourselves greatly: Job xlii. 6, ' I repent and abhor myself ha dust and ashes ; ' Mat. xi. 21, ' Repented in dust and ashes.' This is spoken according to their national customs. Men most abased are most serious. But our repentance generally is not deep and serious enough, so as will become offences and dishonours done to God by such weak creatures as we are, and so deeply engaged to him. There is not that self-loathing, nor such a measure of godly sorrow, as may either make Christ sweet or sin bitter to us. If it affect the heart so as sin becometh hateful, and there is a price and value put upon God's grace in Christ, then it is right. Oh ! therefore, bemoan yourselves to God as Ephraim did, Jer. xxxi. 18.

3. Lay them open before God in humble confession : 1 John i. 9, ' If we confess sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins ; ' Jer. iii. 13, ' Only acknowledge thine iniquities, that thou hast trans gressed against the Lord thy God ; ' and set apart some special time to do it.

4. Crave and sue earnestly for the pardon of them in Christ's name and for Christ's sake : Eph. iv. 32, ' As God for Christ's sake hath for given you ; ' 1 John ii. 12, ' I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.' All benefits must be asked in his name ; much more this, which is the great fruit of his redemption. God himself has taught us to pray for pardon, and to say, c Take away all iniquity,' Hosea xiv. 4. And take the sacramental pledges out of God's hand for this end.

12 SERMON UPON MARK II. 17.

5. There must be an unfeigned purpose and endeavour to forsake them : Prov. xxviii. 13, 'He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy ; ' Ezek. iii. 11, 'As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die, 0 house of Israel ? ' Hosea xiv. 8, ' Ephraiin shall say, What have I to do any more with idols ? ' Isa. xxx. 22, ' Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold ; thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth ; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence/

SERMON UPON PSALM VIII. 2.

Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and avenger. — Ps. viii. 2.

THE scope of this psalm is to glorify God for the singular dignity he hath put upon man above all his works. The expressions literally and apparently refer to God's works of creation and providence about him ; but in a divine and more spiritual sense tbe mysteries of redemp tion are intended, and secretly couched under them, as appeareth by the frequent quotations of this psalm in the New Testament. There is a double honour put upon mankind —

1. That God hath ordained man, that feeble and weak creature, to subdue and conquer his enemies.

2. That God hath made him lord of all his other creatures ; both which concern not only man in general, but especially Jesus Christ, God made man, and therefore both are applied to him. The first •when the children welcome him with the acclamations proper to the Messiah: Mat. xxi. 15,16, ' When the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, Hosanna to the son of David, they were sore displeased, and said unto him, Hearest thou what these say ? and Jesus saith unto them, Yea ; have ye never read, Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise ? ' The other in many places, especially Heb. ii. 6-8, ' But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him ? or the son of man, that thou visitest him ? Thou hast made him little lower than the angels ; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands ; thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet : for in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him.' So that man is both his champion and his deputy. He is his deputy : ver. 6, * Thou hast made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands ; thou hast put all things under his feet/ His champion, in the text: 'Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength/ &c.

In explaining these words, I shall inquire — (1.) Who are these babes and sucklings ? (2.) Who is the enemy and avenger ? (3.) What is the miracle and wonder that raised the prophet's admiration, and moved him to praise God for this ?

I. Who are these babes .and sucklings ?

14 SERMON UPON PSALM VIII. 2.

1. Man in general, \vho springeth from so weak and poor a begin ning as that of babes and sucklings, yet is at length advanced to such power as to grapple with and overcome the enemy and the avenger. ^

2. David in particular, who being but a ruddy youth, God used him as an instrument to discomfit Goliah of Gath.

3. More especially our Lord Jesus Christ, who assuming our nature and all the sinless infirmities of it, and submitting to the weakness of an infant, and after dying, is gone in the same nature to reign in heaven, till he hath brought all his enemies under his feet, Ps. ex. 1 ; and 1 Cor. xv. 27, ' For he hath put all things under his feet ; but when he saith he hath put all things under him, it is manifest that he is excepted which did put all things under him.' Then was our human nature exalted above all other creatures, when the Son of God was made of a woman, carried in the womb as long a time as other infants are, Luke ii. 6 ; sucked as a babe, and afterwards died, and was received unto glory.

4. The apostles, who to outward appearance were despicable, in a manner children and sucklings in comparison of the great ones of the world, poor despised creatures, yet principal instruments of God's ser vice and glory. Therefore it is notable that when Christ glorifieth his Father for the wise and free dispensation of his saving grace, Mat. xi. 25, he saith, ' I thank thee, 0 Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid those things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes;' so called from the meanness of their condition. Compare the parallel places, Luke x. 21, and you shall see it was spoken when the disciples were sent abroad, and had power given them over unclean spirits : ' In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, 0 Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.' This he acknowledged to be an act of infinite condescen sion in God.

5. Those children that cried hosanna to Christ make up part of the sense, Mat. xxi. 16 ; for Christ defendeth their practice by this scripture, when he was condemned by the wisest and greatest and proudest men in the world, such as were the scribes and pharisees at that time, he was praised and welcomed as the Messiah or son of David by the children.

6. Not only the apostles, but all those that fight under Christ's ban ner and are lifted into his confederacy may be called babes and suck lings — (1.) Because of their condition ; (2.) Their disposition.

P.] Because of their condition. God is pleased often to make choice of the meanest and lowest : 1 Cor. i. 27, 28, ' But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty ; and the base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen ; yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are ; ' that is, God in the government of the world is pleased to subdue the enemies of his kingdom by weak and despised instruments.

[2.] Because of their disposition ; they are most humble spirited. We are told, Mat. xviiL 3, ' Except ye be converted, and become as

SERMON UPON PSALM VIII. 2. 15

little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of God.' As if he had said, you strive for pre-eminence and worldly greatness in my kingdom ; I tell you my kingdom is a kingdom of babes, and con- taineth none but the humble, and such as are little in their own eyes, and are contented to be small and despised in the eyes of others, and so do not seek after great matters in the world. A young child knoweth not what striving or state meaneth ; and therefore, by an emblem and visible representation of a child set in the midst of them, Christ would take them off from the expectation of a carnal kingdom.

II. Who is the enemy and the avenger ? In the letter Goliath, in the mystery the devil and his agents and instruments. He is 6 e^dpof, the enemy of God and man : Mat. xiii. 39, ' The enemy that soweth them is the devil ;' and with him all the seed of the serpent, Gen. iii. 15. These are wicked men : John viii. 44, ' For ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do ; ' 1 John iv. 4, ' Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.' The war is carried on between two heads and two seeds.

III. What is the miracle and wonder that raised the heart of the psalmist to praise God ? It lieth in three things — (1.) That God hath ordained strength ; (2.) That this lieth in their mouth ; (3.) That this strength is sufficient to still the enemy and the avenger.

1. That there is strength in such weak creatures. Christ himself to outward appearance was a mean and despicable person, scorned, scourged, crucified, yet made perfect through sufferings, and crowned with glory and honour : Heb. ii. 9, 10, ' But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour, that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, a-nd by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of our salvation perfect through sufferings.' And he hath strength enough to remove the impediments of our salvation, and doth powerfully conquer and subdue all his and our enemies. Christians are in them selves weak creatures, but there is strength ordained for them to do and suffer all things that belong to their duty, or may befall them in the way of their duty. As Phil. iv. 13, ' I can do all things through Christ that strengthened me,' and 'When I am weak, then am I strong,' 1 Cor. xii. 10. And this strength is said to be ' ordained,' or ' founded,' because it standeth upon a good foundation, the everlasting merit of the Son of God, who came out from God's bosom to reduce and call us to the dignity of his servants. The angels, those glorious creatures, when they fell by pride, were never restored, but are be come the enemies of God and mankind. They usurped the honour due to God, and plunged man into their apostasy, but God hath ordained strength to recover man out of this thraldom, and vindicate his own glory, that mankind might not be wholly lost to him, Col. ii. 15, 'Having spoiled principalities and powers,' that is, spoiled them of their prey, on his cross. And afterwards by the power of his grace rescueth man : Col. i. 13, ' Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.'

2. That this strength cometh out of the mouth ; that is, it is not

16 SERMON UPON PSALM VIII. 2.

by the power of the long sword, or by visible force and might, but by the breath of his mouth ; that is to say—

[1.] By the word preached. Therefore it is said that he shall consume antichrist by the breath of his mouth, 2 Thes. ii. 8 ; and Kev. xix. 15, ' Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, wherewith he should smite the nations ; ' and Isa. xi. 4, ' He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth/ that is, subdue and vanquish opposition by his wonderful word ; therefore the word is called ' the rod of his strength,' Ps. ex. 2.

[2.] By confessing his name: Bom. x. 9, 10, 'If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.' And this is one means of conviction, especially when this confession is accompanied with self-denial : Eev. xii. 11, ' They overcame by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of their testimony ; not loving their lives to the death.' This bold confession is the fruit both of the word preached, and the spirit of faith given to them, 2 Cor. iv. 13, and also of Christ's actual assistance : Luke xxi. 15, 'I will give you a mouth and wisdom which your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay.' Now that by such means the kingdom of sin, Satan, and antichrist should be ruined in the world, this is and should be matter of admiration and praise.

[3. J The effect, to ' still the enemy and the avenger ; ' either by brid ling their rage : Ps. Ixxvi. 10, ' Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee, and the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain ; ' or silencing their contradiction: Acts vi. 10, 'They were not able to resist the wisdom and spirit by which he spake ; ' Acts viii. 13, ' Simon wondered, be holding the signs and miracles that were done;' or changing their hearts, as Paul's, Acts ix. 6, and making him to be instrumental in changing others, Acts xxvi. 18, and determining interests, that the church hath liberty and opportunity to worship God : Acts ix. 31, 'Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified, walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost.' Nay, the kingdom of Satan and his adherents plainly and apparently goeth to wreck. The devil, that proud and rebellious enemy of God and goodness, is by this means subdued and brought down ; first cast out of a great part of his king dom in men's hearts, none but obdurate sinners being left to him: John xii. 31, 32, ' Now is the judgment of this world, now is the prince of this world cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me ; ' that is, the kingdom of Satan shall be de stroyed, and a great part of the world brought to believe in me. And at last he shall be utterly confounded and destroyed : 1 Cor. xv. 24-27, ' He hath put all things under his feet ; ' all enemies, not one excepted, but shall be subdued to Christ.

Doct. That victory over Satan in our nature is matter of great praise and thankfulness to God, that the same nature that was lately foiled should yet be victorious.

1. I take this for granted, that Satan is the enemy and avenger; for the text speaks of an enemy and enemies, one chief ; for so the

SEKMON UPON PSALM VIII. 2. 17

devil is said to be, Mat. xiii. 39, ' The enemy that soweth them is the devil.' He is an enemy to God and man. To God, as he affected and usurped divine honour, and for his pride was cast out of heaven into the torments of hell ; falling by pride is therefore called the con demnation of the devil, 1 Tim. iii. 6, so James iii. 15, ' Sensual, earthly, devilish.' The glorious condition in which he was created tempted him to aspire higher than he was ; and all ambition is devilish wisdom, called so from his sin. Also he is an enemy to mankind, because by his temptation came our fall and misery, and therefore lie is said to be a murderer from the beginning. A malicious, proud, and bloody murderer of soul and body, and still he seeketh our destruction : 1 .Peter v. 8, ' The devil like a roaring lion goeth about seeking whom he may devour.' In the text he is not only called the enemy and the avenger, but ' thine enemies.' The word ' thine ' showeth that he is an enemy to God, and all goodness, and all good men who belong to God. And the plural expression, ' enemies,' noteth either the multi tude of evil spirits who are with Satan, and are set to ruin mankind, or those their confederate party in the world, who are also many, and usually great and powerful. For the conflict is not only between the chiefs, but also the instruments on either side ; between Satan on the one side, the head and father of the wicked, and Christ on the other, the captain of our salvation, Heb. ii. 10 ; or between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent : Gen. jii. 15, ' I will put enmity between thy seed and her seed, and it shall bruise thy head, and thou Bhalt bruise his heel.' The seeds are concerned in this enmity as well as the chiefs.

2. The nature of this enmity. It is double; as on Satan's part, both of nature and design, so on Christ's part, both of nature and office.

[1.] There is a perfect enmity between the nature of Christ and the nature of the devil. The nature of Satan is sinful, murderous, and destructive, for it is said he was a liar and murderer from the beginning, as before. So 1 John iii. 8, ' He that committeth sin is from the devil, and the devil sinneth from the beginning;' ver. 12, ' Cain was of that wicked one who slew his brother.' It is the devil's work to do all the hurt and mischief that he can to the bodies and souls of men, but the nature of Christ is quite contrary. It is his work to do good, and only good : Acts x. 38, ' God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with him.' Christ did nothing by way of malice and revenge; he used not the power that he had to make men blind, or lame, or to kill any ; no, not his worst enemies ; but he went up and down doing good, giving sight to the blind, limbs to the lame, health to the sick, life to the dead ; he rebuked his disciples when they called for fire from heaven to consume those that despised them, telling them they knew not what spirit they were of, Luke ix. 55, 56. No; all his miracles were acts of relief and succour, not pompous and destructive ; bating only the blasting of the unfruitful fig-tree, which was an emblematical warning to the Jews, and his permitting the devil to enter into the herd of swine, which was a necessary demonstration of

VOL. XVIII. B

18 SERMON UPON PSALM VIII. 2.

the devil's malice and destructive cruelty, who, if he could not afflict men, would destroy swine.

[2.] An enmity of design; for Christ came to destroy the works of the devil, 1 John iii. 8, as the devil seeketh to oppose the kingdom of Christ. Christ was set up to dissolve that sin and misery which Satan had brought upon the world ; and the devil sought to keep it up and hinder our salvation. The devil is the disturber of the creation, and Christ the repairer of it ; and these two, salvation and destruction, are perfectly opposite.

Now such an enmity as there is between Christ and Satan, such there is also between the confederates on either side.

(1.) An enmity or contrariety of nature. The seed of the serpent inherits his venomous qualities ; for as they are an estate opposite to God, so they are to the people of God. All people of a false religion, whether infidels, or idolaters, or heretics, are of bloody and desperate principles, partly by the influence of their great guide and leader, partly because their false religion efferateth their minds, and stirreth them up into a blind, bitter zeal : ' These go in the way of Cain/ Jude 11. On the other side, Christ conveyeth his holy, meek, ^ and lamb like nature to his sincere worshippers and followers. Their righteous souls are vexed indeed with the impure conversations of the wicked, but so as to stir them up, not to passion, but compassion. They are grieved to see people go by droves to hell, and would fain rescue them out of the snares of the devil, but aim not at their destruction : Jude 22, 23, ' And of some have compassion, making a difference ; and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire ; hating even the garment spotted with the flesh.' i . •

(2.) There is an enmity of design, seeking to pull down what Satan would set up, all that sin, idolatry, error, and superstition whereby the world is corrupted : 2 Cor. x. 4, 5, ' For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds, and casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into cap tivity every thought to the obedience of Christ ; ' that is, to bring down all the disputings and reasonings and prejudices which are raised up against the power of the gospel, and hinder the acknowledgment and practice of the truth. Satan's end is to draw men into sin and damnation, and to dishonour God; theirs, to glorify God in the world, and save their own souls, and the souls of all about them.

3. This enmity of Satan and his instruments is carried On, both against Christ and his people, with much rage and fury : ' I will put enmity between thy seed and her seed ; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel,' Gen. iii. 15. There is something common to both ; for the word ' bruised' is used mutually both of the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. In this war, as usually in all other, there are wounds given on both sides. The devil bruiseth Christ, and Christ bruiseth Satan ; only Christ's heel is bruised, but the devil's head is crushed ; that is, he is finally destroyed.

[1.] Certain it is that Christ himself was bruised in the enterprise of redeeming poor captive souls, which showeth how much we should value our salvation, since it cost so dear. The Lord Jesus thought

SERMON UPON PSALM VIII. 2. 19

not his whole humiliation from first to last too much, nor any price top dear, for overthrowing the devil's kingdom, and rescuing us into the liberty of God's children. But how was he bruised by the serpent ? Certain it is on the one side that Christ's sufferings were the effects of man's sin, and a demonstration of God's holiness and governing justice. Therefore it is said, Isa. liii. 10, 11, ' It pleased the Father to bruise him.' Unless it had pleased the Lord to bruise him, Satan could never have bruised him. But, on the other side, they were also the effects of the malice and rage of the devil and his instruments. In his whole life he was tempted by Satan, often vexed with his instruments. There fore he saith, ' Ye are of your father the devil.' But the closing stroke was at his death, Satan then doing the worst he could against him. When Judas contrived the plot, it is said the devil entered into him, Luke xxii. 3. When the high priest's servants came to take him, ver. 53, he telleth them, ' This is your hour, and the power of dark ness.' They did prevail at last to cause his shameful death ; this was all they could do ; this was the time the devil and they were permitted to work their wills upon him.

[2.] No Christians are exempted from trials of their sincerity. God will have all obedience to be tried and honoured by opposition, and sometimes by grievous and sharp opposition : Kev. ii. 10, ' The devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried.' Thus Job was permitted to be vexed by Satan for his trial, Job i. 12 ; and Paul had his messenger of Satan to try him, to see what shift he could make with sufficient internal grace against outward and vexatious evils,. 2 Cor. xii. 7, 8. Now it is better to undergo the fiery trial than the fiery torment. Tried we are then, but not destroyed ; yea, sometimes hurried to death, and yet we overcome, Kev. xii. 11. Christ doth prevail upon opposition and by opposition. When Satan's instruments were killing Christians, they were pulling down Satan's throne and advancing Christ's; and when they were butchered and slaughtered, yet they multiplied.

4. The means and manner of victory is to be considered.

[1.] Christ overcometh this enmity by taking our nature. He might have destroyed him by his divine power, but the conquerer is the seed of the woman, or the Son of God incarnate. He conquered in the same nature that was so lately foiled, and thereby Satan's main design is crossed and counter-worked, which was double — partly to make man jealous of God, as if he were envious of our happiness, and by this false representation to alienate our hearts, and make a breach between us and him : Gen. iii. 5, ' God knoweth that in the day ye eat thereof ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.' This way would he weaken the esteem of God in our hearts ; but hereby we have a fuller manifestation of his love to make him the more amiable to us : Rom. v. 8, ' But God commended his love to us, that when we were sinners, Christ died for us ;' and John iii. 16, ' God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life ; ' and 1 John iv. 9, 10, ' In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him : herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent

20 SERMON UPON PSALM VIII. 2.

his Son to be a propitiation for our sins.' We would be as God, and Christ would be as man. Partly to depress the nature of man, which in innocency stood so near to God ; that was the end of his malicious suggestion. But now it is advanced, and set up far above the angelical nature, and admitted to dwell with God In a personal union : Heb. ii. 16, ' For verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham.' The nature of man being only assumed by Christ, the angels are not concerned in it immediately. Man had the benefit and honour put upon him, especially in his glorified estate, Eph. i. 20, 21.

[2.] By his passion or death on the cross : Heb. ii. 14, ' Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.' Christ would not only take our nature, but also suffer in it, so to frustrate and make void the devil's design, which was to keep men for ever under the power of death, wherein he had involved him. He had brought sin upon us, and by sin, death, and in this condition, as the executioner of God's curse, he would still have held us, but that Christ came to put us into a condi tion of holiness and happiness, and so make us capable of eternal life. The devil did not conquer Christ by death, but Christ did conquer the devil. When the Koman soldiers were parting and spoiling his garments, he was spoiling principalities and powers.

[3.] By his resurrection and ascension. After he had been a sacri fice for sin, by his resurrection he overcame death, hell, and sin, and soon after he ascended into heaven, that he might triumph over the devil, and lead captivity captive, Eph. iv. 8. His enemies were foiled upon the cross, but his triumph over them was at his ascension, where by he hath assured the world of his conquest, that he hath carried the day, and gained an absolute and complete victory ; for our Lord in heaven is out of the reach of enemies, as having done his work ; we are only left behind to scatter the relics of the battle.

[4.] By his sitting at the right hand of God he doth two things — (1.) He poureth out the Spirit, endowing his messengers with all gifts and graces, ordinary and extraordinary, to preach the gospel to the heathen world, whereby the old religion by which the devil's kingdom was supported went to wreck everywhere ; his oracles were silenced, his superstitions suppressed ; no more the same temples, the same rites, the same gods ; all fell before God as worshipped in Christ : John xvi. 11, ' The Spirit shall convince the world of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.' It is true, in- some parts of the world Satan yet reigneth, where Christ hath not pursued him with his gospel, or withdrawn his gospel for the ingratitude of men ; but where it cometh, it prevaileth mightily, and the world cannot resist its convin cing power.

[5.] By his secret and invisible providence he defendeth his people, and stilleth the enemy and avenger. Christ, as God incarnate, having the grant of a kingdom, is every way furnished with power to maintain it by means proper to the mediatory dispensation; by his word, Spirit, and providence. This last we are upon. All judgment is put into his hands, John v. 22. Though there be many vicissitudes and

SERMON UPON PSALM VIII. 2. 21

changes in the outward condition of the church, yet by invisible ways God doth notably defeat Satan and his instruments. And though there be ebbings and flowings of the two kingdoms, yet we have much experience that Christ is upon the throne, by his protecting, strengthen ing, and assisting his faithful people, and prospering their just endeavours for the advancing of his kingdom. Sometimes he destroyeth enemies : Isa. xxvii. 4, ' Who would set the briars and thorns against me in battle, I would go through them, and burn them together.' Sometimes he infatuateth their counsels : Job v. 12, 13, ' He dis- appointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot per form their enterprise. He taketh the wise in his own craftiness, and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.' Sometimes he hideth his people in the secret of his presence, Ps. xxxi. 20. Sometimes he blasts all their prosperity by an invisible curse : Job xx. 26, ' A fire not blown shall consume them.' Or else he divides them, as you may read in 2 Chron. xx.

5. The degree of the success. How far is the enemy and avenger stilled ? I answer —

[1.] Non ratione essentice ; not to take away his life and being. No ; there is a devil still, and shall be when the whole work of Christ's redemption is finished ; for it is said of that time, Bev. xx. 10, ' That the devil was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet shall be tormented day and night for ever and for ever.' So Mat. xxv. 41, ' Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels.' Then eternal judgment is executed on the head of the wicked state. Sentence was passed before, and the devil feareth it : Mat. viii. 29, ' Art thou come to torment us before the time ? ' He was condemned before, but then the sentence is fully executed upon him ; he is finally punished, and shall for ever remain among the damned.

[2.] Non ratione malitice, not in regard of malice and enmity, for the enmity ever continueth between the two seeds, and Satan will ever be doing, though it be to his loss : 1 John iii. 8, ' He sinneth from the beginning ; ' and therefore he is not so destroyed as if he desired not the ruin and destruction of men. He is as malicious as ever. He is always at the old trade of destroying souls, and watcheth all advan tages to that end and purpose : 2 Peter v. 8, ' The devil like a roaring lion goeth about seeking whom he may devour.'

[3.] Then affirmatively, it remaineth that it is ratione potentice, in regard of power. But how far is his power destroyed ? for still he governeth the wicked, and possesseth a great part of the world. The devils are called, Eph. vi. 12, ' ^Rulers of the darkness of this world ;' the gods of the heathen, idolatrous, superstitious world. And still he molesteth the godly, whether considered singly and apart, or in their communities and societies. Singly he may sometimes trouble them, and sorely shake them, as wheat is tossed to and fro when it is win nowed in a sieve, Luke xxii. 31 ; or in their communities and societies the devil by his instruments may sorely distress them: Ps. cxxix. 1, 2, ' Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth upward ; ' that is, from the beginning of their being a people unto God ; or else corrupts them : 1 Cor. xi. 3, ' I fear lest by any means Satan should corrupt you ; ' and therefore we must see how far his power is destroyed.

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I answer— It may be considered either (1.) With respect to Christ, the author of our deliverance ; or, (2.) With respect to men, who are the subjects of this deliverance, or the persons delivered.

First, With respect to Christ our deliverer.

1. There is enough done by way of merit to break the power of Satan, or that whole kingdom of darkness which is united under one head, called the devil. The price and ransom is fully paid for captive souls, and there needeth no more to be done by way of merit and satisfaction to dissolve that woful work which Satan hath introduced into the world : Col. ii. 15, ' He hath spoiled principalities and powers, triumphing over them on his cross ; ' 1 John iii. 8, ' For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.' Both these places show there is enough done for the benefit of particular believers, and for the success of the gospel over false religions. He hath divested evil spirits of their power, thrown them out of their temples, silenced their oracles; he hath made it publicly discernible by the success of the Christian religion in the world ; he hath purchased the power of recovering souls out of their apostasy at a dear rate : 1 Peter i. 18, ' We are not redeemed with corruptible things, such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of the Son of God.' Well, then, the value of the blood of Christ is sufficient.

2. Christ is upon the thronef and we are under his protection ; therefore the devil cannot totally prevail over those that have an in terest in him, either as to single believers : John x. 28, ' And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand ; ' or to their communities and societies : Mat. xvi. 18, 'Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.' The gates of hell signify their power and policy; there was their armoury, and there they sat in council. Christ expecteth their most fierce and furious assaults, but all should be to no purpose, but as the dashing of the waves against a rock, which ends in foam, and the shame of the oppressors and assail ants. So that besides . his merit on the cross, there is his power in heaven, where he is to rule in the midst of his adversaries : Ps. ex. 1, ' Sit at my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool.' There he is exalted, in that human nature which he had assumed, to the highest pitch of glory, majesty, and authority.

3. Though there be not a total destruction of the kingdom of Satan, yet it remaineth in an absolute subjection to the throne of the mediator. The kingdom of sin and Satan are so far destroyed, as not to hinder God's great design, the demonstration of mercy to the elect, and to be subservient to the demonstration of his justice towards others, who either contemn or neglect the remedy offered ; that the elect may obtain, though the rest be hardened : 2 Thes. ii. 9, 13, ' Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs, and lying wonders,' &c. But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth.'

4. Christ will in time destroy all opposite reigns and kingdoms,

SERMON UPON PSALM VIII. 2. 23

some sooner, others later ; but there will be an universal and absolute subjection to Christ at the day of judgment, when infernal spirits shall bow the knee to him : Isa. xlv. 23, compared with Phil. ii. 10, ' He hath given him a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow ; ' and Eom. xiv. 10, 11. The mystery of iniquity will then be finished, and come to nothing ; and the saints shall judge the evil angels, 1 Cor. vi. 3 ; that is, when they are crowned, they shall pass sentence against the evil spirits. But in the meantime you will say, We are assaulted. Therefore —

Secondly, With respect to men who are to be delivered, so Satan's power may be considered with respect to single persons, or his interest in the corrupt world.

1. As to single and individual persons ; so Satan's power over them is by reason of sin, which was introduced into the world by his subtlety and malice. Now these may be considered with respect to conversion and confirmation.

[1.] Conversion. When the reign of sin is broken, they are rescued out of Satan's hands : Col. i. 13, ' Who hath delivered us from the power of Satan, and translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son ; ' and Acts xxvi. 18, ' To turn us from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God;' Luke xi. 22, 'When a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted.' It is the fruit of his victorious grace. As long as sin reigneth, Satan is in peaceable possession ; for when he had lost his seat in heaven, he affected to set up a throne in the hearts of men, and to lord it over them as his slaves ; but now the reign of sin is broken, w,hen he puts an enmity into your hearts against it. Sin dieth when the love to it dieth. All that are converted to God are possessed with an enmity to Satan and his ways, such as they had not before, when they remained in the degenerate state. They have a new heart and a new spirit ; not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit of God. The natural spirit, that spirit that dwelleth in us, is the spirit of the world, the spirit that inclineth us to worldly and sensual satisfactions ; but the Spirit maketh them look after the things promised by Christ and required by Christ : 1 Cor. ii. 12, ' For we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God.' The natural spirit was a spirit that lusteth to envy, James iv. 5 ; and so the satanical spirit. But this is a Spirit of love to God and man, that maketh us to seek his glory, and the good of others. Till this Spirit be planted in us, we have not changed masters.

[2.] As to confirmation and perseverance, Christ will not lose the prey that he hath recovered out of the hands of Satan. Indeed, while anything of sin remaineth, there is somewhat of Satan left, which he worketh upon. There is a remnant of his seed in the best. The godly are yet in the way, but not at the end of the journey ; therefore Satan hath leave to assault them while they are here, but Christ will perfect the conquest which he hath begun, and the very being of sin shall at length be taken away. At death sin is totally disannulled : Jude 24, 'And tp present you faultless before the presence of his glory ;' Eph. v. 27, ' That he may present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be

24 SERMON UPON PSALM VIII. 2.

holy, and without blemish.' When the veil of the flesh is rent once, there is a ceasing from sin. The physician of souls will then perfect the cure, and finish the work. The question then is, How far Satan's power is destroyed as to the converted ? I answer — Nega tively, not so far as to exclude our duties or trials ; but affirmatively, the victory is secured by promise to the striving Christian.

(1.) Negatively, not to exclude our duty. There is still room left for prayer, watchfulness, sobriety, serious resistance, that we may use the means appointed for our safety.

(1st.) There is required of us sobriety, or an holy moderation of the comforts and delights of the present life. The devil, the flesh, and the world join in conspiracy against us. By the baits of the world Satan enticeth our flesh to a neglect of God and heavenly things, there fore we must be sober, 1 Peter v. 8, use the world as not abusing it, 1 Cor. vii. 31, that our hearts be not depressed and disabled from looking after our great end and happiness.

(2J.) Vigilance and watchfulness is necessary, that we may stand upon our guard, avoiding snares, forecasting hazards, lest we fall as a ready prey into the mouth of the tempter : 1 Cor. xvi. 13, ' Watch ye, stand ye fast in the faith ; quit you like men, and be strong.' The first point of a Christian soldier is to watch. Conscience must stand porter at the door of the soul, examining what goeth in and what cometh out. The devil watcheth all advantages against us to espy where we are weakest. Men that have no great tenderness of conscience fear not much the loss of their souls, and are most easily wrought upon by Satan : Eph. iv. 27, ' Neither give place to the devil.' If you but set open the door to Satan, the capital enemy of man's salvation, he will re-enter his old possession, and seek to exercise his old tyranny ; there fore watch.

(3d) A steadfast resistance : ' Whom resist, steadfast in the faith.' When we are yielding, Satan gets ground, but he is discouraged by steadfast resistance. This must be in the faith, or by a close adherence to God's word: 1 John ii. 14, 'I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.' Adhering to the privileges of the gospel as our happiness, and persevering in the duties as our work, or resolving by a constant continuance in well-doing to wait for Christ's inercy.

(4th.) We are also to pray earnestly : Ps. cxix. 133, ' Order my steps in thy word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me.' We had need to pray earnestly, because sin will put strongly for the throne again ; therefore beg direction.

(5th.) All is bound upon the conscience by continual mindfulness of our baptismal vow and covenant, which must be often called to remem brance: Horn. vi. 11, 'Likewise also reckon yourselves dead unto sin, and alive unto God ; ' Horn. viii. 12, ' We are debtors, not to the flesh! to live after the flesh.' If Christ had so destroyed the devil as to exclude our endeavours and our duty, the whole gospel would be in vain, and the promises and precepts of it to no purpose, and all that furniture of grace which he hath provided for us lost and useless. Surely the enemy and avenger is not so stilled but that we need to

SERMON UPON PSALM VIII. 2. 25

be sober and watchful, and steadfast in the faith, and much in prayer, and ever mindful of our covenant and vowed death to sin. A man that is-baptized, he hath a debt and bond upon him. Secondly, Christ hath not so stilled the enemy and the avenger to exempt us from trials of our sincerity. God will have all obedience to be tried and honoured by opposition, and sometimes sharp and grievous opposition : Rev. ii. 10, ' The devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried.' Job was permitted to Satan for his trial, Job i. 12. Paul had his messenger of Satan for his trial, to see what shift he could make, with sufficient internal grace, under outward and vexatious evils, 2 Cor. xii. 7-10. Now it is better to undergo the fiery trial than the fiery torment : tried we are, but not destroyed, exercised with tempta tion, but not overwhelmed.

(2.) Affirmatively. (1st.) It is so far broken and destroyed, that we have necessary assistance provided for us : 2 Cor. xii. 9, ' My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' Per fect, that is, manifested to be perfect. When the world is of Satan's side, God is of our side: 2 Tim. iv. 17, 'Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me;' 1 Cor. x. 13, 'But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation make a way to escape.' (2<i) The final victory is secured by promise to the striving Christian : Rom. xvi. 20, ' The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.'

2. As to his interest in the corrupt world, the kingdom of Satan is more and more subdued ; for Christ must divide the spoil with the strong, Isa. liii. 12. Christ prevails upon opposition, and against oppo sition, and by opposition. For —

[1.] Christ having a grant of a kingdom over the nations, is every way furnished with power to obtain it, by means proper to the medi atory dispensation. His kingdom is to be a spiritual kingdom, there fore his means are suited — his Spirit, his word, his providence.

(1.) His sweet but powerful Spirit, convincing men of the truth of his religion. And what can stand before the all- conquering force of it ? John xvi. 8-11, ' And when he is come, he shall reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment : of sin, because they believe not on me : of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more : of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.' He shall demonstrate to the world that Christ was the Messiah ; and therefore they are guilty of great sin who will not believe on him, that he was a righteous and innocent person, and no seducer, because he rose from the dead, and went to the Father ; that he was an exalted prince above Satan, or whatever was looked upon as divine powers, because he converted most parts of the habitable world, and brought home sinners from their idolatries to repentance and change of life.

(2.) His word, which is called the 'rod of his strength,' Ps. ex. 2, and the ' power of God to salvation,' Rom. i. 16. These weapons are not carnal, but mighty through God. The world cannot resist its con vincing power : 2 Cor. x. 4, ' For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty, through God, to the pulling down of strongholds.' Those that feel it not, fear it : John iii. 20, ' Every one that doeth evil

26 SERMON UPON PSALM VIII. 2.

hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.'

(3.) His providence. All judgment is put into his hands, John v. 22. All events that fall out in the world, they are not left to an uncertain contingency, but under the government of a supreme provi dence, which is in Christ's hands.

[2.] In the external management of the mediatorial kingdom there are many vicissitudes and cnanges of the outward condition of the church. The harmony of providence requireth it, for the punishment of the unthankful, for the trial of the sincere, for the reward of the faithful, and destruction of the ungodly. Sometimes God doth notably defeat Satan and his instruments, and the devil's kingdom visibly goeth to wreck ; as at the first promulgation of the gospel, though the whole world lay in wickedness, and Satan everywhere had his temples wherein he was worshipped, his oracles resorted to with great rever ence ; he ate the fat of their sacrifices, drank the wine of their drink- offerings, yea, often the blood of their sons and daughters was offered to him ; yet all his strongholds were demolished, the idols whom their fathers prayed to in their adversity and distresses, and blessed in their prosperity, are on a sudden set at nought.

[3.] Why this is great matter of praise and thankful acknowledg ment.

(1.) Because this is the great instance of the favour God hath put upon man ; his dignifying of them above other creatures ; that he would not wholly desert us in our fallen estate, when the devil had overthrown us by sin ; that the Son of God must come from heaven to deliver us from the bondage Satan had led us into. There was <]>i\av0pa)7ria, ' a love to man/ in our redemption : Titus iii. 4, ' After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared.' Surely this is a great mystery, 1 Tim. iii. 16. Christ made man, died for men, rose again, carried our nature into heaven, reigneth there over all his enemies as God incarnate. What will raise your hearts in thanksgiving, if these things do not ? They are plain points ; they need no descants, more than a diamond doth painting.

(2.) The many benefits that result to us thereby.

(1st.) A capacity to serve and please God ; the most considerable part of the creation had been else out of joint. God was robbed of the use and service of mankind : Luke i. 74, 75, ' That he would grant unto us that we, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.' We were, in our natural estate, governed and ruled by Satan, Eph. ii. 3, 4, easily taken captive by him, working upon the desires of our flesh, 2 Tim. ii. 26. We had no remorse for it, nor desire to change our condition, Luke xi. 21, 22 ; all was in a sinful quiet and peace, as when wind and tide go together ; but now this carnal security is disturbed, we are recovered and changed, and made meet to serve and please God.

(2d) A right to the privileges of the new covenant, which are pardon and life : Acts xxvi. 18, ' To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them

SERMON UPON PSALM VIII. 2. 27

which are sanctified;' and Col. i. 12-14, 'Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who hath delivered us from the power of dark ness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins/

(3d.) The honour that redoundeth to God thereby. By weak and despised means God brings about the ends of his glory. The party delivered was fallen man, who gave up at first assault ; the deliverer is Christ, found in fashion as another man : 1 Cor. i. 25, ' The weak ness of God is stronger than men.' That which in man's opinion hath least wisdom, strength, and virtue in it, that doeth all ; by man and man crucified.

Use 1. If it be so great a mercy, see that you be partakers of it ; see that Satan's power be destroyed as to your souls. Christ doth not only enter upon the world by conquest, but hath much to do with every individual person before he can settle his kingdom in their hearts. There is a combat between Christ and Satan for the rescue of every sinner, and we are not easily brought to change masters. It is long ere we awaken : 2 Tim. ii. 26, ' That they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil.' And after we are awakened, ere we consent to part with our .beloved lusts. Now yield to him ; suffer him to save you. You look to the outward interest of Christ in the world, and you do well ; but it is easier to bring men to own the true religion, than to bring them under the power of it. The victory we are con cerned in is the taming our own flesh, and overcoming the corruptions and carnal inclinations, or to set up Christ's government in the heart where once Satan ruled. The kingdom of Christ within us is most comfortable to us, Luke xvii. 20, 21. If once you are Christ's, you will most really be for his interest in the world, and there is an enmity put into you : Gen. iii. 15, ' I will put enmity between the two seeds.'

2. If it be so great a mercy, then do not lose it, but use the means appointed for your safety.

[1.] By baptism you are engaged, for you are listed under Christ's banner ; we take an oath to be true to the captain of our salvation : Kom. vi. 13, ' Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unright eousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from- the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.'

[2.] In the Lord's supper we come to quicken our zeal, and renew our holy resolutions to adhere and cleave to Christ, renouncing Satan, that we may steadfastly persevere in the duties of our heavenly calling. There our baptismal vow is ratified ; we are apt to forget it.

3. The armour is faith, hope, and love : 1 Thes. v. 8, ' Putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet the hope of salva tion.' Faith owns Christ to be what he is, and so breedeth a constant adherence to him. Love casteth out fear of persecution, and rnaketh us delight in him ; and hope waiteth for the eternal reward.

4. The manner of using this armour ; it must be with sobriety and watchfulness : 1 Peter v. 8, ' Be sober, be vigilant.'

28 SERMON UPON PSALM VIII. 2.

[1.] Sobriety, or moderation as to the good things of the present world, lest we be enticed to a neglect of God and heavenly things.

[2.] Vigilancy noteth tenderness of conscience, when conscience standeth porter at the door, examining what goeth in and what cometh out. Men that have no great tenderness of conscience fear not much the loss of their souls, and are most easily wrought on by Satan.

SERMON UPON JOSHUA VI. 26.

Cursed be the man before the Lord that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho : lie shall lay the foundation thereof in his first born, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates thereof. — JOSH. vi. 26.

THESE words relate to the history of Jericho's destruction. In which, the place and the manner of its being destroyed are notable.

1. The place, Jericho, was — (1.) A strong and well-fenced city ; one of those which frightened the spies who were sent to view the land. To appearance it seemed impregnable. (2.) It was a frontier, a key to let in all or stop all that entered into the land of Canaan on that side. (3.) A wicked place and people above others ; deliciousness of the situation contributing to the luxury of the inhabitants.

2. The manner of its destruction. It was by the marching of Israel about the city seven days, and the priests going before them blowing with rams' horns ; a type of God's blessing on the labours of his ministers, in stirring up his people against the kingdom of sin, Satan, and antichrist But faith must use such means as God hath appointed, though to appearance they be never so despicable. Against Midian Gideon useth the stratagem of lamps in pitchers, which the apostle calleth ' treasure in earthen vessels,' 2 Cor. iv. 7 ; so here, by the blast of the rams' horns, the walls of this seemingly impregnable city fell flat to the ground : 2 Cor. x. 4, ' For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God in the pulling down of strongholds.'

The text giveth an account of what Joshua did and said on this occasion. What he did, in the beginning of the verse, ' He adjured the people at that time ; ' that is, exacted this oath or solemn consent from them, to submit themselves and their posterity to the imprecation or curse denounced by him in the name of the Lord. What he said, in the curse itself, ' Cursed be the man before the Lord that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho.'

So that in the words you have a terrible denunciation — (1.) Gene rally propounded ; (2.) Particularly exemplified.

[1.] Generally expressed, ' Cursed be the man before the Lord that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho.' Where — (1.) The crime, ' That riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho ; ' that is, that shall presume and take the boldness to build the walls of this city. (2.) The punishment, ' Cursed be he before the Lord ; ' that is, the Lord

30 SERMON UPON JOSHUA VI. 26.

seeing, ratifying, and appointing this doom and sentence. For it is not a passionate imprecation, but a prophetical prediction, coming not from any private motion, but the inspiration of God ; and therefore it is called ' the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua,' 1 Kings xvi. 34.

But why is such a curse interminated against those that shall build this city?

I answer — Though we are not to render a reason of God's counsels, yet this seemeth to be the cause : it was the first city of all Canaan that was destroyed, and that miraculously ; and God would have the ruins remain as a monument to posterity of his power, justice, and goodness ; for whilst this spectacle, the rubbish of the ruined walls, remained, it encouraged their faith, and upbraided their unthankful- ness to God who had wrought so wonderfully for them ; of his justice on the Canaanites, and his grace and goodness towards his people.

[2.] It is particularly explained, ' He shall lay the foundation thereof in his first-born, and in his youngest son he shall set up the gates thereof ; that is, he shall be punished for his presumption in this act by the death of his two sons ; the first in the beginning of the work, the second in the finishing thereof ; the setting up of the gates being the last thing. Others probably understand, he shall be punished with the loss of all his children, from the eldest to the youngest ; so that the curse is, his posterity shall be rooted out.

Now, for a long time none had the boldness to attempt this work upon which so fearful a curse was imposed ; till at length, some hundreds of years afterwards, in Abab's time, one Hiel the Bethelite audaciously sets upon it ; and accordingly this curse was verified in him, to the utter overthrow of his family : 1 Kings xvi. 34, ' In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho : he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his first-born, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.' Strange that, seeing his first son drop away, he desisted not from that design; but such is the precipice of bad projects and engage ments, once step in, and seldom stop in the way of wickedness.

This history teacheth us two lessons —

(1.) That it is dangerous to slight God's threatenings. The curse denounced many hundred years before took place. The force and virtue of the prediction was not worn out and antiquated, though the attempt was long after it was first pronounced.

(2.) How dangerous it is to build again what God hath or would have to be ruined and destroyed. This latter lesson I shall insist upon, and observe —

Doct. That to seek to erect what God hath and would have destroyed involveth us in a fearful curse.

In following which point, I shall show — (1.) What God hath and would destroy ; (2.) The reasons; (3.) The use.

First, What it is that God hath and will destroy. The question is large, but I will restrain it to the matter I intend. And because the accommodation of scripture to particular cases needeth to proceed upon good evidence, that right may be done, I shall state it in these propositions —

1. Certain it is that the kingdom which God will erect and establish

SERMON UPON JOSHUA VL 26. 31

is the kingdom of the Mediator, and the kingdom which God will destroy is the kingdom of the devil. I put it in this copulate axiom or- double proposition, because the one immediately dependeth upon the other, and the one cannot be done without the other. The king dom of Christ as mediator cannot be set up unless the kingdom of the devil be destroyed.

Now that this is the purpose of God, to erect the one and destroy the other, is evident by scripture : Ps. ex. 1, ' The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy foot stool.' Christ upon the throne hath enemies, but in due time they shall be his footstool. He shall gain upon opposition, and against opposition, and by opposition. They shall be so far from overturning his throne, that they shall be a step to it, as the footstool is to the throna ; and 1 John iii. 8, ' For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil,' Iva \vary. To unravel all that Satan hath been a-weaving for the captivating and deceiving of the world. Christ having a grant of a kingdom over the nations, his design is to conquer them, and subdue them to himself, and to recover them to himself. This was the meaning of Gen. iii. 15, ' I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed ; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.'

2. To know these two kingdoms we must consider the quality of either.

[1.] The gospel kingdom is a kingdom of light, life, and love.

Of light, because the drift of it is to give men a true knowledge of God : Acts xxvi. 18, ' To open their eyes, and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.' The devil's kingdom is the kingdom of darkness. The devils are said to be rulers of the darkness of this world, Eph. vi. 12. And those that are called from one kingdom to another are called from darkness to light : Col. i. 13, ' Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.'

It is a kingdom of life ; as men that were before dead in sins may be made alive unto God : John x. 10,.' I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.' For heathens, and all men in their natural estate, are 'alienated from the life of God,' Eph. iv. 18. But by faith in Christ we live in God and to God : Gal. ii. 20, ' I am crucified with Christ ; nevertheless I live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me : and the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me ; ' Gal. v. 6, ' In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith, which worketh by love/ As it worketh by love, we are inclined to God, and do his will, and seek his glory, and our happiness in the everlasting fruition of him.

And of love. It is a kingdom of love, as it possesseth us with a fervent charity to God and men : 1 John iv. 8, ' He that loveth not, knoweth not God ; for God is love ; ' Acts xxiv. 16, ' Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men.'

Now opposite to light is ignorance and error ; to life, a religion that consists of shows and dead ceremonies; to love, uncharitableness,

32 SERMON UPON JOSHUA VI. 26.

malice, and hatred of the power of godliness, and persecution ; and wherever these eminently prevail, there is an opposite kingdom set up to the kingdom of Christ ; which may be done by two sorts of persons or people —

(1.) Those that continue in the old apostasy and defection from God, as eminently was done by the gentiles and idolatrous heathen world ; who live in ignorance of the true God, and are dead in trespasses and sins ; and where envy, pride, malice, and ambition reigneth, instead of that spirit of love and goodness which the gospel would produce.

(2.) It may be done by a second falling away, which is foretold 2 Thes. ii. 3, ' For that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first.' Now, this falling off from Christ's kingdom is there, where, in opposition to light, error is taught, and ignorance is counted the mother of devotion, and people are restrained from the means of know ledge, as if it were a dangerous thing ; as if the height of Christian faith and devotion did consist in a blind obedience, and a believing what men could impose upon them by their bare authority; and instead of life, men place their whole religion in some superstitious rites and ceremonies, and trifling acts of devotion, or exterior mortifications ; and instead of love to God and souls, all things are sacrificed to private ambition, and consciences are forced by the highest penalties and persecutions to submit to their corruptions of the Christian faith and worship. Where this obtaineth, there is a manifest perversion of the interests of Christ's kingdom.

Both these apostasies, the general apostasy from God, and the special apostasy from Christ, may be upheld by the authority, power, and interest of several nations ; and though the name of God and of Christ be retained in either for a cloak, yet clearly we may see they are revolted from the kingdom of God and of Christ.

[2.] The devil's kingdom. Surely he hath a great hand in all the corruptions of mankind, especially in antichrist's kingdom. As the apostle telleth us, his ' coming shall be ' by or ' after the working of Satan,' 2 Thes. ii. 9. He is the raiser and support of that estate, as will appear by what is ascribed to the devil in the scriptures.

(1.) Ignorance, and error, and seduction. For it is said, John viii. 44, that ' he abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him : when he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own ; for he is a liar, and the father of lies.' And therefore in that society of professed Christians where ignorance not only reigneth, but is countenanced, and means of grace suppressed, and most errors and corruptions in doctrine have been introduced, there Satan hath great influence : 2 Cor. iv. 4, ' In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which 'believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.'

(2.) Idolatry. This was his first and great endeavour for perverting the world, to bring men to worship another god, or the true God by an idol. The devil is e^Xo^a/*/?, a delighter in idols.* He was the con triver of the idols of the gentiles ; therefore they are said to ' sacri fice their sons and daughters unto devils,' Ps. cvi. 37 ; and Deut. xxxii. 17, ' They sacrificed unto devils, and not unto God.' They meant it to God, but the Lord saith it was to devils. Aaron saith to Jehovah ;

'Sjnecius.

SERMON UPON JOSHUA VI. 26. 33

so saith Jeroboam. Now, where the devil can get such a party in the church as shall not only set up, but be mad upon image- worship, who do more visibly promote his interest than they ?

(3.) That which is ascribed to Satan is bloody cruelty, or seeking the destruction of Christ's most faithful servants ; for he is called ' a murderer from the beginning ' John viii. 44 ; and Cain is said to be of that ' wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him ? because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous,' 1 John iii. 12. Enmity to the power of godliness came from Satan; and wherever it is encouraged and notoriously practised, they are a party and confederacy of men governed and influenced by Satan. Now where shall we find this character but in anti christ's confederacy ? Kev. xiii. 15, ' He caused that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed ; ' and again, Kev. xvii. 5, 6, the woman whose name was Mystery was ' drunken with the blood of the saints, and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.' And it hath been eminently fulfilled in the bloodshed of Germany, France, England, and other nations ; and all this to extinguish the light and suppress the truth of Christ. Oh, how many seeming Christians hath Satan employed in these works of cruelty ! When oncahe had seduced the church to errors, and corrupted the doctrine and worship of Christ, he presently maketh the erroneous party instruments of as cruel and bloody persecutions as were ever commenced by infidels and Mahome tans. Witness their murders upon so many thousands of the Walden- ses and Albigenses, whom they not only spoiled, but slaughtered with all manner of hellish cruelty. Some of their own bishops complained they could not find lime and stone enough to build prisons for them, nor defray the charges of their food. The world was even amazed at their unheard of cruelties ; smoking and burning thousands of men, women, and children, some in caves, others at the stake ; and many other ways butchering them, proclaiming crusades against them, and preaching the merit of paradise to such bloody butchers as had a mind to root them out ; driving also multitudes to perish in snowy moun tains. What desolations they wrought in Bohemia ; what horrible massacres in France ! What fires they kindled in England ; what cruelties they executed in Ireland and Piedmont ! If we should be silent, history will speak, and tell all generations to come how little this faction of Christians have of the lamb-like spirit of Christ Jesus, and how insatiable their thirst is for the blood of upright righteous men. And then consider where the satanical spirit ruleth, and whether we have cause to be enamoured of blood, and fire, and inquisitions ?

(4.) That which is ascribed to Satan is that he is ' the god of this world,' 2 Cor. iv. 4 ; and again, the ' prince of this world/ John xii. 31, John xvi. 11. He playeth the god and prince here, and sensual and worldly souls are easily seduced by him. The riches, honours, and wealth of this world are the great instruments of his kingdom ; and the men of this world, whose portion is in this life, are his proper subjects. As Christ is head of the saints, so is Satan of the wicked, ungodly, am bitious world. St Austin distinguished of two cities — of Jerusalem the city of God, and Babylon which is the incorporation which belong- eth to Satan. And therefore, when you find any party of Christians who

VOL. XVIII. 0

34 SERMON UPON JOSHUA VI. 26.

' are of the world, speak of the world, and the world heareth them,' 1 John iv. 5, they that are to try the spirits may soon see what to choose and what to forsake. Certainly the case is not doubtful where the head of that state, without any warrant from Christ, and with the ap parent detriment and loss of Christianity, exalteth himself above all that is called God, and affecteth an ambitious tyranny and domineering over the Christian world, both princes, pastors, and people ; and to uphold this tyranny, careth not what havoc he maketh of the churches of Christ ; and where the whole frame of their religion is calculated for secular honour, worldly pomp, and greatness.

3. That it is God's purpose to set up one kingdom and demolish the other, not only in the hearts of particular men, but in kingdoms and nations and public societies. Jesus Christ was appointed to be not only ' king of saints/ Rev. xv. 3, but ' king of nations,' Jer. x. 7 ; and therefore not only erect to himself a throne and a government in the hearts of his people, but to have his religion owned and countenanced, and supported by nations and kingdoms and public societies of men. When Christ was promised to Abraham, it was said, Gen. xviii. 18, ' All the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him ; ' not only persons, but nations. So Isa. Iv. 5, ' Nations that knew not thee shall run to thee ; ' Isa. Ix. 12, ' The nations and kingdoms that would not serve thee shall perish ; ' Rev. xi. 15, ' The kingdoms of the world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ.' When Christ sent abroad the apostles, he said, Mat. xxviii. 19, ' Go, teach .all nations.' They were not only to gain upon single persons, but bring nations to a public owning of Christ. There is a personal acknowledgment of Christ when we receive him into our hearts : John i. 12, ' To as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God.' An ecclesiastical acknowledgment of Christ, when the church as a society is in visible covenant with him : E^ek. xvi. 8, ' I sware unto thee, and entered _ into covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine.' A national acknowledgment of Christ, when his religion is countenanced and supported by nations, and befriended with the laws and constitutions of civil government. This is a great advantage. Christ prayed for it : John xvii. 21, 23, ' That they may all be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us : that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one ; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me.' By believing there is meant common conviction. He had promised it before : John xvi. 8, ' When he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judg ment.' It is a great advantage when the potentates of the earth set open the doors to Christ, and are careful of his interest in the world

4 When true religion is thus received, such an advantage should not be lost or carelessly looked after. Partly because it is with much ado that Christ gets up in the world ; not only by the labours of his servants but by their deep sufferings. As the chief captain said to Paul With a great sum obtained I this freedom,' Acts xxii. 28: so this liberty was not only purchased by the blood of Christ, 1 Peter i. 18, 19, but with the expense of many of his servants' lives, who

SERMON UPON JOSHUA VI. 26. 35

counted not their interest dear to them, to bring the world to this pass, and to recover the truths and interests of Christ's kingdom out of 'the common apostasy. Partly because it is unreasonable that should be lost in an instant that hath been so long a-gaining, and wantonly thrown away which with so many years' care hath been brought to this effect ; so that the work of Christ is set back in the world. After the second apostasy, God doth by degrees bring down the kingdom of Satan, and recover the kingdom of the Mediator: Eev. xi. 13, ' The tenth part of the city fell, and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven; ' Ps. lix. 11, ' Slay them not, lest my people forget : scatter them in thy power, and bring them down.' To put Christ to do again what hath been done already, is such a presuming on his providence as will cost dear. Partly also because the present age is a kind of trustee for the next. We are God's witnesses to the present age : Isa, xliii. 10, ' Ye are my wit nesses, saith the Lord.' And we are God's trustees for future genera tions, and should take care we do not entail prejudices upon them, and leave them to grapple with insuperable difficulties, to find out their way to heaven : Horn. iii. 2, ' The oracles of God were committed to the Jews.' So 2 Tim. ii. 2, ' The things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.' Now we must see that we be faithful in our trust. And we are bound to this zeal, if we remember our ancestors, or remember our posterity. Partly also because God severely threateneth them that play the wanton with religion, because they were not bitten with the inconveniences under which former gene rations smarted. And therefore, as Samuel dealt with the Israelites, when they would cast off the theocracy, or God's government, under which they had been well and safely governed, that they might be like the nations round about them ; Samuel telleth them by God's appoint ment, l The manner of the king that shall reign over them,' 1 Sam. viii. 11-13, 'He shall take your sons, and appoint them for him self, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen, and some shall run before his chariots ; and he will take your daughters to be his confectionaries, and to be cooks and bakers,' &c. ; so if such a wanton humour should possess us that we must have the religion of the nations round about us, consider whom you receive spiritually to reign over you ; one that will lord it over your consciences, obtrude upon you his damnable errors, and pestilent superstitions, and bold usurpations on the authority of Christ ; or else burn you with temporal fire, or excom municate you, and cast out your name, as one that is to be condemned to that which is eternal. And then you will see the difference between the blessed yoke of Christ and the iron yoke of antichrist.

Secondly, Keasons.

1. It is ingratitude to build again what God hath destroyed, as if his mercies were not worth the having. God prefaces the law, Exod. xx. 2, ' I am the Lord thy God, that brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage/ Now God took it heinously when ever and anon they were making to themselves a captain to return again to Egypt ; as if he had done them wrong to knock off their shackles and to free them from the brick-kilns, when their cry, because

36 SERMON UPON JOSHUA VI. 26.

of the anguish of their souls, came up to heaven. So in the new testa ment • Gal v 1, ' Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.' The servility of legal observances was so great and so unprofitable, that they could not be thankful enough for their liberty ; and there fore it should be dearer to us than to part with it for trifles, or to take on the yoke again, when God hath freed us from it.

2. It is an affront to the God of heaven, or a contempt of his power ; an entering into the list with the almighty God, as if we could keep up what he hath a mind to destroy. It is not a simple sin to stand out against Christ, and not to open the gates to him is a great evil. If his anger be but kindled a little, what can we do, the greatest, the 'wisest, the most powerful amongst us? Ps. ii. 12, ' Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little.' But it is an aggravated sin to turn him out after he is entered. Alas ! how horrible a contempt is that of Christ ! It is a vile scorn put upon the majesty of God. Better never have owned him than to be cold, indifferent, and negligent in his interests. If the business had been to introduce a religion, it had been another matter ; but this is to preserve what is already introduced.

3. It is unbelief. Such persons regard not the threatenings of God : I<iam. L 9, ' She remembered not her last end, therefore she came down wonderfully ; ' Deut. xxxii. 29, ' Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end.' Mischief and ruin attendeth these attempts : Hosea xiii. 1, ' When Ephraim offended in Baal, he died.' But people little mind these things.

4. How heinously God taketh this. See how he declareth the cause: Jer. ii. 9-13, 'I will plead with you, saith the Lord, and with your children's children will I plead. For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see ; 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. Be astonished, 0 ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord. For my people have committed two evils ; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.' God will make you know, and your children's children know, that it is the basest thing in the world that he should lose ground in your days, and that people should sit loose in matters of religion, not care much which end goeth forward, when he hath done such great things for them. But what is God's plea ? let them produce any people in any part of the world then commonly known that had dealt with their idols as they had done with him, the true and living God. Then, ver. 12, ' Be astonished, 0 ye heavens ! ' God would have the sun look pale on such a wickedness, and the spheres to hurl out their stars, and all the creatures to stand amazed at such a folly, such transcendant and matchless impiety. Elsewhere God complaineth, Isa. xliii. 22, ' Thou hast not called upon me, 0 Jacob ; thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.' To be weary of God is as great a charge as can be brought against a people. Then it is just with God to take away religion, that the want may make us more sensible of the worth of it

SERMON UPON JOSHUA VI. 26. 37

5. It bringeth a scandal and ill report on God in the world. There fore he standeth upon his vindication : Micah vi. 3-5, ' 0 my people ! what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against me. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants, and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people ! remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord/ That strangers receive him not is not so bad, but that a people acquainted with him should cast him out after trial. God calleth upon the mountains and strong foundations of the earth, who keep still their obediential subjection to their creator, to witness against the ingratitude and stupidness of his people. What injury have we found in God ? ver. 2, ' Hear, 0 ye mountains, the Lord's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.'

Use. We must neither build the walls of Jericho again, nor, as much as in us lieth, suffer others to build them. Every one in his place is to hinder the work. If religion were uncertain, it were another matter. But did Christ come to establish the works of the devil ? If Joshua saith, ' Cursed be he before the Lord that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho ; ' if Paul said, Gal. i. 8, ' If an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed ; ' if others bestir themselves and by clancular and base artifices go to build these walls again, we should be the more zealous for God : Micah iv. 5, ' For all people shall walk in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of our God.' But what must we do ?

1. Let us not only profess the true religion, but come under the power of it. The heart is best established by grace. The bias of men's corrupt hearts doth easily prevail against the light of their minds. Few are corrupted in opinion but that are first false at heart. The regenerate have advantages above other men : 1 John ii. 20, ' Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and know all things.' Most rot ten opinions in the world are against the gust and sense of the new nature. But on the other side, men soon lose their zeal for truth that are addicted to a worldly sensual life. Therefore see that Christ's kingdom be set up in our hearts : Luke xvii. 21, ' The kingdom of God is within you ; ' and that there we ' build not again the things we have destroyed/ Gal. ii. 18. After we have devoted ourselves to God, we must not fall off from him ; till Christ's kingdom be set up in our hearts, we shall never sincerely care for his interests in the world ; for all carnal men seek their own things. Men may bustle for a while for the interest of their several factions and opinions, but have not a true pure zeal for Christ's kingdom.

2. Let us pray ; that will do much. Christ hath taught us to pray for the coming of his kingdom : Mat. vi. 10, ' Thy kingdom come ! ' David, in his penitential psalm, could not forget the welfare of the church, when so deeply concerned as to his own particular, for the recovering of his own peace : Ps. Ii. 18, ' Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion : build thou the walls of Jerusalem.' Walls of Zion,

38 SERMON UPON JOSHUA VI. 26.

not of Jericho or Babylon. It is God's interest; spread it before him.

3. Be thankful to God for these deliverances. Prayer gets blessings, but thankfulness keepeth them ; for God is careful to preserve them to such who count it a benefit, and are mindful of it. We have mani fold cause to bless God.

[1.] For former deliverance out of the house of bondage so early.

[2.J That he hath so often defeated the attempts of those who would bring us back thither.

[3.] For the good we have many years enjoyed under the reformed religion, which God hath blessed to the converting, strengthening, and comforting many a precious soul.

[4.] For continuing still the liberty of the gospel and means of grace under a protestant king.

[5.] For the quiet we now enjoy ; when other parts of Christendom are in a combustion, we are untouched, and enjoy safety. We are querulous, and apt to complain ; but all things reckoned, we have much more cause to give thanks.

4. Let such deliverances as this enkindle our love and zeal to that religion which God hath owned and defended. Partly because when men are persuaded of the truth, such providences as these are so many attestations to it: Ps. xli. 11, ' By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me/ Partly because God will spew those out of his mouth that are neither hot nor cold. Partly because zeal discourageth the factors and abettors of the kingdom of darkness. The fear of the people restrained the pharisees.

5. Prize the means of grace, and encourage them. Jericho's walls fell by the blast of the rams' horns ; this kingdom falleth by the preach ing of the gospel : 2 Thes. ii. 8, ' Whom the Lord will consume with the spirit of his mouth.' Whoever hinders that, promotes the devil's kingdom : 2 Cor. iv. 4, ' In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them/ Owls fly in the dark ; this kingdom is maintained by darkness, blind ness, and ignorance of the truth.

6. Let us not give encouragement by our divisions to our adver saries. The more we labour for unity, the more we establish religion : Kom. xvi. 17, ' Mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them/ When passengers in a boat fall a-quarrelling and pushing one another, they endanger the sinking of the boat. When Christ's army is scattered, antichrist will prevail. Keep up the common Christianity. It may be peaceful endeavours signify nothing in a factious and divided time, yet we must unite every one in the things that are right and owned by God : James iii. 17, ' The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable;' provided we touch no unclean thing. Here we must separate : 2 Cor. vi. 17, ' Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.'

7. Eecommend religion by a holy life, partly because gross sins, under the profession of a reformed religion, provoke God to remove

SERMON UPON JOSHUA VI. 26. 39

our candlestick from us ; partly because, with all understanding be holders, the fruits of love, peace, and holiness will justify your religion: Mat. xi. 19, ' Wisdom is justified of her children.'

8. Practise the virtues contrary to the vices of the opposite kingdom. Theirs is a bloody religion ; ours a meek one. Be zealous to reduce them from their errors. Let there be a hatred of popery, and a pity to papists ; a hatred of abomination, but not a hatred of enmity : Prov. xxix. 27, ' An unjust man is an abomination to the just, and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.'

SERMON UPON MICAH VI. 5.1

0 my people ! remember now what Balak king of Modb consulted, and wliat Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal ; tliat ye may know the righteousness of the Lord. — MICAH vi. 5.

THESE words are a part of God's plea against Israel for their ingratitude in departing from their obedience to him. Their backsliding had raised an evil report upon God, as if he were harsh and severe, and had not dealt well with them ; therefore God justifieth his providence ; what injury had he done to them ? wherein had he wearied them ? what had they to lay to his charge ? ver. 3, ' 0 my people ! what have I done to thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against me.' The matter concerneth us, for the general sin of this nation is, that we are grown weary of God ; but we have as little reason as they had. Injuries he had done none to them, but, on the contrary, vouchsafed many rare and singular favours. He instanceth first in his redeeming them from Egypt, where they were dealt with as slaves and bondsmen : ver. 4, ' For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants.' Surely a deliverance from spiritual or temporal bondage should be an eternal bond upon us to be for God. The second instance is his conduct of them in the wilderness under Moses and Aaron : ver. 4, c And I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.' When God giveth a people such gover nors both in church and state, who do not only adhere to true religion, but countenance it in others, yea, set their whole heart to propagate it, it is a great mercy, not to be forgotten. The third instance is that in the text, his bringing them into Canaan, notwithstanding the designs to root them out by the way : ' 0 my people ! remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted/ &c. In which words —

1. Observe the matter, what is recommended to their remembrance, in two things —

[1.] The plot betwixt Balak and Balaam.

[2.] The many good things that fell out between Shittim and Gilgal.

2. The end why it is recommended to their remembrance, ' That ye may know the righteousness of the Lord.

First, For the matter.

[1.] The plot between Balak and Balaam.

1 Preached November 5, 167G,

SERMON UPON MICAH VI. 5. 41

[1.] What Balak consulted ; how to ruin Israel, and bereave them of God's favour and protection. Therefore he sent for Balaam to curse them, hoping that by this wizard's enchantments and predictions the matter would be easy.

[2.] What Balaam answered — (1.) Somewhat by way of prophecy; (2.) Somewhat by way of counsel. (1st.) By way of prophecy, he found that to curse Israel was a fruitless endeavour, and God over ruled his tongue to bless them ; (2<i) By way of counsel, he persuaded Balak to feast them, to induce them to idolatry and fornication.

2. The second part of the matter which is commended to their remembrance is, what happened between Shittim and Gilgal. Shittim was the place where they went astray after Baal-peor, Num. xxv. 1, and the place where they did abide until after Moses' death ; and from whence Joshua removed them to Jordan, where they passed over to Gilgal, and there the Lord renewed his covenant with them by circumcision, Josh. v. 2. Therefore the Lord willeth his people here to remember the things that befell them from Shittim to Gilgal. What these things were may be seen by the history following — (1.) Though many warped, and committed such heinous whoredoms with Baal-peor, the state and body of the church was still preserved ; (2.) That God led them on dry foot through Jordan, and at length brought them into Canaan, the land of promise ; (3.) There anew confirmeth his covenant with them ; and (4.) The slaying of Balaam, their pernicious enemy, in the interval between their going from Shittim to Gilgal: Num. xxxi. 8, ' Balaam also, the son of Beor, they slew with the sword.'

Secondly, The end, ' That ye may know the righteousness of the Lord.' It implieth here both his mercy and his fidelity. His mercy, which strove with their wickedness, and overcame their evil with his goodness. His faithfulness, in keeping his covenant and his promises ; for though some of the people did perish for that they fell into this wickedness with Baal-peor, yet those that cleaved to the Lord re mained alive. This was just as they were entering into the promised land.

Doct. That old mercies, especially national mercies, should not be forgotten, that AVO may know God's uprightness in keeping his cove nant and gracious promises.

1. I shall give you an account of this instance of mercy which the text offereth.

2. What observations may be thence deduced.

3. Why such kind of mercies should not be forgotten.

First, To give an account of this instance of mercy in the text.

1. What Balak consulted. Let us state his design ; for this plot that he laid was most dangerous and wicked, and the most likely to obtain his desire ; for if he could have obtained from God a curse upon Israel, he might soon have vanquished them. There are many ways which the devil's instruments take to mischief religion. Some times by fomenting and promoting divisions among themselves, that they may first ruin one another, and then become a prey to their common adversaries : Gal. v. 15, ' If ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.' It beginneth in caluminating and defaming one another, and then within a while it

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breaks out into open feuds, and that breedeth mischief and per secution. The devil hath a hand in all this, and many times his instruments, as Sanballat and Tobiah set tip a party among the Jews to weaken their hands in the work, Neh. vi. Sometimes by sowing divisions between them and their rulers. The devil knoweth what an advantage it is to religion to have the countenance of princes, and, on the other side, how jealous they are of their autho rity and prerogatives ; therefore by his instruments he seeketh to prejudice and prepossess them against those that profess religion in strictness and power. Thus ' Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to Jeroboam, the king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel, and the land is not able to bear all his words/ Amos vii. 10 ; as if he had enticed the people from their duty, and made them enemies to his authority ; and this by claucular insinuation, when Amos was neither called nor heard. So Saul against David : 1 Sam. xxiv. 9, ' Wherefore nearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?' So Haman against the Jews: Esther iii. 8, ' There is a people scattered abroad, and dispersed among the people, in all the provinces of thy kingdom ; and their laws are diverse from all people, neither keep they the king's laws ; therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them/ Thus whisperers make princes conceive an ill opinion of religious men. But the devil will soar an higher flight yet, to divide between them and God, and to disengage him from the protection of his people. What else is the meaning of all his temptations ? But most eminently this was the plot now in hand. The Israelites could not be overcome as long as God was with them, and how shall they do to get away God from them ? God was not, as the gods of the heathens, to be called out by sacrifices and enchantments; as they used, before they warred against any people, to endeavour by certain charms and rites to get away their tutelar gods from them. Macrobius hath a chapter De ritu evocandi deos ; and if they conquered any country, they ascribed it to the departure of their gods. Excessere omnes, adytis arisque relictis, dii quibus imperium Jioc steterat. Balak, according to the custom of the nations, would try this ; but they were now to deal with the God of Israel, who could not be charmed away from his people. And though Balaam was of great repute and esteem among that people, and though it was misery enough to be blasted with his curse, and happiness enough to be blessed by his mouth : Num. xxii. 6, ' He whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed indeed ; ' even as Simon Magus was esteemed the ' great power of God/ Acts viii. 10 ; yet this would not take effect. Therefore—

2. Let us see what Balaam answered him,

[1.] By way of prediction. He came to curse them, but he uttereth many prophecies concerning the happiness of Israel : Num. xxiii. 8, ' How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed, or how shall I defy whom the Lord hath not defied?' He showeth that no inferior power is able to hurt without leave from God ; yea, he pronounceth a great blessing upon Israel, as those that were happy both in life and death : ver. 10, ' Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his/ And further showeth the stableness of God's

SERMON UPON MICAH VI. 5. 43

love to his people : ver. 19, 20, ' God is not a man, that he should lie, nor the son of man, that he should repent : hath he said, and shall he not do it ? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good ? Behold, I have received commandment to bless, and he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it.' All the powers of the world are not able to separate them from his love and blessings in Christ And then pro- phesieth of Christ, insomuch that Balak entreateth him to give over : ver. 25, ' Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.' Since he could do no evil to Israel, he would hinder him from doing good. But yet he would make another trial ; but still it pleased the Lord to over rule his tongue to bless Israel, and the truth and constancy of his love appeared, against whose will the more he struggleth the stronger he is resisted, Num. xxiv. 3. He taketh up a new parable, blessing Israel once again, which puts Balak all into a rage and indignation, and he driveth away the false prophet from his sight, who sought after honour and riches as the wages of his unrighteousness, but is sent home with ignominy and shame. But Balaam's mind is still hanker ing after the reward, and therefore, when he could not hurt them by any prophetical curse, he seeketh to do it by his pestilent counsel.

[2.] What he answered him by way of advice : Num. xxiv. 4, ' Come now, and I will advertise thee what thou shalt do.' Moses doth not express the counsel given, because it was whispered secretly into Balak's ear ; you see the sense is imperfect in that place ; and what it was may be known by the effect, and by other places. By the effect, Num. xxv. Balaam gave counsel to Balak and the princes of Midian to put a stumbling-block before the Israelites, to see if they could withdraw the people from the love, fear, and obedience of the Lord their God, that so God might be provoked to withdraw his favour and blessing from them ; and so Israel's sinning might bring themselves into the curse which Balaam with all his enchantments could not bring upon them. By this wicked counsel they prevailed against many, to the death of twenty-four thousand Israelites. That Balaam was the author of all this mischief appeareth, Num. xxxi. 16, ' Behold these (that is, the Midianitish women) caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor.' And it is said, Kev. ii. 14, that ' Balaam taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication.' This was the plot, to send some beautiful women of the Midianites to wander about the camp of Israel, to tempt their lusty youth and martial men, first to uncleanness, and then to idolatry, that so God might be provoked against them; a design pernicious and full of refined malice.

3. What befell them between Shittim and Gilgal.

[1.] In Shittim they miscarried foully by the effect of Balaam's counsel. The intended war of Moab against Israel was turned into a pretended peace and feigned amity, and their fair women were sent about the camp to defile the bodies and souls of men with whoredom and idolatry. And so a people that had such experience of God's power and goodness in the wilderness, and were just now ready to enter into the promised land, are here prevented and overthrown in

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the wilderness, and God's anger was kindled against them, and twenty- four thousand were destroyed among the people, Num. xxv. 9. It seems one thousand slain by the judges, and twenty-three thousand by God's own hand ; that is, by a plague : 1 Cor. x. 8, ' Neither com mit fornication, as some of them also committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.' But after that God was atoned to them, and his judgment was executed upon the malefactors, and the plague ceased.

[2.] They are sent against the Midianites, who had vexed them with their wiles, that is, with their deceits and feigned amity ; and there they light on Balaam, and slew him, Num. xxxi. 8. This wretch died not the death of the righteous, as he seemed to desire; but his iniquity found him out, for, among others, he was slain with the sword.

[3.] After this God appears among them again, and they are led into Canaan with a miracle ; an argument of a great favour on God's part, and an awe of those things that befell them at Shittim ; and now they are very tender of provoking God again : Josh. xxii. 17, 'Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day ? ' They had tasted of the bitter waters.

[4.] God's covenant is renewed at Gilgal, to show that he would still be their God, and bless them as formerly, Josh. v. 2, 3.

Secondly, The observations that may be hence deduced. For cer tainly it was a special act of God's mere love : Deut. xxiii. 4, 5, ' They hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor to curse thee ; nevertheless the Lord thy God would not hearken to Balaam, but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee.' So Josh. xxiv. 9, 10, ' And Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose, and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you : but I would not hearken to Balaam ; therefore he blessed you still : so I delivered you out of his hand.'

1. That wicked men cannot hurt the godly but when God permit- teth : Gen. xxxi. 7, ' Your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but God suffered him not to hurt me.' So Laban saith, ver. 29, ' It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt ; but the God of your fathers spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.' God hath the power of blessing and cursing in his own hand, however men are disposed. The king sought by all means possible and devisable to bring God's curse upon them, but God changed it into a glorious blessing. Men's hearts are not in their own hands, and if they find their hearts, success is not at their command. God disappointed the plots and practice of Balak and Balaam. Balaam returned as he came, and could not curse Israel, but denounced woes against their enemies.

2. That God can protect us against the fraud as well as the violence of enemies. The devil assaults us with wiles and darts, Eph. vi. 11, 16 ; so do his instruments assault us ; they vex us with their wiles, and pursue us with their open hostility and persecution ; but we may trust God with our safety. A remedy may possibly be prepared against violence, when no man by his own foresight can find out all the snares laid for him. But this is the comfort of God's people, that nothing is

SERMON UPON MICAH VI. 5. 45

hidden from God. He is wise, and he is watchful ; wise to foresee the draught of his own providence : Ps. xxxvii. 12, 13, ' The wicked plot- teth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth : the Lord shall laugh at him, for he seeth that the day is coming.' And as God is wise, so he is watchful : Ps. cxxi. 4, ' He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.' God is privy to their most secret designs.

3. That God's providence is especially interested when the design is to corrupt religion. Balaam was right in pronouncing blessings on the children of Israel whilst they kept true to their religion ; but his advice was to feast and entertain Israel kindly, to induce them to for sake their God, and then the Lord interposed, and defeated this malicious purpose. Many times God doth that for the sake of religion which a people that profess religion deserve not : Isa. iv. 5, ' And the Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Sion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flam ing fire by night ; for upon all the glory shall be a defence.' Particular persons fell by those wars, but religion was secured and kept safe.

4. That God can make our very enemies befriend us. Thus he over ruled the heart of Balaam to bless Israel and curse their enemies : Prov. xvi. 7, ' When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.' It is a proverb, not a promise, and must be interpreted that God can if he will, and oftentimes doth it for the most part ; for proverbs are taken from what is usual and common. Thus he made the keeper of the prison kind to Joseph : Gen. xxxix. 21, 'The Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, nnd gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.' And Laban was smoothed by the way when he pursued after Jacob : Gen. xxxi. 29, ' The God of your fathers spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.' And Esau was kind to him when Jacob feared him : Gen. xxxiii. 4, ' He ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell upon his neck, and kissed him.' But above all, take the instance of the text. Balaam came contrary to God's warning, having an eager desire after the reward; his hostile mind continued still, yet he blesseth instead of cursing, by the overruling power of God. God hath several ways to accomplish this ; either by bridling their rage, or putting convictions on their consciences, or changing their hearts, or determining their interests. It cannot be imagined but that the Creator is able to rule his creature one way or other ; therefore we should cease from man, who is not sovereign master of his own affections. When all is thoroughly considered, God will be found to be the most desirable friend and dreadful adversary.

5. That we cannot lie open to the plots and snares of those that hate us till we have provoked our shadow and defence to depart from us ; for till there was an apostasy from the truth and the right ways of God, Balaam with all his wiles could have no advantage against Israel. Balaam's counsel did more hurt than his curse. When we once contemn God's law, and turn to the wicked, we forfeit our protec tion, both against open violence and secret machinations. Many things are contrived against us in the dark that we know not and see not ; but God watcheth for us : Isa. viii. 10, ' Take counsel together, and

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it shall come to nought, speak the word, and it shall not stand ; for God is with us.' Keep God with you, and you are safe. All the plots of the enemies were to separate between them and God ; do not gratify them herein.

6. Observe God's just judgments on violent and fraudulent enemies. Balak and Balaam designed a mischief against Israel, but it fell upon their own pates. Balak lost a considerable part of his territories, which was allotted as a portion to the tribe of Keuben ; Balaam was elain by the sword. And thus it usually falls out in the course of God's providence : Ps. vii. 15, 16, ' He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.' They are taken in the pit they digged for others ; their treacher ous designs and attempts return upon themselves, to their own destruction ; as iron, when it is overheated in the fire, burneth their fingers which hold it; or like an arrow shot up against heaven, it cometh down most piercingly upon their own heads : they are taken in their own pit, poisoned in their own cup ; so that in the issue it appeareth they laid a snare for themselves ; all is converted to their own ruin.

7. That God's mercy is not wholly made void to his people, notwith standing their many sins and failings. He spareth some though he punisheth others, and remembereth his covenant when our sins deserve it should be broken off. Alas ! whosoever readeth the carriage of this people in the wilderness towards God, he shall still find grace striving with sin, and the goodness of God overcoming the evil of man, and his fidelity prevailing above their unthankfulness and unfaithfulness. And the character of this people in the wilderness is just our own in travelling to heaven. How often do we forfeit the blessing of God's presence ! But he is not severe upon every failing, and upon repent ance he is willing to renew covenant with us, and set us in joint again. Nothing hurteth us more than the sinful provocations of God's people. Have no hand in them, or if you have been accessory to public guilt, bemoan it, and humble yourselves before God, and be more aweful and tender for the future, and you will find God to be a merciful God.

Thirdly, Why such kind of mercies should not be forgotten. Here I will prove —

1. That man is apt to forget the great mercies of God, especially national mercies.

2. That yet these mercies should not be forgotten, both because of God's command, and the profit of remembering them.

1. That man is marvellous apt to forget these benefits ; therefore there are so many cautions that we forget them not. In private mercies : Ps. ciii. 2, ' Bless the Lord, 0 my soul, and forget not all his benefits ; ' Deut. yiii. 11, ' Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day;' and ver. 14, 'That thy heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.' So we have many precepts : Deut, viii. 2, ' Thou shalt remember all the way

SERMON UPON MICAH VI. 5. 47

which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years ; ' 1 Chron. xvi. 12, ' Remember his marvellous works which he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth.' And so many charges and com plaints : Judges viii. 34, ' The children of Israel remembered not the Lord their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies on every side ; ' Ps. Ixxviii. 11, ' They forgot his works and his wonders that he had showed them ; ' and Ps. cvi. 13, ' They soon forgot his works.' And all this is no more than needeth ; for man's memory is a bad friend to benefits. Injuries are written in marble, but benefits in the water. Now, as these cautions, charges, and accusations do respect all mercies, so especially more eminent mercies ; for it is said, ' He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered,' Ps. cxi. 4. The great miraculous works of his providence should make such impression upon men as never to be forgotten, but recorded and reported for ever. As for great deliverances, God hath appointed ordinances for a memorial, such as the passover, or the Lord's supper, to remember our redemption by Christ ; for by these works God maketh himself a name, by doing great things for his people, 2 Sam. vii. 23. Eedemption from the tyranny of antichrist is not to be forgotten.

2. That yet these mercies should not be forgotten, partly because God hath commanded the contrary, as we have seen. It is not only a sin to forget his word, but his works ; and partly also because of the profit.

[1.] That we may be more deeply possessed of the goodness of God. The ear doth not affect the heart so much as the eye, and what is felt leaveth a greater impression upon us than what is talked of, for experience giveth us a more intimate perception of things. The king of Syria said, ' We have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings,' 1 Kings xx. 31. A rumour and report giveth encouragement, but actual experience silenceth all contradiction. When I can say, I know God is not unmindful of his people, but relieveth them in their great straits, and watcheth over their welfare. As the apostle : Acts x. 34, ' Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons ; ' Ps. cxl. 12, ' I know that the Lord will maintain the right of the poor, and the cause of the afflicted.' Unquestionably God will undertake the patronage of his distressed servants when all other hopes fail them ; meaning, when God did signally defend them and watch over them.

[2.] To encourage us to walk in his ways. It is our forgetfulness of God's goodness that maketh us so disobedient and unthankful to him : Ps. Ixxviii. 7, ' That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.' Nothing breedeth a careful uniform obedience to his commands so much as a grateful remembrance of his mercies. Alas! as our thankfulness is abated, so is our obedience. God's authority sways the conscience, but God's love inclines the heart. Therefore mercies should be remem bered.

[3.] To fortify us against all oppositions and temptations: Deut. vii. 18, ' Thou shalt not be afraid of them, but shalt well remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh and unto all Egypt.' It is

48 SERMON UPON MICAH VI. 5.

a great comfort to faith to look back upon the former manifestations of God's power and good-will towards his people. We have manifold fears and infirmities upon us when we see the power ^ or suspect the craft of our enemies ; but let us remember former experiences, and that will be an allay to them. When we see the continuance of his judg ments so many years, and in so many forms frequently varied, but still lying upon us, we are filled with many sad thoughts and reason ing of unbelief ; but we may soon suppress and silence them by the thoughts of God's power and love heretofore, and the evidences of his love and good-will and fidelity to all that depend upon him. Former dealings raise our hearts to the expectation of future mercies. Use. To press us to this remembrance —

1. Of the great Christian mercies that concern the whole common wealth of believers ; such as the birth, death, resurrection, and ascen sion, and intercession of the Lord Jesus. These are the standing dishes at a believer's table, the constant food for our faith, mercies never out of season ; these are mercies so general and beneficial, that they should never be forgotten, but remembered before God. We should always bless God for Jesus Christ, and desire that the knowledge of these things may be perpetuated to after ages : Eph. iii. 21, ' Unto him be glory in the church by Jesus Christ, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.'

2. For national mercies, so far as they concern either the first plant ing or the restoring of Christ's religion, or the maintenance of it against the eminent open attempts or secret plots of antichristian adversaries. These should be remembered by us ; partly to awaken our zeal, that religion thus owned may not die upon our hands ; partly to show our esteem both of the religion and the mercy of God in owning it ; partly that we may beg the continuance of it, for every thanksgiving is an implicit prayer ; partly that we may embolden ourselves against all the difficulties we may be exposed to in owning the true profession, and depend on the same God still, and continue faithful to him.

3. Old personal mercies ; though we have new ones daily, yet they must not jostle out the old. David saith, Ps. ciii. 2, ' Forget not all his benefits.1

[1.] The smallest mercy should not be despised, partly because they all come from a great God. A small remembrance from a prince or potentate we esteem as a great favour ; why not from God much more ? Ps. cxiii. 6, ' Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth.' But the invisible hand that reacheth out our mercies to us is little noted or observed, partly because they come from the same love the great ones do. You see all along in the 136th Psalm, 'For his mercy endureth for ever;' ver. 25, 'Who giveth food to all flesh, for his mercy endureth for ever.' Daily bread as well as those mighty wonders flow from the same mercy. Nothing should be small where nothing is deserved. And partly because he that is not faithful in a little will not be faithful in much ; as in point of sin, he that doth not make conscience of small sins, will fall into greater. The lesser commands are a rail about the greater ; so a constant neglect of mercies breedeth a senseless stupidity.

But whose memory is so vast as to carry all matters away with it ?

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Answer — There is an habitual remembrance and an actual com memoration.

(1.) An habitual remembrance is necessary as to all God's acts of mercy, not only of the more eminent and signal providences, but of every day's kindnesses. This habitual remembrance is caused by taking notice of mercies as they come to us, that by observation of the multitude of them we may be possessed with an higher esteem of God's never-failing compassions, and may love him more, and serve him better. Every experience is as fuel added to the fire, as it increaseth our love to God, and our trust and dependence upon him.

(2.) An actual commemoration is impossible as to every single mercy ; it would require that we should live over as long again as we have done in the world, for God's mercies may be reckoned by the minutes of our lives.

[2.] In the more eminent passages of our lives, as much as may be we should be more express and particular ; for particulars are more affective, such as are awakening opportunities, deliverances in great dangers and fears, or notable mercies vouchsafed. God helpeth weak eyes, that cannot see his goodness in a lesser print, by a greater, when he sets forth his love, power, and goodness in a larger character. To neglect or forget these showeth that we will little mind the dealings of God. In short, if we cannot recall the single acts, recollect the sorts of mercies ; as painters, when they draw a crowd, paint a cluster of heads. We cannot reckon up all the mercies of God in order : Ps. xl. 5, ' Many, 0 Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-wards, they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee : if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.' If we do not always actually remember, yet still cherish an habitual remembrance, or a constant sense of the Lord's goodness to us ; this will help us against our distrustful fears : Ps. Ixxvii. 10, ' And I said, This is my infirmity : but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.' David's former experi ences were a great relief to him. So against discontent and murmur ing : Job ii. 10, ' Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and not evil ? ' This will be a check to sin : Ezra ix. 13, 14, ' And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this, should we again break thy commandments ? ' And a strong impulsion to obedience : Josh. xxiv. 31, ' And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which

I had known all the works of the Lord that he had done for Israel.' Directions. 1. Be affected with mercies if you would remember them ; for deep affections leave a print upon us which cannot easily be defaced ; men remember what they care for. 2. But the special way to remember them is to improve them, to grow better for them, to increase in faith, love, and obedience ; then Christians will remember them by a good token. If you let them pass as common accidents, no wonder the impression such providences make is soon worn off. A man that hath well profited by a sermon VOL. XVTII. D

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will not easily forget it : Ps. cxix. 93, ' I will never forget thy precepts, for with them thou hast quickened me.'

3. You should often call yourselves to an account : Ps. cxxxix. 17, ' How precious are thy thoughts to me, 0 Lord ! how great is the sum of them ! ' By the thoughts of God he meaneth the various dispen sations of his providence. The variety of mercies is infinite, that it is impossible for us to get to the bottom of them ; when we come to a reckoning we are amazed.

4. Consider our ingratitude is aggravated by every mercy received, especially eminent and signal mercies. This is the ground of God's plea and controversy against his people in the text ; and 1 Kings, xi. 9, 'And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared to him twice.' If your hearts decline, and depart from God after many en couragements to cleave to him, how just will your condemnation be ! But God will add mercy to mercy when you are thankful for former merciea

SERMON UPON ISAIAH L. 10.

Wlio is among you that fearetk the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light! Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. — ISAIAH 1.10.

IN the words there are three propositions —

1. God's people may sometimes be in such a condition as to walk in darkness and see no light.

2. In the most sinking and dark times their great duty is to trust in the Lord.

3. They that fear God and obey him are most encouraged to trust in him.

For the first point, that God's people may sometimes be in such a condition as to walk in darkness and see no light.

First, I will open this helpless and hopeless condition, which is here expressed by ' walking in darkness/ and ' seeing no light.'

1. In the general, it noteth great afflictions and dangers, which light upon the church and people of God ; as Lam. iii. 2, ' He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light ; ' that is, into a very afflicted condition.

2. It noteth the continuance and increase of affliction, when our night still groweth darker, and all means of relief are utterly invisible to us : Isa. lix. 9, 'We wait for light, but behold obscurity ; for bright ness, but we walk in darkness.' It doth not only overtake them, but they had waited long for a change of condition.

/ 3. When we are perplexed and embrangled in our troubles, and miss ^the true way of support under them. We are said to walk in darkness when we want either the light of direction or consolation.

[1.] The light of direction; and this with respect either to the understanding of our outward and common affairs, or with respect to our duty towards God under such afflictions.

(1.) As to the understanding or right management of our common affairs ; being troubled and amazed, we are not able to take any good counsel and advice : Isa. lix. 10, ' We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes ; we stumble at noon-day as in the night.' So Job v. 14, ' They met with darkness in the day-time, and grope in the noon-day as in the night/ It is a great judgment of God upon a people when counsel is perished from them, and they have not

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the judgment of ordinary men. It is threatened as a punishment on the disobedient : Deut. xxviii. 29, ' Thou shalt grope at noon-day as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways, and thou shalt only be oppressed and spoiled evermore, and none shall save thee.' Now thus it often befalleth the people of God for their disobedience ; they know not what course to take for their common safety.

(2.) The next is a greater evil, when we understand not our duty towards God, and the reason of our troubles. It is some comfort to a child of God when he kuoweth his duty under such a condition ; a speaking rod, though it be si»art, is more comfortable than a dumb rod : Ps. xciv. 12, ' Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, and teachest him out of thy law.' Our advantage cometh not by being {afflicted, but by being instructed in our afflictions, when the rod 'maketh us tractable and pliable to God's counsel: Job xxxvi. 10, ' He openeth their ears to discipline ;' and ver. 15, ' He openeth their ears in oppression.' It is the property of beasts to feel the smart of the rod, but men especially. Good men should know the use of the rod. Our condition is not altogether dark when God hath humbled and instructed his people under his chastenings, that they may get good by their chastenings ; but when they are still in the dark as to the reason and end of their troubles, it is the more grievous.

[2.] When we want the light of consolation, and that two ways — either by present experience of God's love, or hopes of future deliverance.

(1.) As to present experience of God's love: Bom. v. 3-5, 'And not only so, but we glory in tribulation also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope ; and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us/ It is promised to the upright that light shall arise to them in obscurity : Ps. cxii. 4, ' Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness.' Now it is very sad and afflicting to them when they cannot get a comfortable and satisfactory sight of God's love to them, or presence with them, or mind- fulness of them in their afflictions, but he hideth himself from them. This is the bitterest ingredient in their sorrows, that God hideth his face from them; they should not else resent so much other sorrows. The favour of God is the godly man's choice : Ps. iv. 6, 7, * Lord, lift up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time when their corn and wine increased.' And their life : Ps. xxx. 5, ' In his favour is life ; ' and therefore they cannot but be most affected with the sense of the want of it. This is the trouble of their trouble, and maketh their darkness to become thick darkness.

(2.) As to future deliverance, when they cannot look through the cloud of present trouble with any hope of relief, or have not any pro bable appearance of any good issue : Ps. Ixxiv. 9, ' We see not our signs ; there is no more any prophet, neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.' This is very sad. Troubles that have an end are the better borne ; but when we are altogether puzzled when we think of a remedy and an escape, then we are overwhelmed, like a

SERMON UPON ISAIAH L. 10. 53

man shipwrecked and swimming for life in the vast ocean, and sees no banks or land near.

Secondly, The reasons why this may befall the people of God. There are reasons on man's part, and on God's part.

First, On man's part.

1. The astonishing power of sore troubles : Ps. Ix. 3, ' Thou hast showed thy people hard things, thou hast made us to drink of the wine of astonishment.' They are amazed with afflictions, like unto a man that hath drunk some intoxicating drink which had put him beside him self. They are in the dark about God's mind in such dispensations, and wonder why God suffereth his people, whom he hath chosen and loved, to go to ruin, especially by the malignity of instruments more wicked than themselves : ' When the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he,' Hab. ii. 13.

2. From that weakness, bondage, and legal dejection which yet re- maineth upon their spirits, so that they are not able to look beyond their present condition ; and if it be evil, they make it worse by their own apprehensions and diffidence. It is dark now, and therefore they think it will never be day ; they see not God for the present, and therefore they conclude they shall not see him. As in prosperity God's children are apt to promise themselves too great a stability and continuance: Ps. xxx. 6, 'In my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved ; ' so in adversity they are no less ready to heighten their trouble by fearful apprehensions of the perpetuity thereof : Ps. Ixxvii. 7-9, ' Will the Lord cast off for ever ? and will he be favourable no more ? is his mercy clean gone for ever ? doth his promise fail for evermore ? hath God forgot to be gracious ? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies ? ' Trouble of our own making breedeth the greatest dejection. They mistake God's dispensation, and make their present condition sadder and worse than indeed it is. It would ease us of our greatest pressures if we would look off a little from the present, and consider how God can work contrary to our probabilities and fears. Contrary to our probabilities : Zech. viii. 6, ' Thus saith the Lord of hosts, If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes, saith the Lord of hosts ? ' And contrary to our fears : Isa. li. 12, 13, ' I, even I, am he that comforteth you : who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man, which shall be made as grass ; and forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth ; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy ? and where is the fury of the oppressor ? '

Secondly, On God's part ; he bringeth us into such a condition — 1. To show his sovereignty, and that he is Lord both of light and darkness : Job xxxiv. 29, ' When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble ? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only.' Our weal and woe is in his hand : Isa. xlv. 7, ( I form the light, and create darkness ; I make peace, and create evil : I the Lord do all these things.' All is at God's disposing, to give it to whom he will. Some times he giveth light and peace, nor will a dog move the tongue. So

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long as he pleaseth, neither policy nor power will be able to make his gift void, either as to nations or persons. He hath a negative voice : men would trouble, devils would trouble, but if God say, No, all is quiet in kingdoms, families, or souls. If he justifieth, who can con demn ? So when, for the punishment of sin or trial of faith, he lets out trouble, who can help it? So he may desert nations, and leave them without counsel or strength. So when God deserts a person, all his comfort and quietness is gone. Men under trouble are in a sad and hopeless plight as to any help, till God help them ; and if he hide his face, who shall ease them of their trouble, till God himself shine through that cloud ? All the favour of men will not do it till God appear.

2. To check our curiosity. We look to events rather than duties ; we would be lazy, not labour, if we knew our succeeding mercies ; or we should be overwhelmed with grief if we had a foresight of all our trials which are to come. Therefore God puts a veil upon his provi dence, and will not let us look to the end of his designs : Isa. xlviii. 7, 'Lest thou shouldst say, Behold,.! knew them.' Therefore we are in the dark, know not the particular issues and events of things, and can scarce support ourselves with the general promises ; and so walk in darkness and see no light.

Thirdly, That God may thereby promote the ends of his providence, which is to humble his people, and try them, and to do them good.

1. For the greater humiliation. When Christ was humbled for our sins he was at a non plus, as if he knew not what to say or do : John xii. 27, ' Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say ? ' So to humble his people thoroughly, he driveth them to an utter exigence ; all their hopes and probabilities are spent, and they know not what to do or say ; as in Jehoshaphat's instance : 2 Chron. xx. 12, ' We know not what to do, but our eyes are unto thee.' God's children may be shut up on all hands from any imaginable hope of a good issue, yea, or any sight of God and token of his love.

2. To try them, their faith, and love, and patience. Their faith, which is never put to a sound trial till all their common probabilities be spent. 'Faith is the evidence of things not seen,' Heb. xi. 1. When God is out of sight, and comfort is out of sight, and deliverance is out of sight, then is a time to depend upon God : Micah vii. 8, ' When I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.' Depen dence upon an unseen God, resolute adherence to a withdrawn God, is the flower and glory of faith. When we are left to a naked faith, and a naked word or promise of God, yet then to adhere to him, and wait upon him for what is contradicted by sense, this is to believe in hope against hope. So for the trial of our love ; to run to him when he seemeth to cast us off ; to fear him for his mercies : Hosea iii. 5,- ' They shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days ; ' and praise him for his judgments: Isa. xxvi. 8, 'In the way of thy judgments, 0 Lord, we have waited for thee ; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee ; ' to rejoice in him when he maketh all things desolate about us : Hab. iii. 17, 18, 'Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines ; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat ; the flock shall be cut off

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from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stall ; yet will I rejoice in .the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.' To own him' as a good God when we are under his strokes, and as a gracious father when he frowneth as well as when he smileth, here is faith indeed. So our patience is never tried in a twilight so much as in utter dark ness : James i. 4, ' Let patience have epyov re\eiov, its perfect work. Patience is not tried as long as we have worldly supports to bear us up; but in great, long, and sharp afflictions it is patience indeed. While we can make up ourselves another way, our submission to God is not fully tried.

3. To do us good, God would reach our corruptions so as to purge them out : Isa. xxvii. 9, ' By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit to take away his sin.' We would have no trial but that which should touch none of our sins and corruptions ; for we would not have the flesh displeased, or, if it be, yet but a little. Now trial will not do us good unless it vex our corruptions. A sound purge will carry away our pride, sensuality, worldliness ; a light purge doth but gently move it. When the vexing trials come, then we are ' like a wild bull in a net/ Isa. li. 20. Till we see no way to escape, we overlook our case. Yea, God's children are not humbled for their spiritual pride till trouble be so confounding that God is missed, and they left in the dark in their distress. Now, to be so far misted as to lose a sight of God under trouble, that is an humbling dispensation indeed.

JJse 1. If God's people may be in such a condition, let us bless God that he dealeth more gently with us. If our natural comforts be lessened, yet they are not wholly gone. Let us bless God that in the midst of judgment he remembereth mercy: Hab. ii. 3, 'For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie : though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry/ That he measureth our burdens by our strength and ability to bear them : 1 Cor. x. 13, ' There hath no temptation taken you but euch as is common to man : but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able ; but will with the tempta tion also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.' That he refresheth our souls with his love when his chastenings are upon us : 2 Cor. i. 5, ' For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.' That he smileth when the world 'frowneth ; that it is not an evil, and an only evil, but there are strange intermixtures of blessings with our crosses ; that he doth not forsake us utterly : Job xx. 26, ' All darkness shall be hid in his secret places/ speaking of the wicked ; that it is not wholly and altogether darkness, without any light, or comfort, or counsel for the present, or hope of issue for the future.

Use 2. Let us prepare for such a time ; for none of us can promise ourselves a total exemption from such kind of providences.

But what preparations must we make ?

I answer — Stock the heart with some maxims or holy truths, which may be a support to you.

1. That in our darkest condition God seeth us, though we do not see him. So the psalmist found by experience: Fs. Ixxiii. 22, 23, 'So

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foolish was I, and ignorant; I was as a beast before thee : neverthe less I am continually with thee ; thou hast holden me by the right hand.' David could not see God, for he had brutish thoughts of providence, as he acknowledged there ; that God was indifferent to good and evil, did no more care for the one than for the other ; yet God took care of him, and held him in the arms of his providence when he questioned it. So Job xxiii. 8-10, ' Behold, I go forward, but he is not there ; and backward, but I cannot perceive him : on the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him : he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him. But he knoweth the way that I take : when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.' Job had lost the sight of God, but God had not lost the sight of Job, for he knew his sincerity, and would in time clear it to his comfort. So that many times we are like the blind man ; though he could not see Christ, yet he never left calling upon the Son of David, till he answered to his name, and came and cured him.

2. That in our distresses we are apt to foster groundless mistakes about God's love, and so darken our own estate more than needeth. Sense maketh lies of God, and our hearts will be made to recant what they say in their haste, as. David often found in his experience: Ps. xxxi. 22, ' I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes ; nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.' God looketh not after me, but leaveth me to inevitable ruin ; and at that very time God was about to give him audience : Ps. cxvi. 10-12, ' I was greatly afflicted : I said in my haste, All men are liars. What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me ? ' He referreth to the messages brought him from godly Samuel, and Nathan, and other prophets ; and being far from the effects of them, he began to suspect the truth of them. Thus do our calamities trans port us with fears and irregular thoughts and apprehensions of God's dealings with us : but we must not judge of our condition by our temptations, but God's promises ; and faith must shut our eyes against whatsoever would breed mistakes and quarrels against God's provi dence.

3. That a dark hour is many times the forerunner of a comfortable morning, and great and growing difficulties may be made means of a greater good to us. For God loveth to bring light out of darkness, and to give the valley of Achor for a door of hope, and to give meat out of the eater, and sweetness out of the strong, and to bring about his people's mercies by means very improbable and contrary, that he may train^ us up to hope against hope. Deliverance, when it is a-coming, it is not always in sight ; rather all appearances are contrary. He will call for water when he intendeth to give wine, and rebuke her as a dog whom he meanethto treat as a daughter of Abraham: Isa. xlv. 15, ' Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, 0 God of Israel, the saviour.' Though a saviour, yet he hideth himself under a cloud and veil of difficulties and contrary appearances.

4. That however matters go, it will certainly be well with them that fear God, even because they fear him^ were there no other evidence and proof of it, as it will be ill with the wicked, even though they prosper: Eccles. viii. 11, 12, 'Because sentence against an evil

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work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is .fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times," and his days be prolonged ; yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him ; ' Isa. iii. 10, 11, ' Say ye to the righteous that it shall be well with him, for they shall /h< eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked ! it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him/ If this be believed, we need fear nothing, if we keep the way of the Lord, and do continue waiting and depending upon him. We cannot absolutely promise you temporal deliverance, nor all those spiritual things which you desire, as to the degree ; but this we can promise you, it shall be well with them that fear God, and well with the righteous. Temporal things are not of that moment that we should be much troubled about them ; we have an hope above them, and our happiness lieth not at stake when they are in danger. If God will bring us safe to glory, as he will those that continue with patience in well-doing, it is enough ; nothing can go amiss to him that is found in the way of his duty : though the way be foul and narrow, if it leadeth unto glory, it is enough ; it will be well in the issue.

5. That we must not dote upon sensible consolation. The merciful nature of God should be a support to us, though we see notning of the effects of it in the course of his dealings with us ; and we should believe his love when we do not actually feel it : Job x. 13, ' And these things hast thou hid in thine heart ; I know that this is with thee/ He speaketh of his favourable inclination to show pity to his creatures. We are not able always to reconcile his present dispensations with his gracious nature, nor our former experience of his goodness ; yet faith must not quit its holdfast, but we must see what is hid in God's heart, and comfort ourselves with concealed favour and mercy, when we cannot comfort ourselves with felt favour and mercy. Though mercies be not visible and obvious to sense, yet the disposition and inclination is ever in God unchangeable and sure. A withdrawn God is a merciful God still.

, 6. That God can draw light out of darkness, and give light in darkness, and turn darkness into light. God can draw light out of darkness : Gen. i. 2, 3, ' The earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep ; and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, and God said, Let there be light, and there was light/ He can give light in darkness : Exod. x. 22, 23, ' And there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days ; and they saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings ; ' Ps. xviii. 28, ' For thou wilt light my candle : the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness/ And he can turn darkness into light, that is, change and alter our condition : Isa. ix. 2, ' The people that have walked in darkness have seen a great light ; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined ;' Eph. v. 8, ' Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord/

7. When you cannot interpret the promises of God by his providen tial dealing with you, you must interpret his dealing by his promises : Ps. Ixxiii. 16, 17, ' When I thought to know this, it was too painful

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for me, until I went into the sanctuary of God ; then understood I their end.' - His promises are as the light part of the cloud, his provi dential dealings as the dark part of the cloud.

8. You must distinguish between a part of God's work and the whole entire frame of it. The taking of a watch asunder to mend it, an unskilful man, when he seeth every pin and wheel taken out, will think this is undoing ; but the skilful artist knoweth this is mending and repairing : Zech. xiv. 7, ' But it shall be one day, which shall be known unto the3 Lord, not day nor night; but it shall come to pass that at evening-time it shall be light.' After the longest suspense there is comfort at the end.

9. That is not best for us which we think best : Mat. xvii. 4, ' It is good for us to be here.' We think it best to be at the top, and have an inspection over affairs, in ease, and in an uninterrupted prosperity. Peter was upon Mount Tabor, but Christ saw it fit to bring him thence, and expose him to the winnowings of Satan, and to penitential weeping, that is wholesome to the soul ; and afterwards to employ him in the labours of the gospel, and then to die a cruel death. Paul thought it best to be rid of the thorn in the flesh, but God thought not so : 2 Cor. xii. 9, ' My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' When we are lowest, we are most humble. God's thoughts are not as our thoughts.

10. That God's greatest severity to his people is consistent with his covenant love : Ps. Ixxxix. 32, 33, ' Then will I visit their transgressions with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless my loving- kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.' There is no contradiction between covenant kindness and hard dispensations ; they may be easily reconciled.

For the second point, that in dark and gloomy times our great duty is to trust in the Lord. This is prescribed here, and in other places commended to us : Isa. viii. 17, ' I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.' We should not give over seeking for a withdrawn God, but seek, and wait, and look for him. If you keep his place warm in your hearts by your estimation and affection, he will come again : Job xxxv. 14, ' Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him ; therefore trust thou in him.' Times may come when the saints may say they do not see, yea, they shall not see him ; yet they must resolve to lie at God's door till relief come. Trust then in him : Job xiii. 15, ' Though he slay me, yet I will trust in him.' Though they be under sad dispensations already, and look for sadder, yet they resolve to keep up their dependence, and will not be beaten off from God by any rebukes of providence. ' No trouble, how great soever, is a warrant to quit our faith. / Faith must not quit God when he seemeth to quit us, but must take him for a friend, and put a good construction upon his dealings when he showeth himself an enemy ; so that in a sinking, helpless, and hopeless condition this is a great remedy.

The reasons are taken from the act and the object. The act is trusting and staying ; the object is God, or the name of God. The benefit we have by this act, the encouragement we have from this object.

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1. The utility and profit of trusting : 2 Chron. xx. 20, ' Believe in the Lord your God, so shall you be established/ If you would be delivered or supported, trust and stay upon the Lord. This allayeth our fears : Ps. Ivi. 3, ' At what time I am afraid, I will trust in thee ; ' Ps. cxii. 7, ' He shall not be afraid of evil tidings ; his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.' A Christian is, or may be, immovable in all changes of condition. It overcometh our sorrows. There was a storm in David's spirit, how doth he calm it ? Ps. xlii. 5, ' Why art thou cast down, 0 my soul ? and why art thou disquieted within me ? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance ; ' and ver. 11, 'Why art thou cast down, 0 my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me ? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.' He is at it again and again. It keepeth us from fretting : Ps. xxxvii. 7, ' Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him ; fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.' It preserveth us from fainting : Ps. xxvii. 13, ' I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.' Yea, from defection and apostasy : Heb. iii. 12, ' Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.' They that cannot trust God cannot be long true to him.

2. There is much in the name of God to encourage trust : Ps. ix. 10, 'They that know thy name will put their trust in thee.' The name of God is anything by which he is made known. It compriseth two things — what God is in himself, and what he will be to his people.

[1.] What he is in himself ; a wise, powerful, and holy being : his three grand attributes are wisdom, goodness, and power. Now nothing can be amiss that is done by a God of infinite wisdom, power, and goodness ; and what may here not be expected from him ? He that can do all things can do whatever you stand in need of; he that knoweth all things can never be at a loss, either in preventing evil or bestowing good ; he that is so good will not be backward to pity and help us. Our choicest consolations are fetched out of God's nature ; in his works we see much of him, but in his nature we see an infinite sea of all perfections.

[2.] Consider what God will be to his people, in his providence, in his covenant

(1.) In his providence. In his works he discovereth his nature. As he is a powerful God, so nothing can be done but his leave and hand is in it, and it is governed by his counsel and will. Your per secutors cannot stir or move or breathe without him. The saints are in his hand : Deut. xxxiii. 3, ' Yea, he loved the people ; all his saints are in thy hand.' We are in a friend's hand : John vi. 20, ' It is I, be not afraid.' His goodness : God is concerned in th e condition of his people as well if not more than themselves ; they do not suffer but he sympathiseth : Isa. Ixiii. 9, 'In all their afflictions he is afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them ; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them, and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old ; ' Zech. ii. 8, ' He that toucheth you toucheth the apple

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of his eye.' In short, he is full of tenderness and moderation. His wisdom : we may trust his wisdom in carving out a portion for us, better than our own understanding : ' Should it be according to thy mind ? ' Job xxxiv. 33. Men would have all things done according to their own will : no, better let God alone with it ; for he is a God of judgment, and guideth all things with great moderation and equity : Job xxxiv. 23, ' For he will not lay upon man more than right, that he should enter into judgment with God.' He will not afflict above deserving : Ezra ix. 13, 'And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve.' We are in captivity ; we might have been in hell. Nor beyond strength : 1 Cor. x. 13, 'Who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able.' Above what he hath given, or is ready to give ; nor more than to do them good by it : Rom. viii. 28, ' All things shall work together for good to them that love God.' Now, which is most just, that we should have the disposal of ourselves, or God ? He will do what he pleaseth, whether we be pleased or displeased.

(2.) In his covenant, the foundation of Which is laid in the blood of Christ, and the benefits offered there are pardon .of sin and eternal life. Pardon of sin is a cure for our greatest and deepest trouble. Eternal life answereth all our desires; this light affliction is not comparable to it : 2 Cor. iv. 17, ' For our light . affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.'

Use. Well, then—

1. Trust in the Lord against carnal reason, when carnal reason doth not befriend your trust. They that trust God no farther than they can see him, they do not trust God, but their outward probabi lities. God hath only the name. Yea, when carnal reason contradicts your trust and checketh all hope : ' Though he slay me, yet I will trust in him/ Job xiii. 15.

2. Trust God against carnal affection; trust his wise and. holy government. We would fain interpose to save our lusts, which some times need a sharp cure. God's quarrel is not against your persons, but your sins ; he desireth not your destruction, but your humiliation and reformation. The dearest loss is your sin, and are you loath to spare that ? There is nothing so sad which befalleth the people of God but it tendeth to prevent something which is sadder, which would otherwise befall them : 1 Cor. xi. 32, ' But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be con demned with the world ; ' Ps. xciv. 12, 13, ' Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law, that thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.'

3. Trust him upon his gospel assurance, even against the terms of his own law. We may change courts : Ps. cxxx. 3, 4, ' If thou shouldst mark iniquity, 0 Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared ;' Ps. cxliii. 2, 'Enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.'

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For the third point, they that fear God and obey him are most encouraged to trust God.

1. Because precepts and promises go hand in hand, so must our trust and obedience : Ps. cxlvii. 11, ' The Lord taketh pleasure in, them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy ; ' Ps. cxix. 166, ' Lord, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments.'

2. Sincerity giveth confidence and boldness, and helpeth our trust. They can delight in the Almighty, and lift up their face to God : 1 John iii. 21, ' If our hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God.'

3. The controversy is taken up when we desire to keep the way of obedience. Sin is the thorn in our sore which caused the first pain : Lam. iii. 39, ' Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sin ? ' God hath no quarrel with them, but about their sins.

Use. Then, if we would trust ourselves with God's holy government, let us fear his name, and obey the voice of his servant, and return to the obedience we owe to our creator, and put ourselves into the hands of our redeemer.

SERMON UPON 2 SAMUEL VII. 27.

TJierefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray tJiis prayer unto thee. — 2 SAM. vii. 27.

THERE are several things remarkable in this context.

1. David's thankful mind, ver. 1, 2. I may illustrate it by the opposite practice of Nebuchadnezzar : Dan. iv. 30, ' Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty ? ' And of the Israelites in their new dwellings at Jerusalem : Hag. i. 2-4, ' This people say, The time is not come, the time that the Lord's house should be built. Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it a time for you, 0 ye, to dwell in your ceiled nouses, and this house lie waste ? ' All our comforts are used accord ing to the temper of the party that enjoyeth them, either as an occasion to the flesh, or as incentives of godliness. A gracious spirit looketh upon common mercies as discovering their author, and pointing to their end ; they came from God, and must be used for God. A proper meditation for you when you enjoy commodious habitations, walk in your pleasant gardens, or get any repose and ease from troubles. In the midst of the plentiful accommodations of the present life, What have I done for God, who giveth me richly to enjoy all these things ?

2. Nathan's innocent and pious mistake : ver. 3, ' Go, do all that is in thine heart, for the Lord is with thee.' - This Nathan spake not by a prophetical, but private spirit. The prophets might err when they spake out of their own human spirit, but as moved by the Holy Ghost they erred not. The prophet is to be excused, because the intention of David's zeal was good, and a meet expression of his thankfulness to God. God himself liked the intention in itself : 1 Kings viii. 18, ' The Lord said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thy heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart.' And besides, he might tell him, ' The Lord is with thee,' from former observation. God had accompanied David with his Spirit and blessing in all his enterprises. Well, then, this he said not by divine revelation, but of himself. Herein he was faulty, that he consulted not with God. And it teacheth us this lesson, that in all businesses of moment and concern ment to God's glory, we must ask God's leave, and counsel, and blessing: Prov. iii. 5, 6, ' Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to

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thine own understanding: in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.'

• 3. The next thing observable is the Lord's rectifying the prophet's mistake by a special revelation, ver. 4-17, wherein the Lord recapitu- lateth the several favours and honours he had put upon his servant David, with promises of blessing upon his family ; but denieth him, this one honour of putting his designs in execution of building him an house, because that was reserved for his son, a more peaceable prince, and whose hands were not defiled with blood. And it teacheth us this lesson, that we should be content with those other honours and favours which we have received at God's hands, though he in his wise providence deny us the liberty of perfecting some enterprises which we have designed for his glory. If God cut us off in the midst of our service, or interrupt us in our work, he knoweth how to carry it on by others ; and it is a mercy that we have had his presence hitherto in former services. God had been with David whithersoever he went, but would not allow him to build him an house.

4. David's carriage upon this message : ver. 18, 'He went and sat before the Lord,' or abode in his presence, and expresseth himself both by way of praise and prayer.

[1.] Praise, in the 18th, 19th, and 20th, to the end of the 24th verse ; acknowledging that all his goodness to him and his people came from his mercy and truth, for his word's sake, and according to his own heart, to fulfil his covenant, and his self-inclination to do good ; admiring the greatness of these favours to such an unworthy creature as himself : ' Who am I, 0 Lord, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hither ? ' &c. ; * And is this the manner of man, 0 Lord God ? ' &c.

[2.] Prayer, from the 25th verse to the end ; wherein he beggeth a performance of the things promised ; showing that he should not dare to ask and expect these things if God had not prevented him by his word : ' Thou hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house ; therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.'

In which words there is a directory for prayer. And (1.) The qualification of the person, ' Thy servant ; ' (2.) The sincerity of the prayer, ' Hath found in his heart ; ' (3.) The instance and vehemency of it, in the doubling of the words ; not simply ' to pray,' but ' to pray this prayer:' James v. 17, 'He prayed earnestly,' Trpoa-evxfj irpocryv^aTo — he prayed in his prayer. It is one thing to say a prayer, another to pray a prayer. (4.) His reverence, ' Unto thee ; ' or, as it is more emphatically repeated, 1 Chron. xvii. 25, ' Therefore thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before thee/ When we set ourselves as before the invisible God. And that may be part of the meaning of the phrase used, ver. 18, ' He sat before the Lord.'

But the main circumstance which I shall insist upon is that, ' Found in his heart.'

Doct. That the birthplace or proper rise of prayer is in the heart; or, whatever prayer we pray to God must be found in our hearts before it be uttered with our tongues.

First, I shall inquire concerning the sense and meaning of this expression, what it is to find a prayer in our hearts. That implieth

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two things — when we pray as inclined, and pray as encouraged. And so David must be interpreted here : ' I have found in my heart ; ' that is, I am inclined by a due esteem and desire of the blessing promised ; for he admireth it, and was exceedingly ravished with the thought of it, that God should have such respect to his house and family. Again, ' I have found in my heart ; ' that is, I am encouraged by the Lord's goodness, and the experience of his blessing, and the assurance of his promises. So in every general case, all that would pray must find in their hearts to pray to God ; that is, be inclined, and be encouraged.

1. We are inclined or stirred up to pray for such good things as we ask of God.

[1.] By a sense of our wants : James, i. 5, ' If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God ; ' and Heb. iv. 16, ' Let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in a time of need.' Our addresses to God must begin in a broken-hearted sense of our own wants, otherwise it is but an empty, careless, formal way of praying. We have a quick and tender feeling in all bodily necessities ; the worst will express themselves sensibly enough in such cases : Hosea vii. 14, ' They have not cried unto me with their hearts when they howled upon their beds ; they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me.' Those that rebelled against God howled upon their beds for corn and wine, as beasts will make their moan when pinched with hunger ; but in soul-necessities we are not so sensible ; and prayers put up without sense of want and need are but dead and lazy. Many think their condition so good that they need not trouble God about it, but they can manage it well enough themselves, and therefore either pray not at all, or without poverty of spirit, and their prayers are but an empty compliment to God. But now a godly man is sensible of his daily necessities ; he is kept poor in spirit, and seeth that he can not subsist a minute without God, and that he is environed with dangers, and obliged to a multitude of duties, which require assistance from above ; that Satan is continually tempting, and he is continually sinning ; and so he needs daily pardon, and daily sustentation, as well as daily bread : ' Give us arj/j,epov, this day our daily bread,' Mat. vi. 11 ; and that if he should forget to pray to God, he should forget to bid himself good-morrow or good-day. In short, the more men exercise themselves unto godliness, the more their necessities and wants will be discovered to them. Painted fire needeth no fuel, but real fire must still be supplied with matter for it to feed upon.

[2.] An esteem and value of the blessings asked. All such as pray aright must have a high estimation of what they seek ; for if we do not set a value upon it, we shall neither seek it earnestly, nor will God care to give it us ; for he will not thrust spiritual comforts upon them that despise them. Paul was so earnest to have Christ and his benefits, because he ' counted all things but dung and dross that he might win Christ, and be found in him,' &c., Phil. iii. 7-9. David prized com munion with God, therefore sought it so earnestly : Ps. xxvii. 4, ' One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I might dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.' Temporal things are usually overprized, therefore these things are dispensed with a looser providence, without prayer, and many times to those that never

SERMON UPON 2 SAMUEL VII. 27. 65

pray ; and to the godly by way of overplus, to direct us to value spirit ual blessings, and to seek them in the first place : Mat. vi. 33, ' Seek first the kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof, and all these things shall be added to you.' First in our prayers, as well as first in our endeavours.

[3.] Desire ; that must urge us to ask, and doth both open our mouths wide, and put life and vehemency into our requests and supplications. There is a good rule, that will be of general use to us : Desire nothing in your hearts but what you can pray for, and pray for nothing but what you desire. The former part checketh both worldly and fleshly lusts. Have I, or can I have, so little reverence for the Godhead as apparently to ask meat for my lusts, so much by the year, such dishes at my table, so much in lands and honours ? But the latter checks formality and deadness in prayer. Desire must go before and all along with the request, and the heart must be the fountain of the words ; otherwise it is but a vain babbling. Much speaking is not praying. Words are but the body, desires are the soul of prayer ; as the body without the soul is dead, so are words without a spirit of desire. There fore we should be more careful of affections than words : Eccles. v. 1, 2, ' Be not hasty to utter anything before God,' <fec. The prayer must be framed in such words as we can ; but our chief business is to awaken and call in our affections from wandering after worldly things, or to set our hearts to seek the Lord. The Spirit's help in prayer is not seen in the flow of words, but in a-revciy/Aol? a\a\ijroi<;, ' Groanings that cannot be uttered,' Horn. viii. 26 ; holy ardours and groans to God, and desires of his help. A prayer without life and affection is tlmribulum sine prunis — a censer without fire.

[4.] Prayer must not only come from the present desires, but from the habitual inclination of the mind and heart towards God and heavenly things, which is the great effect of healing and sanctifying grace : Ps. cxix. 36, ' Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.' This is the radical inclination of grace, to be carried out to God, and all things that belong to God, as they more or less lead to him, more than to honours, pleasures, profits. As prayer is not a lip-labour, so it is not a work of the mere human spirit, or a fruit of memory and invention, but an exercise of grace. A man may exercise his natural faculties in prayer, when he doth not exercise the graces of the Spirit in prayer. Grace is given as the remote preparation to prayer : . Zech. xii. 10, ' I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplication ; and they shall look on him whom they </